G
Grl
Guest
On June 14, 2000 I posted the following message in this new group using my
[email protected] address:
"****'s Sporting Goods has the Mongoose Switchback "comfort" bike on sale for $225 this week. This
is an old (1998) model, but it has an aluminum frame and seems to have better equipment than current
models in the ~$300 range, so it caught my eye. I'm looking for a commute to work bike/pleasure ride
on streets bike.
It looks like a good deal and I was wondering if someone might have one of these and has formed a
good/bad opinion of it that they might care to share."
I got a few replies, none encouraging, and some saying Mongoose quality had gone to hell and dealers
were dropping the line because of that and because it was being sold in department stores (that they
did not wish to compete with).
The price was attractive, the bike looked good, and I wanted to start a daily exercise program
riding for about an hour each day on city streets and on a paved bike path, so I bought it.
The summer and fall of 2000 I rode it, on average, five days a week about 45 minutes each ride
except summer when it goes up to 1:15 h a day. I ride about 15 mph and weigh 245 lb. I stored it
through the mid-Michigan winter. The next year (2001), I started riding once the streets cleared in
the spring, through the summer and right up until late fall. Same rate of use. Again, no winter
riding. In 2002, the pattern was again the same, but that summer I started having tire blow-out
problems. At first I thought it was a "bad" inner tube, and replaced with heavy duty (thick) inner
tubes which also blew. Looked like they were opening at the weld, but in reality it was the tire
that was "bad" at the bead and was tearing the inner tube. Very weird. Bike shop guys could not
figure it out. Replaced the original tires with bike-shop recommended street tires which were MUCH
nicer. About $40 total for two tires. Continued to ride through to the fall. I decided to replace
the saddle, not because the original one was worn out, it looks almost new, but because I wanted to
see if I could get one that would prevent the "male pattern family jewels tingle" I was sometimes
getting. Replacement from a bike shop cost $25. Better than the original. No tingle. Then decided
I'd ride through the Michigan winter whenever weather allowed which ended up meaning whenever the
streets were cleared of snow and it was over 15 F. I bought a brace of lights because it also meant
riding in the dark. This was a relatively dry and not too cold winter, so I rode about 1/2 the
winter days.
We're approaching the end of year three. How has this department store Mongoose Switchback
bike held up?
Well the riding though the last winter was not kind to the bike. It had looked like new before the
winter. The rear deraileur locked up from salt and crud and I spent a couple of hours cleaning it up
(along with the entire bike) today. Works fine now. Front derailure, shifters, and brakes all work
fine. The frame looks almost new. No rust (steel frame) and the paint has held up great. Some signs
of light salt pitting on some of the aluminum components. Not bad. Nothing has worn out or broken
(other than one tire). The bike rides fine, shifts well, and brakes well. Creaks a little now and
again (I think it's the spring in the seat post), but is still very smooth. It's a pretty heavy
beast (especially with those "thorn-proof" tires I don't really need), given the big steel frame,
but that is not really a bad thing if what you are after is exercise.
Overall, after (very conservative estimate) >4,000 miles near daily use (weather permitting) on
rough city streets in all kinds (literally) of weather, it still looks good and rides good and I
see no reason to expect a significant problem any time soon. Never been to a bike shop to service
it, either.
Those bike shop types warning about falling Mongoose quality in their "department store" bike line
were utterly clueless and, I think, just spouting self-serving nonsense in reaction to Mongoose
changing their distribution channel.
I would not for a second hesitate to buy another $200 Mongoose bike from ****'s or a store like
****'s for commuter/exercise use or recommend one to a friend I wished to keep. They hold up very
well indeed.
- GRL
"It's good to want things."
Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist, Visual Basic programmer)
[email protected] address:
"****'s Sporting Goods has the Mongoose Switchback "comfort" bike on sale for $225 this week. This
is an old (1998) model, but it has an aluminum frame and seems to have better equipment than current
models in the ~$300 range, so it caught my eye. I'm looking for a commute to work bike/pleasure ride
on streets bike.
It looks like a good deal and I was wondering if someone might have one of these and has formed a
good/bad opinion of it that they might care to share."
I got a few replies, none encouraging, and some saying Mongoose quality had gone to hell and dealers
were dropping the line because of that and because it was being sold in department stores (that they
did not wish to compete with).
The price was attractive, the bike looked good, and I wanted to start a daily exercise program
riding for about an hour each day on city streets and on a paved bike path, so I bought it.
The summer and fall of 2000 I rode it, on average, five days a week about 45 minutes each ride
except summer when it goes up to 1:15 h a day. I ride about 15 mph and weigh 245 lb. I stored it
through the mid-Michigan winter. The next year (2001), I started riding once the streets cleared in
the spring, through the summer and right up until late fall. Same rate of use. Again, no winter
riding. In 2002, the pattern was again the same, but that summer I started having tire blow-out
problems. At first I thought it was a "bad" inner tube, and replaced with heavy duty (thick) inner
tubes which also blew. Looked like they were opening at the weld, but in reality it was the tire
that was "bad" at the bead and was tearing the inner tube. Very weird. Bike shop guys could not
figure it out. Replaced the original tires with bike-shop recommended street tires which were MUCH
nicer. About $40 total for two tires. Continued to ride through to the fall. I decided to replace
the saddle, not because the original one was worn out, it looks almost new, but because I wanted to
see if I could get one that would prevent the "male pattern family jewels tingle" I was sometimes
getting. Replacement from a bike shop cost $25. Better than the original. No tingle. Then decided
I'd ride through the Michigan winter whenever weather allowed which ended up meaning whenever the
streets were cleared of snow and it was over 15 F. I bought a brace of lights because it also meant
riding in the dark. This was a relatively dry and not too cold winter, so I rode about 1/2 the
winter days.
We're approaching the end of year three. How has this department store Mongoose Switchback
bike held up?
Well the riding though the last winter was not kind to the bike. It had looked like new before the
winter. The rear deraileur locked up from salt and crud and I spent a couple of hours cleaning it up
(along with the entire bike) today. Works fine now. Front derailure, shifters, and brakes all work
fine. The frame looks almost new. No rust (steel frame) and the paint has held up great. Some signs
of light salt pitting on some of the aluminum components. Not bad. Nothing has worn out or broken
(other than one tire). The bike rides fine, shifts well, and brakes well. Creaks a little now and
again (I think it's the spring in the seat post), but is still very smooth. It's a pretty heavy
beast (especially with those "thorn-proof" tires I don't really need), given the big steel frame,
but that is not really a bad thing if what you are after is exercise.
Overall, after (very conservative estimate) >4,000 miles near daily use (weather permitting) on
rough city streets in all kinds (literally) of weather, it still looks good and rides good and I
see no reason to expect a significant problem any time soon. Never been to a bike shop to service
it, either.
Those bike shop types warning about falling Mongoose quality in their "department store" bike line
were utterly clueless and, I think, just spouting self-serving nonsense in reaction to Mongoose
changing their distribution channel.
I would not for a second hesitate to buy another $200 Mongoose bike from ****'s or a store like
****'s for commuter/exercise use or recommend one to a friend I wished to keep. They hold up very
well indeed.
- GRL
"It's good to want things."
Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist, Visual Basic programmer)
