Mongoose Bosberg

Price Paid:  $1700.00 at Performance

Favorite Ride:
OT Resevoir Loop

Bike Setup:
This is for the 2007 Mongoose Bosberg Carbon ($2700 retail)
Sram Rival Double Tap

Easton EA90 SL wheels

Stock Kore I Beam seatpost, saddle, stem and bars.

Forte carbon bottle cages

Cateye Strada Wireless Computer

Summary:
This bike is a STEAL and you should get one while you can. I was contemplating spending $4k on a Ridley but took a chance on this bike after reading reviews. The last guy who had a mechanical issue should have gotten another frame. Too bad for him. This bike is stable, fast and solid. No need to spend big money on carbon frames when most are made in China. They should pass the savings onto consumers so you can get a great ride at this price.

This bike is LIGHT. The 15.8lbs stock in a medium as stated in online review is not a lie. I knocked off another pound with new wheels but the Kore spin up well. The SRAM Rival is a revelation. It works just as well as my Shimano and shifts efficiently.

The bike is superb in every way when you factor in the price. The $2700 retail is realistic and the price I paid is a joke for such a fine bike. The Sram Double Tap took 2 seconds to get used to and works.

Strengths:
Light, Light Light bike. You cannot find a lighter bike for this price. New wheels can knock off another pound easily and will put you in the upper 14 lb range without pedals. Not an exaggeration.

The paint, decals and shaped tubes on this bike are fantastic. It will surprise you as it did me and the shop owner that assembled it and who sell Orbeas, Pinnarellos and Colanagos.

Sram Rival easily equals my Shimano stuff. The Kore components are satisfactory and the saddle is surprisingly comfortable and light.

The bike is responsive and stiff. Steering is definitely quicker than my other bikes, but it is not a negative.

Weaknesses:
Kore Wheelset is on heavy side at 1930 grams. They spin up nicely though and don't need to be replaced but that was my choice. The handlebars, stem and seatpost/I Beam saddle are inexpensive but do their job. I am contemplating replacing with all carbon controls, but $600 in cost would barely save 6 ounces so for now, I keep them. Did pick up Easton EA90 SL wheels for $470 on Ebay new in the box.

Similar Products Used:
Litespeed Classic

Litespeed Vortex

Litespeed Solano

Trek 5500

Scott Speedster

Fondriest

Scapin

Price Paid:  $1899.00 at Performance

Favorite Ride:
Short sprints

Bike Setup:
Off the shelf--no modification

Summary:
I liked the bike, but knocking (the mechanics at Performance could never fix) in the bottom bracket led me to seek a full refund from Performance.

In the future, I'll buy gear from Performance, but never another bike.

Strengths:
Strong smooth braking. Good on hills and the flats.

Weaknesses:
Overly sensitive steering, particularly on fast descents. Noisy Sram chain should be replaced with something smoother.

Similar Products Used:
This was my first carbon bike. With my refund I'll probably pick-up something from Giant or Felt.

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Price Paid:  $1600.00 at Performance Bicycles

Favorite Ride:
Big climbs

Bike Setup:
Compact Rival crank, FSA Wing Pro aluminum handlebars, Thomson Elite setback seatpost with Terry Fly saddle.

Summary:
I bought this bike on sale at Performance with an additional 10% off plus 10% back in team points. On my initial test rides I found the bike to be stiffer than my 5 year old Trek 5200. I wanted to try out the new Double-Tap shifting and between the sale, extra discount, and team points it was a deal I couldn't pass up.

I ride a 60cm Trek and found that the Large Bosberg would have a similar top tube length (58cm). I found an XL Bosberg in the first Performance store I tried and could see it had too long a top tube for me. I found a Large in another nearby store and purchased it.

The first thing I did was apply my team points towards a compact Rival crank. My first ride or two were with the 53/39 crank, but I like hilly rides and find that the compact gearing lets me spin a little easier and save me knees on the tougher hills.

I quickly found that the otherwise very comfortable handlebars had one flaw for me. The tops came out very wide before making a 90º turn to the front. As a result my forearms would hit the bars when trying to sprint out of the saddle while my hands were in the drops. I replaced the bars with FSA Wing Pro bars and find them more comfortable. If you don't stand while in the drops you will probably have no complaints about the stock bars.

I found the I-Beam saddle that came with the bike more comfortable than the stock saddles on other bikes I've bought. Usually I don't even try to ride the stock saddle on a new bike. In this case it was comfortable enough that I gave it a try for the first few rides, but I was having trouble with it beyond 40 or 50 miles. Not wanting to chance anything with a century ride coming up, I replaced the seatpost with a Thomson Elite setback post and installed my favorite Terry Fly saddle.

