Fat bikes are heavy and not ideal for every day riding. That isn’t to say the ride was all sunshine and roses. There were a couple of aspects of the mongoose fat tire bike Beast that made it a challenge to ride for extended periods of time. For instance, I wasn’t overly fond of the stock seat that comes with the bike.
The traits of handling and stability will most certainly transition to snow riding as well. Riding the Beast is certainly a no-frills affair. It is a single speed bike with 26″ wheels and cruiser brakes. It didn’t take long to adjust to the old school breaking system, but I’ll admit there was a moment of panic before it dawned on me how the brakes worked. There is a low level shimano hydraulic disc brake kit that is SO NICE compared to the cable disc brakes.
Kid sized fat bike frames are rare so taking him out this winter will be a unique experience. With that said, it was fun seeing my son experience something truly different on the dirt. Despite these issues though, I did find myself enjoying the Beast far more than I would have expected. 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.
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.
After an hour or so I found myself getting very uncomfortable in the saddle, even while wearing padded shorts. I’m over 6’2″ in height and often felt kind of cramped, even with the seat extended to its highest point. 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.
Kristen (mom), Blair (dad), and Parker (kiddo). We started Rascal Rides when Parker was born and we didn’t want to give up our passion for biking. Over the years, we’ve tested hundreds of kids bikes, helmets, bike trailers, and more. The components all functioned well with minimal adjustments needed and served their individual duties.
Likewise, this isn’t the most agile of bikes either. 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 most notable feature on the Beast, at least from a visual stand point, are the massive 4-1/4″ tires.