I just bought this bike just because I haven’t had a bike in many years and for $60 at Walmart I couldn’t resist for the price. I really love the retro styling imo. I will say for how cheap it was it definitely isn’t half bad.
I bought a Hotshot used($70) because of the similarities to the Cutback. A fun bike to get me back into riding after many years, but that twist shift+derailleur combo sucked a lot of the magic out of the experience over the months. Seemingly kept losing any adjustments I made and could never get it to shifter to the lowest gear. Have a better ride now for around town, but I still have a soft spot for the Hotshot. When I have time to make sure it is safe, I'll donate her to some one else who can also put it to use. :)
I have this bike I got it earlier this year and have easily put 100+ miles on it. I would like to upgrade the brakes and shifter but for now it does what I need it to do
I found a Hot Shot frame next to a trash can in a city park , abandoned from a a homeless camp, stripped of every thing except the crank set. I strapped it to my own bike as I was commuting home from work. I eventually decided to build it up with parts I had laying around and from the local community bike shop. I found a matching fork at the bike shop, wheel set, BMX handlebar and 700x 40 tires, extra long seat post and saddle, plus a decent brake set. I went with a dinglespeed set up in the rear with 20 and 22T cogs and the original 42T crank in the front. I also found a rear rack and cheap panniers. I have to say I'm impressed by how the bike handles. It has a smooth ride and handles various terrain pretty well. I did a 60 mile gravel and bike path ride across town here in the Phoenix area . There was quite a bit of mud and standing water puddles due to recent rains and I didn't have any problems. I like that the frame has clearance for bigger tires if I decide to make a ghetto 29er out of it. I'm usually not a bike fan of Walmart bikes but I'm a fan of rigid singlespeed bikes. A lot of the basic steel frames with horizontal dropouts are perfect candidates for SS projects and do just fine for XC trail and gravel riding.
I bought this bike about 4 months ago because I got plantar fasciitis while running and needed an alternative. Have ridden it about 10 hours. Watched some videos about how to adjust the derailleur and brakes which it needed after 10 hours. Seems like a good bike to me - all that I needed.
I manage a bicycle co-op, and have seen my fair share of this particular bike come in for repairs. As low as $98 may seem, in short order they always end up costing more because the low quality brakes, gears, wheels, and bearings. They work poorly in the beginning, and work terribly within a short period of time. I *strongly* recommend anyone considering purchasing a Hotshot to spend a bit more, and/or get a better quality used bike.
Maybe I got a bike from a good batch and tuned it up but I've been riding my hotshot every weekday to and from university this past year and its still chugging along. I think I've put at least 200 miles riding on asphalt.
I really think you should build a bike on the *Dartmoor Hornet frame or Dartmoor Primal frame* . These are an absolute blast when it comes to the construction, a price point, the look, geometry, colors, sizes, and standards. In the case of Hornet for $200, you get an indestructible hard-core enduro hardtail frame. Primal is designated for the custom building of the trail bikes. Devil Red is the best available color you can imagine. Hornets are in jet-black or sth like that.
Now with the Covid-19 crisis, they sold out of those locally, deeply discounted for $59 for which I ran to the store and found out that the inventory listed online was incorrect and the bike was already gone. I totally agree that for $100 is (or was) the best deal at Walmart.(imagine $59!)...Like you pointed out, the Cutback was even better due to the Shimano components and thread-less headset. The Cutback's only problem at $99? Again, like you said, the 'scare me away' color(s), something which you may be able to solve with $10 worth of: 1 can of black or silver spray paint, 1 small roll of painter's tape/masking tape and a couple of sheets of sandpaper.
@@KevCentral front fork froze up completely came with 80mm of travel after one ride around town the front fork went to zero tried fixing it but couldn't get it to adjust out definitely would of been fun to upgrade.
I’ve got a hotshot. I’ve upgraded the brakes and brake levers and swapped the cabling house out with something in orange. I plan on upgrading a few other things as well (like that seat), so you may ask, why didn’t I just buy a better bike? My answer is, I wanted something cheap that I can learn to wrench on. It’s my first bike after 15 years and I never did learn how to maintain one properly back then. If I screw something up on this bike, it won’t hurt as much as screwing something up on a $500+ bike. Once I’ve gotten to a certain skill set I will probably upgrade, but for now it gets the job done and scratches that itch!
Saving up for a Raleigh Redux but I picked this up to get me by until then being that it's a similar style. Not a bad bike for the price, was setup pretty well right off the shelf, and nothing has broken yet(I've had it for 2½ months). Be sure to to tighten down any lug nuts right away as they tend to be loose from the factory. Also the decals peel off with ease if you're not into the flashy orange and blue, leaving you with a pretty cool all black finish.
I can tell you from my experience as a mechanic that the biggest flaws of the Hotshot are the stamped steel brakes and the single-walled rims. V-brakes made of stamped steel are literally made of a material that has already failed twice- once when it was stamped out and once when pressed into their shape. No matter how good these brakes are set up, they will never perform as well as any level of forged or cast aluminum brakes. As for the wheels, I've seen these wheels taco and buckle at even the most conservative efforts to true them and the hubs and prone to getting loose. Honestly the best feature of this bike is the horizontal dropout, so when the derailleur or the unserviceable shifter inevitably break, it's easy to set up single speed. However, $20 generic alloy brakes from amazon and another $20 derailleur/shifter combo can easily work around most of the flaws on this bike. Hate to be a debby-downer, but this is definitely the worst of the budget bikes and I don't believe is worth the price.
