Great deal for a bike hasher! - I can keep my 1992 Bridgestone MB2 in great condition. onon

Well the fireline looks like a win, but upon further research.... not so much.

http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Mens-Fireline-Bicycle-Green/product-reviews/B001ASO2UA/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

My opinion anything that has more stars below three and I hit the eject button. I canceled my order...

Does it usually take awhile for an order to get revoked?

from what i've been reading, stay away from mongoose. unless you dont mind your bike breaking in a year or so.

frade wrote:from what i've been reading, stay away from mongoose. unless you dont mind your bike breaking in a year or so.

They get stolen A LOT too!

It depends on what style of riding you do and how often. If you ride a few times a year something cheaper like this would do you well. If you are looking to ride your bike more often it would be best to go to your local bike store and talk to them and they will help you.

Probably the most important aspect of buying a bike is the fit. You can get some info online but its best to go to a store where they should fit you if you buy something.

Secondly if you like to ride on the road get a bike with no suspension so you don't lose energy to bouncing unnecessarily. If you ride on trails probably don't buy a mongoose and it isn't going to perform very well and likely won't last.

PemberDucky wrote:i know absolutely nothing about bikes. even less about bikes for the malefolk. what do you look for? design? uh...suspension? cupholders?

srsly, i have no idea.

Also a very abstract rule of thumb is about $1000 is going to get a solid bike.

roussie wrote:It depends on what style of riding you do and how often. If you ride a few times a year something cheaper like this would do you well. If you are looking to ride your bike more often it would be best to go to your local bike store and talk to them and they will help you.

Probably the most important aspect of buying a bike is the fit. You can get some info online but its best to go to a store where they should fit you if you buy something.

Secondly if you like to ride on the road get a bike with no suspension so you don't lose energy to bouncing unnecessarily. If you ride on trails probably don't buy a mongoose and it isn't going to perform very well and likely won't last.

How about some women's bikes?

roussie wrote:Also a very abstract rule of thumb is about $1000 is going to get a solid bike.

That's not really true. I bought a 2013 Trek FX Hybrid 2 days ago for $550 and it is more than sufficient. $1000 might be starting point for a good road bike but most people who are even looking at this would be fine going to their local bike shop and spending $500 on a Trek or Giant.

I ordered the Snarl a couple of weeks ago. It came with a bent frame and badly bent rear wheel. I'm having a heck of a time getting woot or mongoose to respond.

My take? Stay away from this deal and spend a little bit more from a reputable bike store...

frade wrote:from what i've been reading, stay away from mongoose. unless you dont mind your bike breaking in a year or so.

There are two types of Mongoose bikes. Great ones(expensive), and these, which are "department store" models. These share very little with the expensive variant.

These sub $300 bikes can be good for what they are...cheap bikes. Good for just having fun, not doing sweet jumps or anything like that. Simple trail riding and A-B commutes.

PemberDucky wrote:i know absolutely nothing about bikes. even less about bikes for the malefolk. what do you look for? design? uh...suspension? cupholders?

srsly, i have no idea.

There are different kinds of bikes for different kinds of riding. Within each type, there are recreational models made for casual use, enthusiast models made for regular use, and high-end models for showing off (LOL).

Most of the ones being sold here look fancy with their suspension and/or disc brakes, but they are recreational models. The high-performance-looking parts are, well, cheap. So they're more about looking neat than actually working well. Even if they work OK, they're not the most durable...a better bike uses forged aluminum components, but these will often have a lot of stamped steel and plastic construction.

Unless you know how to assemble and maintain a bike, I would recommend against buying one online. You need guidance from someone who knows bikes; hopefully your local bike shop has such a person. Get fitted. Tell the bike person what you want a bike for. Look for or ask about getting quality construction over fancy technology. Test ride the ones that interest you. Buy from a shop that has a reasonable return policy and decent after sales service. Most bike shops offer at least a free break-in tune-up; some might offer free one year or even lifetime minor adjustments (if they don't need to put a wrench to it, it will be free).

These bikes are bad, stay away. I posted a ranting comprehensive review a few weeks back when Mongoose showed up on deals.woot.

Bottom line, you could go through 2 or 3 Mongoose, or spend a small amount more and get a brand that isn't complete crap.

I would rate these bikes zero point zero.

Don't buy one of these turds, I promise you will regret it. Unless you need a clothing rack. Feel free to ask for any specifics.

I bought one as a test to see if I could get motivated to ride again(it's been 20 years).

Have taken it out on a few rides around the neighborhood and so far so good. A few more weeks of this(or until something breaks) and I'll pick up something nicer.

mibutterflywingz wrote:How about some women's bikes?

I completely agree! When are female riders going to get a woot deal?

rwoodruff13 wrote:That's not really true. I bought a 2013 Trek FX Hybrid 2 days ago for $550 and it is more than sufficient. $1000 might be starting point for a good road bike but most people who are even looking at this would be fine going to their local bike shop and spending $500 on a Trek or Giant.

