Stock except for Forte pedals (excellent value) and Forte barends.
Bottom Line:
Only had the bike for a week and am totally in love with it. Great singletracking bike, fast handling makes directional changes effortless, and love the long-travel fork with lockout, so that when you get back on the road, you just flick a switch and lock the fork out.
Video of first day out with the bike:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tadnkat/3767517311/
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
kanani42
a Weekend Warrior
from hawthorne, ca. u.s. Date Reviewed: July 20, 2009
Favorite Trail:
mainly beach riding
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$510.00
Purchased At:
performance bike
Strengths:
great components, good responsivness
Weaknesses:
disc breaks squeal, too noisy
Similar Products Used:
gt pantera
Bike Setup:
everything stock except pedals. Changed to Forte pedals
Bottom Line:
For the price you can't beat the components on this bike...you'll pay $100 or $200 more and not get what this bike comes with. I researched plenty before buying this bike and I was looking at the Specialized RockHopper $200 more for Disc Brakes and $100 more without...with the same rear derailuer and front suspension....I haven't bought a bike in ten years and I'm very happy with my purchase!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jdevilphx
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ Date Reviewed: April 1, 2009
Favorite Trail:
McDowell Mtn Park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
ProMax hydraulic disc, rotors: 180mm front, 160mm rear work really well and have great feel to them. I think the greatest strength of the bike is the SRAM X.5 shifters, this is the first time i have had SRAM shifters and i can't believe how quickly you can pop through the gears. Bike has a great feel to it, you can really feel the trail and it responds well.
Weaknesses:
Why are the handle bars so wide?! The bars are seriously too wide and you will worry about it on tight trials. Front shocks have a lot of rebound and the bike is a little front heavy.
Similar Products Used:
None, this is my first hardtail.
Bike Setup:
2009 model: black
Tires: 26x2.1 Kenda ExCavator
Wheelset: Alex TD24 double wall, disc specific rims with Formula Disc Alloy QR 32H hubs
Frame: Flat top tube technologies All Mountain 6061 Alloy
Headset: FSA
Crankset: FSA Alpha Drive 44/32/22T ISIS
Bottom Bracket: FSA ISIS cartridge
Chain: KMC Z-9200
Stem: Mongoose alloy 31.8x90mm (small & medium) 110mm (large)
Pedals: Mongoose alloy platform
Handlebar: Mongoose alloy riser 31.8x30x685mm
Seatpost: Mongoose alloy with micro adjust clamp
Grips/Tape: Mongoose lock-on
Rear Shock: NA
Levers: ProMax hydraulic
Brakes: ProMax hydraulic disc, rotors: 180mm front, 160mm rear
Fork: SR Suntour MAG 32-LOD 120mm travel, magnesium lowers, 32mm aluminum stanchions, hydro damping and lock out
Front Derailleur: SR Suntour XCR414
Cassette: SRAM PG-950 11-32 9-speed cassette
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X.5
Shifters: SRAM X.5 triggers 27 speed
Saddle: WTB Pure V Sport
Bottom Line:
Great first bike and a great price. It can handle more than what i can handle on the desert trails. You get what you pay for in the front shocks; they have a lot of rebound and bounce around when you haul through fast rocky sections, but they keep you from breaking your wrists on those hard drops you never see coming. If you can't afford a high end bike give this bike a try, your gonna have a lot of fun on it and when you buy your next bike you'll know exactly what you want to buy and what components you like and don't like
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
gdd1961
a Weekend Warrior
from Schertz, Texas, USA Date Reviewed: March 20, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Gov't Canyon natural area park
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$379.00
Purchased At:
Action Bikes
Strengths:
Great Bike
Weaknesses:
None
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale Delta V700
Bike Setup:
Stock, added clipless pedals, heavy duty slime tubes, the cactus will end your ride!
