A decent enough bike.
Written: Jan 24 '09 (Updated Jan 24 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap
Solid so far.
Cons: Too much documentation
The Bottom Line: Not a bad bike, but there is no overwhelming reason to recommend it over any other.
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| blakdogg's Full Review: Mongoose Tyax Comp |
Overview
I purchased the Tyax on-line, site unseen without even bothering to ensure the size I was purchasing would fit me. In order to save what seemed like more than a hundred dollars, or run the risk of purchasing a stolen bike I went with the Amazon fit chart. The result is encouraging, the bike fits as expected, it is a bit low but this is the norm
for mountain bikes. I think the manner in which I purchased the bike, gives you an idea about my approach to riding.
Setup
The bike comes in parts, if memory serves, the wheels, the pedals, the handle and the seat have to be attached. I also think the fork may have to be primed ... my inability to figure this out is the reason for this reviews title. And will be addressed ad nauseam.
Attaching the wheels, seat, etc, is a relatively straightforward operation for anyone with tools, coordination and experience putting together a bike. The Tyax ships with what I am sure the nice folks at Mongoose consider instructions, and they are written in English, but they are not written in a manner that one would consider useful. I must admit there are quite a bit of documentation. If you do have a reasonable understanding of how a bicycle works, and more importantly understand the meaning of "securely fastened" you should be able to assemble the bike. The parts are well machined, but a bit heavy so don't expect to breeze through.
The bike has a suspension fork, which should absorb shock by compressing. The feature is common on most mountain bikes and is present on the Tyax. There is a separate 'page' that explains the workings of the fork - how to take it apart etc. But there doesn't seem to be any document explaining how to use the fork. Let me explain, I don't think the fork ships activated, I think you have to do so when you assemble the bike. At this point I should note that the Mongoose comes with two guides, one for the fork and a user manual. The manual includes useful information like ride height - and other stuff that you should know already, to be honest.
Comfort
Mountain bikes are not very comfortable and in this arena the Tyax does not disappoint. The seat is lightly padded and became uncomfortable after 30-60 minutes of riding, but I haven't ridden in a long while - 5-10 years. The handle is not much better, the knobby grip quickly starts to irritate the hands and the low handlebar places pressure on the shoulder. To be blunt, this is what you get when you buy a mountain bike, it is not intended to be comfortable. Rather, it is intended to hold up to a punishing ride.
Performance
I mostly ride on the pavement, where the Tyax' large tires makes a bit of a racket and delivers a firm but adequate ride. When going off pavement, on a gravel path or mud path the bike handles well. I have not observed any damage due to doing this, and I felt as comfortable off pavement as I did on the pavement.
The bike appears well made, which means the gears and other machinery works nicely. I have had a problem with the chain slipping of the front gear, but this may be due to it hitting the wall on the way down the stairs. I am also not able to get the chain onto the smallest rear cog. I cannot figure out the instructions to adjust the gearing properly. I may have to go to a bike shop to get his fixed.
It is not quick as it is a heavy bike as all mountain bikes are. It can be easily fetched by any male large enough to ride it, and it moves quickly enough but you wont be able to hang with the road bikes.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
blakdogg
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Location: NY
Reviews written: 60
Trusted by: 4 members
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