Review of Mongoose Theory Men's Dual-Suspension Bike

Mongoose Theory Men's Dual-Suspension Bike
By: Mongoose Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 7
More Information

Good Beginner's Bike, Poor Quality Control

On: 2008-03-24

I was in the market for a good low-end bike, nothing too fancy; something that could handle daily commuting of a couple of miles on paved roads/sidewalks, and then the occasional trail forays for exercise and conditioning. After a lot of research, I settled on the Mongoose Theory, basing my decision on the price and online reviews (as the guys in my local bike shops pretty much all tried to talk me into buying something a lot higher than my budget).

First off, I gotta say Amazons Super Saver Shipping sucks. Its WORTH the extra cash paying for some real shipping. When this bike was shipped, it made it to my local Fedex depot on a friday (almost a full two weeks after I ordered the bike), and they werent even planning to deliver it to me until the following monday! I drove down there to pick it up myself, and was surprised to learn that they had about 7-8 other bikes, all shipped from Amazon (and all super saver), and the people at fedex told me that Amazon ships them in groups to arrive at the destination Fedex facilities on Fridays. They actually told me they regularly get groups of 10 or more bikes every friday from Amazon! None of that really makes sense to me, but who am I (a consumer) to understand the business decisions of Amazon.com? Anyways....

So I get the bike home and open the box. Surprisingly, theres no visible damage, and Im excited to put it together. Assembling bikes is not rocket science, its pretty easy, and even without using the included documentation, I was able to get it put together in relatively no time at all. I ran into a couple of snags as Ill describe in a moment. The gears needed some adjusting, which took me some time, and I still havent gotten it perfect, but thats what the bike shop is for.

Overall, this bike went together pretty easily and quickly. There were no included tools, so youll need hex drivers and a couple of screwdrivers to fine-tume it. Get some good quality chain lube too, as it came shipped without any oil/grease/lube/whatever on the chain and gears. Youll definitely want to do something about that.

Mounting the front wheel was a pain. At first, I could get the brake disc to clear the pads, but the axle wouldnt insert into the ends of the forks. Then, I noticed that the left fork was twisted slightly (no more than about 3-4 degrees). There was no visible damage to the fork or the box, and the right fork was perfect, so its obviously something that was missed by inspection. Rather than drudge through the RMA process with Amazon.com, which would have required that I send the whole bike back (I doubt theyd allow me to send JUST the front fork), I opted to fix it myself, thankfully twisting a fork 3 degrees with a pair of vice-grips and a small piece of rubber to protect was no problem at all, and then the wheel went in without trouble.

I wasnt really planning on keeping the front fork anyways, mainly based on limited performance (according to the specs), and really bad reviews online. Its an SR Suntour M2000 with dirtboots (not so good), only 50mm of travel (poor), and according to the manufacturer, no preload adjustment (and I wasnt going to bother prying off the plastic caps on the tops of the staunchion tubes to look), so even if my fork wasnt damaged, I was planning to upgrade anyways.

Other than the problem with the front fork, everything seems to work fine. My only real complaint is that the front suspension squeaks like crazy. Im half-tempted to tear off the dirtboots and oil it all up, but I really dont think thatll help all that much.

BOTTOM LINE: Good beginner-level bike, needs some finessing to get it to work well out of the box. DEFINITELY take this to a bike shop and let the pros do what they do to get the most out of it.

PROS:
-Wonderful rear suspension
-After being adjusted, shifting is quick and responsive.
-Front disc brake (I probably wouldnt trust disc brakes to stop me going downhill 30mph, but this has a decent rear v-brake, so its a good combination)
-Steering seems very responsive.

CONS:
-Crappy quality front fork. I will definitely be replacing this.
-Front suspension squeaks like a dying cat.
-Cheap and heavy pedals.
-Tires too knobby for efficient paved road commuting.
-No room on frame for a waterbottle.

Good bike for the money

On: 2007-10-19

First I got a defective bike and Amazon replace it really fast. Now with the good bike, I found this "detail":
- the base of the front disc brake it is not perfect. A little noice can be heard because the disc brake "touch" a little the disc brake base. This is factory fault. but does not affect the ride.

The gears are great, same as the brakes.

It is a good bike for the money. I would rated with 4 stars.