Bottom Line:
I bought is Jan 2008 and love it. I am a weekend warrior, and it takes all the Rocky trails of south texas with no problem. Climbs great, the fork takes the down hills easily. No problems or adjustments needed. For the average rider, which most of us are - won't by more bike than you need!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Michael Ivanov
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore, MD, USA Date Reviewed: January 31, 2008
Favorite Trail:
all around
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$450.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
I have '06 model. Great components for its value! Manitou Splice Comp 130mm fork, Hayes Sole Hydraulic brakes, Nevegal tyres.
Weaknesses:
Nothing yet. Has about 500 miles on it, but still works like new.
Similar Products Used:
Mongoose Wing Elite, Specialized HardRock Pro
Bike Setup:
All stock except rear derailleur.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the money. I got a deal for a new bike on eBay. Other bikes with the same top of the line components cost much more expensive.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Daniel Cobb
a Weekend Warrior
from Rotorua, New Zealand Date Reviewed: November 24, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Split Enz with Pondy, Rotorua
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At:
Cycle Time, Hamilton, N.Z.
Strengths:
2005 yellow model (purchased April '06) - Large size. Strong frame, faultless drivetrain componentry (mainly Deore), looks good. Avid BB5 cable discs are ok. Manitou Axle 100mm fork has handled small jumps and drops well. Good geometry for singletrack, road and getting up the hills - especially with bar ends.
Weaknesses:
Weak WTB dual duty wheels. Heavy and poor grip alloy pedals. WTB seat rail bent. Broke the single bolt seatpost (heavy too). Heavy long 100mm stem. WTB Exiwolf tyres only on dry trails and grass. Brake cables tend to stick after a while. The large frame combined with a long stem has always been a stretch over the front for me (5'10 height). It took 9 foot high fall over the bars (broken collarbone) to convince me to change the stem.
Similar Products Used:
2006 Mongoose Amasa Comp (med) - better 130mm forks, Hayes Sole brakes, Nevegal tyres - hard to fault. Avanti Atomic. GT Avalanche. Kona Cinder Cone.
Bike Setup:
Alex Supra BH wheels. Alloy pedals with stainless sprigs. Giant (Velo?) cabon gel roadbike seat. Truvativ 2 bolt post. Truvative XR 60mm stem. Bar ends. Range of tyres: Kenda Nevegals (damp, rocky or loose), Tioga White Tiger (front only - mud), Specialized Rhythym (dry, smooth and street), Maxxis High Roller 2.1 (dry trail).
Bottom Line:
Good introduction bike for a medium level mtb trails. Ok value. With a stronger wheelset my Amasa has handled rough tracks and small jumps well. Now it's usually me that's gonna break, not the bike. Chain, cassette and middle chainring are up for replacement soon due to wear. Would't mind some 130mm forks. Am still happy with my purchase. Although... my girlfriends 2006 Amasa (med, blue model) fits me better, cost the same, and is specced better - a very good bike that one.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
David Guiney
a Weekend Warrior
from Ireland Date Reviewed: October 24, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Ballyhouras
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Private
Strengths:
Good control, easy to take any line, strong build, takes a hammering, v good forks, brakes fantasatic.
Weaknesses:
Maybe a little on the heavy side. handle bars seem very wide, but that would be a personal thing.
Bottom Line:
Excellent bike, I got a great deal, but even so, $700 for this brand new is still a good deal. The last bike I had fell apart because it was a bit of an old banger, but only started really doing XC in the last 6 months or so with this bike, and I've enjoyed every minute so far, think I'll head out for a night ride tonight come to think of it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ricky yo
a Downhiller
from newzealand Date Reviewed: July 20, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Dunedin!!<<< yea
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At:
cyclecergy<<<great shop Dunnzaa << rep haRD
Strengths:
every think these r the best
Weaknesses:
the forksm are good but u need to service them onece a year if u ride hard
Similar Products Used:
giant upland,o6 pump720
Bike Setup:
stock part from pedals and handle bars and rims
Bottom Line:
its a really good bike 4 jumps and downhilling its great 4 a learner!!!!!!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ken foster
a Weekend Warrior
from west covina, CA Date Reviewed: April 28, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Chino Hills state park
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$480.00
Purchased At:
New in the box 2006 from Mikes Bikes on ebay
Strengths:
Super strong frame, Sram 27 speed drivetrain, Kenda Nevegal tires, Hayes Sole Hydraulic Disc Brakes, 130mm Manitou Splice Comp. This bike flys downhill.
