Mongoose Titanium Road Bikes?
Frog
Can anyone share their experiences on Mongoose titanium road bikes? How do
they compare on value, build and ride quality? I have my eye on the 2001
Mongoose Bosberg road bike...the spec sheet reads well. I've been saving
for a Litespeed Tuscany but if the differences between these bikes are
negligible then I may as well save my money. Btw, I live in Australia and a
Litespeed Tuscany costs approx. AUS$6500 with the exchange rate as it is.
Habanero Ti bikes look good as well (especially for the price) but I've not
seen any in Oz...I guess they will ship out orders to anywhere though. Seven
make great Ti bikes (from what I've read. I have no first hand experience)
but the prices (order direct as there is no Seven dealer in Oz) are
AUS$3500+ for the frame only.
Anyway, if you have any first hand knowledge about Mongoose Ti bikes I would
appreciate a reply.
cheers
Ray
Mike Jacoubowsky
without test-riding one first. There are only two things that make a bike
feel different...the frame and the wheels. So when you're saying that a
couple bikes are similar except for the frame...
Also, keep in mind that Mongoose's future is somewhat in doubt, leading to
possible warranty issues down the road. I would take a serious look at the
Habanero (Mark H may be in doubt, but I hear good stuff about his
frames!)...although still, riding one is an important part of the decision.
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
"Frog" <bu...@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
news:3a2766b8$0$15...@motown.iinet.net.au...
b...@my-deja.com
"Mike Jacoubowsky" <Mik...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> I wouldn't buy a nice road bike (or *any* road bike, for that matter)
> without test-riding one first. There are only two things that make a
bike
> feel different...the frame and the wheels. So when you're saying
that a
> couple bikes are similar except for the frame...
>
> Also, keep in mind that Mongoose's future is somewhat in doubt,
leading to
> possible warranty issues down the road. I would take a serious look
at the
> Habanero (Mark H may be in doubt, but I hear good stuff about his
> frames!)...although still, riding one is an important part of the
decision.
>
Do you sell or plan to sell Habanero frames? I am also interested in
test riding one, but don't know if anybody local (in the SF bay area)
who carries it. Thanks, Brewster
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
J. Gersting
1) test ride first regradless of what people say
2) Mongoose may not be around for long
My thoughts are, mongoose has been talking about going
out of business for a long time now. They may go soon.
They do make pretty good bikes though. I rode a CF mongoose
for a long time, then broke it. It was replaced with the RX 10.9
frame. I have ridden that for over a year now, with great success.
The ride quality is good. It is flexy, but coming from CF, that isn't
surprising. It is interesting that my 1979 steel Chesini is stiffer. It is
very light
not sure of actual lbs., but with Reynolds Ouzo, 9spd DA, it is pretty
svelte. It changed my style a bit, spin more...mash less. But i think that has
been beneficial to me.
All in all they are nice bikes, but explore your other options. Just looked at
Habenero web site, bikes look nice. Check out Airborne as well. There are
plenty of options, take some time and make an educated decision from your
own information not our opinions.
Jason
Mike Jacoubowsky
We've given it some thought, but since he saw fit to skip the trade show and
hang out in Austrailia for the Olympics, well...
(Actually, it's still a possibility. I've just got to figure out how it
would fit in with what we already sell here etc...and Mark would have to
deal with the fact that my first choice would remain OCLV carbon!)
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
<b...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:908mgd$fsq$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
Mark Hickey
>Not sure who sells Habanero around these parts...best to ask Mark directly.
>We've given it some thought, but since he saw fit to skip the trade show and
>hang out in Austrailia for the Olympics, well...
A guy's gotta have priorities. Luckily mine isn't getting rich in the
bike biz (which is a pretty doomed priority anyway as near as I can
tell).
>(Actually, it's still a possibility. I've just got to figure out how it
>would fit in with what we already sell here etc...and Mark would have to
>deal with the fact that my first choice would remain OCLV carbon!)
Mike, I'd be tempted to just give 'em to you just for the cheerleading
effect! ;-)
Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.cynetfl.com/habanero/
Home of the $695 ti frame
b...@my-deja.com
"Mike Jacoubowsky" <Mik...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> Not sure who sells Habanero around these parts...
>
it
> would fit in with what we already sell here etc...and Mark would have
to
> deal with the fact that my first choice would remain OCLV carbon!)