Theory Bike

On: 2007-08-23

Nice looking bike, slightly less than easy assembly, especially the front wheel with the disk brake. The front disk brake sticks and I have to be pushing the lever forward to release after use. Biggest problem is the gear combinations with the chain being thrown already and the rear chain guide being spun around to the top. It may not be the manufacturers fault however as the bike came preassembled and that sensitive gear machinery may have been damaged by pressing on the box during shipping. Could be an easy fix to the problem though, and the bike is solid and fun to ride, a little heavy for those uphill treks.

Nice Bike, Solid Ride, Male and Female Riders

On: 2007-07-03

So...we decided it would be good to get some extra excercise in our daily routine. We were initially going to go with the Mongoose Domain with the curved top bar but they were out, lucky me. We got these bikes for $190 each.

We went with this bike for 2 reasons:
-Aesthetics/Hardware package
-Front Disc Brake

I personally never rode with a disc brake before and was anxious to see how it felt. Actually Ive never ridden on dual suspension either.

The Bike Specs:
Key Features:

* Alloy dual-suspension frame is more lightweight than a standard steel frame and provides good shock absorption on bumps, rocks, and rougher terrain
* MTB rise bars with stem offers comfortable riding position options
* Forged-steel three-piece crank offers better pedaling performance and is much more lightweight
* 21-Speed Shimano EZ-Fire shifting system offers efficient and precise shifting
* Alloy rear brake and front ProMax disc brake provide sure stopping power
* 36-spoke alloy rims are lightweight and rustproof

Specifications:

* Frame: Alloy Dual Suspension Frame
* Fork: Suntour M2000 Fork
* Handlebar / Stem: MTB Rise Bars with Ahead Stem
* Shifting System: 21-Speed Shimano EZ-Fire, TX30 Rear Der.
* Brakes: Promax Disc (F) Alloy V-Brake (R); Alloy Levers
* Crankset: Alloy Forged 3-piece Crankset
* Wheels: 36-Spoke Black Anodized Alloy Rims

The Shipping
Bike came with teh box pretty intact, no gaping holes or deformities to the shape of the package. Bike itself was perfectly intact, we had 2 and both were basically mirror images of eachother in terms of packaging and content quality. Just be careful when pulling things out, the crank was caught in a spoke in the front wheel so, yank too hard and say bye spoke.

The Assembly
Now, anyone who knows me, knows Im a very pragmatic, almost OCDish person about my new toys. I had already researched the Shimano, and Promax equipment on the bike so I had very good idea of what I may need to do when the bike came. Simple google searches of this and a little perousing will get you the info you need on adjustments. YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO RIDE THIS BIKE PROPERLY. Pedals seem ready to take a beating, all metal. I had already bought replacement Wellgo pedals.

The Adjustments
The front brake on both of the bikes needed adjusting. On one, using the micro-adjustment wheel fixed a very slight grinding issue. On the other I had to adjust a pad (the inside of hte brake has a hex bolt that you can use to adjust the pads, thx google). This went towards fixing a more severe grinding issue. Front brakes are now up to spec.

The front dÃ©railleur on both bikes had some slight chain rubbing while in 2nd gear. Fixed using the adjustment screws. Easy. Both bikes also needed some tightening (lagging shifts). This was easy, just tightened the adjustment screws on the hand shifters.

The Ride
Very nice, the front suspension makes the road feel so soft youll think you have a flat. I find the rear suspension has enough rigidity for what will be a predominately street ridden/smooth trail riding life. Shifting is beautiful, probably the smoothest shifting Ive had in my life, but Ive ridden mainly poorly maintained hand me downs :( Its fun being a grown up :) You will also probably need to change the seat. She bought a cruiser seat, I got a nashbar atb saddle.

The Warning
The front disc brake, if properly adjusted, is very powerful. I literally hit the brake hard while leaning back to see how good it was, Ive never skidded a front tire before, but I probably wont do it again LOL. The rear brake is also very powerful, skidded the rear to see if it would. Ride slow, brake smoothly, give it a bit before you go crazy.

The Rider Specs
Im 30, 511", 240lbs and the frame feels good under me. My seat may be to low but other than that I think the bike fits me well. Like I said, the shocks hold really well under my dropping :) weight. I have a large torso.

My gf is 28, 57" and she was a little scared at riding the bike initially (we both havent ridden in easily 15 years).Her seat is about 1/4" from the frame at the bottom, basically as low as we could get her seat. Shes comfortable there though. My gf is leggy.

If youre in this range, you may really appreciate this bike. I could see how taller than 6 could be an issue, but its nothing you cant fix by replacing the stem or getting handlebars with a larger rise.