Weaknesses:
Tall steep top tube angle,Got to lay on the bars going up hill. Heavy.
Similar Products Used:
Gt, Trek, Marin, Gary Fisher, Giantall in same price range $599 or less.
Bike Setup:
Took it out of the box and assembled it in under a 1/2 hour. Front wheel, handlebars and seat had to be attached. Checked shifting...spot on. Adjusted brake pads and with my park hex key set in pocket was off for a 2 hour breakin ride.
Bottom Line:
I bought a 2006 model. The 2007 has a lockout fork and Mechanical Disc Brakes. The best under $500 bike I could find. Great Beginners bike. Top of the line components. Easy to assemble, come mostly preassembled from Mongoose. Fun hardtail
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
gavin kraig
a Weekend Warrior
from Brisbane, QLD, Australia Date Reviewed: January 18, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Northshore
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
bums on bikes
Strengths:
EVERY THING
Weaknesses:
Not much only that the forks are a bit spingy and have chucked me over a few times before
Similar Products Used:
Avanti Barracuda
Bike Setup:
STOCK
Bottom Line:
Great bike would buy again
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Richard Ellis
a Cross Country Rider
from Hampshire, UK Date Reviewed: August 5, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$600.00
Purchased At:
Evans Cycles online
Strengths:
Excellent ride quality, awesome gearing and very responsive feel. I don't do jumping or extreme downhilling and this suits me perfectly. The solid feel fills you with confidence and had me going downhill off-road much faster than I used to. I also don't plan on carrying it that often, so the frame weight doesn't bother me.
Weaknesses:
Make sure the supplier sets it up properly and then double check they have done it. Only niggles were because EvansCycles didn't tighten things up properly. Jury still out on the Handlebars, I'll stick with them for a while, gear shifters take a little getting used to
Similar Products Used:
Kona Cinder Cone, Specialized Hardrock 2003
Bike Setup:
Standard except peddles, which I changed for my faithful Shimano M545's and Cane Creek Ergo Bar End II's.
Bottom Line:
Fantastic value for the parts on it, especially if you can get it online for under 400 quid like I did.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Iain Harris
a Cross Country Rider
from Taunton, Somerset Date Reviewed: June 27, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Coed-y-Brenin, Quantocks
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Quality of the components for the price is excellent. Overall feel of the ride very good. Bought largely because bike mag gave it mega-review for quality & value for money. Anticipated problems with Manitou forks but none experienced - no bottoming out or weird noises (like some reveiws have mentioned) and I do ride quite hard. I do hard XC and this bike seems to be perfect for the job although it does feel quite 'large'. Very impressive bike but a few niggles.
Weaknesses:
XL frame (i'm 6'4") is quite heavy. Brake levers too close to handlebars - wind them out only to have them wind themselves back in during the rides. Don't know how to get them to stay 'out'... Crank came undone and whole lot nearly fell off! First ride after bike shop PDI'ed it and crank undid itself repeatedly. Fixed now. Hayes-sole brake-pad adjuster on rear caliper fell apart. Adjuster would not adjust pad - just went round and round then came off. Bike shop getting new caliper (sometime). Pedals aren't the best - have upgraded to SPDs.
Bike Setup:
As supplied - deore throughout, WTB rims saddle & tyres, Truvativ cranks, True technologies bar stem seat-post, Hayes sole discs, Manitou axel elite forks.
Bottom Line:
A great bike for the money - still like it better than rival £500 bikes like Giant XTC4, GT Avalanche 1.0 disc and Claud Butler cape wrath. Had a few initial problems which were an unexpected hassle but overall it's fantastic.
$ 700.00
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
