Strengths: The frame held up beautifully for 2 years with no problems. The indy c shocks were fine too cept after a while...derailer is nice
Weaknesses: the wheels were not exactly ok after a season of dirt jumping and i replaced the springs in the shocks. Paint chips/sun bleach
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike if you are looking for a tough, light xc ride. It works pretty well on jumps and handles well on hairy decents but i reccomend replacing the wheels if you are really into that type of thing. It requires little matinence and climbs great. It makes you want a to spend money on biking, and got me hooked. If you are an entry level xc rider this is the bike for you.
Bike Setup: cannondale crankset indy c shocks factory wheels
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
brian bivens
a Downhiller
from littleton
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2001
Strengths: awsome frame great paint, it faded in the sun, but now i get more comments on the way it looks then before. i ride hard, and i sent this bike flipping into a large tree and aside of paint chips no bends or breaks at all!
Weaknesses: the components, dont get me wrong for an entry level rider the bike is great, but now i find i need more.
Bottom Line:
this bike is incredible, and if i ever broke mine i'd buy a new one, for an xc bike this does it for me after you replace the components, get ready for a light fast manuverable machine thats tougher than a bag of nails!!!
Similar Products Used: gt backwoods, but no hard tail even compares as far as frames go
Bike Setup: race face seamless gooseneck xt brakes,cranks, cassettes, derailers, psylo xc fork and an alien 2" travel seat post with shimano rims and bright green michilen wild grippers for my tires
Here is a follow up to my below post. I just got some Manitou SX-R shocks ('99 model from Pricepoint), some new LX v brakes, a new core 120mm 0 degree rise stem, and Answer hyperlite handlebars and this puppy rocks!!!! I don't think I'll be riding anything else for a few years!!!!
Submitted by
Jameson
a Downhiller
from scottsdale, az
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2001
Strengths: frame design
Weaknesses: average components
Bottom Line:
don't get the complaints about the paint job. mine is natural aluminum with a shiny clearcoat. it looks totally amazing and hasn't failed on me yet. i bought it totally for the frame but who doesn't upgrade their components anyway. once thats done, look out.
Weaknesses: Components especially the grip shifts, brakes, and shocks
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike for only $400 at a local sporting goods store of all places. Mine is a '98 model that I bought two years ago. This bike is ok if riding on occasional weekends, however if you want to ride harder, you need to upgrade. The first thing I did was to upgrade the shifters to xt rapidfires and upgraded all of the deraillers to xt. I also replaced the cranks with lx hollowbodies. I bent the back wheel in half, and upgraded to mavic 517 rims with xt hubs. The sorry thing that I haven't done is upgrade the shocks and brakes. In Colorado, the tektro brakes gave me fits as I took this bike downhilling. For the price I paid, I have to say that I am pretty happy with what I got considering other bikes in the $400 range. If I would have paid close to the manufacturer's suggested price, I might have a different reaction, however.
Similar Products Used: Raleigh M500 aluminum, Schwinn Moab 3
Bike Setup: XT rapidfire, xt hubs, lx hollow cranks, mavic 517 rims, Core clipless pedals. The bike still has the tektro brakes and the sorry indy forks
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Submitted by
Josh
a Cross Country Rider
from Stillwater, MN, USA
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2000
Strengths: Cool looking frame, and big knobby tires.
Weaknesses: Crap components, only thing good were the deraileurs. Everything else is generic crap, but at least it hasn't broken yet...
Bottom Line:
I have a 98 or 97 model, I can't remember, and it hasn't broken yet. I like to ride very rough terrain on the weekends and light stuff after work. The only problems I have had with my bike is that the orange paint faded in the sun, so now it looks kinda weird, but I seem to be the only person who notices. The other problem is that the chain slaps so much on mine I don't have any paint left back there.
I wish I knew something about components when I bought the bike a couple years ago. Back then I saw a cool looking bike and bought it. Now I wish it had better components for how much money I spent on it. I feel a little ripped off by Mongoose. At least it looks cool though...
The one thing that has been good is that I haven't broken the bike yet. It is getting to be time to replace parts because of wear and tear, but nothing is physically broken.
Submitted by
smack
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2000
Strengths: Hearty, solid, sexy looking frame.
Weaknesses: Bad paint.
Bottom Line:
The frame is solid. I bought this bike on sale for $550 before I really got bitten by this awesome sport. Now that I've done my homework, I realize that the components on the bike are sub-par. Aside from the crappy components (which are systematically being replaced), I'm pleased in general with the actual frame and have decided to forgo spending the money on a FS frame and build this baby up right (Thudbuster seat post alone was a great investment). I will love this ride as soon as I replace the crap wheelset (ZAC) and pathetic shocks (Rock Shox Indy C).
My only real complaint with the frame is the paint job. I'm beginning to wonder if they forgot to put this bike in the oven to finish baking. It was shiny and blue when I got it and after less than 3 months I am considering tearing it down and having it repainted. There are pit marks all over and if you look at it crooked-eyed, raise your voice, or address it with a harsh tone, more paint chips off. I've worn more durable nail polish.
I highly recommend the frame (aside from the paint issues), but would suggest buying it separately and building it up from there.
Similar Products Used: Loreal Jet Set Quick Dry (Nail polish)
Bike Setup: Crap wheels, crap shocks, STX/LS component mix, Thudbuster susp. seat post, Speedplay Frogs, Tektro brakes
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Submitted by
Ben Smith
a Weekend Warrior
from Alexandria, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 19, 2000
Strengths: really cool lookin', some good components, good solid entry level bike
Weaknesses: shimano stx front derailleur which gave me problems from the beginning...crappy crankset.....
Bottom Line:
actually, mine is a 98' model...I got it for 500 dollars new just recently....I am a beginner, but this seems to be a pretty good entry level bike.....I am upgrading parts slowly to make it lighter and more durable....I will upgrade the alivo crankset, bottom bracket, and also, the seatpost and saddle......right now it is 27 pounds and rides very nice.....recommended for entry level bikers...I hear that the frame is very good too so you can upgrade without worrying about whether you should have just bought a new bike....******
Strengths: standover clearance design characteristics (oval to square seat and chain stays - bridges on top and bottom of rear triangle - huge down tube & reinforcment rings on heasd tube
Weaknesses: none really
Bottom Line:
jumps really well - and rails way better than any dual suspension bikes I've ridden - more predictable line. JUst way more fun at half the price
This is great on all terrains. I am not a professional rider, but I am very recreational on and off the road, and this bike is absolutely great. Very recommended for all.
Bike Setup: Mongoose 7.1 wif Marzocchi Z2 Atom Bomb, XTR front & back derailleur, AMP disc brakes, Chris King headset, Litespeed titanium stem n Spinergy wheels.