Good advice but even on a road bike you dont have to spend near $1,000.

Trek is the only local dealer. I got a great road bike for $885 (Trek 1.2T) & the best thing is that this shop is super small so the care is most excellent!

Another place to look is Performance Bike which always has great deals. I got a great Fuji for around $700. Getting their membership gave me like $150 rebate and their guarantees are amazing! You can order online or phone but bikes have to be built and picked up at the shop. Of course, service is nothing like at my Trek but is pretty decent.

these look like the ones they used in the 0lympics BMX & Mountain bike race.. Are these better than those? These says they are Pro and I don't think the olympians are just amateur-level competitors, not quite pro-level.

I probably would have naught one consideringi've wanted a bike for a while now but there was no woman's bikes

lwang wrote:these look like the ones they used in the 0lympics BMX & Mountain bike race.. Are these better than those? These says they are Pro and I don't think the olympians are just amateur-level competitors, not quite pro-level.

These look nothing like those, because those are real bikes, and these are trash. Buyer beware. These bikes, at the best are going to be a coat rack for you, and at worse, are dangerous junk.

lwang wrote:these look like the ones they used in the 0lympics BMX & Mountain bike race.. Are these better than those? These says they are Pro and I don't think the olympians are just amateur-level competitors, not quite pro-level.

Definitely not comparable. Those bikes costs $1000's of dollars. To give an idea of cost, the Trek Madone that Lance Armstrong rode in 2010 cost $10,000.

Dear Mongoose, how much do any of these bikes weigh? I'd like to compare them more.

talon4x4 wrote:Definitely not comparable. Those bikes costs $1000's of dollars. To give an idea of cost, the Trek Madone that Lance Armstrong rode in 2010 cost $10,000.

Not comparing to the pro's bikes, but the amateur athlete's bikes in the 01ympics. I think these would be like what Lance rides, except he has what seems to be simple bikes without suspension or kickstands. Maybe their bike's price has to have all those secrmet compartments for urine samples and complicated equipments to administer blood or drugs in the middle of a ride.

lwang wrote:Not comparing to the pro's bikes, but the amateur athlete's bikes in the 01ympics. I think these would be like Lance rides simple bikes without suspension of kickstands. Maybe their bike's price has to have all those secrmet compartments for urine samples and complicated equipments to administer blood or drugs in the middle of a ride.

I figure you're trolling, but there's a lot of engineering that goes into things like "making brakes that adjust well and actuate reliably" and "having wheels that don't start wobbling erratically when you hit a small rut" and "having a shifting system that won't randomly break in a way that causes the pedals to lose all resistance, greatly increasing the chances of you losing control or smashing your nuts."

These bikes have none of the engineering required for those things. The best thing that I can say about these bikes is that they'll most likely be so unpleasant to ride that you will give up before their poor quality control leads to something like a crank arm falling off the bottom bracket spindle.

These bikes also ship flat, meaning that they have to be assembled by someone. If you're going to pay someone to build it up, you might as well spend the extra money to have them build a bike that isn't completely worthless. If you're knowledgeable enough to build and properly adjust everything yourself, you should be looking at something like BikesDirect instead.

They have road bikes (the kind you see with gears and stuff in longer-form road races) and track bikes (the kind you saw in the NASCAR-style racing on the oval velodrome) there that are actually comparable in quality to what a competitive racing cyclist would ride.

My wife and I have had Mongoose bikes before, they weigh a lot. I can't give you an exact weight other than 'butt-load'.
We both have a decent brand of bike now, and the weight difference is night and day. I was blown away.

fjp999 wrote:Good advice but even on a road bike you dont have to spend near $1,000.

Trek is the only local dealer. I got a great road bike for $885 (Trek 1.2T) & the best thing is that this shop is super small so the care is most excellent!

Another place to look is Performance Bike which always has great deals. I got a great Fuji for around $700. Getting their membership gave me like $150 rebate and their guarantees are amazing! You can order online or phone but bikes have to be built and picked up at the shop. Of course, service is nothing like at my Trek but is pretty decent.

That is still lotsa money. Option C: used. I have a beautiful, fast 1987 Nishiki road bike that would have cost maybe 300 bucks if I'd bought it from a bike shop (and not craigslist). Of course, there's no carbon fiber on this thing...

What a bunch of crybabies...

Yes, if you're a competitive cyclist - look somewhere else. If you're a "recreational" cyclist - just remember you get what you pay for.

But really, all this bashing of department store bikes... Guess what, entire COUNTRIES run on bikes like that, with minimal complaint. I've picked up the Snarl last time around, and besides the seat being brutal everything else seems fine. The XCT fork is plain yesterday's technology, but works. The Altus is the low end, but still crisp and precise. Yes, I had to assemble, retighten, and readjust it correctly, but now it runs smooth and quiet. I took it to a trail yesterday and I saw 2 guys on "real" bicycles, obviously wanting to show off their "wealth", but the other 100+ people there had bikes just like this. Nobody broke down, nobody complained...

