Montra Big Boy 26 (2016) : ChooseMyBicycle.com Expert Review

To keep the weight in check, the frame and fork on the Big Boy (2016) are made from 6061 aluminium. And to satisfy the customer demands this Fat Boy bicycle comes in 3 different sizes in 20êê, 24êê and 26êê which will suit taller or shorter riders. The bicycle I test rode was the 26êê variant. It is very important for the weight of the frame on the Big Boy to be less due to the overall heaviness of the bicycle and the Montra Big Boy has quite succeeded in keeping the weight at check. But the welds were disappointing with plain and non-structural curves connecting the various tubes. Suspension forks on Fat Boys are always a debate and the Big Boy has gone for a rigid alloy fork. Poor quality suspensions wonêt be effective enough to overpower the weight of the wheelset to function properly and Montra have decided to keep the costs at the bottom and give suspension a miss. A good move I must say.

The Big Boy (2016) we test rode came in a full black colour with some forest green shades in few places on the bicycle. The Big Boy by look itself will win over someone aesthetically due to its large build size. The gloss paint job could have definitely been of better quality. The colour coded break/gear cables and rims were a nice touch to the design. Itês not every day that you would see a bicycle as large as a Montra Big Boy (2016) on the road and so it is guaranteed to turn some heads when you take it out for a spin.

p> The gearing on the Montra Big Boy (2016) was the bare minimum as expected at this price. A full Shimano Tourney (1x7) speed gearing with trigger shifters. Even though Shimano Tourney is the most basic gearing component in the Shimano MTB hierarchy, the 7 speed gearing on the Big Boy felt sufficient enough for the type of riding the Big Boy is aimed at which is short distance riding on rough surfaces. Climbing is obviously harder due to the bicycleês build, but the gearing does not help in any way to ease the pedaling on inclines. The gear shifters on the index finger trigger was comfortable in usage but the button thumb shifter needed an extra push for the gear change to happen.

Braking is very crucial in the Big Boy (2016) and Montra have gone with a basic Mechanical Disc brakes for this bicycle. V-brakes are almost impossible to be installed in a bicycle with such massive tires as the brake pads cannot make those huge rims halt. These mechanical disc brakes werenêt any better than the best of V-brakes I have seen, but does the job well on sandy surfaces with a decent amount balance.

The XMR MTB handlebar on the Big Boy (2016) was measuring a length of 640mm which was long enough to give enough control over the heavy front half of the bicycle. Since this bicycle will require a lot of hard gripping by the rider, the grips could do with some extra cushioning for added comfort.

The 26êê x 4.0êê MTB tires are what makes the Montra Big Boy 26 (2016) special. These tires are well supported by a single walled 32-hole massive spoke rims. These tires had thick and evenly spaced out treads to roll over uneven surfaces with ease and also reduces punctures to quite an extent. Yes, the wheelsets are heavy but not too much to make pedaling difficult. The Montra Trail saddle was surprisingly of good shape. This ergonomically designed saddle felt comfortable and had the right amount of padding to reduce saddle soreness. The overall ride quality was slightly bumpy which is expected and is normal in this bicycle.