Disc brake conversion kits

[139NI]

I currently have only one bike and only enough money will keep things that way.

The bike i currently have is a MONTAGUE PARATROOPER bike which has disc brake for the front and V brakes for the rear wheel.
I have googled conversion kits which allows you to mount disc brake calipers to the rear of the frame which have no mounts without the need to weld or anything like that.

I just would welcome an opinion on
1) Where i can get them? - (apart from American websites)
2) If they work
3) Do they then stress a frame not designed initially to take disc brakes?
4) Anything else related to the topic that anyone wants to add...

Thanks

W

 

[jackthelad]

139 I know this does not help you,but i was wondering how do you find the paratrooper as a folding bike,I quite fancy them for sightseeing by just throwing it in the boot of the car.

jackthelad

 

[Piemaster]

The only thing I'd ask is why?
Most of your braking (around 70%) is done by the front wheel. As you brake weight is transfered forward, loading up the front end of the bike (take it to the extreme and you'll go over the bars).
The bike already has a disc front end, looks like a cable operated one, performance and modulation (control) are generally reckoned better on hydraulic type discs.

To improve the braking performance of the rear I'd first just try fitting different brake blocks (koolstop salmon seem popular on here) and adjusting them properly. I really don't see much to be gained by fitting a rear disc.

I actually rather fancy one of those myself.........definitely an N+1 bike.

 

[139NI]

139 I know this does not help you,but i was wondering how do you find the paratrooper as a folding bike,I quite fancy them for sightseeing by just throwing it in the boot of the car.

jackthelad

Thanks for the replies above...In answer to your queries,,

There are many reasons why someone would pay over the odds for one of these nowadays. I paid GBP500.00 for mine in MAR 2008 when they were a bit harder to get hold of. Now i believe Evans stock them but at GBP659.00. The only difference is that the new version has a rear disc brake aswell as a front one - mine has a front disc and a V-brake for the rear - strange i know!!

For what i see, the advantages you get are:
1. A strange looking but utterly functional bike - it was commissioned by the US Army.
2. If it bothers you, people stare at it cos it looks weird.
3. It rides like a mid-range hardtail - totally rigid. There is just no flexing as opposed to the DAHON JACK which is also a 26" folder.
4. Its robust and takes abuse.
5. It folds, no tools needed - but ask for a demo cos its not a 10-sec task or take a look at youtube.
6. The fold is compact for what it is - i suppose this is why people pay for it.
7. For sightseeing - its near perfect cos its not a bike that will brake and ruin a trip.
8. You can take it off road and thrash it around - the bike can tolerate the abuse.
9. It will get in your car boot.


But:
1. The components are fairly low-end.
2. Its one of the heaviest bikes you can buy in its class. But this is cos the tubing is a bit more substantial and robust than a civilian bike.
3. Although it folds, its not that sort of quick fold where you spot a bus 100yds away and think 'oh, i'll quickly pack this down and hop on the bus' - no. It breaks down into two parts and i thinks its a proper handful.

i could suggest alternatives such as the DAHON JACK, DAHON MATRIX

 

[John the Monkey]

3) Do they then stress a frame not designed initially to take disc brakes?

I'd imagine so - looking at the rear triangles of disc specific frames, there's a fair bit of overbuilding there - I'd be worried about the stresses on a "normal" frame.

Stick koolstop dual compound (or the Fibrax koolstop-a-like, which is as good, ime) on the back, they're great pads & will improve the braking.

 

[rusky]

If the frame hasn't got disc monts then don't do it. The frame wasn't designed for discs.