Mongoose $139 Disc Equipped MTB

B. Sanders said:

Toys R Us has a disc-equipped hardtail MTB for $139 retail. The Mongoose Masher has a black
aluminum front disc hub, ProMax mechanical front disc brake, Mozo fork and a beefy oversized steel
frame. It looks like the K2 Brass Monkey on a budget. The frame looks bombproof, with lots of head
tube reinforcement and huge tubing.

They cut some corners, as usual (ultra-cheap rear hub, heavy steel parts). It weighs 45 lbs; but
this is the new low price point for disc-equipped bikes.

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Quoted message said:

-=B=-

wait until they show up here, posting about thier bike miseries. And you thought the Jeep bike
threads were annoying....

Penny

"Penny S" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

wait until they show up here, posting about thier bike miseries. And you thought the Jeep bike
threads were annoying....

Nah. They won't be able to type due to the wrist problems caused by those brake levers!

Bill "45 pounds is shipping weight, so bike might be under 40" S.

(Actually, wouldn't be a horrible choice for a kid, maybe...IF someone checked it over first?)

"B. Sanders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Apa7b.290931$cF.89916@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

Toys R Us has a disc-equipped hardtail MTB for $139 retail. The Mongoose Masher has a black
aluminum front disc hub, ProMax mechanical front disc brake, Mozo fork and a beefy oversized steel
frame. It looks like the K2 Brass Monkey on a budget. The frame looks bombproof, with lots of head

tube

Quoted message said:

reinforcement and huge tubing.

They cut some corners, as usual (ultra-cheap rear hub, heavy steel parts). It weighs 45 lbs; but
this is the new low price point for disc-equipped bikes.

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Quoted message said:

Correction: "Toys R Us has a disc-equipped bicycle shaped toy for $139 retail"

"Beefy, oversized" = cheap steel tubes have to be large to compensate "lots of head tube
reinforcement" = lay on extra metal to cover up the poor fit and design. "Mozo fork" = recall
waiting to happen (after a few really bad crashes)

Kmart sells "full susp" Huffy's for $69. Doesn't make it worth $69.

Pete Just because Yugo sold car shaped lumps of metal really cheap doesn't make them worth it.

B. Sanders said...

Quoted message said:

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Calm down everybody. Let's not overwhelm the Amazon site with all of us ordering at once.

"B. Sanders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Apa7b.290931$cF.89916@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

Toys R Us has a disc-equipped hardtail MTB for $139 retail. The Mongoose Masher has a black
aluminum front disc hub, ProMax mechanical front disc brake, Mozo fork and a beefy oversized steel
frame. It looks like the K2 Brass Monkey on a budget. The frame looks bombproof, with lots of head

tube

Quoted message said:

reinforcement and huge tubing.

They cut some corners, as usual (ultra-cheap rear hub, heavy steel parts). It weighs 45 lbs; but
this is the new low price point for disc-equipped bikes.

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Quoted message said:

-=B=-

There I was, just hanging off the edge of my seat as I read it. But, No, not even one single
solitary 'alloy' anywhere....
--
Westie

This answers my questions!!! Hic! 🙂

--
- Zilla Cary, NC (Remove XSPAM)

"B. Sanders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Apa7b.290931$cF.89916@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

Toys R Us has a disc-equipped hardtail MTB for $139 retail. The Mongoose Masher has a black
aluminum front disc hub, ProMax mechanical front disc brake, Mozo fork and a beefy oversized steel
frame. It looks like the K2 Brass Monkey on a budget. The frame looks bombproof, with lots of head

tube

Quoted message said:

reinforcement and huge tubing.

They cut some corners, as usual (ultra-cheap rear hub, heavy steel parts). It weighs 45 lbs; but
this is the new low price point for disc-equipped bikes.

