Strengths: Strong squared off tail, beefy head tube section and banana paint. Easy to set up just how you want it, geared or single speed. An easy bike to live with. The Kenda Small Block 8s are awesome for pretty much any riding. Absolutely awesome for the price
Weaknesses: Stock pedals (like most bikes) Duro derailleur with no barrel adjuster (I flip-flopped between single speed and geared and lost the tiny little plastic piece that takes its place, and it can't be ordered.) Oh, and the mongoose paint chips off if you look at it wrong. The rear tire clearance only allowed a 2.1 MAYBE a 2.30 size tire which struck me as odd, but bear that in mind if you buy, don't expect to put a big tire on the back. The Tektro Auriga Comp brakes are very decent, don't get me wrong, but I would have liked Hayes Strokers on it. The stem and bar is very heavy, and only comes with a BMX (22.2 mm) clamp, so if you upgrade you have to replace both.
Bottom Line:
A very fun bike to beat on. When I bought mine though, I was new to freeride and bought the M/L which fit more like an XC bike. I should've bought the small size. Anyway I traded frames so I don't have it anymore but I did want to write a good review. IF I had bought the right size in the first place, I wouldn't have traded for anything. I would but another one in the right size in a second.
Strengths: Good/Great Value for money, Dirt Jam Pros work well, Providing you don't try home repairs, Wheels have held strong, bar and stem truvita set are the nicest i have ridden when cut down a bit, Brakes work like a dream if you know how to work them, Thankfully easy to self repair. Headset is fantastic, you dont notice it, it just seems to work, chain tugs work well, once you know how to use them.
The Hubs also turn a metallic goldy green colour when WD40ed enough, looks sweet, probably means its broken though
Weaknesses: After a Year it all broke, gears started to slip before jumps, crank and bottem brackets came loose at random intivels, Hub cones come loose after a while, they are hard to fix and not over tighten, standard grips + pedals are rubbish, chain ring managed to bend so much a Jr hacksaw was needed so I could get moving again, Gears are a bugger to remove
Bottom Line:
This bike is a great bike stock for the first year, after that year it all brakes, the disks need constant adjusting, the hubs loosen and the crank unwinds, but, if you stick with it, this is a really great bike. Taking the gears off makes it more responsive in the air, New pedals and Grips are a must. Also I am considering moving to Dmr Revolver Hubs on atomlab trail kings as the unbranded hubs are giving me so much greif. If you are lookin to get into the world of jumping buy it and go single speed, if you are looking for a bike to just get on an ride day ater day, year after year, get something else. This is a good bike and I personally love my mongoose "jen" thunderball I just wouldnt recomend it to everyone
Bike Setup: Gt lock ons (well worth it), Dmr V8s (helps in the air if you seem to drift left or right), singlespeed kit (best ever upgrade for this bike), chopped bars and New saddle
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
tom wright
a Weekend Warrior
from country
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2007
Strengths: strong but light, can do jump and hardtail. great forks.
Weaknesses: nothing really
Bottom Line:
great bike for the money and can do hardtail and jump.
Submitted by
alwyn tretheway
a Weekend Warrior
from maitland nsw australia
Date Reviewed: January 25, 2007
Strengths: easy to manuvour, normal disks opposed to hydrolics.. ther a bugger to fix k, umm rims n tires, beliver it or not the hanngers make 4 good handerling
Weaknesses: shock mabye still puting throught paces rather rock or fox shoks, gear change, no problems with derialer .. yet but id prob upgrade ne ways
Bottom Line:
over all so far i recon its doin fine only fact is its ridin with the mongoose lable n ppl seem to nock it bak a bit 4 it like me 4 eg ay lol.. ive only have ridin mostly dh trails on hardtail or duly so im seeing weather this culd stand up to the task... if not well its a hardtail u get that with the guy b4 i agree with the 13 yr old part ay buti also think u prob didnt get wat u wanted 4 chrissi.. over all im testing so i might have to get bak with it all n wat parts ive gone throught but ay u go throught parts with all bikes sum parts can do wonders n others well ther not superheros but in the end its not always the type u ride its how u ride it.. catchas
reasons 4 ratings its an 06 model n knocked bak from 1 n a half grand to 800 its gud deal and overall is under constuction
Similar Products Used: lets c.. stp0, giant sumthign cant member it ay, specialized, n kona stinkies
Bike Setup: bike 4 any 1 looking4 dirt jumpin free ridin fun even (yet to be tested) DHing
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jimmy
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia
Date Reviewed: December 31, 2006
Strengths: Frame. Fork is not overly bad for the price. Good for tech stuff. Can manual. Can hop. Lightweight.
Weaknesses: Cheap components, but thats mongoose. Obviously, all of the reviews here are from 13 year old kids who cant even hop gutters. If your half decent, youll go through bottom brackets, axles, rims, brakes and all that crap. Make sure you budget to replace the components, especially the ones that mongoose manufacture themselves. Bars have too much backsweep.
Bottom Line:
Dont get this bike unless you are one of those hood rat kids who cant really ride but still wanna look cool. May ride alright for a while. But after a year or two, you will hit the brick wall. Everything will break under normal use. The frame is OK but dont expect too much, especially if you are a good rider.
Similar Products Used: Banshee morphine. Norco sasquatch.
Bike Setup: Decent Syncros rims. Not much else. I plan to get a new bike so no point in fixing/upgrading parts.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
billy sales
a Downhiller
from australia
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2006
Strengths: i have the 06 model and has awsum dirtjam pro forks, the rims, the frame, the bars r ok
Weaknesses: the derailer breaks very easily, the hangers bend
Bottom Line:
the chain eats away the swingarm unless u put a protecter on it wen doin jumps. fairly heavy and is not to good on skatepark unless ure strong but im only 13.
Submitted by
Jarrad Timmermans
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne Victoria Australia
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2006
Strengths: Big thick strong forks, grippy pedals, Good AS cranks and HandleBARS petty much everything
Weaknesses: chain hits the frame after landing jumps
Bottom Line:
Great bike for every one. Tough as HELL will never let you down. This bike is not the bike for the every day kid who has a small bump in there backyard, it is serious stuff for kids who do jumps all day on the weekends. GET THE BIKE ITS THE BEST!!!!
Similar Products Used: other mongoose frames,schwinn
Bike Setup: difrent from stock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Alex Bell
a Downhiller
from bristol,england
Date Reviewed: December 25, 2005
Strengths: jumps better than most stuff i've riden easy to ride good for any levle of rider.
Weaknesses: back gear changer hits frame after big air landing. it is heavy if it lands on you. forks need a lot of oil.
Bottom Line:
easy to jump easy to trick absorbs impact and looks better than enything. chapest bike which isn't going to fall apart. !!!!!!!!!!GET THE BIKE!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by
David Swanson
a Cross Country Rider
from England
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2005
Strengths: Everything!
Weaknesses: Rear Mech
Bottom Line:
Great bike! Great value for money, only downside, i've had to replace the rear mech for single speed beacause of the rear mech bouncing up and hitting the frame. apart from that its fantastic!
