Electric scooters and ATVs Reviews
Posts tagged Dirt Bike
Stylish Mongoose Montana Mountain Bike dirt bike Ratings
Aug 21st
Bike looks good, easy to assemble. But the parts (specially the padals) are made of poor quality weak plastic, which tear off within 2 weeks of biking(total 3-5 miles). The tire is also of poor quality.
Would recommend spending some more money and buying a better one.
I am scared to even ride this thing. The handlebars cannot be tightened enough so they keep twisting around. The front wheel is too close to the pedals, which makes turns difficult. The wheels were somewhat out of true right out of the box. Perhaps because of this, the brakes dont feel right. I havent ridden this enough to break the pedals yet, but reading the other reviews here, it is bound to happen soon.
One more thing is the assembly. There are no instructions on how to assemble from “out of the box”. The ones available are needlessly detailed and often skip basics – useful for a mechanic, not for the typical user. The whole thing seems designed in a very ad-hoc fashion: for example, every allen bolt is a different size.
I’m going to count this as a loss and get my old secondhand bike fixed.
Edit: Thanks to the reviewer who posted that the front wheel could be backwards. This was indeed true. Think me a moron and I wont disagree with you, but the reason I did that was due to the wedge inside the front wheel tube that matches the one on the bottom of the handle being reversed (ie. the factory installed it back-to-front). There’s no way to get at it to turn it around without special tools so I just got a bodybuilder neighbor of mine to jam the handle in as-is. The handle comes a bit loose once in a while so I have to carry an allen key with me while riding, but given the trouble the bike’s been, it’s a small deal.
I still wouldnt recommend the bike or change my rating. Other things wrong with it: gears are not smooth at all. Chain comes apart. Balance is bad (cant ride it hands-free). Seat is uncomfortable. Also, very high friction – it’s like riding an exercise bike sometimes. I did a measurement: freewheeled it down a hill and see when it stopped by itself once it reached flat ground. My old secondhand bike which I’ve rarely oiled (it’s also a mountain bike but manifestly not a Montana) reached twice the distance.
More information on Mongoose Montana Men’s Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels) here.
Buy Mongoose Domain Mountain Bike dirt bike as a Gift
Aug 21st
I am amazed at the reviews given, not for just this bike, but for any cheap item on Amazon or elsewhere. What exactly do people expect when they are paying so little money? I just received this bike today and I’m quite satisfied with this purchase, given that I only paid less than one hundred dollars for this bike during a recent Gold Box deal.
In reading many reviews of bikes purchased through Amazon, I was quite apprehensive of the assembly needed once I received delivery of the bike. But it turned out that indeed most of the bike was already pre-assembled. I’d say probably over 80% of the bike is already assembled. You only need to place the front tire on and then tighten the front handle bars. Lastly, attach on the foot pedals and that’s about it. It took us about 40 minutes to install and I’m by no means adept with assembling bikes.
Are their bikes out there which are better than this one? Of course. Can Mongoose improve on this bike? Absolutely. Can you use this for serious or professional outdoor mountain biking? Probably not. Do I plan to do that? No. If I did, I’d cough up $1000 and purchase a more serious bike to do that. Do I think this bike is worth the one hundred dollars I paid for it? ABSOLUTELY! Would I purchase it again for one hundred dollars? ABSOLUTELY. For the money, I think it’s a great recreational bike. I will use this bike probably 5 times a week for about an hour or two at most riding around the neighborhood and nearby bike trails. So for me, it’s more than adequate. I don’t need anything more expensive currently. All in all, I’m quite satisfied with the bike for the money. I wholeheartedly give it 5 stars given the price I paid–less than one hundred dollars.
I do have one concern with this bike. I haven’t been able to raise the front handle bars to a higher level. I have to lean/hunch down too far to ride it as of now. I need to get this fixed and it should be a very nice ride given the amount I paid. This has more to do with me figuring out how to raise the handle bar than the design of the bike. I’m certain it’s possible to raise the handle bar, but I haven’t figured it out just yet.