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Quoted message said:

-=B=-

"Westie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"B. Sanders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Apa7b.290931$cF.89916@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

Toys R Us has a disc-equipped hardtail MTB for $139 retail. The

Mongoose

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Masher has a black aluminum front disc hub, ProMax mechanical front disc brake, Mozo fork and a
beefy oversized steel frame. It looks like the K2 Brass Monkey on a budget. The frame looks
bombproof, with lots of head

tube

Quoted message said:

reinforcement and huge tubing.

They cut some corners, as usual (ultra-cheap rear hub, heavy steel

parts).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It weighs 45 lbs; but this is the new low price point for disc-equipped bikes.

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

-=B=-

There I was, just hanging off the edge of my seat as I read it. But, No, not even one single
solitary 'alloy' anywhere....
--
Westie

They've missed out on a marketing point there, it does have an "alloy" frame.

Steve.

In article <Apa7b.290931$cF.89916@rwcrnsc53>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Toys R Us has a disc-equipped hardtail MTB for $139 retail. The Mongoose Masher has a black
aluminum front disc hub, ProMax mechanical front disc brake, Mozo fork and a beefy oversized steel
frame. It looks like the K2 Brass Monkey on a budget. The frame looks bombproof, with lots of head
tube reinforcement and huge tubing.

They cut some corners, as usual (ultra-cheap rear hub, heavy steel parts). It weighs 45 lbs; but
this is the new low price point for disc-equipped bikes.

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

-=B=-

I like the way the brake levers reach for the sky.
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia ramsays-online.comramsays-online.comOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

B. Sanders said...

Quoted message said:

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Calm down everybody. Let's not overwhelm the Amazon site with all of us ordering at once.

Look it says right there that gift wrapping is not available, I would have bought one but not
without a bow.
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia ramsays-online.comramsays-online.comOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>, "spademan o---[\) *"
<[email hidden]> says...

Quoted message said:

"Westie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"B. Sanders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Apa7b.290931$cF.89916@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

Toys R Us has a disc-equipped hardtail MTB for $139 retail. The

Mongoose

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Masher has a black aluminum front disc hub, ProMax mechanical front disc brake, Mozo fork and
a beefy oversized steel frame. It looks like the K2 Brass Monkey on a budget. The frame looks
bombproof, with lots of head

tube

Quoted message said:

reinforcement and huge tubing.

They cut some corners, as usual (ultra-cheap rear hub, heavy steel

parts).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It weighs 45 lbs; but this is the new low price point for disc-equipped bikes.

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

-=B=-

There I was, just hanging off the edge of my seat as I read it. But, No, not even one single
solitary 'alloy' anywhere....
--
Westie

They've missed out on a marketing point there, it does have an "alloy" frame.

Steve.

It's that new decomissioned Chinese fishing trawler/recycled jolt cola can alloy you've been
reading about.
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia ramsays-online.comramsays-online.comOpen ↗

Chris Phillipo said...

Quoted message said:

Look it says right there that gift wrapping is not available, I would have bought one but not
without a bow.

Wile E. Coyote should have sent one gift wrapped for the Roadrunner. Then when Roadrunner was
sprawled on the trail dying from internal injuries...well, that cartoon would have been over.

Chris Phillipo said...

Quoted message said:

It's that new decomissioned Chinese fishing trawler/recycled jolt cola can alloy you've been
reading about.

Really? I thought it was dehydrated ricotta cheese and condensed horse manure.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Chris Phillipo said...

Quoted message said:

It's that new decomissioned Chinese fishing trawler/recycled jolt cola can alloy you've been
reading about.

Really? I thought it was dehydrated ricotta cheese and condensed horse manure.

You're thinking of the COMPOSTite frame.
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia ramsays-online.comramsays-online.comOpen ↗

at least the fork is not reversed in the picture, not like at Walmart a lot of them are put on
backwards.

"Chris Phillipo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <Apa7b.290931$cF.89916@rwcrnsc53>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Toys R Us has a disc-equipped hardtail MTB for $139 retail. The

Mongoose

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Masher has a black aluminum front disc hub, ProMax mechanical front disc brake, Mozo fork and a
beefy oversized steel frame. It looks like the K2 Brass Monkey on a budget. The frame looks
bombproof, with lots of head

tube

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

reinforcement and huge tubing.

