Submitted by
Ian Mathews
a Cross Country Rider
from Morgantown, WV, USA
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2008
Strengths: WHEIGHT!!! its very light for a full suspension department store bike, asymetrical chain stays, shimano load out, mavick rims, hutchinson XC tires
Weaknesses: manitou SIX shock, rims can crack, pedals come loose, Truvativ cranks and rings, Mongoose has gotten such a bad name from their department store bikes that i will never trust them fully, no matter what i pay.
Bottom Line:
i got this bike after i fixed it up at the shop. i love it, its light (wheighs a pound or so more than my '97 gary fisher hookooekoo!) for a full suspension bike, and it has a unique look. we (positive spin) got a pair of these bikes. both had the back rims broken in the same way... smashed from some bump. we replaced both with a sun rims rhyno lite rim. the first got sold and returned a few days later after the cranks striped out and the pedals came off. the second went to me and i went to town on it. the worst feature is the manitou six... it does its job but if you want to talk about an automatic lockout... this is your shock. make sure you give the shock a good push down before riding cause it will freeze in the period of an hour. i replaced mine with a rockshock psylo race.. very nice i might add. the cranks... ditch em... i put on a shimano biopace. works great.
very fun bike, easy to handle, great for entry level cross country people AND expirienced riders. however its NOT a downhill bike... dont try it.
Similar Products Used: mongoose MGX, mongoose black comb, mongoose zero,
Bike Setup: i did some home brew... original frame, rockshox psylo race, FOX float rear shock, sun rims rhyno lite rear rim, shimano deore rear hub, mavick front rim and hub, shimano deore cranks, shimano bio pace triple rings, thompson seatpost, SRAM 5.0 8x casette,
Strengths: Solid Construction, Seat(no one can stand i hard seat, there good)
Weaknesses: Heavy,very skinny tires for mud and leaves, flawed crnkset design
Bottom Line:
You get what you pay for, a decent full suspension bike with OK components. Buy new tires if you do any offroad riding. The chain gets caught in the frame sometimes when peddling on very rocky terrain, and the pedals are a deathtrap. I have permanent dents in my shin from the pedals slipping.
Strengths: light, good travel, good response, simple suspension system for easy matinence and upgrades
Weaknesses: when you are sitting it likes to keep bouncing a little when you go over bumps
Bottom Line:
just found it yesterday afternoon then did a complete strip down of everything on the pro and my trek then took the best of the two bikes cleaned it all up and put it all back on finished this afternoon (had to work) then took it out before and after work today. i dont know if the rear shock is stock but i had just enough tension to keep the shock from rattling while i was off of it then took it off larger and larger cliffs until i hit 10 ft after that i had to leave) and still didnt bottom it (i AM only 150 lbs)! if you want a lot of bike for a little money and dont care if it looks like youre riding a k-mart bike get this if the name on the down tube is everything to you spend 10x more on something else. value rating: free is free cant get better than that overall rating: can only give it a 4 because i know some of the stuff on it is after market and i cant tell preformance of the stock bike 5 on the frame only for being so light and stable!
Purchased At: found in a trash pile on garbage day
Similar Products Used: prev bike trek 4300, friends banchee charpral, friends cannondale i forget, dads kona muni mula, friends yeti asx, various dept store bikes
Bike Setup: some misc trek parts off my other bike found with shimano shifters, promax brakes, and manitou six comp 100mm travel fork
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Sourya
a Weekend Warrior
from Hamden, Ct, US
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2005
Strengths: Great suspension and grip to the bike. 100m fork got the fun started. Pedals are great for sticking to the bike.
Weaknesses: Seat sucks. It goes to far up my ass. oedals can be fatal if you fall. (They cut you up pretty bad).
Bottom Line:
This bike was my second bike and so far it is the best! I think that it can't get any better than this for the low price. TO me this is a must buy and I suggest it to all types of riders.
Bike Setup: I've got the stock setup with a new seat and tires.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Allen
a Weekend Warrior
from Macedonia, Oh, USA
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2005
Strengths: Price, front shock is ok.
Weaknesses: Brakes, chainrings, rims, the rear shock is junk.
Bottom Line:
I thought that this bike would be a great deal considering that it got some really good review here. To be honest I'm not very happy with it. I'm a moderate rider on fairly easy trails. I've already bent the back rim and the large chain ring is warped from going over some fallen trees, less than 1' in diameter. The brakes are crap too. The frame is pretty good but it'll need quite a few upgrade for better components as the ones that came stock break. You could get a better deal buying a more expensive, higher quality bike. For the price this was going for originally you'd think they'd at least include clipless pedals. My advice.............., keep shopping.
