Kid sized fat bike frames are rare so taking him out this winter will be a unique experience. With that said, it was fun seeing my son experience something truly different on the dirt. Given my profession as a mountain bike journalist and product reviewer, it’s not unusual for friends and neighbors to ask me for bike recommendations.
At the current $549 price, I’d say it’s priced about right. Experienced riders may want to upgrade by adding a dropper post to the Mongoose Switchback Expert. The frame features internal routing so you could install a dropper post yourself for about $199 or so.
He did a good video recently on some more budget parts (including hydraulic disc brakes) as well as he has been playing with a Walmart MTB recently. I have a 7 speed Shimano thumb shifter and aluminum mountain bike pedals on the way. The stock brakes kinda suck too so I was thinking about upgrading to Shimano hydraulic brakes in the future. From the world cup racer, to the bike park ripper, the Fury is tunable for any type of gravity rider.
I knew that I couldn’t expect much for $212 and free shipping. I didn’t bother to read reviews and wasn’t ready to spend a lot more, not knowing if mongoose dirt bike I would even like riding one. The Mongoose Argus Trail is most certainly a unique bike that meets the needs of an extreme niche. The component build is competitive, keeps cost down, and functions as needed. The wheels are built from Xposure rims and hubs. Those rims are paired with 24×4 Chao Yang tires.
In my experience, this is pretty common for bikes in this price range. Kristen is a USA Cycling certified coach and loves to share her passion for biking with other families. Blair is a bike geek, mechanic, and mountain bike junkie. The components all functioned well with minimal adjustments needed and served their individual duties. The traits of handling and stability will most certainly transition to snow riding as well. They slowed my son’s riding down when needed but functioned as any mechanical brake set would.
The Mongoose Argus Trail frame is comprised of 6061 aluminum. There is also a steel version sold at a slightly lower cost. That is the seat I bought to replace the stock torture device. The new seat is about 13.5″ inches wide and the horn is a lot shorter. It is a lot more comfortable. As far as I can tell, the Malus and Dolomite are essentially the same bike, just with different rims and colors.
Since its introduction in 2014, Grade has pushed the boundaries of adventure riding. The first ever purpose-built carbon gravel bike, made major waves when it was launched, winn… Whether you’re after an all day adventure or sneaking out for a quick lunch loop, size up new lines on old trails with the ready-for-anything Sensor range. I received my test bike directly from Mongoose and needed to do some of the final assembly myself. If part of your calculation for buying the Mongoose Switchback Expert is that you might upgrade parts over time, I say look at another bike. If you just want a bike that you’re going to ride as-is for as long as possible, the Switchback Expert could be the right choice.