They are heavy but like it’s said above, more of a workout. 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. 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.
The Beast is built like a tank and its steel frame feels incredibly solid. That means it can survive just about any road or trail conditions that you can throw at it. In my time with the bike I didn’t get the sense that it was in danger of falling apart or that Mongoose had cut corners on mongoose bmx bike its construction. The rigid frame works well for snow and sand riding but loses ability in comparison to a suspended mountain bike. The Argus just so happens to be capable enough for trail riding too. I am excited to take my son fat biking this coming winter and provide a complete review.
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.
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 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 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.
Eventually he would tire out and need the tow rope. Mongoose utilizes house branded parts to cover contact points like the grips, pedals and seat. The stem and handlebar are also branded as Xposure components. The wheels are built from Xposure rims and hubs. Those rims are paired with 24×4 Chao Yang tires. The Mongoose Argus Trail frame is comprised of 6061 aluminum.
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 mongoose fat tire bike 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.