I initially had trouble holding a straight line on this bike when descending. I am used to my 5200 which feels like it is on rails up to and over 50 mph. On the Bosberg I found I was swerving left and right as I descended. Now with over 400 miles on the bike I think I am getting more confident on descents. I think the bike handles a little faster than my 5200 and I need to be smoother on it to keep it in line. The bike corners very well.

Overall I think this bike is probably 95% as good as other bikes costing twice as much. Even with the extra money I put into the new cranks, bars, and seatpost, it was a bargain.

I really like the SRAM Rival drivetrain. The compact crank can use all 10 rear gears in the big ring without derailleur rub. Having just the one lever to shift in either direction makes the shifting intuitive. Coming from years of using Shimano STI, I had no trouble adjusting and can just think "easier" or "harder" and I automatically make the correct shift.

Strengths:
Light weight, stiff and responsive when out of the saddle. SRAM drivetrain shifts as well as or better than Shimano Ultegra.

Weaknesses:
Handling may be a little too quick. Stock handlebars and seatpost/saddle may not be to everyone's liking.

Similar Products Used:
2003 Trek 5200 OCLV w/Ultegra STI.

Price Paid:  $1750.00 at Performance Bike

Favorite Ride:
Dayton River Coridoor

Bike Setup:
Large size.
Factory stock w/ Profile-Design AirStryke Aerobar
Sampson pedals

Summary:
I bought this bike at the Performance Bike grand opening after reading about it all summer. (Grand opening discount and 20% weekend.) I’m 6’1”, 180, not you “typical” roadie. The bike is light, fast, stable, and really handles the bumps and road vibrations. It seems to climb hills better than my Cannondale. I moved from down tube shifters and felt the SRAM were more intuitive than the Shimano. The shifting is crisp, even while hammering. No problem with the I-Beam seat, very adjustable and plenty of room for a seat bag.

Strengths:
Weight. Component group. Price. Durability. I took a bad spill during a time trial when the front wheel slid on gravel off a soft shoulder and flipped. I cracked my helmet, broke my scapula (shoulder), and bruise my hip badly. Except for scraped handlebar tape & seat and a derailleur adjustment, the bike was undamaged; didn’t even bend the wheel! It will be spring before I can ride again but the bike will be ready. Buy a good helmet and wear it!

Weaknesses:
Get it properly fitted! The compact geometry is different and the old “rules of thumb” didn’t seem to apply. I had to lower the seat several times before I felt effective power; that position placed my thighs higher and took some riding to feel familiar. There is no room to raise the stem so I remain in an aggressive posture. Large bottle is difficult to place in seat tube braze on, small works fine.

Similar Products Used:
Owned
Fuji Sport 10
Trek 310 (80s vintage steel)
Cannondale CAAD3

Tested
Trek Pilot 2.1
Trek 5200
Scattante CFR Comp
Scattante CFR Elite

Price Paid:  $1899.00 at Performance Bike

Favorite Ride:
Capitol Crescent Trail

Bike Setup:
SRAM Rival Group Compact Crankset, Zero Gravity Ti Brakes, Campagnolo Shamal Ultra Wheels, Thomson Masterpiece seatpost, Specialized Toupe saddle, Ritchey 90mm stem, Easton Equipe 40cm Carbon Fiber Handlebar, Dura Ace 12-27 Cassette

Summary:
This bike is a Performance Bike exclusive and is the only Mongoose road bike currently made. After riding the Bosberg and several other much more expensive bikes (Cervelo, Merckx, Pinarello) I decided that the Bosberg was more than 95% as good as these other bikes and less than half the money. I weigh over 200 lbs and must ride this bike down a very steep long hill with less than ideal road surface to get to my favorite ride.... The bike stays planted at high speed. The frame has a good balance of stiffness and ride quality. Not too harsh over bumps at speed, instant acceleration from the stiff bottom bracket and Rival cranks. The bike also corners well, it pins any line I need it to.

For less than $2000.00 I don't believe you can get another ride that equals this one in quality of components and ride. I don't know whether or not Mongoose intentionally engineered this machine or just gut lucky speccing out parts and having the frame built by some outside contractor, but whichever happened, they certainly ended up with a superb product. I would buy one again.

Strengths:
Frame just works... it is stiff in the proper areas (bottom bracket) and soaks up road imperfections without feeling sloppy or unstable. Cost is second to none, a great value for the money. My bike (small size) weighed less than 16 lbs stock.

Weaknesses:
Kore components that round out the bike can be improved. Handlebars are not too comfortable, wheels are heavy. The saddle was not to my liking and is an I-beam saddle so I had to change the post too. There are now no Kore products left on my bike, the last one was the stem, I replaced that with a Ritchey for fit.

Similar Products Used:
Merckx CHM (I own one), Pinarello 3:13 (tested), Cervelo R3 (tested

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