I’ve had this bike for around 6 months now, and am happy with it. However, before buying, you should be prepared for a few things:
Yes, the bike is cheap, and with free shipping it is the best deal you could possibly get for a dual suspension, however, there are some hidden costs involved:
1) New seat – the seat given is really uncomfortable and is one of those quick releases, so if you live in a urban area, gotta get something a little more secure.
2) Tune up – If you know nothing about bicycles, like me, you’re going to need someone to play with this one a bit for you. They do a very poor job assembling it, so there are little things here and there that need to be fixed. For instance, my back brake didn’t work at all. There was nothing wrong with the break itself, but they guy at the shop said something about “drag” and whatever else, but they were able to fix it, along with other loose screws and misalignments.
The frame is a bit small. I am 5′11″, and the bike is definetely small for me. However, it is bearable, and I’m comfortable enough.
Also, if you’re using for city riding, the most annoying thing about this bike is there is no convenient place to put the lock while riding. I typically have to hang it on the handlebar, which sometimes gets in the way. The oversized tubing is too oversized to place the lock holder anywhere.
Overall, though, I am very happy with the purchase. It is perfect for riding around the city. The suspension is solid enough to make going over pot holes and curbs comfortable, the ride is easy enough to go over moderate hills (like bridges), and wheels are sturdy enough to cut through parks. I say, if you’re not picky, and are just looking for a good deal, this is the perfect bike if you’re willing to put up with the imperfections.
More information on Mongoose Domain Men’s Dual-Suspension Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels) here.
Unique Lamborghini Toro Mountain Bike dirt bike Reviews
Aug 20th
don’t ever think that this company’s name is cool. Even though it says lamborghini, don’t trust this crap. torino lamborghini is not from Italy, it’s from USA. don’t make this name fool you. lamborghini makes cars not bike. a company who made this lamborghini bike is Kent International. they also make cadillac, gmc bikes also. they are so stupid to come up with this name. remember lamborghini makes cars not bikes. Kent International is fooling you! 
I had this bike 2 days and freewheel broke, I contacted them and the lady was nice and sent me a whole new rear tire assembly, BUT that lasted 4 MORE short rides and freewheel is BROKE AGAIN. Now you can’t tell me they are not aware of this problem I’ll bet everybody with this bike has experienced the same as problem,other than that I like the bike but this is very aggravating. I think they should make it right or let me take it to a shop that can and pay for it, had I knonw this bike would break so often I would never had bought it. I cant help but feel I’ve been RIPPED OFF and I will never purchase a bike from them again.
Click here to find out more about Lamborghini Toro Men’s Dual-Suspension Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels).
Elite Mongoose Strike BMX Bike dirt bike For Modern Life
Aug 20th
My son spent his own money on this bike, he is 8, even paid the extra $’s to get it overnighted. Below is my “experience” out of the box.
