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Mongoose Blackcomb WHAT UP?

61K views 92 replies 26 participants last post by  kozsanr06 
#1 ·
SO i have this Mongoose Blackcomb and everyone hates on it... its not a Specialized or Chumba Racing i get it but WTF? Lets break it down... People say it has horrible components...i get that Walmart bike cant expect much.. now we're down to the frame whats wrong with the frame... its heavy ok... well jus an opinion and ive never actually raced but the fastest distance between 2 points is the straightest route right? so if the bike is heavier it will stay on the ground more correct? so no HUGE air which creates and arc and eliminates the straightest point.... and when it come to whoopd de doos it wont catch a whole lotta air so again straightest point and less likly hood for loss of control... any Blackcomb owners wanna put in their 4 cents or a dollar to this subject...

My Blackcomb:
Diamondback BMX Bigfoot Pedals(way comfortable)
Avid BB7 Rear Brake set up
Soon to be Fox Vanilla or Rock Shox Bar Rear Shock...
 
#7 ·
There is nothing wrong with riding your blackcomb. I wouldnt put any money into it though. Most people that have expensive bikes got hooked by riding lower end bikes. The problems you will end up finding is that the weight of the bike, along with the geometry will eventually limit the riding you will be doing, and also limit the skills you will be able to develop. The other thing to consider is that your bike came with a sticker on it that says "not intended for off road use". When riding on fairly tame trails, it wont be a big deal. But as skills progress and the terrain you ride one becomes harder on your bike, frame failure can become an issue. This happened on one of my first bikes many years ago and lucky for me, it didnt cause a wreck.

I would ride it the way it is and have fun on it. Save the money that you plan on upgrading and put it towards a different bike when your blackcomb breaks or your skills outgrow what the bike can handle.
 
#9 ·
well i needd a new rear brakes and jenson had a good deal on some BB7s so i got that with some jagwire but ill follow som advice on saving rear money on that shock for anew bike but i might need a new crankset cuz this one is almost past repairing and i need the bike for work..
 
#11 ·
In my opinion, you will gate hate from people who notice you making your bike seam a lot better than what it really is. When it come down to it, the Blackcomb really isn't anything special. Some of the parts one it are so generic that it doesn't have an identifiable company associated with them! So, it's completely normal for people to hate on it when someone makes excuses for every negative thing that bike has going for itself. Enjoy the bike for the price you paid for it. Don't go talking about a 300 dollar bike as if it's you spent big bucks on it...or else you will get people who bring on the hate.

PS: I love my 2010 Mongoose Otero Elite:)
 
#12 ·
In my opinion, you will gate hate from people who notice you making your bike seam a lot better than what it really is. When it come down to it, the Blackcomb really isn't anything special. Some of the parts one it are so generic that it doesn't have an identifiable company associated with them! So, it's completely normal for people to hate on it when someone makes excuses for every negative thing that bike has going for itself. Enjoy the bike for the price you paid for it. Don't go talking about a 300 dollar bike as if it's you spent big bucks on it...or else you will get people who bring on the hate.

PS: I love my 2010 Mongoose Otero Elite:)
A Mongoose Otero Is a very respectable bike that is worth doing upgrades too.:thumbsup:
 
#13 ·
I've had a Mongoose Blackcomb for about six months, and it's not a bad bike for the money. Everything on it works pretty well, it's just a little heavy, which doesn't bother me at all, since I don't race. It's a great bike for going those places I don't want to take my Specialized Camber.

That said, I assembled it myself, and pretty much rebuilt it, regreased bearings, adjusted bearing play, etc. So it was set up right, and I think that made a big difference.
 
#15 ·
Well, I purchased a Blackcomb back in '04 when they first came out (actually '03 when they first manufactured them), and it's frame was truly tough, though the components did need a bit fixing. I say "was truly tough", because the last few years they were building them '06/'07 on, they started to get crappy and cheaper material & components started to pop up on them.

I still have my Blackcomb, well, actually my wife rides it daily (dirt & urban) these days, but she still rides it on the trails. Of course in '06 & '07 I upgraded the rear shock to a RS SID, changed over to a Manitou Minute 130mm fork, and added BB7's. I had to change the rear derailleur when a rear derailleur of my friends Blackcomb blew up while I was riding it (swapped out bikes for a ride at Santos), so I gave him mine and just purchased a better one for mine. Besides regular wear and tear, it has been a very good bike. The wheels are not super strong though, but the original hubs are still on and rolling with no issues.

Regular maintenance is a key factor with all bikes to keep them rolling. Fortunately these are not high end bikes, though I have seen high end bikes break just as much, and coast even more to replace. I have three higher end bikes, but these are specific built bikes for my gravity feed pleasure, that are built for the DH/FR abuse i dish out on them whereas the Blackcomb would never handle. Though I have seen some abuse dished out on them and they held out just fine. I am guilty of some of those.

