Customer Reviews

Mongoose Maxim Women's Dual-Suspension Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I love my 7 yr old sister but she should never be given the task of engineering a bike and now I know the same is true for whoever designed this little gem. Let me start off by saying, prior to this purchase I have always been satisfied with all my Walmart, K-mart, Crapmart bikes I've owned over the years. It doesn't take much to satisfy me in the bike department so for me to rate a bike one star says a lot. My boyfriend put the bikes together (we also purchased the men's version of this exact bike). It took awhile to get the brakes adjusted just right but overall everything seemed alright. He got on first and as soon as he turned out of the parking lot I heard the sound of his foot skidding along the front tire. At first I thought his size 13 feet were the culprit, but then I got on my bike and sure enough my size 7s were sliding down the tire as well. Turns out that anytime you turn the bike the front tire comes within two inches of the front of the petal. So if you're someone who thinks their feet may hang at least two inches off the front of the petal don't buy this bike. It's almost as if the frame of the bike was designed for a child and then they just threw on adult tires, seats, and handle bars. Within 5 minutes on the bikes we both agreed these bikes must go back. I'm still baffled as to how these bikes passed the legal requirements required for bicycles. I don't know what the requirements are but dang! Talk about low standards! These bikes are a lawsuit waiting to happen. On the bright side, because I purchased these bikes from Amazon directly I got a full refund including shipping cost. Oh Amazon!... how I love you so...

WARNING: If you are unfamiliar with road bikes and mountain bikes and you can not adjust the derailleur using hex keys, screwdrivers and other tools when it gets out of alignment or you are unwilling to use toe clips to keep your foot from extending in front of the pedal then STOP. Also if you think that you really can use all 21 speeds - STOP. If you think your feet should be able to rest flat on the ground while you are on the seat - STOP. You probably do not know enough about bikes and you will probably hurt yourself on this bike. Go to a bike shop and buy from them and get them to give you instruction and set up your bike. You can't ride a mountain bike like you rode your trusty old Schwinn when you were a kid. Like all mountain bikes, this is not recommended for a child because of the amount of maintenance needed for safety.

Like most bikes, adjust everything following the 50 page instruction booklet. Tighten everything. Ride the bike carefully and a little more aggressively. Then re-adjust and tighten everything again. I found that some things worked pretty loose after the shakedown ride.

Pros:
Dual suspension (seat is on a spring loaded frame isolated from rear wheel and the front fork has springs and shock absorbers.
Gear shifts are the twist type located on the handle bars. Hand brakes are decent quality. Overall a good value, but not a great bike at a bargain basement price.

Cons:
Well, nothing really that you would not expect: The seat, wheels, and components are mediocre. That's what you paid for. It is a little tricky to mount on my hitch-mounted bike rack.
Some people will find the mounting of the front wheel to get in the way of your feet and to be unstable for steering, but this is what a mountain bike is supposed to do. The seat is also hard for the novice, and you will want a gel seat cover.

I got it for my wife, who is used to the old generic cruising bikes from the 50's. I was a little surprised at how much you get for $160 so I might be a little more favorable in my review than you might be. This is certainly no $1000 mountain bike, but I did not expect it to be.

This arrived in one day! It was double boxed and arrived FedEx in perfect shape. Putting it together was relatively easy, compared to my $500 road bike. When my road bike came two years ago, it took a few hours to get it adjusted and ready to ride. This Mongoose required a 5 minute adjustment to the front brake, but was otherwise pretty ready to go in 15 minutes. It is a little tricky to get the front wheel through the front brake pads, but everything else was easy. I assume you know that the left pedal has a reverse thread, just like most other bikes. You also should really consider mounting toe clips before you ride the bike. Otherwise just remember to keep your toes on the pedals, never the middles of your feet.

For me, the bike feels slightly weird because I am not accustomed to the suspension. My wife complained of the unstable steering and having to keep her toes back and out of the way of the front wheel. I am going to swap out pedals so she has some toe clips to keep her feet in the right place. Again, if you want a bike that you can ride with no hands, go get a different kind of bike.

The bike is geared pretty low, at least for someone used to a road bike. But is seems to be pretty much perfect for riding around the campsite where we go camping, and climbing on trails. Don't expect to ride 20+ miles per hour on a flat road.

My wife learned to ride the bike in about an hour. We decided that it is best for her to leave the gears set for the middle chain ring (in the front) and then shift the cassette in the back. This way she can not get a bad combination of gears and she gets most of the range she is interested in. She decided that the seat is definitely too hard and is getting a gel seat cover for Christmas. I needed to make several additional adjustments after she began riding the bike. This is normal for this type of bike.

I respond to all comments, so if you have a question, don't hesitate to post a comment.

Nice bike, easier to assemble then expected. Wasn't sure about buying an unassembled bike online. Actually, looked all over for one first locally. Really liked the style of this one and I didn't want to settle for just anything. Happy I went with this one love it! Only minor issue I had was the height, I'm 5'4" and had to remove the reflector to lower the seat enough to reach the ground.

This bike was a gift-- very nice looking-- and I was excited to use it! Upon riding for the first couple of times, I found my feet hitting the front feel upon every turn. I am average height-- 5'4" so it is not because I am too tall or have big feet. The bike has to be returned =( or at least exchanged. This is a safety issue as far as I'm concerned.

This bicycle was awesome - I bought it for my wife and she loves it - its sturdy and was very easy to assemble out of the box. It also didn't break my bank account - awesome intro product

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I ROAD THIS BIKE AND AS I WAS RIDING THE MEDAL PIECE THAT HOLDS THE CHAIN ON BROKE OFF AND JAMED THE WHEEL

I bought this bike for short trail riding and family time.....not to fly down a mountain and do stunts. I did not purchase through Amazon as the local outdoors store had it on special for $74.99. It was already assembled and all I had to do was tweak the tightness of the bolts and adjust the brakes for rubbing the tire instead of the rim. For what I paid I get a decent bike to ride with the kids (I don't need speed to keep up with a preschooler) or when we go camping. If my skill and fitness level/ interest gets higher as the kids get older.....I will definately have to get a more comforable bike (probably a road bike) for those longer rides. I've never had a high end bike....and found this a little better than the last schwinn cruiser I owned....I love the squishiness of the suspension.

If I could do it all over again, I would stay away from this bike that I purchsed for my g/f. It arrived with the box damaged, a big hole in the box where the peddles punctured through leaveing a hole. The stem wedge must have fallen out of that hole in the box, so I couldn't even attach the handlebar. I had to get another one to make it work. Parts were a bit bent. The paint was skuffed/removed on parts of the bike from all the parts rubbing on each other in the box. Finally after assembly, the inner tube would not inflate due to a tear. If it were a smaller item I would have sent it back, but I was just tired of the hassle after making some of the repairs and needed the bike for the weekend. I was expecting more from a company with this brand name stamped on it, maybe its just a cheap bike but even cheap bikes shouldn't come with all this BS.

The bike looked great and I tested it myself. It was a gift for my girlfriend. The first day she rode it the front wheel came off and she had to get stitches on her chin. No clue why or what happened all I know is I haven't heard the complaining lessen. Oh Well.