$200 dollar Mongoose Deception

[78stepsideUAK10]

I just picked up this from walmart and couldn't really be happier for $200, it has front and rear disc brakes and 29" tires. The stickers looked like shit but they peeled off really easily. I have a few upgrades in mind but everything seems decent for what I'm gonna use it for, there isn't anything hardcore in Florida unfortunately.

I think first up is to go to a single ring gear up front and get rid of that derailleur, thats what I did on my cheap road bike.

It's a big bike and it fits me at 6'1 pretty well.

Let the flaming begin

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mongoose-D...-Bike/14956326

[MrEJeep]

WOW... I was just looking at that bike last weekend and am getting one soon. the two I saw at wally mart also has shi**y stickers and were an uglyyyy green color. the online showed a cool silver. I will be using mine for commuting back and forth to work,, 6mi each way. if I get green I hope the color is so ugly no one will steal it.

[78stepsideUAK10]

Yeah the stickers are shit

The bottom bracket makes a noise like it has no grease as does the rear free wheel and hub.

I believe the right size is 68x113 for the bottom bracket and 30x10mm for the rear sealed hub bearings.

I will be finding out in a few days when my parts arrive

[shiftless89]

save your pennies and spend 100 or 200 more and pick up a real bike from your local bike shop.

The "deception" is that it is a real bike.

1) to start with they are assembled in Wmart by semi trained morons who just learned how to use their oposable thumbs.
2) by the time you spend more $$ to bring it up to ridable standards you will have more than spent the cost of a good basic bike.
3) your out of luck with most "direct replacement" parts as the shops usually cannot even get parts for them.
4) Wmart's warranty and "service"

rant off ( i ran a chain of bike shops in the 90's)

oh yeah

there is a thread on this over at mtbr dot com

[MrEJeep]

I was very interested in the mongoose deception.....the name indicates what it is. I hope stepside enjoys the one he bought. I went to 4 LBS and they all said the same thing. " Upgrade parts will be very hard to find and if you have a major malfunction toss the frame and buy a real bike" I bought a Specialized hardrock disc29er. Very cool bike and only $550 plus calif sales tax. the LBS said that they will tune it for a year free of charge. no timetable, just bring it in. Sean at World of Wheels in Modesto, Ca said the best day to bring it in would be tuesdays and they would have it ready by Fri. I cant wait for the weekend to try it out.....wohoooo

[Weasel]

Can someone provide a bit more details on my the Walmart bikes should be avoided? I have a buddy asking about them and I would avoid it on principle but other then that have not really solid info on them. In comparison to a Specialized P1?

[trkklr77]

wait, wut, you mean you dont have to spend $2500 on a bike........

[squire366]

Originally Posted by shiftless89

save your pennies and spend 100 or 200 more and pick up a real bike from your local bike shop.

The "deception" is that it is a real bike.

1) to start with they are assembled in Wmart by semi trained morons who just learned how to use their oposable thumbs.
2) by the time you spend more $$ to bring it up to ridable standards you will have more than spent the cost of a good basic bike.
3) your out of luck with most "direct replacement" parts as the shops usually cannot even get parts for them.
4) Wmart's warranty and "service"

rant off ( i ran a chain of bike shops in the 90's)

oh yeah

there is a thread on this over at mtbr dot com

This is an example of yet another person who is giving their "opinion" without knowing what they are talking about.

So as a Deception owner I'll address each of these "opinions" one by one........

#1 While I agree the average "assembler" at Walmart probably knows nothing about tuning or assembling a bike, modern bikes are easy to tune especially with the HUGE amount of tutorials and videos on the internet that walk the average person thru tuning a bike. In my opinion a bike owner should know how to tune and assemble their own bike. When I bought my Deception I brought it home and went over the entire bike. If there was a procedure that I did not know how to do I looked it up on the internet and followed instructions. I rarely take my bike to a LBS for anything.

#2 Most entry level 29ers start around $500 and come with Shimano Altus or Acera components and entry level Suntour or RockShox forks so you'll probably add another $200 - $300 upgrading an entry level 29er that you just spent $500 for.

#3 This is just "plain ole bullshit!" I went to www.Amazon.com and bought Shimano Alivio front/rear derailleurs that fit without a problem. I also bought a Shimano 68 x 113mm bottom bracket and a Shimano Alivio 175mm square taper crankset from www.jensonusa.com that also fit without an issue. I also replaced the stem on my bike with an Easton stem. I also added a Forte' flat handlebar and Ergon grips. Other upgrades include an Ascent suspension seatpost and a Forte' saddle. Every part that I have purchased for my Deception fits and there are plenty of parts available.

#4 Break the frame on an expensive bike from the LBS and they will tell you they can't help you and refer you back to the bike manufacturer. Break the frame on the Deception from Walmart and you can return it without question as long as you have your receipt.