Why the dissing, because it is not a higher end bike and it is sold at Wally World. Get over it brothers. Nothing from Wally World is high class! Just as 'rkj__' posted.... "If you enjoy riding your Mongoose, then ride it with a smile on your face, and don't worry about the haters."

Go ride your bike and enjoy it as they are brothers.

I have seen many riders taking higher end bikes and doing things with them that their bikes were not built for. Hate on them if ya going to hate....LOL!

Peace & blessings upon all here. On-On!
 
#17 ·
Guys, guys, guys... you're talking crap about my bike. As the saying goes, it's all about the rider and not the bike.

Sure the Blackcomb's a Walmart bike, but it's the higher end model. It's not one of the cheap kinds for $90 bucks.

And my bike never came with a sticker on it stating that it's not intended for off-road use.

I get a kick out of all the pip-squeaks I see standing around on their $1,000 bikes. LOL And then I ride faster and better than them (might have something to do with the fact that I ATG squat over 400 lbs. and have more pedal power in my right leg than they do in their whole entire body).
 
#18 ·
You sound ignorant. :madman:

FWIW, mountain biking is a hobby, and for some people it can become a passion of some sort. So, people who are passionate about something tend to want to get the most out of it. Yes, you can make it down your local trails in a $90 walmart bike, but I can guarantee you won't make it down any trails at Whistler on that thing, or any aggressive trails at all for that matter. Just because you ride a cheaper bike than someone else doesn't make you a badass. Try riding a $3500 bike and see if you will ever want to ride your blackcomb again...
 
#19 ·
well jus an opinion and ive never actually raced but the fastest distance between 2 points is the straightest route right? so if the bike is heavier it will stay on the ground more correct? so no HUGE air which creates and arc and eliminates the straightest point.... and when it come to whoopd de doos it wont catch a whole lotta air so again straightest point and less likly hood for loss of control
:skep: hmm.. Have you ever actually watched a XC(cross country), DH(downhill), DS(dual slalom) race, or even observed trials? . XC, the lighter the bike the easier it is to maneuver and climb regardless of how much " pedal power " you think you might have and takes more energy to move a heavy bicycle. So in a 5mile XC race you'll burn yourself out trying to keep up with those using less energy on lighter bikes. For downhill the fastest/straightest point sometimes is getting air as it will take to long to grab a hand full of brake to slow down enough to keep the tires in contact with the ground which takes more time thus contradicting your theories.

ride on and have fun!
 
#21 ·
Sometimes this forum can be alot of unintentional comedy, lol.

The Blackcomb is a $300 bike that actually has a very beefy mainframe, with a steel faux bar (not a true 4 bar Horst link) rear end that can handle alot of abuse. It comes stock with Acera/Atlus drivetrain components and early models had WTB tires and saddle.

The too short on travel RST fork was a hindrance (made the geometry too steep, and no dampening of course on a $300 bike meant that it blew through its 80mm of travel) as was the single wall rims and sometimes weak mechanical disk brakes.

That said, if a rider had the desire to, it can be built into a decent bike (and yes, it's worthy as long as the owner feels that it is to THEM). I built one up into a nice budget Freeride bike and put it through the paces as I did with far more expensive bikes and it held its own.

I had built that one with Deore components, a Rockshox Deluxe rear shock/Marzocchi All Mountain 3 fork, Azonic bar/stem/post, Sun rims on basic hubs, etc and it turned into a reliable and sturdy bike that more than handled the urban freeriding I did with it. No DH runs or major stunts, but stair gaps and loading dock drops didn't faze it for the four years I had it. I then sold it, and regretted selling it because it had turned into a fun bike to ride. Now I found a frame cheap and am going to build it into another budget Freeride bike/ heavy duty trailbike. I'll be keeping a video documentary of the build on my YouTube channel for anyone interested.
 
#24 ·
Sometimes this forum can be alot of unintentional comedy, lol.

The Blackcomb is a $300 bike that actually has a very beefy mainframe, with a steel faux bar (not a true 4 bar Horst link) rear end that can handle alot of abuse. It comes stock with Acera/Atlus drivetrain components and early models had WTB tires and saddle.

The too short on travel RST fork was a hindrance (made the geometry too steep, and no dampening of course on a $300 bike meant that it blew through its 80mm of travel) as was the single wall rims and sometimes weak mechanical disk brakes.

That said, if a rider had the desire to, it can be built into a decent bike (and yes, it's worthy as long as the owner feels that it is to THEM). I built one up into a nice budget Freeride bike and put it through the paces as I did with far more expensive bikes and it held its own.

I had built that one with Deore components, a Rockshox Deluxe rear shock/Marzocchi All Mountain 3 fork, Azonic bar/stem/post, Sun rims on basic hubs, etc and it turned into a reliable and sturdy bike that more than handled the urban freeriding I did with it. No DH runs or major stunts, but stair gaps and loading dock drops didn't faze it for the four years I had it. I then sold it, and regretted selling it because it had turned into a fun bike to ride. Now I found a frame cheap and am going to build it into another budget Freeride bike/ heavy duty trailbike. I'll be keeping a video documentary of the build on my YouTube channel for anyone interested.
2 things are going on here.

