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.
The drive train is setup for either snow or sand riding and my son seemed to ride comfortably. Mongoose made a sound decision considering the weight that a child must pedal. Having a wider gear range makes for a versatile bike that can conquer the terrain. Shifting worked out of the box and functioned well.
I don’t know of many that go smaller from there either. Hopefully some training will allow him to be able to climb on his own for some of the ride. Sticking to flat nordic type trails for fat biking in the snow might be our best bet. Really, this frame is most likely a back up bike for a family of enthusiasts that want their child to join the fat biking they do in the winter. While the Mongoose Argus Trail is trail worthy, there are other bikes that do trail riding better. There is a low level shimano hydraulic disc brake kit that is SO NICE compared to the cable disc brakes.
Gradual climbing up our neighborhood trails was OK for a while. Eventually he would tire out and need the tow rope. As you can imagine, my 70-pound child really struggles pushing 50% of his body weight uphill with mongoose dirt bike the Argus. The Trax tow rope was an absolute must with this bike.
They do really well on dirt but they are also very capable in the snow. Packed snow will feel very much like riding on dirt. Pushing through heaps of freshly fallen snow will provide more of a challenge and there will be some days when riding is simply impossible. However, fat bikes make it so riders don’t have to omit a season from their calendar. Embrace the thrill of outdoor cycling with the Mongoose fat tire bike. Built to weather different terrains, it promises an exciting and safe ride.
Luckily, we have tow ropes to mitigate the complaints. My son has grown to like down hill riding better than cross country. When we climb he lets the complaining come flying out. Mongoose utilizes house branded parts to cover contact points like the grips, pedals and seat.
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.
Discover how many more trails you can grind your way up, how many out-of-the-way p… Zip between classes and haul your stuff with ease on a hybrid. With features like cargo racks and suspension forks, they combine function and comfort for the perfect campus ride. However, the Axum comes with a dropper post and features wider and more stable 2.6″ tires. At the time of publication, the Mongoose Switchback Expert was selling for $549 compared to $399 for the Switchback Comp. At its full retail price of $949, the Switchback Expert is overpriced.
When break-in didn’t help, I installed Shimano SM-RT56 Disc Brake Rotors (6-Bolt, 160mm) and Shimano BR-M375 Disc Brake Calipers. Was tempted to go hydraulic, but didn’t want to spend the money for possible over-kill. My son was apprehensive to let mongoose dirt bike loose with the rigid platform. He did say that he noticed a difference in the handling with the big tires and it felt kind of like his Kawasaki KLX 110.
Brands include Specialized, Mongoose, Polaris, Kona, Gravity, Kawasaki, Borealis and more! Manufacturers are creating frames out of tons of different materials including aluminum, carbon, titanium, bamboo, real steel, and Wal-Mart steel. Most fat-bikes that you will come across have a fully rigid frame. However fat bikes with front fork suspension and full-body suspension have started to emerge. Compared to bikes from other major brands like Specialized and Trek, the Mongoose Switchback Expert offers a pretty similar value.