Strengths: The frame is very beefy. It can withstand a whole lot of abuse. From what I hear stock parts where really really cheap but i bought it as a frame so i wouldnt know. The frame itself is actually pretty light.
Weaknesses: The rear triange geometry is a bit lengthy. Cant manual to good with it. Other than that no complaints.
Bottom Line:
Awesome frame. Very well built. No one even knows its a mongoose unless i tell them. Takes 8 foot drops like nothing. If i have a chance i want to buy another one of these frames just to have as a backup until that day "probably not very soon" the frame breaks. Would recomend to anyone.
Similar Products Used: Hmm havnet really ridden alot of bikes with this kind of suspension geometry. But it kinda reminds me of my bro's XCR 4000
Bike Setup: XT hubs laced to alexrims. XT drivetrain. DNM air oil rear shock. Marzoochi DJ2 front fork. BIllet stem, Kona DB bars. Magura HS33 hydraulic brakes, Shram 9.0 rear cassette, honeycomb aluminum seatpost, raceface taperlock BB, Tioga DH tires.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
justin cummings
a Weekend Warrior
from tyngsboro,ma, usa
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2002
Strengths: the frame is strong, shocks, handle bars
Weaknesses: axles, derailliers( they suk ass), tires, u cant change gears goin up hill(not even a lil 20* slope), brakes, the frame is strong but a lil too heavy, seat
Bottom Line:
it is pritty good for the money,i suggest that u should upgrade the tires, rims, brakes, derailliers,axels, and seat, they all suk, i broke my axel while goin over a tree stump, my deraillier went out of alignment, my brakes, i have to fix my brakes every time i go out, the tires get very lil grip when off road, but the suspension is nice, weight sux, 24 speed is a great range of gears, price is ok, overall, i would not get it again, but if u already have it , upgrade
Bike Setup: Shimano Deore Crank and derailers. KORE Chain Tensioner. Front wheel: Parallax hub, matix "cheapo" Rim. Nokian Blue Bozobeana Rear wheel: XTR hub & 8 cassette, Sun Rino Lite Rim. Kujo DH Tire
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
dick head
a Weekend Warrior
from newcastle australia
Date Reviewed: September 12, 2001
Strengths: i am not sure how mongoose have done it, but they must be the first bike company on earth to have hardened sh*t to the extent where it can be used to make a bike frame. ingeneous.......
Weaknesses: absolutely everything, on a D*CK HEAD (LIKE MYSELF) would buy this. it weighs a tonne, all the components are cheap and weak, and the list goes on
Bottom Line:
dont buy cheap bikes. you will only have to waste money on decent parts. oh and if i can save just one person from shopping at stead cycles i will be a happy man, the guy is a complete wanker and is sleasier then a used car sales man.
Strengths: hmmmm well the frame is ok kinda could use alittle more travel buti fixed that e/ mail me if u wanna know how to get 4.5inches of rear travel.i just got a now bike:):):)
Weaknesses: all stock parts.
Bottom Line:
the frame is the only thing worth getting out of it but it is a good frame after my CHANGES witch ill tell u if u mail me. the stock components are $#!^
if you live in north idaho e mail me and mabey we can meet some time and go riding ill show u some kick @$$ trails but dont be a winer and u better hope u like dh or u wont like the trails my fav has some good dopoffs and jumps
c-ya moosepoop85@yahoo.com
ps. the chilis are for the frame only and only after my CHANGES
Similar Products Used: specalized p3 my fav dual slolam bike specialized fsr enduro dh
Bike Setup: frame: d50i mongoose. fork:white bros dh3. rear shok:risse. bar. race face crank/chain rings:raceface.dh
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Todd Torres
a Racer
from Springfield, Or, U.S.A
Date Reviewed: June 9, 2001
Strengths: Strong welds. well built Nice geometry.
Weaknesses: stock shock and all componets are quite weak i broke the wheels after about 2 months. Stock shock wasnt a shock it was a spring made to look like a coil over.