PACKAGING (External) – ceived the box today, and YEP, SHIPPING/Packaging issues. The rear axel was poking out the side of the box. All box staples were ripped out, but really bad tape had replaced them, box in bad shape, etc. The WORST was that on every surface of the box in big letters it says DO NOT LAY FLAT… well our FEDEX guy clearly cannot read, cause it was laying outside our garage door FLAT. Immediately went online to amazon and reported packaging issues on the Orders page, hope to hear SOMETHING from Amazon on this…
Packaging (Internal) – Some heavy paper/light cardboard partially wrapped and taped around. Zip tie holding front wheel to the frame. Bad part is that some of the “misc”/shipping parts (like a green platic “cover” that goes over the axel nuts to protect them during shipping) were not in place but laying in the bottom of the box. Handlebar not secured to anything, and the cables were not appropriately secured, so when I took the frame out, the handlebar was stuck in the box and kinked/pulled one of the cables OFF (and this was just gently lifting the frame out, not tugging involved). Maybe the cable was already off. I was able to fix it, but still…
Instructions – No “how to unpackage”/Start Here/Read this first packaging at all. Owners manual is generic for ALL MONGOOSE BICYCLES and is nearly impossible to use/read. Tried to go to the Pacific Cycle website for specific/more detailed instructions. It led me to mongoose.com, which doesn’t even show this bike as this year or last years model
Building – Luckily I had built enough bikes over the years that I knew what to do. Our bike DID NOT have a quick release seat clamp indicated in the description (but is not shown in the picture either). One of the handlebar clamp bolts was threaded in bad, but I was able to run a quality steel bolt through the threading in the stem to fix that. Handles bars went on fine. The brakes need a TON of adjustment. Mostly the brakes need tightened the frame as they were both very loose. The rear hub/freewheel is VERY NOISY, there is something wrong internally. Also, freewheel is rough pedaling backwards (i.e. is not very free) I am going to call the support number after we compile a complete “list of issues” and discuss this with them. Also, in checking spokes, which I doubt most people do, I found 10 spokes that were not only not tightened to spec, but where actually so loose the spokes wobbled in the hub holes THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I snugged them up so the bike is atleast rideable.
Summary – This is a “get what you pay for” bike, and honestly is a decent value for $100, if it where shipped properly and did not have the quality issues i had with the cables/brakes/stem/freewheel.
Hope this helps anyone trying to make a decision on this bike.
Bike arrived in a busted up box, missing pieces and damaged. Amazon offered several less than ideal replacement options.
Who knows if the bike is any good. But I have noticed several other customers mentioning that the bikes arrived broken or bent, I just wanted to let you know that trying to get a replacement isnt easy and from the looks of things its going to takes us weeks to get a new bike. Hope its not snowin’.
More information on Mongoose Strike Boy’s BMX Bike (20-Inch Wheels) here.
Classy GT El Centro BMX Bike dirt bike Reviews
Aug 19th
More information on GT El Centro 16″ BMX Freestyle Bike (16-Inch Wheels) here.
Economical WeeRide Co-Pilot Bike dirt bike Ratings
Aug 19th
I’ve been a competitive bike racer for the last 10 years (road races and criteriums) and I was looking for a way to include my 4.5 year old daughter in some of my rest day rides. This weeride is easy to set up and is remarkably stable when pulled.
First I had it connected to my townie single speed but since it only weighs 15lbs it was pretty unsteady as the weeride outweighed it by a large margin. Then I hooked it up to my Trek Fuel full suspension mtn bike and the ride is much better and more stable. I’ve got slick tires on it right now and it rolls easily.
My daughter loves riding behind me around the neighborhood and it’s a great way for me to do an easy spin for an hour or so as a rest day from heavy training. Her ride is safe and stable and we both love it. Highly recommended. I did put a mirror on my bars to keep an eye on her and for traffic. Btw she’s smallish for a 4yo and I’ve got the seat all the way down and it fit’s her fine.
I agree with the other reviewers regarding the excellent build quality of this “trailer bike.” I was very skeptical about the quality, given the unbelievable price (compare to Trek etc.), but decided to give it a shot anyway.
Setup was pretty easy. The only problem was that the seatpost wouldn’t go all the way into the frame, which was a must in order for my 4.5 yr old to ride. I needed to jam a scrap metal pipe into the frame’s seat tube a couple times in order to knock loose some chunks of metal flashing that were preventing the seatpost from going all the way in. Once that was done though, everything was great. As for attaching to the lead bike, there is a “hitch receiver” that bolts onto the seatpost of the lead bike. The lead bike needs 2 inches of exposed seatpost in order to attach the hitch receiver. The WeeRide attaches to the hitch receiver exactly as would an automobile trailer hitch, except that the WeeRide comes with a quick release bolt for easy attachment/detachment to/from the lead bike. The hinge for folding the WeeRide is also secured by a quick release bolt. Those two quick releases are all you need to mess with when you want to go for a ride. Very simple!