I will probably go down today and audit the bike. I still dont know what crank Ive got other than its 3 peice and Id like to find out more abou the Suntour fork.

Not For Tall Men

On: 2007-05-21

I really like the look of this bike but in the end I had to return it. It went together pretty easily but was missing one of the front brake pads for the disk breaks. Unlike the other reviewer mine was not in the box. In order to get the pad I would have had to order it online because I could not find a bike store that sold it. The reason I had to return this bike was because I am 6 foot so I needed to bring the handle bars up but they do not rise at all. The seat ended up being higher then the handle bars making it to uncomfortable to ride and putting way to much weight on the front of the bike. I did by a piece to adjust the handle bars for about $25.00 but it made the bike weak around the neck. I feared that the bike would break during a rough ride. Also the front axle was thinner then a pen. I think the frame and gears of this bike are pretty reliable but everything else on it is junk and would not withstand a rough ride through my back yard...the Colorado Rockies. I would say this bike would be prefect if I were about 15 years old but if your older I would look else where.

Not For Tall Men

On: 2007-05-20

I really like the look of this bike but in the end I had to return it. It went together pretty easily but was missing one of the front brake pads for the disk breaks. Unlike the other reviewer mine was not in the box. In order to get the pad I would have had to order it online because I could not find a bike store that sold it. The reason I had to return this bike was because I am 6 foot so I needed to bring the handle bars up but they do not rise at all. The seat ended up being higher then the handle bars making it to uncomfortable to ride and putting way to much weight on the front of the bike. I did by a piece to adjust the handle bars for about $25.00 but it made the bike weak around the neck. I feared that the bike would break during a rough ride. Also the front axle was thinner then a pen. I think the frame and gears of this bike are pretty reliable but everything else on it is junk and would not withstand a rough ride through my back yard...the Colorado Rockies. I would say this bike would be prefect if I were about 15 years old but if your older I would look else where.

Good Bang for the Buck

On: 2007-04-20

This review will focus on the specs since there is minimal information available unless you buy the bike.

First off, this is my second Mongoose. I started out on a crappy low end Cruiser model, so anything even half a step up from that model is a vast improvement.

The Theory weighs about 38 lbs and is actually light grey in color despite the image on this website. I thought I was getting a white bike, and Im a little ticked its actually grey, but, whateva.

Assembly isnt too bad as long as you have half a clue as to what youre doing. The documentation is adequate, but dont expect to be able to assemble this bike correctly if you havent done it before. The documentation will frustrate you. But the average person can probably install the pedals and the saddle, and maybe even mount the handlbars correctly assuming the brakes dont arrive screwed up like mine did. The front cable had to be relocated because when it was assembled at the plant, it was threaded immediately under the fork and the tire was rubbing against it so it had to be removed and resituated, which entailed messing with the front cable. Simple enough, I suppose, but this assumes you know what youre doing.

I couldnt install the front tire correctly because of the disc brake, and, wanting to be safe instead of stupid, I took the bike to an LBS and had them install it. It was then that I found out one of the disc pads was missing. No problem. I just went back home and found it in the box. Apparently it had become dislodged from the housing on the front tire during transit. I didnt even know it was there because I havent worked with disc pads before. It was a good thing I didnt toss the box right away otherwise I would have been SOL. Just be advised, however, that if you are missing one or both disc pads and do toss out the box before you realize one of the pads is missing, depending on where you are, you may or may not be able to find replacement pads. You may end up having to upgrade to a better brand disc brake.

Now onto the specs. The front disc brake is Promax brand, DSK-400, which in the world of mtn biking, is the generic low end. I had to do some digging around on the web to find the following site because you wont find a "[...]" website. It wasnt really all that much more helpful and did not help me to understand disc brakes any better, but at least youll have a better idea what to look for. The documentation on the site have color images vs the black and white images that come enclosed with the bike. Go here instead: [...]

I wouldnt call the Promax disc brake crap, but, close enough. Note: If you plan on doing any kind of semi-serious mtn biking, as in on a trail considered "intermediate" level, then upgrade the disc brakes. And if youre planning a real mtn biking trip with rocks and logs and the whole nine, then the Theory can probably handle it, just dont expect miracles.