They cut some corners, as usual (ultra-cheap rear hub, heavy steel

parts).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It weighs 45 lbs; but this is the new low price point for disc-equipped bikes.

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

-=B=-

I like the way the brake levers reach for the sky.
--
_________________________
Chris Phillipo - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia ramsays-online.comramsays-online.comOpen ↗

"Penny S" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

B. Sanders said:

Toys R Us has a disc-equipped hardtail MTB for $139 retail. The Mongoose Masher has a black
aluminum front disc hub, ProMax mechanical front disc brake, Mozo fork and a beefy oversized
steel frame. It looks like the K2 Brass Monkey on a budget. The frame looks bombproof, with lots
of head tube reinforcement and huge tubing.

They cut some corners, as usual (ultra-cheap rear hub, heavy steel parts). It weighs 45 lbs; but
this is the new low price point for disc-equipped bikes.

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

-=B=-

wait until they show up here, posting about thier bike miseries. And you thought the Jeep bike
threads were annoying....

Yeah, dept store bike setup is *miserably* bad. The front disc brake cable on the store demo bike
was so loose that the housing kept falling out of the brake lever. It wouldn't even begin to actuate
the disc brake. I'd hate to see a 12-year-old excitedly test ride this bike off a curb and into a
car in the parking lot. The rear brake might get it stopped; but not in a hurry.

WARNING: If you actually buy *any* dept. store bike, have a knowledgeable bike mechanic check it out
*before* riding. Most dept. stores do not have qualified bike assemblers on staff. Dangerously poor
bike setup is the rule, not the exception. This means real risk of injury for you, the consumer.
Worst case, do a test ride in a safe area, away from moving cars or hills, and report any
malfunctions to the store customer service before you try to ride it on the street or trails.

Caveat Emptor

-=B=-

"Pete" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"B. Sanders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Apa7b.290931$cF.89916@rwcrnsc53...

Quoted message said:

Toys R Us has a disc-equipped hardtail MTB for $139 retail. The

Mongoose

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Masher has a black aluminum front disc hub, ProMax mechanical front disc brake, Mozo fork and a
beefy oversized steel frame. It looks like the K2 Brass Monkey on a budget. The frame looks
bombproof, with lots of head

tube

Quoted message said:

reinforcement and huge tubing.

They cut some corners, as usual (ultra-cheap rear hub, heavy steel

parts).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It weighs 45 lbs; but this is the new low price point for disc-equipped bikes.

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Correction: "Toys R Us has a disc-equipped bicycle shaped toy for $139 retail"

Many bike-shop brands (Giant, Trek, Bianchi, Schwinn, GT, etc) have offered bikes made from the same
straight-gauge hi-tensile steel tubing that Pacific/Mongoose uses. Is a Giant hi-tensile steel bike
with a cheap, undamped fork and EZ-Fire shifting also a bike-shaped toy? Why is it different? I can
see no difference, except for the service offered by a bike shop (which is *significantly*
different.)

Quoted message said:

"Beefy, oversized" = cheap steel tubes have to be large to compensate

I disagree. There are plenty of major brand non-oversized hi-ten steel frames out there that
have been hammering trails for years and years. As I pointed out, many major mfrs. offer (or
used to offer) hi-ten bikes. They can be just as strong as any other frame - just heavier.
Oversizing the tubes isn't necessary - it's cosmetic; but more material means more strength (and
more weight, of course).

Actually, due to the brittleness caused by TiG welding, a low-end hi-tensile steel frame might
actually be marginally safer than an equivalent CrMo frame. CrMo steel responds poorly to high
welding temperatures, creating a brittle joint area (except for Reynolds 853 CrMo, which actually
gets stronger when welded.)

Quoted message said:

"lots of head tube reinforcement" = lay on extra metal to cover up the

poor

Quoted message said:

fit and design.

It's probably largely cosmetic.

