grasshopper1917

Howdy,

Back in 2008 I purchased a Mongoose 'Omega' mountain bike at Zellers on sale for 179.99. It had a great super light aluminum frame - front suspension and basic V brakes. I basically ride Apr1 to NOV1. The Mongoose is my main method of transport (I have no car) back and forth to work (10KM per day) and weekend/recreational biking as well. I put alot of miles on this old bike with a combination of road travel and light trails (no hard core mountain biking).

In any case I have been doing some research online that says I should stay away from Dept store bikes but most of the commentary is from back in the early 2000's. Are Dept store bikes still considered a poor quality?

I loved my Mongoose I had some minor problems when I purchased it - I had to tighten the pedals, handlebars and adjust the brakes when I got it home. Over the years I have had to replace a pedal - have a wheel repaired - one of my tires wore out - and some new sets of brake pads (nothing I consider too major).

Anyway time is catching up with it as this is its 5th year. The wheels are warping, brake cables are getting old and narly, chain ring is starting to warp and front suspension long gone. I liked this one so much I was thinking of buying another similar model if I can find one. What do you guys think - have DEPT store bikes improved? Did I just get lucky with this one? OR did I have more problems with this then I would with a bike store bike?

Appreciate your input

Thor29

Besides the horrible quality of department store bikes, the build quality and support is also crap. It is worth it to go to an actual bike shop where they will make sure you get the right sized bike and will assemble it correctly. A low end mountain bike or hybrid starts at about $300-500. If you pay less than that, you are buying junk and would be much better off buying a used bike.

catonec 

some department store bikes may have a semi decent light alum frame but most are pretty crappy. the real problem isnt the frame, its the low end components that will cause the most issues.

Frames can last a very long time, plastic shifter levers and deraileur parts will wear out/break much quicker. A more expensive bike will have better wheels and drivetrain which means less frustration, less maintenance, better shifting performance. Oh yeah the frame will most likely be better to.

If you can assemble and tune a bike yourself Id recommend www.Bikesdirect.com . Your LBS will do it for you if you cant but it will cost about $100.


https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ht_new_xii.htm
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/..._cliff4700.htm
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/fsx_3.htm

You may want to consider a hybrid or roadie if your on asphalt most of the time.

spldart

Put 10K miles on my Mongoose blackcomb. A walmart bike. Got to a point that the lack of support on parts did run me into a dead end but if your willing to maintain real well a dept store bike can be made to serve the purpose. Not bad for a $279 dual suspension. I did upgrade brakes and crank bearings. Both weak links on Pacific Cycles. Already done so on my current Mongoose Impasse. Along with some other goodies here and there.
I will grant this. Spend more money for a better bike and you will spend less time servicing it and you should always be able to get parts.

grasshopper1917

Great post. I'm not willing at all to simply accept a blanket statement like 'Department store bikes are junk'. I mean mine has gotten me back and forth to work rain and shine all for the past 5 years - I am very very happy with it.

That being said I'm also open to getting a reasonably priced bike from a bike store. Last time I was in the bike store though the cheapest mountain bike was over 400$ and that is more then I want to spend. 300$ would be the upper limit.

Second hand may also be another option - I just worry im not quite sure what to look for.

Although im leaning toward another mongoose - just so happy with the last one I might roll the dice again.

Decisions - decisions!

Cheers

Daspydyr 

You have put in a ton of work on a "marginal bike." Congrats! I commend you. You got your moneys worth. I think you will appreciate the difference. HEY, its more about the rider than the bike anyway. I was back, way back this morning. I saw some dude sitting straight up and down in the middle of no where. He was riding a NEXT bike. Blew me away. He is gutsy.

Its the Indian, not the arrow.

Turbo231

+1. I really like how you said that.
As for the OP, as long as you like it and know what you are getting into and can fix things, do it. Just know there are a lot of department stores out there, so shop around and read reviews. They all aren't buckets...and right now, a lot of them are on sale really cheap.

spldart

Wow...... Just wow :~/

uncletommy

First hand experience indicates decent quality for the money, if on sale. I found a CCM 29er for $299.00 with shimano shifters and deraileurs. Taiwan aluminium frame that is excellent. Tires are toilet paper, rims okay, drive train questionable, disc brakes okay. Stem and hanble bars good with decent grips. Very rideable, but make sure you have your tool kit handy as assembly was absolutely horrendous. Set screws loose, shifting mechanism loose and way out of adjustment, flat tires in the showroom. You can get away with riding gravel or pavement, but don't, for your safety, take any jumps or rocks of roots. Something is gonna break. Nothing against your LBS, but if you compare components on some of your $800.00 bikes to this one, it could be a bargain. But do your comparisons carefully. The markups on LBS can be excessive. If you decide to take it in for service, you'll end up paying about as much with the required service. If you keep your expectations low, you'll have a bike that should last you a few years. The upgrades after that will have you carrying the markups on parts. Personally, I haven't got the time to do this more than once. Good luck.

Yo Spiff

Mongoose are some of the better department store bikes, but as mentioned by others, they are still cheaply made to fit a price point. I think you did very well to get 5 years and 10k out of that bike.

For a quality bike at a decent price that suits your described riding style, I'd suggest an 80's or 90's non-suspended mountain bike. Plenty of them available on the used market for around $100 plus or minus a bit. Something similar to my Trek 900 would probably suit your needs and hold up well. I see lots of Trek 700, 800 and 900 series on Craigslist.

Old Red by Yo Spiff, on Flickr

Daspydyr 

I got dropped by a rigid Nishiki Saturday. Probably an early 90's rig. The dude never got out of his saddle. I am selling all my stuff.