[Weasel]

so is the hardware on these bikes crap and needs to be upgraded or is it good to go right off the shelf?

[enigma2y0u]

Originally Posted by shiftless89

save your pennies and spend 100 or 200 more and pick up a real bike from your local bike shop.

The "deception" is that it is a real bike.

1) to start with they are assembled in Wmart by semi trained morons who just learned how to use their oposable thumbs.
2) by the time you spend more $$ to bring it up to ridable standards you will have more than spent the cost of a good basic bike.
3) your out of luck with most "direct replacement" parts as the shops usually cannot even get parts for them.
4) Wmart's warranty and "service"

rant off ( i ran a chain of bike shops in the 90's)

oh yeah

there is a thread on this over at mtbr dot com

Yeah well I have bought a $500 trek HT and it came with the same shitty walmart components and I had to replace the bottom bracket after about two weeks.

The bike industry is a complete joke all together. An entire $4k bike costs the dealer about $1200. The whole thing is a scam, but the shit part is they are all in on it and you can't get around it, or at least I dont' know how.

[Rockit]

[QUOTE=enigma2y0u;12732312]An entire $4k bike costs the dealer about $1200./QUOTE]
You are a fucking retard.
If the margins on bikes was that high I would still be in the industry.

[intensebik]

The bike industry is a complete joke all together. An entire $4k bike costs the dealer about $1200. The whole thing is a scam, but the shit part is they are all in on it and you can't get around it, or at least I dont' know how.[/QUOTE]

No bike shop makes that much money on a bike... Not a single one. At best a shop makes a 33% margin on the bikes they sell. Big companies like trek and specialized only allow their dealers a 28% margin. A bike shop is not a car dealership. There are not able to haggle over pricing since there is not as much money to be made.

[enigma2y0u]

[QUOTE=Rockit;12732342]

Originally Posted by enigma2y0u

An entire $4k bike costs the dealer about $1200./QUOTE]
You are a fucking retard.
If the margins on bikes was that high I would still be in the industry.

Perhaps you're right, the dealer gets hosed, but someone is still fucking someone in the process IMHO. No way a $4500 bike has $4000 worth of shit put into it.

I have had friends in the past who worked at shops and bought "10% over cost" giving them a 50% or more discount. I have also went to bike shops in the late fall when they are getting rid of inventory. A 60% markdown is not uncommon.

So either all dealers are willing to take huge hits on their bikes or it's bullshit.

[Rockit]

[QUOTE=enigma2y0u;12732431 No way a $4500 bike has $4000 worth of shit put into it.
[/QUOTE]

A $4500 bike would normally have a wholesale cost somewhere around $3300, and a manufacturing cost of about $2300. Look at how that $2300 is spent. The materials, the precision engineering and machining. It's like comparing a KOH comp buggy with a Daihatsu. They both have 4wd, but are WORLDS apart in capability.

It's just like any other specialty equipment. Higher end equipment usually nets less % of return on the manufactures and retailers investment. A lot of low end stuff is keystone. Your Walmart special is $50 to build, $100 wholesale, $199.95 sale on Sunday.

The end of year sale bikes are usually purchased at a deal from the manufacture who is trying to move old models.

[Sterling B.]

back from the dead. I found someone selling a Mongoose Deception on CL for ~$100 in like-new condition. I have seen many reviews including this thread, but all from users that use the bike on hard trails and are generally tough on the bike. I am merely seeking to replace my old bike in a crunch that is only used to get from class to class during the week and the occasional ride around the neighborhood with my gf. Is this still a bad decision for my intended use? I also noticed a like new Mongoose XR 75 for ~$30. What is the better value? To my untrained bike eye, the xr 75 seems very similar to my old junker that I am replacing... but like I said, I really have little knowledge of bikes. Thanks in advance!

[78stepsideUAK10]

It will definitely work for that purpose

[hadfield4wd]

41 lbs. Are you kidding?

[78stepsideUAK10]

Where do you see 41 pounds?

My deception is somewhere near 20 I believe now that is is single speed

[hadfield4wd]

Originally Posted by 78stepsideUAK10

Where do you see 41 pounds?

My deception is somewhere near 20 I believe now that is is single speed

Shipping wieght on the link.

I've been wrong before but unless you've actually weighed it I would have a hard time believing it's 20lbs. It would be hard to shed 20lbs off a bike.

[78stepsideUAK10]

Maybe mine is 30 then, it's been awhile since I did anything to it

[hadfield4wd]

Originally Posted by blazerman71

yup the full suspension I posted weighs in around 40 lbs.....but even a $2k full suspension weighs over 30 lbs

Not mine. And I have less than $1000 in mine.

