I bought a Mongoose Hilltopper in '96. In 99 I put a Mantiou suspension fork on it. in 2001 I put slick tires on it. I probably rode it 2000 miles a year, and other than simply wearing out parts (or breaking them) the bike was great. About 2 months ago I went for a ride and the weld between the chainstay and dropout broke while i was on a ride, and when I looked the other side was cracked. Mongoose said the frame would be replaced free, but the new frames have different components so nothing would fit. It was cheaper to buy a new bike. The break was probably due to the fact taht I rode it very hard, and weigh over 250 lbs. Overall I was happy with it, Am considering whether to have the frame welded for a backup bike.