>
as far as I could tell, but I haven't been to your shop lately, so a
Habanero ti would fit in perfectly. Brewster
Mike Jacoubowsky
LeMond hits the market. Nice looking bike, they're putting an awful lot of
effort into getting everything exactly right. Won't be cheap
though...they'll be competing in the high-end of the marketplace. There's
still room for a Habanero...
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
<b...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:90a84q$n9u$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
Perry Ruebay
very smooth on the smooth pave but if I happened to hit small bumps in
the road like perpendicular cracks or expansion joints it sent all the
shock straight up the seat tube. Don't know why, but after a few
miles of this I decided it was the most _irritating_ frame I'd ever
ridden. Just because I felt so strongly against the bike I took
another ride a few weeks later to see if I would change my mind. I
didn't. YMMV of course.
-Mark
John Forrest Tomlinson
news:3a287db4...@news.alterdial.uu.net...
> I took a couple test rides on a Mongoose Ti road bike. It was very,
> very smooth on the smooth pave but if I happened to hit small bumps in
> the road like perpendicular cracks or expansion joints it sent all the
> shock straight up the seat tube.
Let me guess, you're really good at sensing peas under your matress too.
JT
--
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Paul...@webtv.net
presumptious so I removed all the vinyl labels after about 1000 miles.
About one month. I bought the bike without even riding it. If I didn't
like it I had 30 days to return it to questions asked. That's University
Bicycle Center's policy. I also own a Gary Fisher Sugar 2. I've only put
212 miles on it since I got the Ti. I have put 2146 on the Mongoose in
117 days but I didn't ride for a week because of residual flu or stress
??? I ride too much and get over stressed. I'm fifty five. I have over
40,000 in five years. I've had about 20 bikes in my life. That said.
I didn't like the Mongoose name but they told me at the shop than
Brunswick buys the frames on contract from different makers ( all US by
the way ) and just assemble the bikes. My bike was made in Wisconsin by
True Technologies. The 2001 bikes are Sanvik. If Mongoose is sold, some
one will have it, right? I had kept $1500 in my bank to get free
checking for the last five years and my company went to direct deposit
using my bank and now I get free checking with no minimum. The bike was
marked $1699 and it get a discount for most stuff and I didn't even ask
but I got the Flight Deck computer and Specialized titanium saddle and a
week later I noticed that they let me have the bike for $1600. The joke
at work is the shop gets the direct deposit! I also bought REV X wheels
a week later. I was thinking Trek OCLV when I decided to overcome my
prejudice and get the Mongoose. Why else do I read Henry Thoreau? What
do I care what others think? After removing the labels, I've had several
Litespeed owners ask if it's a Litespeed. The bike has all 105
components with Ultegra RD. Mavic rims. I use the RevX very seldom. Too
windy around here. All good parts. Thomsen seat post. 3T, Cane Creek etc
I don't think a lot of that matters. It does have Speedplays and I love
them.
I looked over the last two years of posting in the archives at Deja.com
and every one who had one liked them. All the negative bashing is from
people who haven't tried them.
Airborne and Habanero are made in China. Who cares? I would have bought
either one in a heart beat if it were in front of me. Same thing for
Litespeed. I was looking at the Habanero site and for $2000 you can get
a very good deal. The main thing was I either wanted carbon or Ti and I
might just get an OCLV in a couple of months. Oh! the bike came with a
Kinesis carbon fork and the ride is very smooth. I guess that account
for most of the difference in harshness from my aluminum with cromoly
straight blades. I ride Specialized kevlar belted and beaded tires all
over town. The Vitorria's that came with it I use with the RevX.
I just absolutely love the bike. It's fast, comfy and even though I
noticed a difference of 1/16 " in the rear wheel off to the left it
makes no difference in riding hands off. It's better hands off than any
bike I've had! Right down to a slow stall. I don't sweat the small
things in life. Who knows when they might get killed. I have no less
than one really close call a month and many minor ones. I see fender
benders every day.
I saw a Walmart Mongoose FS the other day and I think it weighed twice
as much as my Sugar 2. They are junk. THe titanium Mongoose are not even
in the same family.
It has an honest weight with the original wheels at just under 20lbs, 56
cm. Toledo scale at grocery store.
Good luck and don't worry what others think.