Mongoose Mountain Bikes Reviews – Buyer’s Guide (2022)
Originally designed and produced by the famous BMX Products company, Mongoose bikes first went into production in 1974 in Simi Valley, California and have been captivating mountain biking enthusiasts ever since. Over the years Mongoose has moved to a variety of different parent companies, however, as of 2018 they are Mongoose bikes are made available through Pacific Cycle, located in Madison, Wisconsin. Known for the variety, and quality of their bikes, Mongoose produces a wide range of different bikes for men, women, and children alike. In this 2021 Mongoose mountain bike buyer’s guide we will go over our professional list of Mongoose bikes giving you the best and most reliable information on the web.
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Mongoose Mountain Bike Reviews – Buyer’s Guide and FAQ
In this buyer’s guide we will go over the best overall Mongoose bike, as well as their best women’s, high-end, fat tire, and children’s bike. This buyer’s guide will give you an excellent overview of what we like about the bike, its main features, and how it holds up, however for a more in depth review be sure to check out our individual bike reviews as well. Just as Mongoose prides itself on giving you the best performing bike, so to do we here at Mountain Bikes lab strive to provide you with the best, most informative content so that you can make an informed decision and find the perfect bike for your riding needs.
Best Overall – Mongoose Impasse Review
After thorough research and many hours testing and comparing different Mongoose mountain bikes in terms of their performance, durability, quality, price, and rideability, we can confidently say that the Mongoose Impasse, a bike we have previously reviewed, is the clear number one overall Mongoose mountain bike. You can read our individual review of the Mongoose Impasse here. Although not nearly the most high end bike on the market, for its price you will not find a higher quality bike. Built with a lightweight, aluminum alloy frame, this hardtail suspension mountain bike rides like something you would find for two times its price. The Mongoose Impasse has an 18 inch frame, and 29 inch wheels, putting it on the slightly larger size for a mountain bike. This is another great feature of the Impasse as it’s high adjustable seat allows the bike to be ridden by almost anyone; our shortest team member is 5’ 5” and had no problem riding the Impasse.
Another impressive aspect of the Mongoose Impasse is the quality of its components. From its Sram twist shifters, to its Shimano rear derailleur’s for it’s 21 speeds, to its front and rear ZOOM disc brakes, to its hard tail suspension fork, the technical components of the Impasse are excellent. Of course there are always upgrades that could be made and complaints to be heard, personally we would have loved to see thumb shifters, but for the price you are paying, there are very few negative things to be said about the Mongoose Impasse. The ZOOM disc brakes are quite responsive and reliable, even on steeper hills, while the twist shifter, though not our favorite, allows you to easily shift up and down through the bikes 21 speeds. Overall this bike is our number one best mongoose mountain bike for its reasonable price, quality components, and consistent and impressive performance.
Runner Up – Mongoose Tyax Expert Review
The next bike on our list is our runner up to the number one spot, and is a bike that we have previously reviewed here at Mountain Bikes Lab, the Mongoose Tyax Expert. A more expensive bike, the Tyax expert is a higher end Mongoose bike and designed for a more experienced rider. Coming in three color options the Mongoose Tyax expert is a high performing downhill mountain bike which is sure to satisfy any rider. This bike is made of a ultra-lightweight Tectonic T2 aluminum frame reducing its weight significantly and making it much easier to ride up steep inclines. Compared to other Mongoose bikes that we have ridden this is certainly lighter, however to get those higher quality components you must be willing to pay more.
The Mongoose Tyax has a medium sized frame and with the option of either 27.5 inch or 29 inch wheels, along with its height adjustable seat, this bike should be able to fit most body sizes. One of the main reasons for its high price is the hydraulic disc brakes that come with the Tyax. Widely regarded as the best in braking technology, hydraulic disc brakes are our definitive favorite when is comes to mountain biking. Providing best in class stopping power, sensitivity, and control, hydraulics are certainly what you should be looking for when shopping for a more high end bike. Like the other more high end components of the Mongoose Tyax, hydraulic disc brakes to increase the price but in our opinion it is something you should be very comfortable paying. Overall the Mongoose Tyax is our number two overall mountain bike and would be an excellent choice for someone looking to invest a bit more heavily into their new mountain bike. You can read more about the Mongoose Tyax Expert in our in-depth review of the bike here.
Best Fat Tire – Mongoose Dolomite Fat Tire Review
After riding numerous different Mongoose fat tire mountain bikes, our consensus favorite has certainly been the Mongoose Dolomite. Equipped with massive, off-road tires this bike was designed to be ridden through the city or across rugged terrain with ease. Like most fat tire mountain bikes the Mongoose Dolomite has a ridged frame, however in our experience riding it the fat tires provided more than enough support to ensure a comfortable ride.
