Mongoose Bikes are now just one brand of many in the vast stable of performance bicycles owned by, Wisconsin based, Pacific Cycle Inc. Kevin Cortez is an editor for Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics covering reviews. A culture and product journalist for over ten years, he’s an expert in men’s style, technology, gaming, coffee, e-bikes, hiking, gear, and all things outdoors.
After a significant team revamp in 2010, the current roster is seriously stacked and a big reason as to the ongoing success. For example, the freestyle team is spearheaded by some of the craziest and most prolific riders on the circuit, including olympian Pat Casey, Kevin Peraza, Mykel Larrin, Greg Illingworth and Ben Wallace. And in a similar stroke of genius to the hiring of Magoo as team manager, the current TM (Leigh Ramsdell) is also a legend of the game and someone with mongoose fat bike a deep understanding of what makes BMX so awesome. Beyond that, Mongoose are still supporting bikers in all forms (particularly racing, freestyle and mountain bikes), contributing to jams and events as well as producing some of the raddest products available. The mid 1980s resulted in a significant downfall to the growth of BMX (primarily racing), enabled through the rise of adjacent modes (i.e. freestyle, mountain bikes and scooters) and a lack of mainstream interest.
He most recently worked as the Style Editor for Reviewed, a top product recommendation site owned by USA TODAY. He also helped with the launch of WSJ’s Buy Side commerce vertical, and has covered the music and podcast industries for Mass Appeal, Genius, Vulture, Leafly, Input, and The A.V. Club. Equally passionate about mongoose dirt bike leisure as he is his penmanship, Kevin dedicates his spare time to graphic novels, birding, making cold brew, and taking long, meandering walks. Both models feature a flip-flop hub with a cassette body and fixed thread that lets you easily swap between fixed and freewheel cogs with a standard bottom bracket tool.
It has excellent performance, is spec’d smartly, comes out of the box almost 100% ready for commuting use, and is priced well. We recommend the Level to any commuter or recreationally oriented rider looking for great value, performance, and function in an e-bike. The Aventon Level checks off almost every one of the necessary boxes in what I look for in a purpose-built commuter bike. The Mongoose Title Elite is an affordable mid range complete bike based around a frame that’s capable of mixing it with the big dogs among the elite on the RedBull Pump Track and UCI World Cup circuits. The Mongoose Title Elite complete bike has been around for a while but we’ve finally been able to get our hands on one thanks to the Aussie distributors PSI Cycling.
It’s built around a tough steel frame and fork that’s not scared of rough paths or pub crawls. The hydraulic disc brakes, 1x drivetrain, and Vee Tire wide knobby tires on 27.5-inch wheels are borrowed from mountain bikes and add to the Larkspur’s go-anywhere capability. The Supergoose sold for $549 and the California Special was $449.
You can find entry-level bikes, Pro bikes, downhill bikes, custom-made bikes, and some pretty insane freestyle bicycles. As with most things we buy, our final decision is based not only on what we want but also on what we can afford—and somewhere in the middle is the best option for the money and the riding you do. So while a $6,000 custom commuter bike might make you starry-eyed, there are plenty of sub-$1,000 possibilities that fit your needs. And while a $500 city bike is easier on the wallet, it might not offer the best features for longer commutes or those with mixed terrain.