Strengths: The shocks and frame are awesome. The petal straps help increase petal speed. The 24 speed gearing system helps to climb up hills faster and easier.
Weaknesses: So far I found no weaknesses on this bike. It would better if it had disk brakes for better stopping in wet conditions.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is this bike is a great bike for beginners to pros. The gearing shifts clearly and the chain has never fallen off. I strongly agree with Matt, who said,"I dislike people who buy bikes like this one, and use it in ways it was not ment to be,then they go and call it junk when it breaks". I think that this is a great bike with a great price.I highly recommend it to all riders, but not for riders who jump off cliffs. It is more like a cross country mountain bike.It has outstanding components and a sleek look.
Similar Products Used: Mongoose Bolt,shimano gears
Bike Setup: Everything is stock. I might be upgrading my saddle to a WTB Rocket V Laser.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Liquid Swords
a Weekend Warrior
from Kansas City, MO
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2004
Strengths: Gears, fork, handling
Weaknesses: Feels a bit heavy, but I really wouldn't know, since it's my first mountain bike.
Bottom Line:
My first mountain bike, and I got it at a great price (thanks to a very generous friend, only $100 with computer, new handle bars and water bottle holder). Haven't had any problems with it so far and have logged over 100 miles on it. Great for a beginner.
Submitted by
Jeremy
a Weekend Warrior
from Fort Collins, CO USA
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2004
Strengths: Good quality components, Strong light frame
Weaknesses: Seat is as hard as many people have said, bought from ebay so not bikes fault was really out of whack had to have everything adjusted to get working well.
Bottom Line:
Good solid bike, this is my first mountian bike and being a bigger rider (6'2" 240pds) works well for my size. So far have taken it on several tough trails and works great with minimal problems. Great for downhill but as with all monopoint suspension bikes really not the greatest uphill bike but very light (32pds) so when you get tired you can carry easy enough.
Submitted by
Tele Tubby
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Date Reviewed: April 4, 2004
Strengths: frame stability, alivio gear & brakes were adequate, alexx rims strong/durable, rides very straight and neutral.
Weaknesses: cannot do full upgrade to XTR (or Saint)gear for all components, front suspension was unimpressive, basic components were well below the standard of the frame.
Bottom Line:
rock-solid frame (99 year gaurantee!!), been bounced/dropped/crashed on many occasions and is extremely robust. great starting point for an upgrade.
Bike Setup: then: shimano alivio 8sp 11-30t, 22-32-44 Truvativ firex crankset, promax v-brakes, rockshox jett forks (80mm), fastrax EX rear coil 6.5", hubsets - shimano & mongoose, now: XTR 965 hubs/rotors, 965 front derailleur, chain, 765 XT rear derailleur, cassette 11-34, XTR shifter/hydraulic lever, rockshox pilot SL forks (100mm), rockshox SID dual air rear, LX crankset 44-32-22, heavy gauge spokes
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
RICO COMBS
a Weekend Warrior
from WILMINGTON, DE, U.S.A
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2004
Strengths: THIS BIKE IS TOUGH, RELIABLE, AND PRETTY LIGHT WEIGHT. IT HANDLES WELL AND THE SHOCKS ARE VERY RELIABLE. THIS BIKE IS HIGHLY RECOMENDED FOR BEGINNER TO INTERMIDIATE RIDERS. OFF THE TRAIL THE COLOR IS AN EYE CATCHER FOR THE OPPOSIT SEX. I LOVE THIS BIKE.
Weaknesses: THE SEAT COULD BE THE MOTHER OF ASS-TROIDS. (OUCH) IT'S JUST TOO HARD. GOD FORBID ONE WOULD HAVE TO DITCH THE BIKE BEFORE GOING OVER A CLIFF. ONLY HUDINI COULD ESCAPE THE FOOT CAGES SOME PEOPLE CALL PEDELS.
Bottom Line:
THIS BIKE IS BY FAR ONE OF THE BEST RIDING BIKE I HAVE TOUCHED FOR SUCH A LOW PRICE. YOU GET ORE THAN U PAY FOR. I WOULD RECOMMEND IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. ANY IMPROVEMEMNTS THATS ARE NEEDED WOULD BE PRETTY INEXPENSIVE. THIS BIKE COULD LAST YEARS.
Strengths: The frame, price, just about everything.