The bike is *almost* too big for my 4.5 yr old daughter to ride. She was freaked out at first because, even with the seat all the way down, she can’t touch the ground with her feet. And the hinged coupling between the seatpost “hitch” and the WeeRide frame has a little play in it, so it felt a bit wobbly to my daughter at first. But once she got used to the idea that she’s firmly attached to Dad’s bike, and Dad’s bike doesn’t tip over 
, she started to enjoy herself. More about fit: the crankarms on the WeeRide are pretty long, so I expect my kids to be able to enjoy it for as long as we want to. It will take a *very* long time for the kids to physically outgrow this bike.
A few thoughts about safety. First of all, the WeeRide does not have any braking capability. The copilot’s choices are to pedal or to freewheel. This is good, since it ensures that the copilot can’t lock up the back wheel. It seems like that might potentially cause problems (think jackknifed 18-wheelers). Second, the “pilot,” or lead bicyclist, needs to avoid bumps as much as possible, and if not possible, the pilot needs to warn the copilot, just as on a tandem bike. The copilot can *not* see straight ahead when riding! Third, the pilot must avoid any sudden movements if possible. Don’t stop too hard, accelerate too suddenly, or turn too quickly! It’s very easy for the copilot to space out and relax a bit too much, since they don’t have to do any work! Warn in advance before turning etc. if possible.
All that said, my 4.5 yr old daughter LOVES being a copilot! This half-bike allows my wife, my 7 year old son, my daughter and I to all go on rides together and explore a lot more than we could when my daughter was riding her little 16″ bike with training wheels. Much more enjoyable for all this way!
More information on WeeRide Co-Pilot Bike Trailer here.
Professional Schwinn Exit Freewheel Road Bike dirt bike as a Gift
Aug 18th
I’ll break my experience into chunks for easier reading…
This bike SMALL. I didn’t measure the frame, but unlike the couple of reviews I read that claimed it was a “bigger” men’s bike, it’s not even a close fit for my 6′1″ stature. Best guess is the frame is about 54cm. Someone my height should be riding a 58-61cm. -1 star for sizing ambiguity.
This bike is not in the Schwinn catalog. This is because it is a Schwinn licensed Pacific product. The manual that comes with it says Pacific. When I called the included tech support number for questions about what tools I need to put it together (because they’re not listed–surprise, surprise) it was through Pacific. I understand that Pacific owns Schwinn (or visa versa?), but there is a huge difference in quality between the products of the respective brands. Furthermore, a bike like this will have no resale value. -1 star for brand distortion.
Yes, this bike is inexpensive, but it exudes its cheapness from every single component. There are a ton of ugly plastic parts on this bike. The handlebars feel flimsy and awkward–and are a really strange shape and size. The brakes are a safety hazard and the wheels look and feel like plastic. Also, there is NO flip-flop hub for fixie mode and the freewheel gear ratio is terrible. The only nice thing about this bike is the finish–if hot-rod red is your thing. -1 star for failing to include $280 worth of quality bike parts.
When I ultimately retuned this little toy bike, my main return reason was: safety hazard. Between Amazon not refunding my shipping back and what I paid at UPS to package it back up, I lost about $80. -1 star for my overall experience.
With my new net bike budget of $200 I ended up putting that money toward a Fuji Feather (which was on sale at Performance for $400) and I haven’t looked back.
My best advice for someone looking to start riding single speed/fixie is either invest in a quality brand name new bike (such as a “genuine” Schwinn Madison) and prepare to spend a minimum of $400 OR put that $280 toward a well-built and cared for vintage/used road bike. Craigslist and bike shops specializing in used bikes are a great place to start.