Bottom Line:
If your looken for a great frame at a great price but are willing to upgrade a few things then this is the bike for you. Stock it was fun to ride around small trails the weight slowed you way down. But when i stripped it and found out the aluminum frame with the fork and bb and crank and rear shock only weighed 17 pounds, i knew it had potential. Now its a XC racing machine. The brakes are the newest addition to start my XC season off to a hardcore start and stop.
Similar Products Used: Not alot of soft tails that ive ridden. ive ridden a GT XCR 4000 but mines lighter.
Bike Setup: LX 5arm crankset. Taperlock ti bottom bracket. Magura hydraulic Hs22 brakes. Xt hubs front and read double butted spokes with alloy red anodized nipples. Mavic rims, 2000 XT front and rear derailleurs. DNM backdraft air oil giving me 4 plush inches of travel. 1999 rockshocks judy XC 100mm travel. LX cartrige sealed headset. Kona DB risers. yeti hardcore lock on grips, home made .049 chromoly stem, leather sgs seat with cromo rails. Panaracer kevlar Mach ss front and Mach sk rear.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Twiek
a Weekend Warrior
from Northern VA, USA
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2001
Strengths: Strong Frame, Trigger Shifters, Good Price, Decent brakes
Weaknesses: Shock (F&R) action is sticky, Rear derailleur is tricky (sometimes dosen't shift or shifts twice), Weight!
Bottom Line:
I've had this bike for a year, and I mostly ride it around the powerlines (half climing, half DH). I've taken it to Whitetail ski resort and it does great on the lifts. I can tell where the equipment holds me back, and most of the time my wits are the limiting factor and not the bike. The fork could be replaced: it's not very rigid, and the shock is not built for DH. It's not as nice as some of the 6" XT and DH bikes on the trails, but I can sure outrun most other sub-$1000 bikes. One note: After a year of mixed riding (including some serious DH and drops), I've slightly bent the rear wheel. It's barely enough to skim the right pad, but it was disapointing.
I'm thinking of a SC Bullit or Kona Stinky (I'm not quite prepared to put three grand into a bike yet), 'cause I'm getting better, and I'm gonna need something to do at college :)
I give it a 5 for value because I would have easily paid twice what I did for it. Overall it gets a 3 because of the weak fork and heavy weight.
Submitted by
Scott Sipes
a Downhiller
from Ben Lomond
Date Reviewed: November 29, 2000
Strengths: Good fork, nice bike for a cheap price!
Weaknesses: Constant maintianing, cheap parts.
Bottom Line:
People slam this bike alot , truth is, it isn't that bad! Yes, it is not the Ibis SIlk Ti, but it is a bike.....and it rides! That is what matters, right? It does have some cheap parts that break on the second ride (I put my bike through alot) but it overall is a good deal, and the price......CHEAP! This is the kind of bike for those people who dont want to spend big $$$ on a bike or those who cant afford it (I cant get that Ibis this second).
It is a good bike, and since I use it to DH, it is the best "cheap bike" that I would use to downhill on!
My opion: Buy the bike if you want a good bike for a cheap price for DH or XC purposes, and to mess around on. Don't buy the bike if you feel unsure or you want to go high-tech Alumi frames with the "big companies". Don't slam this bike or slam the idea of getting one of these because your friends say it is bad or they have the Gary Fishers or Cannondales! If you want more information about this bike.....email me!
Remember....A true MTBer doesn't have to ride a high-price, "big comapny", bike to be real. If you have something that rides...it counts!
Bike Setup: Specialized crankset (replacement), Shimano chain (replacement), Hardrocker tires (replacement), RST rear shock (I think...), Ballistic front fork.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA USA
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2000
Strengths: Price
Weaknesses: Spongy front shocks, weight
Bottom Line:
I've seem this bike flamed alot but it's been great for me. I ride 2-3 times a week and hit all the advanced & intermediate trails. The bike has had no problems, although, I tune and maintain it. The weight at 35 lbs. is high compared to top end bikes at 25-27 but the price justifies. This bike eats up the downhills that my rigid bike used to rattle my fillings. I couldn't afford $1000+ and better I lose 7 to 10 lbs. (I'm 5'10" at 185 lbs.)riding than buy it off the bike weight. I like the grip shifters better than the thumb shifters on my previous ride. The front shock is a little spongey and not adjustable. Bottom line is the bike hasn't fallen apart, the performance has been good, and the price was great. One day I'll get a high end $$$$ bike, but, until I get the dough, this is a great ride for the $.
