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.
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 mongoose mountain bikes tested hundreds of kids bikes, helmets, bike trailers, and more. The components all functioned well with minimal adjustments needed and served their individual duties.
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.
They actually look like they’ve come off a small car and on more than one occasion I had someone stop me to take a look at them. Those tires provide a bit of a floaty ride but they also allow this bike to simply roll over just about any obstacle. They’re designed to roll through snow and sand without any problems and I’d say they perform surprisingly well. I can’t attest to how well it rides in the snow (It’s still quite warm here in Austin), but I did ride through sand and deep sawdust, without missing a beat. Those big tires practically ignore rocks and logs on the trail too and they still manage to transition back to the road without too much of problem.
The drive train is setup for either snow or sand riding and my son seemed to ride comfortably. Taking the Argus out was a different experience than the norm and we both had fun. Mongoose has given the “go-ahead” to do a long term review to assess the handling and function of the Argus once winter comes. So if you’re curious about how the bike performs in the snow, stay tuned…..
Very few bike companies build 24-inch fat bikes. I don’t know of many that go smaller from there either. In addition, with 24-inch wheels, my son’s bikes are getting big enough that I am able to ride them without damaging anything. I’m not taking them off jumps or going for sustained rides, but just trying to get the feel and experience of the machine.
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.
Mechanical disc brakes make use of 160 mm rotors. If you were wanting to replace the rigid fork with a suspension fork, then you would probably be hard pressed to find a fat fork that would fit. The bike has a 1 1/8th straight headtube. The stock seat was very narrow and hard. That is the seat I bought to replace the stock torture device.
The new seat is about 13.5″ inches wide and the horn is a lot shorter. It is a lot more comfortable. As far as I can tell, the Malus and Dolomite are essentially the same bike, just with different rims and colors. I have been looking at high rise handlebars or bar risers to help with the riding position. I had one for awhile that I didn’t ride very much, turns out I hate riding in the snow anyway.