As to the gears, there are 21 Shimano flavored and they work flawlessly. Theyre a pleasure to have because there isnt the usual slipping and dragging you see on lower end Mongoose mtn bikes. The only problem I had was the upper gears dont seem to want to shift into any gear definitely unless you downshift say, to 2, then upshift to 3, for example, and so forth for the others. If you want 6, then go to 5, then upshift and vice versa. This may or may not be because the cogs need to be lubed.

As to the ride, the Theory is a dual-suspension bike and you can really feel the difference vs a hard-tail bike. Wow. Just riding on the street and going over speed bumps and rain gulleys is amazing. You have very little to no shock at all because the suspension absorbs it.

Overall, this bike is good bang for the buck, but I wouldnt pay over $300.00 tops for it. If youre going to go that high, you can get something else with higher end parts. Oh, one last thing. If you value your reproductive organs, and dont want to find yourself numb from package to exit and/or sitting on a bag of frozen peas for a week after using the bike, then do yourself a favor and switch out the saddle. The one that comes with the Theory is horrible. Get a thicker padded, gel lined, split saddle instead.

Good Bang for the Buck

On: 2007-04-19

This review will focus on the specs since there is minimal information available unless you buy the bike.

First off, this is my second Mongoose. I started out on a crappy low end Cruiser model, so anything even half a step up from that model is a vast improvement.

The Theory weighs about 38 lbs and is actually light grey in color despite the image on this website. I thought I was getting a white bike, and Im a little ticked its actually grey, but, whateva.

Assembly isnt too bad as long as you have half a clue as to what youre doing. The documentation is adequate, but dont expect to be able to assemble this bike correctly if you havent done it before. The documentation will frustrate you. But the average person can probably install the pedals and the saddle, and maybe even mount the handlbars correctly assuming the brakes dont arrive screwed up like mine did. The front cable had to be relocated because when it was assembled at the plant, it was threaded immediately under the fork and the tire was rubbing against it so it had to be removed and resituated, which entailed messing with the front cable. Simple enough, I suppose, but this assumes you know what youre doing.

I couldnt install the front tire correctly because of the disc brake, and, wanting to be safe instead of stupid, I took the bike to an LBS and had them install it. It was then that I found out one of the disc pads was missing. No problem. I just went back home and found it in the box. Apparently it had become dislodged from the housing on the front tire during transit. I didnt even know it was there because I havent worked with disc pads before. It was a good thing I didnt toss the box right away otherwise I would have been SOL. Just be advised, however, that if you are missing one or both disc pads and do toss out the box before you realize one of the pads is missing, depending on where you are, you may or may not be able to find replacement pads. You may end up having to upgrade to a better brand disc brake.

Now onto the specs. The front disc brake is Promax brand, DSK-400, which in the world of mtn biking, is the generic low end. I had to do some digging around on the web to find the following site because you wont find a "[...]" website. It wasnt really all that much more helpful and did not help me to understand disc brakes any better, but at least youll have a better idea what to look for. The documentation on the site have color images vs the black and white images that come enclosed with the bike. Go here instead: [...]

I wouldnt call the Promax disc brake crap, but, close enough. Note: If you plan on doing any kind of semi-serious mtn biking, as in on a trail considered "intermediate" level, then upgrade the disc brakes. And if youre planning a real mtn biking trip with rocks and logs and the whole nine, then the Theory can probably handle it, just dont expect miracles.

As to the gears, there are 21 Shimano flavored and they work flawlessly. Theyre a pleasure to have because there isnt the usual slipping and dragging you see on lower end Mongoose mtn bikes. The only problem I had was the upper gears dont seem to want to shift into any gear definitely unless you downshift say, to 2, then upshift to 3, for example, and so forth for the others. If you want 6, then go to 5, then upshift and vice versa. This may or may not be because the cogs need to be lubed.

As to the ride, the Theory is a dual-suspension bike and you can really feel the difference vs a hard-tail bike. Wow. Just riding on the street and going over speed bumps and rain gulleys is amazing. You have very little to no shock at all because the suspension absorbs it.

Overall, this bike is good bang for the buck, but I wouldnt pay over $300.00 tops for it. If youre going to go that high, you can get something else with higher end parts. Oh, one last thing. If you value your reproductive organs, and dont want to find yourself numb from package to exit and/or sitting on a bag of frozen peas for a week after using the bike, then do yourself a favor and switch out the saddle. The one that comes with the Theory is horrible. Get a thicker padded, gel lined, split saddle instead.