Strengths: This is for the D60R, but there was no place to put the review. Avoid this bike unless you only ride in your driveway!
Weaknesses: Everything! Weak rims (busted both), uncomfortable seat, and the absolute worst drive train ever put on a bike.
Bottom Line:
You're going to want to read this before you buy ANY low end bike from a sporting goods store or big box retailer. These companies do a good job of making bikes that LOOK like mountain bikes but aren't! Beware! This pretty orange full suspension Mongoose has a brushed aluminum frame, Shimano shifters and deraileurs, adjustable rock shock on the front...a mountain bike, right? WRONG!
When I bought it I went for a casual trail ride and realized the deraileur wasn't adjusted correctly. After a trip to the bike shop for adjustment I thought I was ready to go. Boy was I wrong. The next ride...and NOT a difficult one, I jumped the chain three times, couldn't get into certain gears, and bent the front wheel so bad it had to be replaced. $60 later I was ready to go again. Oh yeah...the seat was so hard and pointy I thought it needed batteries, so I sunk $50 into a nice ergo seat. (running tally...$259 for the bike, and $110 in upgrades)
Over the next couple of moderate rides I experienced the "joy" of riding in soft dirt using hard pack tires (uggghhh), worked all the drive systems out of adjustment, and broke the chain. $150 later I had a new front deraileur, nice Michelin ATB tires, and a new chain (running tally $519, you with me here?). OK..NOW I was ready for a tough one, right? BZZZZZZZZT!!!
The next ride was at Iron Mountain, a masochistic 10 miles of 1,500 foot vertical, switchbacks, boulder fields, and erosion barriers. The rundown...jumped the chain twice. Bent three front gear teeth hitting a rock. BROKE the chain in half, and bent the real wheel into a pretzel. Oh yeah...a nice face versus rock caused by this piece of crap wasn't much fun either!! It went into the shop again. $60 for a new rear wheel and another overhaul of the drive train. Grand total....drumroll...$579 grand total now! Let's see what's left....probably $125 for a new front crank set (next week maybe?). Oh yeah..probably the REAL deraileur soon... criminies. If I didn't just stop this would be the most expensive piece of crap never to work right. I'm cutting my losses. I just got a Diamondback X-Link for about $800. The shop wouldn't even give me $100 on the Mongoose as a trade because he didn't want the liability. Stay away from these low end bikes unless you're just riding around in the street in front of your house. Believe me, you get what you pay for....and you keep on paying.
Similar Products Used: Just got a Diamondback X-Link (about $800) and it's like moving from a 63 Valiant to a Porche 911.
Bike Setup: Stock except for what I broke and had to replace. New chain, new Shimano front deraileur, Nashbar ergo saddle, new wheels, Michelin ATB tires
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
David
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, GA.
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2000
Strengths: Great bike for the $$.
Weaknesses: Susp. a little heavy. Should be replaced. Cassete needs to be adjusted a lot.
Bottom Line:
A hell of a bike for the $$. My friend got it from the Sports Authority for only $250.00. It was his 1'st susp. bike. I rode it on the trail. I wouldn't want it when I'm in a NORBA race, but it's ok. for recreation. Sweet deal.
Bike Setup: Factory. I have a Giant Boulder and a Giant Warp DS2.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jeremy B
a Downhiller
from Woodside, CA USA
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2000
Strengths: Does manage to get the job done.... and for the price it works..
Weaknesses: THE RIMS SUCK SO MUCH. Rear tire wears out fast. Shifters are the bottom of the mark but they do work. Chain derails its self when the back comes down hard.
