The stock brakes kinda suck too so I was thinking about upgrading to Shimano hydraulic brakes in the future. Kristen is a USA Cycling certified coach and loves to share her passion for biking with other families. Blair is a bike geek, mechanic, and mountain bike junkie.
After all, I own helmets that cost more than most of the bike sold in the big box stores. So when I was asked to test out the the Beast from Mongoose a agreed, although with a bit of trepidation. Despite my reservations however, I ended up having a great time on this bike, proving that when you put aside your preconceptions, even a $200 bike can surprise you.
Really, this frame is most likely a back up bike for a family of enthusiasts that want their child to join the fat biking they do in the winter. While the Mongoose Argus Trail is trail worthy, there are other bikes that do trail riding better. 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.
Parker is our resident tester and inspiration. One of the main components of any bike is the drive train. The Argus’ drive train uses a 2×8 system with a Microshift derailleur in the front and a Shimano Tourney in the rear. mongoose mountain bikes Most mountain bike steerer tubes are designed for tapered headtubes. If the diameter is 44mm then Cane Creek does make a headset to adapt a tapered fork to the headtube. Keep posts and comments free of disparaging remarks.
My son moved downhill pretty quick, but not as rapidly as on his Trailcraft. He managed to get through the rocky, technical sections of our local test run and did have a smile on his face. It is still a rigid bike and that shows in the speeds and ability mongoose mountain bikes to descend. As you can imagine, my 70-pound child really struggles pushing 50% of his body weight uphill with the Argus. The Trax tow rope was an absolute must with this bike. Mongoose’s website just says “aluminum” for their unbranded brakes.
With that said, the bike handled as a fat bike should. My son was able to adapt his riding to match the needs of the machine. My son is also still a child and I don’t want to torture him too much. We will definitely stick to mountain biking with his Trailcraft, but I am excited to get my son out on some decent snow rides. It could be swapped for a shorter stem to add some downhill stability. There aren’t many kids fat bikes on the market, and generally this is for good reason.
There is also a steel version sold at a slightly lower cost. Get special offers, exclusive product news, and event info straight to your inbox. Luckily, we have tow ropes to mitigate the complaints. Fat tires tend to make riding very stable. A Sunrace cassette and KMC chain round out the drive train. A cycling community enthusiastic about mountain biking and all things related.