Mongoose Bicycle Overview: Are Mongoose Good Bikes ? [2022]
Are Mongoose Good Bikes – Finding a quality bike is one of the most difficult things for cyclists, mainly because there are so many brands and manufacturers to choose from. This makes deciding on one really difficult, and there is always fierce competition at every price point and in every discipline.
One of the most popular bike brands is Mongoose, a brand that has a long and storied history in the bike industry, not all of it entirely positive.
While there are always conflicting opinions and reports about different bike brands, really hard to say that a particular brand is good or bad, and often the quality of a particular bike comes down to the particular model of the bike on offer, as an entry-level bike from one brand will almost certainly be worse than a high-level bike from a different brand.
In this guide, we’re going to look at the quality of Mongoose bikes specifically, and unpick exactly how good their bikes are and what their brand reputation is, to give you a better idea of whether you should consider purchasing a Mongoose or look for something different.
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Are Mongoose Bikes Good?
This is an interesting question, and there’s no simple answer to it.
The truth is that Mongoose has a mixed reputation when it comes to the quality of their bikes, due to the fact that they offer a wide range of bikes, some of which are pretty low quality, and others which are actually respectable.
Mongoose was once one of the most famous and popular bike brands, with its foundation in the mid-70s allowing it to get in early on the BMX craze.
This has led to it quickly becoming a leading manufacturer of some of the best BMXs available at the time, and their big secret to success was that their wheels were made of cast magnesium alloy, which drastically improved the toughness and durability of BMX wheels making them safer and easier to perform tricks with.
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This innovation propelled Mongoose into the spotlight, and pretty soon there were many professional BMX riders sponsored by or using Mongoose bikes. Eventually, Mongoose started producing cross-country bikes and full suspension bikes, continuing to produce quality rigs well into the late 90s.
However around this time, Mongoose was bought out by Pacific Bicycles, and while this led to Mongoose becoming a hugely popular brand, it was when the quality of these bikes began to drop.
This is because Mongoose started offering complete box bikes for large department stores such as Walmart, and many of these bikes were not of the best quality.
As a result, the quality and reputation of Mongoose bikes started to get muddled, and many cyclists decided to avoid Mongoose bikes altogether due to the fact that their entry-level bikes were seen as so low quality.
While this affected the brand image of Mongoose, there are still some respectable models of bikes on offer from this storied brand, including a few BMXs and commuter bikes.
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However, their entry-level bikes are generally low quality, particularly ones on offer at Walmart and other large stores.
As a general rule, it’s best to look at where the bike is actually being sold.
If the bike is being sold at a dedicated bike store, there’s a much better chance of the bike being a solid option.
After all, department stores are after a quick buck and don’t have the knowledge or expertise to offer a quality bike that is going to provide optimal performance for you and your needs.
The Good Side Of Mongoose
While Mongoose doesn’t have the prestige and reputation it once had during its heyday, there are still several important pros to buying a bike from this brand.
As one of the largest brands, they offer a very wide range of bikes, which means almost anyone will be able to find a bike to suit their needs and budget.
This in itself is an important thing, as many people will just want a simple bike for a reasonable price without needing to spend a lot of time researching quality brands, even if this would serve them better in the long term.
It’s also worth pointing out that at the higher end there are some decent performing Mongoose bikes that do offer respectable performance, albeit nothing too convincing either.
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The biggest issue that Mongoose has is the issue of brand reputation.
Bike snobs and bike nerds all love to be trendy, and there’s always a new fad, a new bit of tech, or a new brand that offers something that suddenly everyone can’t get enough of.
However Mongoose does have one thing on their side, decades of experience, and while this may have led to some consistency, Mongoose bikes are among the most popular bikes in the world for a reason.
Ultimately it’s down to you to decide what bike best suits your needs. Our advice is to avoid entry-level bikes unless you’re really pressed for cash and convenience.
If you’re looking for something mid to high end, them Mongoose may be a solid choice, but always look at multiple options and do a little research, as the bike world is a very competitive one, and there is almost certainly better value to be found if you dig a little deeper.