Weaknesses: Rock hard stock seat, toe clips got annoying.
Bottom Line:
Another follow-up to my first review. I've now had the bike for a year and I've put probably 550 miles or so on it. The bike is wonderful! As one of the other reviewers said the creeking goes away after a wash. I guess it has to do with dirt. At any rate the bike is great. I upgraded to disc brakes because I wanted the extra power and the ability to go through water without losing my brakes. Overall, I cannot praise this bike enough! It is great!
Strengths: preety light, strong, shocks, which are MANITOU not rock shox, and it has a pretty cool look to it, a lot of people watch you as you go by w/ the red tires
Weaknesses: ummmmmm, uh................... uh.................i have nothing to say here, the bike is awesome.
Bottom Line:
im only 105 pounds, so the shocks are stiff anoghf for me to take some serious drops with out bottoming out.
Mongoose had a crapload of these lying around their warehouse around summer 2003, and its a 2002 bike, so they sold A LOT of them to dicks sporting shop for cheap. You can pick one up there for $250. The origonal price was $700, its $400 off, so go check it out before they're gone.
Similar Products Used: trek hardtails, specialized
Bike Setup: stock
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Submitted by
Mike Milk
a Cross Country Rider
from Ocala, FL
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2003
Strengths: Double walled rims, solid aluminum frame, good shox
Weaknesses: Expect a creak in the bottom bracket after some heavy riding, I would just replace it from the jump start. The shifting components (probably derailers) shift kind of ruff, but easy enough to replace. So over all, if you buy it from Dick's and pay $349, and spend $50 on a new bottom bracket, sell yer brand new alivio derailers and upgrade to maybe deoir (I can't spell to save my grandmother's life), you have spent $150 on upgrades, 350 on bike = $500 dollars total and you are playing on a $700-$800 bike. I say buy the frigen thing
Bottom Line:
here is the bottom line, buy it, upgrade the derailers right from the start, sell the stock alivios on ebay, it will cost yeah like 30 cents to advertise em on there, and an addition 70 cents if you sell them. And buy some dior derailers.
P.S. I am fed up with people who are posting on here, talking about how it comes stock with rock shox, or judy forks, or it being or not being front disk ready. Please do not ever post anything on the internet again, you mislead and confuse people to no ends. You make me want to go onto a bell tower somewhere and start shooting people, in hopes I get atleast one person who is a moron to your degree. Can you not read, this is for the mongoose zero G 3, can you not read yer forks, did you not read the owners manual, are you just completely oblivious to what I am saying?
BTW To anyone who paid over a grand for this bike: After reading what everyone else has paid, if you haven't been back to the place of purchase, fully wired in explosives, and made your stand, well, whats stopen ya?
Favorite Trail: so many to choose from here in Ocala
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$349.00
Purchased At: Dick's Sporting Goods
Similar Products Used: First miountain bike, similar product would have to be my KDX 200 (what a sweet bike, all the 2 stroke power with out those peskey, unpredectable powerbands, plus it is a ton faster)
Bike Setup: stock
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Submitted by
Rob Kovacs
a Weekend Warrior
from La Habra, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2003
Strengths: light weight, rugged construction
Weaknesses: brakes, wheels (not disc ready)
Bottom Line:
Bike is great. It hangs with bikes three to four times its price. The only thing I had to upgrade were the brakes. Sure the bike is about 31 lbs, so its not super light, but its perfect for my needs. It is as tuff as my old GT Timberline was. If you do not want to spend big bucks on your weekend toy, but you want to go on fun trails, than this is the bike for you. If you are a weight junky and you have to have the lightest components, than probably it is not a bike for you.
Bike Setup: deore disc hubs, sun ds 2 rims, hayes disc brakes, xt levers, all other things are stock
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
justin nordmeyer
a Cross Country Rider
from chicago, IL, USA
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2003
Strengths: Great frame,light weight(only thirty pounds)...durable,mostly good components,wont break
Weaknesses: chain will drop when suspension is stressed!
Bottom Line:
Great bike. I've been using it to get to work and back every day (almost 20 miles round trip). I really beat the sh@#$ out of it. I estimate that I've put over a thousand hard miles on this bike and its still perfect!!! I experianced the clicking noise every one is talking about. I simply take her (my bike)to the car wash and hose it down. Works every time. I love this bike. Shure, the wheels arent disc-ready but the fully aluminum frame is. besides, if you paid just a few hundred bucks for a new bike with discs...the frame would be cast-iron.