Great bike. Had an old 10 speed schwinn in law s chool and this feels just as sturdy and way lighter. Hills are tough now, but I’m out of shape, slightly downhill or straights are great. I just wish there were more bikes on our roads…the color’s good too, normally I go for black, but I like being more visible since no one looks for bikes in L.A. even in the bike lanes.
More information on Schwinn Exit Freewheel Single Speed Road Bike (700c Wheels) here.
Classy Schwinn Ridge AL Mountain Bike dirt bike Details
Aug 18th
You cannot beat this bicycle for the price. It is actually fabricated in the same overseas factories that Giant builds their frames. It also is the same as the entry-level Chinese-imported Trek frame.
As for Mrs. Roberts and her problems……hate to say it, but each and every problem/symptom you described is a symptom/problem indicating a poor assembly and adjustment. You should have taken the bike(s) to a professional bicycle shop and had the mechanic there do a tune-up on your bike….all those problems would and could have been avoided completely. Chain shifting problems, chain-drop and jamming, wheel loose….all adjustment and assembley problems.
Why do I say this? I was a bike mechanic for approx. 7 years and saw many, many bicycles bought from mass-market merchandisers and over the internet with the same exact problems after the poor or unskilled assembly. Even the bikes the “real” bike shops get have to be assembled and adjusted before they are sold. So, please don’t blame the bicycle as being defective, blame the root cause…..the poor assembly and unskilled adjustment of the bicycles.
These bicycles are supposed to be “one size fits most” but the two different models are different in size.
The light blue one (smooth lines, #S2753) is more like a size LARGE with frame size 19″ (seat tube length 19″, horizontal top tube is approx. 22 1/2″). Surprisingly it has the same geometry as the male version (also 19″). An average man is taller than an average woman – thus the men’s bike should be bigger, right?
The silver/purple bike (sharp lines, #S2699) is a MEDIUM size with 17″ frame (seat tube length 17″, horizontal top tube is also approx. 22 1/2″ but because of the head angle the wheels itself are about 1″ closer to each other than wheels of the light blue model – beware if you have long feet). The male version of this model has 18″ frame.
As for my best judgement – I would recommend the light blue bike to a woman 5′3″ to 5′11″ tall with inseam 28-32″ and the silver/purple bike to a woman 5′0″ to 5′8″tall with 26-30″ inseam.
I am 5′9 1/2″ tall and the light blue model fits me great.
A note how to measure your INSEAM: Stand barefoot upright and measure the distance between your crotch and floor between your legs. Do not use your pant’s inseam measurement since different pant styles may result in different measurements.
I hope this helps. It is really confusing to have reviews of two different bikes mixed together without knowing which refers to which.
Click here to find out more about Schwinn Ridge AL Women’s Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels).
Stylish Huffy Newport Cruiser Bike dirt bike For Modern Life
Aug 17th
The bike arrived with a few small scratches and dents. It was difficult to put the bike together because the directions were poorly printed…the photos/diagrams were so dim I really couldn’t make them out. I haven’t got around to riding the bike yet…it’s sitting in my hallway. After putting the bike together and setting it on both tires, the tube in the front tire blew out before I had a chance to sit on the bike. I called to get a replacement tube; however,the seller wouldn’t replace just the tube. The seller offered to replace the entire bike; however, that meant I’d have to take the bike apart and repack it so I decided against returning the bike.
I was concerned when this bike arrived with several large (meaning small basketball) sized holes in the box. It didn’t appear that the bike was missing any pieces or damaged at all though. The only difficulty putting it together was with the front fender…without the picture on the box, there are no instructions on how to do it, but not too hard to figure out. Had to tighten the handlebars again once using it for awhile, but now I think they are set (had a male friend tighten them more). A male friend of mine rode this bike about 10 miles and really enjoyed the ride, especially the cushioned seat. This is great for short commutes or just getting around. Not great if you are planning going up and down a lot of hills as it is a bit heavy and doesn’t have any gears.
Click here to find out more about Huffy Womens Newport 26-Inch Cruiser Bike.