Quoted message said:

"Mozo fork" = recall waiting to happen (after a few really bad crashes)

Even Marzocchi forks have been known to snap; but I agree that those Mozo forks don't exactly
inspire confidence. The CPSC hasn't recalled them...yet.

Quoted message said:

Kmart sells "full susp" Huffy's for $69. Doesn't make it worth $69.

Tough question. If you have only $69 and need a bike, then yes, it is.

Quoted message said:

Just because Yugo sold car shaped lumps of metal really cheap doesn't make them worth it.

Agreed; but unlike Yugo parts, bike parts are universal and relatively cheap. When something goes
bad, replace it and keep on riding.

-=B=-

"B. Sanders" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Beefy, oversized" = cheap steel tubes have to be large to compensate

I disagree. There are plenty of major brand non-oversized hi-ten steel frames out there that have
been hammering trails for years and years. As

I

Quoted message said:

pointed out, many major mfrs. offer (or used to offer) hi-ten bikes. They can be just as strong as
any other frame - just heavier. Oversizing the tubes isn't necessary - it's cosmetic; but more
material means more

strength

Quoted message said:

(and more weight, of course).

Actually, due to the brittleness caused by TiG welding, a low-end

hi-tensile

Quoted message said:

steel frame might actually be marginally safer than an equivalent CrMo frame. CrMo steel responds
poorly to high welding temperatures, creating a brittle joint area (except for Reynolds 853 CrMo,
which actually gets stronger when welded.)

The low end steel frame *can* be made better/safer/stronger, but only with careful design and
craftsmanship. How much R&D do you think they squeezed into that $139 to come up with the optimum
design? Or the optimum alloy mix? Or the proper weld properties?

I'm not denigrating steel bikes overall. I've never had anything else.

A 20 lb frame IS stronger than a 5 lb frame. But is that *too much* material?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"lots of head tube reinforcement" = lay on extra metal to cover up the

poor

Quoted message said:

fit and design.

It's probably largely cosmetic.

Maybe so. And if so, merely unneeded weight.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Mozo fork" = recall waiting to happen (after a few really bad crashes)

Even Marzocchi forks have been known to snap; but I agree that those Mozo forks don't exactly
inspire confidence. The CPSC hasn't recalled

them...yet.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Kmart sells "full susp" Huffy's for $69. Doesn't make it worth $69.

Tough question. If you have only $69 and need a bike, then yes, it is.

If that's all you have, then the Kmart single speed beach cruiser would be a FAR better buy. Yes,
they are Huffy's, but they will actually last a few years. My wife rode one for years until it got
stolen. Bulletproof. I have no illusions that the 'full susp' model at that price would last more
than a season under an adults weight.

In addition to being a really crappy ride.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Just because Yugo sold car shaped lumps of metal really cheap doesn't

make

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

them worth it.

Agreed; but unlike Yugo parts, bike parts are universal and relatively cheap. When something goes
bad, replace it and keep on riding.

Disc brakes, alloy rims, shocks, profit, shipping, etc, etc..all squeezed into something less than
$140. They had to cut corners somewhere.

Pete

"B. Sanders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<Apa7b.290931$cF.89916@rwcrnsc53>...

Quoted message said:

Toys R Us has a disc-equipped hardtail MTB for $139 retail. The Mongoose Masher has a black
aluminum front disc hub, ProMax mechanical front disc brake, Mozo fork and a beefy oversized steel
frame. It looks like the K2 Brass Monkey on a budget. The frame looks bombproof, with lots of head
tube reinforcement and huge tubing.

They cut some corners, as usual (ultra-cheap rear hub, heavy steel parts). It weighs 45 lbs; but
this is the new low price point for disc-equipped bikes.

amazon.com103 5636075 0242222Open ↗

-=B=-

Yer a reel bargain hunter there Barry Bargain. Now go buy one and call it even better like some of
the other Ministers Of Misinformation in am-b like to do.

JD

B. Sanders said...

Quoted message said:

Tough question. If you have only $69 and need a bike, then yes, it is.

If that's all you have for a bike, then buy a used one.