The 8-speed drivetrain with a single chainring up front promises ease of operation, though some buyers might find the gear range limiting, especially on steep or long uphill climbs. My chain fell off the chainring on one particularly bumpy descent, but otherwise, it held up pretty well despite lacking a narrow-wide chainring or a clutched derailleur. The problem with a fork upgrade, aside from the expense, is that you’ll likely need to get a new front wheel too since the included fork features a 9mm, non-Boost, quick release axle. It’s a fat tire BMX bike like a monster truck on two wheels with the Argus MX 20″ fat-tire BMX bike from Mongoose. People who don’t want to be restricted by a regular bike’s carrying capacity should look into cargo bikes.
I worried about flat tires so I added a bit more pressure than I usually run on my other bikes—about 20-25psi—and I recommend buyers do the same. However, if you’re like many of my non-bike friends asking for a bike recommendation and want to ride on the road, and maybe off road a little, the Switchback Expert could be a good fit. The drivetrain is generally pretty quiet when pedaling on smooth surfaces, though things start to clang the mongoose fat bike faster (and rougher!) you ride. With the included flat pedals, the Mongoose Switchback Expert weighs 33.9lb (size XL) which isn’t too far off what a more expensive full suspension mountain bike might weigh. The bike has a clean, modern look thanks to internal cable routing and a short 40mm stem with medium-wide, 720mm bars. The geometry is fairly modern for a department store bike, with a 66.5° head tube angle and a 75° seat tube angle.
The brand is considered one of the American originals alongside Specialized and Trek, and makes a similar range of bikes across the cycling spectrum. The Topstone 1 is a popular alloy choice that allows riders to go a bit higher on components without the need for a full carbon setup. Since its inception in 1972 in Taiwan, Giant Bicycles has emerged as one of the world’s largest bicycle manufacturers. With a focus on research and development, Giant continually pushes the boundaries of bicycle technology, offering a wide range of bikes suited for various riding disciplines.
The Schwinn Axum is a bike that’s priced similarly to the Mongoose Switchback Expert (the brands share a parent company), though it weighs more and is only offered in a couple of sizes. However, the Axum comes with a dropper post and features wider and more stable 2.6″ tires. 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. This is one change that could make sense for some buyers, though percentage-wise, it’s a big addition.
If part of your calculation for buying the Mongoose Switchback Expert is that you might upgrade parts over time, I say look at another bike. If you just want a bike that you’re going to ride as-is for as long as possible, the Switchback Expert could be the right choice. Pacific cycle made even more this year so anyone that wants this bike ? My rough estimate, there is around little over 6000 units sold since 2019.
According to Hess, at its largest stage of expansion, BMX Products, Inc. employed about 85 people. In its early years, Hess recalled that about 600 frames per day were produced at its Chatsworth, Los Angeles location. He did a good video recently on some more budget parts (including hydraulic disc brakes) as well as he has been playing with a Walmart MTB recently. I had one for awhile that I didn’t ride very much, turns out I hate riding in the snow anyway. They are heavy but like it’s said above, more of a workout.