You can buy yourself one of those (or comparable Schwinn @ Target), or keep riding a bus, trying to justify $800+ expense on something you will use 1-2 times a month.

walmark wrote:What a bunch of crybabies...

Yes, if you're a competitive cyclist - look somewhere else. If you're a "recreational" cyclist - just remember you get what you pay for.

But really, all this bashing of department store bikes... Guess what, entire COUNTRIES run on bikes like that, with minimal complaint. I've picked up the Snarl last time around, and besides the seat being brutal everything else seems fine. The XCT fork is plain yesterday's technology, but works. The Altus is the low end, but still crisp and precise. Yes, I had to assemble, retighten, and readjust it correctly, but now it runs smooth and quiet. I took it to a trail yesterday and I saw 2 guys on "real" bicycles, obviously wanting to show off their "wealth", but the other 100+ people there had bikes just like this. Nobody broke down, nobody complained...

You can buy yourself one of those (or comparable Schwinn @ Target), or keep riding a bus, trying to justify $800+ expense on something you will use 1-2 times a month.

You will come to learn, cognitively dissonant one. A Schwinn is still a fine bike. These bikes unfortunately, break frequently, and dangerously. You JUST got this bike. Just be awfully careful to make sure the spokes are tensioned if you ride it more than a few times, mmkay? Give it a good pre and post flight check. Also, stock seats are nearly always brutal - even if you've paid 2k for the bike.

If you want a good cheap bike, buy a Jamis.

Cheaper At Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Mongoose-Xcom-700c-Bike-Blue/dp/B0085WB0EU

I don't know how they plan on selling any of the Men's mountain bikes. 26" bike is for people that are like 7 feet tall!!

What am I missing on the way the size is listed?

crabjoe wrote:I don't know how they plan on selling any of the Men's mountain bikes. 26" bike is for people that are like 7 feet tall!!

What am I missing on the way the size is listed?

Mass merchant bikes like these only come in one size and are only listed by the size of the wheels, unlike bike shop bikes which are listed by both wheel and frame sizes.

If you're shorter than say 5'2" or taller than 5'10" these bikes will be either dangerous or uncomfortable.

It appears mine arrived with a bent wheel too. I've contacted Woot and am waiting for a response.

Face76 wrote:It appears mine arrived with a bent wheel too. I've contacted Woot and am waiting for a response.

you should be able to straighten a bent wheel out. Put the wheel on its side, and stand on the side that is bending out. The shaft coming out of the middle of the wheel will act like lever, allowing you to bend the wheel back.

highonpez wrote:That is still lotsa money. Option C: used...

Agreed (again).

Being 100% cyclist (never had a motorist license) and at 50 have had many types of bikes. Now about 6 in the garage including one trash find, a neighbor give away, a used buy from a local bike shop under $200 (Fuji turned into a fixie/freewheel), etc etc.

All are great bikes and luckily great fits but I have this great mechanic around me that I trust and doesnt charge an arm and a leg.

I dont know if these bikes qualify as something like a Walmart type bike but if something breaks and you go to a bike shop it usually will cost nearly as much as buying another Walmart bike to fix the broken one...

Thank you everyone for a very open conversation about these bikes. Just moved an extremely enthusiastic biking city (like the bikers here scare me at rush hour, super serious, taking up a good portion of the road and cutting off buses) was thinking about this as a way to ease myself in but will go with the suggestions to go to a local bike store instead. Thank you!

frazelle wrote: Just moved an extremely enthusiastic biking city>>> but will go with the suggestions to go to a local bike store instead. Thank you!

If it is anything like a San Francisco or Pittsburgh type city which has a very thriving biking community with Bike Advocacy groups - they can often give you a list of independent shops which often (not always) have better deals or more selections and more care.

See if such a group exist in your city. Sometimes joining will also give you discount at bike shops... but these groups always have free & very useful city biking maps and other info, and maybe an active forum to learn the rules of that cities road.

Best of luck and always ride safe.

fjp999 wrote:If it is anything like a San Francisco or Pittsburgh type city which has a very thriving biking community with Bike Advocacy groups - they can often give you a list of independent shops which often (not always) have better deals or more selections and more care.

See if such a group exist in your city. Sometimes joining will also give you discount at bike shops... but these groups always have free & very useful city biking maps and other info, and maybe an active forum to learn the rules of that cities road.

Best of luck and always ride safe.

Thank you for the advice! I will have to google Bike Advocacy groups in my area! I actually have a 79 girls bicycle cruiser which is cute & fun for short trips to the store, but not at all cut out for a commute home up large hills. I'm sensing something with gear shifting in my future!