Affordable Shredders From Mongoose: Teocali AM/Trailbike and All-New Boot’r Downhill Racer
Mongoose totally redesigned its Boot'r DH bike with a four-bar rear suspension,. 27.5-inch wheels, and up-to-the-minute frame geometry - for $2500 USD.
Mongoose has picked up some momentum since we last heard from them. The designers there have streamlined their product range in order to stuff as much performance as possible into its most important models. The Boot’r DH bike is all new, with 27.5-inch wheels, a four-bar, Horst-Link type rear suspension instead of the previous model’s Free Drive system, which was borrowed from GT. Insiders say that the four-bar arrangement boosts the suspension performance in technical situations, where the Boot’r will be spending most of its life. The aluminum-framed DH bike sports a RockShox Domain fork and an X-Fusion Vector R coil/over shock. Rear-wheel travel is eight inches, and the frame geometry is updated to reflect what racers are currently running. The Boot’r head angle is 63 degrees.
The new Horst-Link rear suspension drives an X-Fusion Vector shock. The Brakes are Hayes Prime Sports with 200mm rotors.
Mongoose carefully selected the parts for the Boot’r to keep its price well into the realm of affordability, without killing its performance. The cockpit is decked out in Funn components, highlighted by an oversized, 31.8-millimeter, 810-millimeter-wide Full-On handlebar. Brakes are Hayes’ latest Prime Sport models with 200-millimeter rotors. The 36-tooth SRAM Ruction crankset is backed up by a Mongoose-label chainguide and the 11 x 28 nine-speed cassette is shifted by a SRAM X-9 changer. Wheels are Sun Ringle Inferno, with Kenda Honey Badger DH tires. The MSRP for Mongoose’s entry-level DH machine is only $2500 USD and Mongoose offers it in small, medium and large sizes.
Teocali AM/Trailbike
Tight on cash? Mongoose put together a competitive, 150mm-travel trailbike for $2800 USD. The Teocal is all new for 2015, also with a Horst-Link, four-bar rear suspension. It rides well.
Trail riders searching for enthusiast-level performance from an affordable, 27.5-inch-wheel AM/trailbike might consider the 2015 Mongoose Teocali Expert. Its aluminum chassis has moderately slack, 67-degree head angle and has been redesigned with a 150-millimeter-travel, Horst-Link, four-bar rear suspension. The shock is an X-Fusion D2 RLX and up front is a 160-millimeter-stroke X-Fusion Sweep fork. The Teocali’s drivetrain is a Shimano XT/SLX combination with a three-by crankset. The cockpit is appointed by Funn, with a 750-millimeter handlebar. Brakes are Hayes Prime Comps with 180mm rotors, and the Teocali Expert’s wheels are Alex 27 Fives, mounted with Kenda Nevegal tires. The Teocali Expert lacks a dropper seatpost for price considerations, which should be OK, as its MSRP is $2800 USD.
We have always liked X-Fusion suspension for its superior high-speed performance, and the Teocali's updated rear suspension design is proven to add sensitivity to the chassis under braking and acceleration. Add slacker frame numbers and mid-sized wheels and the new Mongoose should be quite a shredder.
Mongoose
Cheers
...It doesn't have a dropper post
Geax does it, too, or did, and for some reason it makes it more difficult for me to take them seriously. Like they don't take themselves seriously enough to trust that if people are interested in their product, they will do the exact same thing they've done any time they've wanted to know anything for the last twenty years.
Anyway, cool bikes. Does anybody know if Mongoose has a website or anything?
27.5.... handing victories to 26 inch boys all over the world.
That said, as much as I don't want to say this...If you're going to buy a new bike designed for AM and more aggressive riding, might as well go with 650b unless you're getting a dj, or entry-level machine (due to easier availability and better selection at lower prices of tires). The industry has decided it's the way to go, that's where they're putting their R&D funds, and that's the size that will be getting new products. It sucks that the decision has been made FOR consumers rather than BY consumers, but no amount of griping is gonna fix that now.
Consequently, you can now nab little-used 26ers being dumped by scenester Chads with tons of money who need the "latest and greatest" thing, which means the students, younger riders, and folks with less cash coming in, can nab some pretty damn high-end stuff for pretty damn good prices. This is of course until 26" becomes a real rarity in a few years and the prices go up.
Consider this: there are frames that cost more than these bikes.
There are wheels that cost more than these bikes.
just the way things are.... But the price point these bikes are at is common for nearly all manufacturers. Mongoose is doing nothing original other then not selling a higher end model. Under 2k is affordable and there are new bikes out there for that price with a similar component spec. As others have said take a look at Airborne . com for affordability
There u go
For example my marzocchi 888's are around 800 pounds retail. In the us they are around 500 pounds so your stuff is around 40% cheaper than ours. In europe i think stuff is even more expensive than here.
Seems a bit wrong guys.
As for the bike though it seems great that a brand are doing a well geo'd bike with a wheel size that isnt going to mean the frame and fork are out dated in 2 years.
Fair play to them.
As for all the 26 4 life boys, everyone i know who has tried 650b bikes back to back with the 26 version has bought the 650b version.
maybe their not as bad you think.
I havent had chance to play on any 650b bikes other car park tests but when i do get a test oppertunity i'll do it with an open mind for sure
I have tried all sizes from 16" commuters to 29" fatbikes and have nothing against any particular type of bicycle. I dislike the massive amount of hype and propaganda in the cycling industry promoting 27.5"/29" because although they are very capable machines in certain circumstances, eg. flowier/wider tracks, they suffer on tighter/more techy tracks. There is nothing wrong with this in theory, apart from that it will lead to more and more tracks being widened, straightened and generally made less challenging to allow for the larger wheeled bikes. The fact that 26" wheels are rapidly being dropped from nearly every manufacturers line-up apart from the one obvious exception means eventually all the tracks I like to ride will be modernized or "improved" into arguably lesser versions of their former selves. Infact it has already begun to happen and quite a few of my favorite tracks of years past are now wide, bermed motorways with all the obstacles removed apart from in designated (usually perfectly straight) sections and 30ft of braking bumps before every berm. I apologise if my whining bores you, but wide, easy tracks bore me so I guess we both lose. Bloody big-wheels eh?
plus these bikes look hideous.
"FIRE BAD" Ryagagarghhhhh....
Cannondale's lineup completely kills it right now. They make arguably the best Enduro and best Road bikes available today. Kinda clueless, eh? But you're right, they don't have a bike that would be an appropriate rental fleet bike for WBP, if that means a lot to you...
It's possible to keep it "low budget" buying used and honestly I'm not sure I would like to pay 1500$ for a brand new DH bike as it would probably weight 50 pounds with shit components. I'm the first to complain when stuff comes out at insane prices but let's be honest here, with all the tech that goes into the bikes, it's never going to be dirt cheap. If 2000$ is too expensive for you, you might want to look into a local ultimate frisbee league as MTB will probably never ever be that cheap.
Um. Thanks.
Sounds like a bunch of hype to me.
Most of the bikes I see reviewed on PB cost more than my car did! Good to see something more affordable for Joe Public.