1. You are a shill for Mongoose

or

2. You drink too much

Either way you need to put in your sig your affiliation to Mongoose.
 
#23 ·
LOL, Pure 24k gold, this whole thread is gold, its the funniest thread ive read in ages, im going to have to start coming to the mongoose forum to get my laughs from now on.
OP, thanks for the laughs :D:thumbsup:
 
#41 ·
Yeah, the San Andreas is bad ass. I've ridden one and it's not like anything else I've ever ridden. Seeing a properly built one in person is a sight to behold! Although I understand why the design isn't still being used, I certainly have mad respect for the bike. I suspect the Blackcomb design was a way to copy it while getting around the MC design patent.

The San Andreas 2.0 is a neat design, but it is WAY too much bike for around here.

I'll say this about the Blackcomb: it's probably a sufficient bike for what many people are looking to do with a bike. I'm not a fan of people bashing on big box bikes and haven't been since my good friend Ronald showed up to a road ride on one 25 years ago and embarrassed me and my friends with our very expensive bikes.

If you've got a Blackcomb and ride it, congratulations - you are doing more than most of the US population. Ride whatcha got and when it breaks, make a decision: fix it or move on. I understand why some people get attached to frames, for better or worse. Just wish others could understand it too.
 
#43 ·
My point is that value is in the eye of the beholder so to speak. I may rather have a Teocali frame to build, but if someone wants to upgrade a less expensive bike, more power to them. Value is a relative/objective figure. One person's value of something is different than another individual's perception of the same object's value.
you can only polish a turd so much, but it's still a turd

As someone who's had a Blackcomb in the past, and built it up into a better bike, I can say the frame (while it is a heavy frame) is durable, and with the proper length fork (frame's geometry is far better suited to a 100mm-120mm fork, and the headtube is more than reinforced enough-just look at the monocoque front end, very beefy) is a fun handling little bike that can handle smaller stunts while not costing a ton. My previous build totaled around $600-$700 and resulted in a decent budget lighter-duty freeride bike for urban riding.
Must have been one heck of a build for $700. You say had in the past implying you upgraded to a better frame which indicates either a fault in the frame or skill increased. The Mountain Cycle clearly has much better and stronger welds then the mongoose. and a "light-duty(?)" freeride is an All mountain bike.

A year ago, Airborne had a $700 freeride bike (a 6" travel single pivot model), but not much else exists for a rider looking for a heavy duty bike on a budget, and thats what the Blackcomb can be when built properly.
Again, most higher quality modern day frames alone are $2k. Plenty of "heavy duty" Freeride / DH bikes exist for under $2000 complete. Regardless of how the blackcomb is built, the quality of the frame stays the same and more prone to damage when the geometry of the head tube pushed beyond it's welded limits. which is why most bikes now a days have beefed up welded gusts to support the head tube and seat tubes.

I'd not recommend a used freeride bike ever (a higher end freeride bike would be heavily used and beat up to cost only $700) because of the abusive nature of the type of riding. Parts used to build a Blackcomb into a better bike could at least in part end up transfered to a better frame when a riders budget allowed.
Not true at all, some just want to upgrade to a more modern day freeride/dh platform. My $1100 now 13 year old Schwinn Straight 8 which was heavily used for racing prior to me buying it hasn't fallen apart, no cracked welds or any other fame anomalies causing catastrophic failure. Much like any bicycle or mechanical machine, due to normal wear and tear items need to be fixed such as tuning the derailleur, adjusting the breaks truing the wheels... Your philosophy on parts used to build one bike then transfer to a better frame makes me laugh and follows ( which I agree with) Bad Mechanics comment about it's worth more to just put money aside to buy a better bike. Now I'm not saying upgrading is bad! like tires... a seat.. maybe some handle grips but I would never suggest to anyone to fully upgrade a department store bike. To me, $700's in upgrades makes me wonder what kind of upgrades one is making? It costs about $700 alone for a rear shock and over $500 for a decent fork, not to mention the drive train... Now I know times are hard and money is tight and not everyone can afford a $2k+ bike but I would want to get the most for my $$. With that, as far as dh/freeride frames go, I can go to craigslist, pinkbike and ebay and find older 2000-2006 frames for under $1k and complete rigs for under $1500. All of which are still built stronger and better equipped then a department store bike. I'm not trying to bash the walmart/kmart stuff. Everyone has to start somewhere and others just want something to ride and I'm not one to take that freedom away from anyone! BUT Typically that's where most of us start and as skill increases the need for lighter stronger bikes increase. By the nature of the beast regardless to what some might say but for the most part it's true... Quality reflect price....

By the way, the San Andreas is a legendary bike that's one of my all-time favorites! Love that bike
The Merit Lawwill 4bar suspension is one of the best suspension designs to date and I too love my bike just as much as you and I'm glad you enjoy yours!
 
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