Clearly Mongoose didn’t have high performance in mind when they built the Beast, they were simply looking to create a bike that is fun to ride. If that was indeed their aim from the outset, I’d say they succeeded. While riding the Beast I found myself pleasantly surprised with how enjoyable it was to roll down a trail with relative ease. I’m sure that on more than one occasion I pedaled along with a goofy grin on my face as my big, oversized tires crushed everything that dared to get in their way.
The rear end of the bike also has quick release dropouts with 190mm hub width. The torsion and stiffness from fat wheels and hubs paired with quick release skewers might allow for some flex, but when riding mellow trails, the setup seemed to do just fine. There aren’t many kids fat bikes on the market, and generally this is for good reason. Fat bikes are heavy and not ideal for every day riding. 2) Chris at Lectric Cycles just released a 100mm BBS02 drive unit under the e-Rad name and the 750 watt unit sells here for $1200, about $99 less than Doug’s unit. The gear sensor is hooked to a proprietary e-Rad only extra Higo plug that uses custom firmware for perfectly timed motor cutoff when you shift.
Your bike will simply work better, and you’ll have more fun riding it. I have not driven it much yet,but it seems to have lots of power and performs as it should. Quickly switch between 9 gears, perfect for riders who are commuting in the urban city and exploring in the mountains at the same time. My son was apprehensive to let loose with the rigid platform. He did say that he noticed a difference in the handling with the big tires and it felt kind of like his Kawasaki KLX 110. Gradual climbing up our neighborhood trails was OK for a while.
If their is a more aptly named bike on the market today, I don’t know what it could possibly be. The Beast is big and bulky and its fat tires definitely make it a stand out from nearly any other bike you’ll come across on the road or the mongoose fat tire bike trail. When fully assembled, including kickstand and old-school chain guard, the bike tips the scales at about 48 pounds (22 kg). So much so, that I don’t believe that my current road bike and mountain bike weigh that much combined.
We will definitely stick to mountain biking with his Trailcraft, but I am excited to get my son out on some decent snow rides. As you can imagine, a bike with a heavy frame and gigantic tires isn’t exactly a speed demon. If you’re looking for a fast ride, you’ll want to look elsewhere. Those big tires won’t turn on a dime and they certainly wont take the sharpest of corners. But then again, when they are capable of simply rolling over just about anything that gets in their way, the point is mostly moot anyway.
The Mongoose Argus Trail is most certainly a unique bike that meets the needs of an extreme niche. The component build is competitive, keeps cost down, and functions as needed. Mongoose’s website just says “aluminum” for their unbranded brakes. Get special offers, exclusive product news, and event info straight to your inbox.
Most fatbikes have a much wider Bottom Bracket than the industry standard 68mm. Fat bike manufacturers have mostly standardized on the 100mm BB so the chainline can still not hit the tire in the lower gears. There is no easy way to get a stock BBS02 to install on a 100mm BB. That being said where there is a will, there is always a way.
Sure, its big, heavy and ponderous and yes it lacks any kind of amenities that I’m use to on a bike. But in spite of all of that, it is still fun to ride, and isn’t that one cycling should be all about? Sometimes in our rush to get the lightest, fastest and most tricked out bikes, we forget how important it is to enjoy riding just for the sake of riding. The Beast strips away all of the features typically found on a bike and just gives you pure two-wheeled experience. There is something to be said for that and I think a lot of riders will have the same experience with this bike that I had. And since it only costs $198, you won’t break the bank adding a Beast to a garage already filled with bikes.
All E-Rad kits ship with the C965 controller and are version 4 of the BBS02. Earlier versions of this drive unit had a few bugs with the controller and bearing issues. A cycling community enthusiastic about mountain biking and all things related. As with any bike, stay within your budget but get the best spec you can afford.