Montra Blues 1.1 (2017): ChooseMyBicycle.com Expert Review

The Blues 1.1 (2017) comes with a hybrid 6061 alloy frame. The frame is welded smoothly in the edges joining the tubes. Also the tubes are engineered in a way that there is very minimal material used in places, which don’t need reinforcements and extra alloy in places which will have high impact. This has considerably shaved the weight of the frame. The frame geometry is very comfortable and the slanting top tube makes this the perfect unisex bicycle.

The Blues 1.1 (2017) comes with a SR Suntour front suspension fork with a 50mm travel. This fork worked well during the test ride but it is not going to fully absorb vibrations from the road. This is the same as found on the 2016 Montra Blues 1.1.

The Montra Blues 1.1 (2017) is always known for its simple yet elegant graphics. The tube shapes on the seat stay are thin which makes the bicycle look sleek and tidy. The bicycle which I test rode came in a full ink blue primary colour with accents of sky blue found on the frame. True to its name this bicycle was fully blue. The gear cables, brake cables and the saddle were colour coordinated which added a nice aesthetic touch to the design of the bicycle.

The Montra Blues 1.1 (2017) comes with a Shimano Altus as the front and rear derailleur. During the test ride the gearing on this bicycle worked seamlessly without any glitches. Once when I was climbing a bridge the quick shifting did ease the pedaling. The same goes for acceleration on flat roads as well, the Altus derailleurs did react quickly and I did not have to get off the saddle for the initial push. The gear transmission controls are taken care of by Shimano ST-EF500 21 speed shifters. These shifters were very close to the grips and hence were accessible easily without having to stretch out the fingers too much.

The Montra Blues 1.1 (2017) comes with ProMax alloy V-brakes at both the front and back. These brakes arms were a lengthy 110mm, which made sure the brake pads could clasp on to the tires faster and tighter. During the test ride I took the bicycle out on flat urban roads with some bumps. I had to jam the brakes quite a few times and the reaction wasn’t the quickest. Even though the bicycle came to a halt, there was some imbalance at the front and back.

The XMR Zoom alloy handlebars also add to the comfortable posture of the rider. The 620mm wide bars made sure my shoulders and chest were opened up and made my ride comfortable.

For a hybrid bicycle in the city, the surfaces can range from flat tarmacs to puddled roads and bumps. The tires were treaded perfectly to provide enough traction on the sides when turning. The Kenda K934 700C x 35C tires were lightweight and fast rolling, well supported by double walled alloy rims, this wheel set is perfect if you want to go touring as well.

The Montra comfort saddle by Velo was ergonomically shaped as my sit bones were placed perfectly on the widest points on the saddle. The length and width of the saddle were also enough to make sure one doesn’t slip off easily. The overall ride quality was comfortable on urban roads.