Originally Posted by
Toriningen
The Mongoose is comfortable, it's just it's very heavy and is liable to break at some point with repairs that are probably horrifically expensive. As for my height, I'm not sure. I'm already the tallest within my closest family and I haven't grown in a long time.
When it comes time to look for a new bike, what should I be looking for in a LBS? How do I know if some bike's durability is worth its price or not? How do I know if I'm gonna have to replace things like brakes, wheels, etc.?
Which Mongoose bike did you get? Big box store bikes are more prone to needing repairs than other bikes because they're assembled at a breakneck pace. It would be worth your while to have someone who knows more about bikes go over this one to see if anything immediately screams to be adjusted or replaced. This may also help defer the kind of repairs you're dreading.
On the upside, your heavy big box bike is less likely to get stolen than something more desirable and that gives you time to daydream about and research your next bike. Ride and test a lot of bikes. As a shorter rider myself, I can say that frame size is more important than wheel size so don't rule anything out without giving it a try.
Oh and congrats on the new ride!