I have the opportunity to get an older Mongoose IBOC Comp mountain bike (pre-FS), but I have heard mixed opinions about Mongooses. It is outfitted with Shimano Deore LX mostly and a double butted steel frame which seems pretty good. Did Mongoose skimp on other parts of the bike to earn it's "cheap" reputation or were these pretty good bikes despite being bought at Target?

Here are the specs:

https://www.airfreetires.com/Specs/St...Comp&Year=1993

BTW, I'm coming from the perspective of an older Trek 930, nothing fancy here.

Get it. I also have a Mongoose IBOC Comp mountain bike (pre-FS). Got it for $10 at a garage sale. Not sure the year but it's definitely early 90s. This bike is solid. I absolutely love it. Converted it to a dedicated SS commuter. It didn't have the stock handlebars, instead these sweet things:

Are those golf club grips on there?

BTW, I think I just bought the same handlebars or ones very similar made by Haro. LBS had them laying around so I picked them up for $10 to try out.

Wait I think those are the stock handlebars. I can't remember now.

And no, those are these sweet diamondback grips that turn my hands black.

The Mongoose bikes of the 90s were superior by orders of magnitude to those you see in the box stores these days. I don't remember any mixed opinion about them. You could NOT buy one at Target. They were sold at bike shops, and those at the LX-level usually went for about $500.

QFT

I still have one in my garage - and commute on it about half the time.

Mine is an IBOC Comp SX from about 94. It doesn't match the specs from airfree though. More of an XT-spec bike with White Industries cranks. Paid $8-900ish for it.

I loved that bike, and put thousands of trail miles on it back in college. Sat for years and was revived as a commuter. I was a little sad to see the brand, which I'd loved growing up, start showing up in department stores. They even looked similar - large aluminum with bent, two-piece, top tube, many in the same medium blue color.

I guess it was still a lower mid-spec bike back then, but I never had any problems with it. Well, the frame at least. The wheels weren't the strongest things. They're gone now, along with the rear derailleur. Everything else is original. I ought to take some pictures. A search of the internet turned up nothing.

Thanks, guys. As soon as I saw it today, I knew it was going to be mine Thanks for the encouragement.

one good way to tell is the components on the bike... and deore lx is good components, not usually found on cheap bikes.

double butted steel; nice!

if you find it finally gets put away in favor of something faster hit the singletrack with it!