Fat tire bikes are certainly making a major statement in the world of biking and their popularity has increased dramatically in recent years. Fun, easy to ride, and able to be ridden almost anywhere it’s easy to see why more and more people are choosing to buy fat tire bikes rather than spends thousands of dollars on a high end mountain bike. The Mongoose Dolomite might not have all the best features that you’ll see on other downhill mountain bikes however, but for a Fat Tire bike it has excellent component and will provide you with a great ride. You can read a more in depth review of the Mongoose Dolomite here.
Mongoose Salvo Comp Review
Our number three overall mongoose bike is the Mongoose Salvo Comp. A dual suspension, 29 inch mountain bike, the Mongoose Salvo Comp is a high-end, high performance mountain bike build to deliver top notch riding to end the most accomplished mountain bikers. Of all the components on the Mongoose Salvo there is only one piece that we adamantly wish was changed, the mechanical disc brakes. Although not completely necessary for a high-end bike, we feel that for the price you are paying, the Salvo should have hydraulic disc brakes which perform far better than their mechanical disc counterparts.
When test riding the Mongoose Salvo Comp one thing that stood out to us was the Free Floating technology the provides the dual suspension of the bike. Our test rides in the city and through local off road trails was easily handled by the Salvo Comp and the suspension provided a very comfortable ride over extremely rugged terrain. We feel that suspension for a high-end bike is one of the most important features for a mountain bike and it was good to know for sure that the dual suspension performed well. Overall we really enjoyed our time with the Mongoose Salvo Comp and if you are looking to invest a good amount of money towards a high performance mountain bike you won’t go wrong with the Salvo Comp.
Mongoose Status 2.2 Review
The number four bike on our list in the Mongoose Status 2.2, a more affordable dual suspension mountain bike. The Mongoose Status 2.2 is quite similar to the Mongoose salvo Comp however most of the components are of lower quality, reducing the cost significantly but consequently lowering the performance of the bike. After test riding this bike compared to the Salvo Comp the difference in quality was immediately apparent, however the Status’ suspension and brakes still held up reasonable well. The gear shifting is done with turn shifters and is slightly more sticky than that of thumb shifters, however this is to be expected on a lower level bike. Overall we feel that this bike is still a good option for someone looking to get into mountain biking for a reasonable price, however you should not expect this bike to be able to hand extreme terrain.
Mongoose Silva Review
Coming in at number five on our overall list of Mongoose Mountain bike is the Mongoose Silva, which has a beautiful pink and blue color scheme that is sure to turn heads. Made out of aluminum this light weight bike has 21 speeds, and a high quality front suspension fork perfect for younger or beginner riders. This bike should definitely be considred a starter bike and you should not expect anything too crazy from its performance however here at mountain bikes lab we understand that not everyone is looking for that $2000 bike that will last them a lifetime. The Mongoose Silva is a great bike for the price you are paying and will give daughter a thrill while riding.
Mongoose Switchback Sport Review
Our number six overall Mongoose bike is the Mongoose Switchback. This bike comes in four different models, comp, expert, sport, and trail, however we feel that the sport version gets you the most versatility and usability for your money. With a hardtail suspension system and 27.5 inch wheels the Mongoose Switchback sport is your classic midlevel mountain bike and made of a lightweight aluminum alloy frame to ease your ride. Being produced by Mongoose you know that the bike will be high quality and we could tell right away while riding the Switchback that this was true. The Switchback is the perfect bike for someone who is looking to not spend too much money but still get a quality bike that they can you a lot. While we would not recommend this bike for extreme downhill mountain biking, for the average person looking for a bike that can handle some trails and casual riding this would be a great choice.
Conclusion
Since 1974 Mongoose has been making high quality, yet affordable BMX and mountain bikes for kids, ameturs and experienced riders alike. Overall we believe that the best bang for you buck from Mongoose would be either their Mongoose Impasse or their Mongoose Tyax Expert. After extensive test riding and comparing with other bikes on our list we felt that those two clearly stood above the rest. This is not to say however that other Mongoose bikes are of low quality, the exact opposite is the case. Of all the bikes on the list we feel that each has a case to be made for someone looking to buy a new mountain bike, it all depends on what you are looking for in your new bike. We hope that this 2021 Mongoose buyers guide has been informative for you, and as always here at Mountain Bikes Lab we strive to provide easily digestible, high quality, and objective reviews so that you can find your next bike without any hassel.