Good quality at a reasonable price

On: 2007-01-07

I have to be honest... I was not really sure IF I really wanted to get into mountain biking, or not as I have always been a road bike kind of a person. I wanted to find a good quality bike, but inexpensive... something that, had I decided it was not for me, I would just give it to the nearby Good Will store without a severe case of guilt of having spent money on something I thought I knew I did not like.

The bike arrived in a pretty large box and general construction time was about 15 minutes in my garage. I did not care much for the quality of the saddle... `seat to anyone wondering... It just looks and feels cheap...

After the first, or second ride, I may change this out, but the rest of the bike looks and feels fine.

WARNING!!! WARNING!!! >>> This product DOES NOT come with HEX drivers... so either you are a tool and gadget nut like me who happened to have to right size HEX wrench, or you will end up going to a SEARS, or WAL-MART and get one. IF you are going out to get one, might as well get a long arm one as you will need to torque the bolts in tightly and properly. Otherwise, your bike falls apart after the first big bump...

HA HA... Hmmm...

The bike went together relatively easy, but to those hoping to just hop on and ride, you will be disappointed... EVERY cable needs adjusting... and yes... that includes the brakes as well... Front disc brake took a little time to perfect, but the rear is the traditional type and this was a quick job. Dont worry about the suspension spring adjustment. This may be tough for most to adjust, but factory setting seems nearly ideal.

Gearing took some time... I have to say it was a bit finicky, but again, I wanted to try to see if I can really like this form of biking, so its fine. Those of you who are mechanically dysfunctional may need to seek advice when putting this bike together, BUT do not let me scare you away from the end-product... a very well made bike that is inexpensive... well... at least when I brought it anyway... $170 with free shipping from Amazon. In general... I LIKE IT!!! A LOT!!!

I have not taken it on a severe beating yet... Here in Ohio, there is a massive bike trail that I will be testing this thing on in Spring and will post an update if requested.

I rate this bike a 4 and would recommend it to those road bikers looking for a different way to break tibs and fibs (medical terms you might want to know before showing up in ER), but doing it on a budget. I would also recommend it for those X-Gens who wants to rupture a spleen, or two, but want to do it by sticking to a tight budget...

Hope it was good for you as it was for me to review this bike.

YAY ME!!

Good quality at a reasonable price

On: 2007-01-06

I have to be honest... I was not really sure IF I really wanted to get into mountain biking, or not as I have always been a road bike kind of a person. I wanted to find a good quality bike, but inexpensive... something that, had I decided it was not for me, I would just give it to the nearby Good Will store without a severe case of guilt of having spent money on something I thought I knew I did not like.

The bike arrived in a pretty large box and general construction time was about 15 minutes in my garage. I did not care much for the quality of the saddle... `seat to anyone wondering... It just looks and feels cheap...

After the first, or second ride, I may change this out, but the rest of the bike looks and feels fine.

WARNING!!! WARNING!!! >>> This product DOES NOT come with HEX drivers... so either you are a tool and gadget nut like me who happened to have to right size HEX wrench, or you will end up going to a SEARS, or WAL-MART and get one. IF you are going out to get one, might as well get a long arm one as you will need to torque the bolts in tightly and properly. Otherwise, your bike falls apart after the first big bump...

HA HA... Hmmm...

The bike went together relatively easy, but to those hoping to just hop on and ride, you will be disappointed... EVERY cable needs adjusting... and yes... that includes the brakes as well... Front disc brake took a little time to perfect, but the rear is the traditional type and this was a quick job. Dont worry about the suspension spring adjustment. This may be tough for most to adjust, but factory setting seems nearly ideal.

Gearing took some time... I have to say it was a bit finicky, but again, I wanted to try to see if I can really like this form of biking, so its fine. Those of you who are mechanically dysfunctional may need to seek advice when putting this bike together, BUT do not let me scare you away from the end-product... a very well made bike that is inexpensive... well... at least when I brought it anyway... $170 with free shipping from Amazon. In general... I LIKE IT!!! A LOT!!!

I have not taken it on a severe beating yet... Here in Ohio, there is a massive bike trail that I will be testing this thing on in Spring and will post an update if requested.

I rate this bike a 4 and would recommend it to those road bikers looking for a different way to break tibs and fibs (medical terms you might want to know before showing up in ER), but doing it on a budget. I would also recommend it for those X-Gens who wants to rupture a spleen, or two, but want to do it by sticking to a tight budget...

Hope it was good for you as it was for me to review this bike.

YAY ME!!