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 mongoose bmx bike 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.
They slowed my son’s riding down when needed but functioned as any mechanical brake set would. They are not hydraulic and even I could feel that when testing myself. The job is getting done but there is more arm pump and fatigue when wrestling more weight with a lower grade brake system. The rear end of the bike also has quick release dropouts with 190mm hub width.
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 mongoose mountain bikes 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.
Shifting worked out of the box and functioned well. To be honest, I don’t think my son has ever used a front derailleur until now. One-by systems have all but taken over the mountain bike market. I have a 7 speed Shimano thumb shifter and aluminum mountain bike pedals on the way.
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.
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.