[Midwestzj]

Originally Posted by blazerman71

it all comes down to how you plan on using the bike......if you are gonna do alot of hardcore shit, then you need to spend over $1k on a bike.... but if you are just gonna ride on mild dirt trail, paved paths or ride around in town and not jumping the bike or other crazy shit... a $150-250 walmart bike will work just fine.... some bike shops act like the walmart bike will explode into pieces on the first ride and you should buy a $750-$1000 bike just to ride around the neighborhood.... not true.... I have rode both dept store bikes and high end bikes over the years..... some people just cant afford to spend $500 or more for a bike.... also bikes on craigslist are a gamble......people sell stolen bikes there and some people ask way more than a bike is worth..... example.... i have seen a $88 walmart bike on craigslist for $200 or a 20 year old bridgestone mb-3 for $600 when it sold for $750 new in 1993.... when i was looking for a bike I looked at all the options..... bike shop stuff was too spendy, stuff on craigslist was way overpriced... I only had $150-175 to spend and had no job..... so I got a $160 walmart bike and went over it really good after I got it home..... I also did alot of research before i got a bike so I knew what I was getting into before I did it...... most of the mass produced bikes are all made in china, even some of the high end brands..... the are a few bikes out there that are the same bike with just different brand names.... one is a dept store bike and the other is a brand name bike shop bike..... the only real difference between the 2 bikes is the price... the one from the bike shop is $200 more..... granted you usually get better customer service at a bike shop.....I dont understand why some people gotta be snobbish when it comes to bikes..... i feel that long as somebody is out riding it doesnt really matter what kind of bike they have.... get the best bike you can really afford and go have fun....my bike is a genesis V2100....I spent a whole $40 to upgrade the 2 items people complain about ...... the pedals and the seat

Wow, there is a shit load of misinformation in this post. First off, a bike shop bike is always better than a walmart bike. Flat out, not an opinion, it pure and simple is better. There is not a single high end bike produced in china. They are mostly made in Taiwan, but that is much better than China. There are some frames that bear two different names, but they do not sell in a bike shop and at walmart. If you start looking at welds and components you will see the difference. Most walmart bikes have plastic brake levers for example where in a bike shop the only bike that may possibly have a plastic lever is a 20" kids bike. Look at the cranks or front derailleur and there is a HUGE difference in quality.

You can get a $250 bike at a bike shop and you will be miles ahead of a $160 walmart bike. you will spend more moeny on fixing stupid shit on a walmart bike that breaks which causes you to spend just as much as the bike shop bike, but with the added frustration. If it is truly a matter of have a bike or not because you only have $150, then go used.


How the fuck do you come up with a 29er weighing more than a 26? You can have the exact same bike and they will weigh just about the same. Litterally grams different. And a 29er at $2k does not weigh 35 pounds and there is no fucking way you are getting the deception to be remotely close to weighing the same as a $2k bike.

[knaffie]

You won't be happy with it for long. Good luck having Walmart adjust it for you when it starts working like shit.

[makya]

Originally Posted by blazerman71

I do all my own wrenching on my bikes...... always will too...... in the past,I have had to take bikes back to my LBS for them to fix it right the second time after they had done work on them........ this was on a bike I had bought from them too....seems like peoples minds are made up on this...

everyones' a know it all on the PBB.

I've owned bikes across the full range.

a 99 Ibis Bow Ti

a 99 GT XCR4000 (pre-buyout, not the 4.0)

some mongoose FS out back behind the house

I currently have a 96 barracuda A2M rigid that I bomb around on. I've had fun on all of them, and been frustrated by all of them. they're all different, and require different types of maintenance.

ANY bike, especially a low end, entry level, needs to be gone through so you can familiarize yourself with it. READ, the manual, and research any info you can find on what to watch for (if you haven't before you bought it).

mostly, get out and have fun, but do it with the knowledge of what your bike is built for. you aren't going to mash any heavy duty cross country single track on a mongoose, just like you aren't going to bomb down a bunch of gnarly downhill on my old Ibis with 2" (maybe, at the most) of rear wheel travel.

Wal mart bikes have their place, they are the stepping stone to find out if you want to ride,or talk about it on the internet.

[hadfield4wd]

Originally Posted by blazerman71

..I dont have the resources some do to buy a spendy bike ( credit card) so i get what I afford, this go round I could not find any decent LBS bikes I could afford...

You don't need a credit card to buy a bike.

Just save up. Skip beer, food etc for a month. I have a Cannondale prophet I spent $500 for. with xt and xtr components, disc brakes etc. Plus it has a "Made in the USA" sticker. Just need to be patient and know what you want. If you're satisfied with a wallyworld bike for commuting that's fine and I applaud your "living within you means".

Please dont try to convince me that the wallyworld bike is a good bike. My boys both have specialized hard rocks. I bought one for $175 and the other for $150. One has discs etc. Both from craigslist. My 10 year old asked me the other day. "Why do we always get good deals?" I said "Its because I'm patient and it takes time to look to find something, but when I see what we want I have money to buy and pull the trigger."