Bottom Line:
Well...Yes this is not nearly the best bike on the market. I have owned this bike ofr over a year and well yes it has held up. I dont know how but it has. Well when you frist get the bike you must take it into the bike shop because the shifting will be really §hitty. At my LBS they put a good chain on it and tuned it and it works a lot better. In the year I have owned it I have put this bike through HELL. I have beaten it to my limits (near death) and it has always survived. I have done everything from 4-5' drop off onto cement to jumping dirt piles at the construction site at my school, to going down canyon walls into mud pits. I has survived all this and more. Nothing has broken on it yet (bent maybe but not broken). The rims are a must for replacement. I have bent these so bad that if the back one was bent one more cm then it would hit the frame. I also bent the front crank set of 3 gears. It still works however. I have grown a lot on this bike from learning to do wheelies, to vertical endo's, etc. Now that I have gotten better I am going tomarrow to pick up my Schwinn 4 Banger. I would highly suggust this bike to anyone who is looking for a place to start and a bike that will grow with them till they get good at riding and know what they are doing. Believe me when I tell you I have pushed this bike and the components to their very limits. I am only 16 and you know what they say that teenagers think they are invinciable and cannot die. I have pushed this bike so far that I feel if I go any futher I just might end up in a coffin. Well I would highly suggust this bike for a frist mountain bike that will help you get better and that can take the punishment. I got to give it a 5 for value because I mean camon' its under $300, and a 4 under overall; it would be a 5 but the rims did bend (§hit I would been suprised if they had'nt) and the front crank set bent a little.
Similar Products Used: Nothing in this price range
Bike Setup: Stock Mongoose MGX D50
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
John Hermansen
a Weekend Warrior
from Chantilly, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2000
Strengths: price
Weaknesses: the bike itself
Bottom Line:
I'd like to say that this bike has no purpose to existing, as in it's worse than a Huffy, but I can't. It's an excellent neighborhood bike. If you want a nice, easy, comfortable ride from your house to your neighbor's (paved, of course), then this bike is awesome. If, however, you want to actually USE the bike for what it's class is used for, then you'll be in for some trouble quick. All of the pieces on it either broke or went out of wack VERY quickly for me. My suggestion? Return it and don't buy a bike from Costco, or you will spend at LEAST twice the cost of the bike fixing it up and making it rideable. The roadbike part of it is the only thing that keeps it from getting only 1 "chili" in each category, and the price is low enough for you to not feel too bad about the mistake you made in buying the bike. Oh, and plus, the bike travels half as fast as any other bike i have ridden, though you can have some fun going slower....... ha ha, just kidding...
Similar Products Used: '96 GT Backwoods, and, to let you know, I will be buying a 2000 Backwoods within the next month...
Bike Setup: Full suspension bike, except for the fact that all of the components are very cheap, in otherwords, these aren't individual products that you would search for.
Strengths: Overall product Quality-Not bad for $$$
Weaknesses: A tad on the weight side but U can fix that.Tires-Derailers a little shady.A excellent FS too build on!!
Bottom Line:
I'm 27 years old and had raced MONGOOSE most of my life.I've been hitting it hard. Hey, if U want, go ahead and spend thousands of dollars, all your paying 4 is the name. U just have 2 be one of those people that is'nt materialistic, I guess!!!!
Submitted by
Tony Livingston
a Weekend Warrior
from Omaha, Ne.
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2000
Strengths: Price(300.00)With all the $1000+ bikes on the market this isn't a bad buy.Shimano derailers,rapid fire shifters,V-brakes
Weaknesses: Tires are really bad (slicks)rims and hubs are not the best quality but for $300 you cant complain too much. Rear swingarm, front shock should be better, it is of no use and will not give a good feel for what the road is giving you.
Bottom Line:
If you are a first timmer like me than this bike will do. I have seen a number of bikes priced higher with better parts(thats why they are priced higher)than what I have and I have no problem doing what they do on trails. This bike has been worked real hard with no damage to it other than a bent rear wheel which is normal for riding hard.
If you want a FS MTB without the expense, than this bike is you.
