Many 40-somethings desire those old days of freedom and youth. In some cases, companies like SE still deliver bikes to those adults who still have that kid in them. But what about those who came before the PK Ripper? Where are the days of the cantilever frames with BMX bars? Or the holy grail of cool BMX bikes--my brother's Chatsworth Mongoose. For some of us, we relive this youth every time we ride our mountain bikes. Heck, my first mountain bike was that cantilevered BMX bike at age 8. So the search began. Find a fun BMX bike that an adult could ride, and if I couldn't find it, then build one! Enter the Mongoose Malus, modified with vintage touches and upgrades that allow it to be ridden in the dirt!
Mongoose Malus Chatsworth Edition
- Thread starter HB Tommy
- Start date
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That's pretty cool! I have my old "real" Mongoose and I've got a Dolomite. I better stop even thinking about this before I find myself "needing" to create a set of 26x4 Motomags.
Oh I hate it, I only bought it to ride at Burning Man then use as a parts donor.
Test rode the Malus in the dirt and sand today, and it did surprisingly well. Somethings I need to do is switch over to tubeless to reduce the rotation mass--BB7s had tough time on the steep decents and the stem needs to be heavily tightened to secure those BMX bars.
These things are great Burning Man bikes because the desert surface is sometimes very soft silty dirt and the bigger the tires, the better. They need a seat and handlebar swap right away. I put cruiser bars on mine.
They are HEAVY! But then, so is a Dyno Roadster or a '40s cruiser with everything on it.
I think my biggest dislike is the mountain bike styling.
They are HEAVY! But then, so is a Dyno Roadster or a '40s cruiser with everything on it.
I think my biggest dislike is the mountain bike styling.
Updated the Mongoose to a BMX stem and rode it hard on the trail yesterday. It took the punishment well. Heavy, clumsy, and somewhat forgiving, this bike has a lot of character. I was blown away by it's climbing capabilities. It did not care if it was a rock garden or rutted trail, it went through everything! I passed several young hikers and I could tell by their dead silence that they were in disbelief of getting passed by this oversized jalopy. Because of the bike's solid build, a few upgrades on the drivetrain, and the rewoked bearing assemblies, it makes very little noise. The only thing the hikers heard was the oversized tires processing and consuming the imperfections of the trail. I am confident that they took bets on whether it would make to the top. But it did,--nonestop.
With each ride, I learn a little bit more about the Mongoose's character which is a welcomed change from my predictable and elegant handling 29ers.
Attached is a pic of the BMX stem upgrade. Solid and heavy, it gives confidence on the trail.
One thing I have learned: Don't mix a BMX bar with a mountain bike stem.
With each ride, I learn a little bit more about the Mongoose's character which is a welcomed change from my predictable and elegant handling 29ers.
Attached is a pic of the BMX stem upgrade. Solid and heavy, it gives confidence on the trail.
One thing I have learned: Don't mix a BMX bar with a mountain bike stem.
Attachments
Nice love the sticker kit. Looks a little more comfortable to ride that way rather than stock .I was going to cut the one up I bought on craigslist for a project but 80's nostalgia just kicked in. I had a 24" Mongoose Kos kruiser when I was A kid. I feel a project coming on.
