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Mongoose Thunderball

MSRP $
# of Reviews 16
Average Rating 4.13/5
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Submitted by Alex a Downhiller from Lakewood
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2007
Favorite Trail:Ray's Indoor MTB Park
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $647.00
Purchased At:Performance Bike
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.
Similar Products Used:Avent Jibster, Iron Horse Yakuza
Bike Setup:Stock. With a set of nevegals for trails.
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.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by josh E a Downhiller from portland OR
Date Reviewed: August 26, 2007
Favorite Trail:meh.
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $600.00
Purchased At:performance bycycle.
Strengths:everything but the MX2's need upgrading on a bike like this
Weaknesses:this is a awsome heavy mofo
Similar Products Used:nothing matches this
Bike Setup:stock. forté shovel peddals
Bottom Line:this bike is a heavy urban freeride machine, I LOVE IT!
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Ben Carley a Downhiller from Bath
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2007
Favorite Trail:Box woods
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Price Paid: $800.00
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
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
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
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by tom wright a Weekend Warrior from country
Date Reviewed: June 16, 2007
Favorite Trail:dorking west
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $500.00
Purchased At:bikes direct
Strengths:strong but light, can do jump and hardtail. great forks.
Weaknesses:nothing really
Similar Products Used:gt chucker 2.0-not as good
Bike Setup:nothing changed
Bottom Line:great bike for the money and can do hardtail and jump.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by alwyn tretheway a Weekend Warrior from maitland nsw australia
Date Reviewed: January 25, 2007
Favorite Trail:the stair wattigens national park
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $800.00
Purchased At:berro
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
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
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
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Jimmy a Weekend Warrior from Australia
Date Reviewed: December 31, 2006
Duration Product Used:2 Years
Purchased At:Australia
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.
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.
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.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

Submitted by billy sales a Downhiller from australia
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:maitland
Duration Product Used:6 months
Purchased At:sponsers shop two wheel industries
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
Similar Products Used:only bmx
Bike Setup:i have a maxxis font tyre, free forks off my sponser and hydro disks, a lizard skin, a good derailer
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.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by mike morton a from portland or
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2006
Favorite Trail:consruction sites
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $750.00
Purchased At:performance biciycle
Strengths:graet frame forks do not feel cheepish graet for tecnical who ever said it wasnt is a dumd ass
Weaknesses:not raelly any a little heavy
Bottom Line:graet bike for biginer or pro I would get this bike
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Jarrad Timmermans a Weekend Warrior from Melbourne Victoria Australia
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2006
Favorite Trail:Lakeside doubleus and Bridge Jumps Garfield dirt track
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $900.00
Purchased At:Gold Cross Cycles
Strengths:Big thick strong forks, grippy pedals, Good AS cranks and HandleBARS petty much everything
Weaknesses:chain hits the frame after landing jumps
Similar Products Used:none
Bike Setup:Standard but want to get Hayes Hydrolic and Dirt Jumper 3
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!!!!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Euan Brownlie a Weekend Warrior from Scotland
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2006
Favorite Trail:Moray M.B.C
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $700.00
Purchased At:Internet
Strengths:Frame,
Weaknesses:Easly buckled wheels, fork QR, seat post breaks easy
Similar Products Used:Kona shread
Bottom Line:Strong bike up to every thing but needs changes
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by istrate mihai a Weekend Warrior from cluj romania
Date Reviewed: February 22, 2006
Favorite Trail:asdfghj
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $200.00
Purchased At:friend
Strengths:super strong, stiff, can take a lot, strong rear end
Weaknesses:geometry,very difficult to manual and bunnyhop,prety heavy especialy the rear end
Similar Products Used:other mongoose frames,schwinn
Bike Setup:difrent from stock
Bottom Line:don't expect to pull tehnical stuff with this frame.it's strong but thats about all.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Alex Bell a Downhiller from bristol,england
Date Reviewed: December 25, 2005
Favorite Trail:the woods in breech hill
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $700.00
Purchased At:the bike work shop
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.
Similar Products Used:nothin so smooth. But in looks like a kona scrap and a bit like the p2.
Bike Setup:dirt jump.
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!!!!!!!!!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by sami a Weekend Warrior from south australia
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2005
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $500.00
Purchased At:trak cycles
Strengths:tough AS frame
Weaknesses:forks are a bit cheapish feeling
Similar Products Used:kona shred, specialized p2
Bottom Line:looks cool, feels even better. a solid ride that takes anything you throw at it
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by David Swanson a Cross Country Rider from England
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2005
Duration Product Used:1 Year
Price Paid: $870.00
Purchased At:sports and cycles
Strengths:Everything!
Weaknesses:Rear Mech
Similar Products Used:Mongoose fireball, gt moto
Bike Setup:Downhill rig
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!
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

Submitted by rodney trots a Weekend Warrior from bristol
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2005
Favorite Trail:hanham woods
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $600.00
Purchased At:webbs
Strengths:good forks feels great
Weaknesses:front wheel wobbles when i pull front brake
Similar Products Used:giant acid
Bike Setup:standard
Bottom Line:brilliant bike bought for £400 much better than specialized p2 and giant acid anyday.

BUY THIS FUKIN BEAUTY
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Andrew Munro a Weekend Warrior from melboourne
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2005
Favorite Trail:any
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $1400.00
Purchased At:ted's cycles Australia
Strengths:Every thing but the Forks
Weaknesses:Forks
Similar Products Used:none
Bottom Line:ive had the bike for 7 months now it does every thing i want it to do.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3






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