Mongoose Blackcomb

There is something magical about being on those rugged mountain trails and having the confidence to go about your business without worrying about that bike falling to bits. When it comes to perfection, the Mongoose Blackcomb comes pretty close to it. One of the best mountain bikes out there, that money can buy, you would really have to look hard to find something better at this bike’s price.

The writing is on the wall – this bike has everything it takes to become a world class mountain bike. However, it isn’t something that a professional would use. Make no mistake, the Blackcomb is definitely loaded with features, but this isn’t a bike meant for those competitive runs and living-on-the-edge moments. This bike, although a mountain bike, is definitely meant for leisure mountain bikers rather than those rugged racing kinds.

Why We Say That

You see, from the looks of it, the bike is as hard and solid as any other mountain bike. In fact, it is almost as strong as any professional mountain bike with its aluminum frame being supported by a dual alloy-based 4-bar vertical spring suspension. The bike comes with Promax disc brakes that are excellent in all conditions while the 24-speed Shimano drive train and gears are absolutely smooth like butter.

That the riding position of the bike is brilliant, is a massive understatement. The company has hit the nail right on the centre of its tiny head as the bike is perfectly setup for its 26-inch height. That leads you right into the ride – the bike shifts crisply from one gear to the next, absorbs almost all bumps & jerks and has a decent set of Kenda tires. The bike responds brilliantly to the tight angled head and turning on this beauty is just plain easy!

Some Cracks

There is a reason why we speak of the Mongoose Blackcomb as “almost” being a professional’s bike, and not actually being one. The first bit is that the rims are thinner or single-walled. The fork is quite stiff and without any room for adjustment, it can get rather stiff. That is one of the major reasons why this bike shouldn’t be out there racing in competitions. Such issues wouldn’t matter to the average leisure biker even in the harshest conditions, as long as the bike isn’t bounced around roughly.

The water bottle-mount needs to be moved around because if it stays in the stock position, the front wheel might knock it out with each fork-compression. This is easily solvable by moving the holder to another position, like under the seat.

The rear suspension is soft and, for some, it just might be too soft because it tends to go down with every pedal bob as well. While you might lose some more energy pedaling away, you will be thankful for the extra bounce when you encounter mountainous terrains. You will also need to clean out the shockers frequently because its position, rather weirdly, is behind the first wheel. This might wear the seals out quickly but a simple shock-boot will solve this problem easily.

If you are heavy, you will find the seat mount rather iffy, but that isn’t a material issue, it’s more of a design flaw. The pressed steel rail cups are just not as good as some of the other material out there but you’d still have to be quite heavy to cause a serious damage.

The Final Bits

In terms of price, Mongoose bikes tend to be just right and this one is no different. You can get this bike for its list price of $400 at any specialized bike store or even order it online. If you are on the lookout for a discount, then you need to try Wal-Mart or Target to get a massive price-cut. In fact, you can pick up the Mongoose Blackcomb for just $263.75 on Wal-Mart.

There are some excellent options if you are looking to pay over time both online and brick & mortar store options are available. Alternately, this is a good bike to buy second-hand because it is quite rugged and is, almost always, in decent shape thanks to the strength in its frame and design.

In terms of a mountain bike for average people, there are few out there that are in the Blackcomb’s price range or can match its feature list. The bike is brilliant for those weekend trips to a nearby dirt or mountain track, getting some of that week-long tiredness and fatigue out of your body with a wonderful ride through nature. As long as you don’t press the pedal to the metal, you should have a wonderful outing on this well-made, solid machine.