@@KevCentral I guess to avoid leaving my comment on such a negative note, the Schwinns definitely hold up the best among all of the big box bikes. I often use your videos to make recommendations to people as to what budget bikes they should look for and what upgrades can/should be done. I know my opinion is pretty skewed because I often only see these bikes when they're broken and in for repair. Keep up the good work!
I've put on 200+ miles on my Hotshot, it's a good value for the money. However, it's not built to last, my bottom bracket is basically toast and the rear hub has a lot of in and out play on it so the back wheel wobbles. Surprisingly, the shifter and derailer when properly lubed up and adjusted is one of the best things on the bike. The stock brake pads are awful and they wear out rather quickly, but a set of Bell V type pads for $10 - $15 (also at Wally world) actually gives the bike pretty good stopping performance when tuned up.
Couldnt resist to comment, but this bike in varying configurations is 39 dollars per 100 on Alibabas supplier page. Before the tariffs you could get a container full of 100 for 250 bucks shipping . You could get customized logos for a extra 15 dollars per bike as well.
I've had one for a couple months, swapped the pedals, tires, seat, rear pads. Removed the decals and I love this thing it's a rock but I've put some good miles on it. Ps changing the tires can soften the ride a lot
Hey Kev - I've seen some products online that allow you to use a post that works like a quill stem so that you can attach a threadless headset. Do you have experience with these? I think that would be a cool video considering you likely have some quill stem bikes you could change around and test it out on
I don't know Kev. The cost of the parts is really not that bad. A threadless converter is about $16, a 31.8 mm stem can be found for $17. Throw in a new handle bar for another $20 and for roughly $55 you have a bike that's better than what it was. Its to bad the Hotshot is not available in my local Walmart Stores.
I own 13 bicycles (2 of them eBikes) and I can say that my Hotshot isn't my favorite, but it is far from the worst one in my squad. I like it for it's simplicity and overall feel. For short trips (1-2 miles), or just some light exercise, I will choose this one.
I just bought one at Walmart for $59 on clearance.The rims aren't perfectly flat,the brakes are difficult to adjust,but I like the single front sprocket.The seat clamp is inferior.I've seen better clamps on toddler bikes.I'd like to try something else on the front brakes.
Walmart online has one clearanced for $59 to pick up at my local store! I think I might pick one up now finally my youngest can ride a bike now and dad can ride with all 3 of my boys. Honestly for $59 I don’t think I can go wrong. Maybe slowly upgrade pedals, brakes, etc. but believe “out of the box” it will suffice to ride along the greenway with my 7 and 5 yr olds. Thanks for the review!
This is an extremely common bike around my university. For the use of light commuting, quill stems are perfectly sufficient. I figure you add a tourney derailleur, a set of specialized armadillo tires, and you'd have a super reliable ride for sub $200.
It's really not worth upgrading the components - they are decent when properly adjusted. The reason I say this is the bearings will fail within a couple of hundred miles.
Way I see it the less gears you have, the less you need to maintain and less money you will be spending when fixing the bike. Which is why I tend to prefer single/fix geared bikes, if this was mine I would definitely drop it down to a single speed bike.
MR. CHEESEY SWEETROLL NOW WITH BACON I mostly agree, but riding a fixie literally feels like riding a seized freewheel to me, so one speed, yes. Fixie, I'd rather walk on injured legs, which I tend to get from fixies.
I loved the idea of the Cutback but I didn't manage to pick one up before they were discontinued. I was really hoping the hotshot would match it decently, but I'm honestly disappointed
I was looking at getting one of the two as their price is about the same, but to me just looking at it the frames don't look the same at all. The cut back seems to me to have a more horizontal top tube, giving it a more classic look.
I need a Pharmacy to deliver my meds. This guy on the Mongoose bike, could be my guy. Lol. That's the 1st thing I thought about when you said that. I am on a few meds but I pick them up on my Lectric XP or in my truck. It's just stomach meds though. The Pharmacist always says, you fly boy, go back home and get a motor vehicle for the drive thru and for some reason he always gets amazed at the back wheel moving, without a loud, and polluting pipe, at least that's how he describes the electric motor. He hands me my meds and says, zoom zoom, Every month. I thought about getting this Mongoose but my store has torney derailers on all 3 of them. They have a hard seat that is all black and looks like the cutbacks seat. No padding at all. The only reason why I was thinking about doing this is because I am thinking about getting a single speed sprocket and turning it into a single speed and ride it to places I will be looking it up. If it gets stolen, just buy another $100 bike and do it all over again. The 100c wheels would be better with coasting and I can put a lower gear in the back. I already lock up my cruiser bike from Walmart and I will just do the same, gets stolen, I will just get another. I have been thinking about looking into used bikes for the same purpose. Theft has been a major issue here and it has been getting worse. I am in a suburb of Detroit and the bad people are moving away from the more dangerous people in downtown and they are coming 40 miles west, towards me and I'll just give them less reason to take mine and it will hurt less to lose it. That's one reason why I love cheap bikes but $100 is still alot to me though. A $80 cruiser is even better. Lol.
This would be an awesome bike for me if it weren't for the skinny tires. I borrowed one from a friend, and pinch flattened the rear tire within the first half mile.
Its a great bike but requires a lot of repair in the beginning and in the end would be better off without the quill. The shifter is good but it isnt the best and it can be a pain sometimes. The number 1 part that is terrible about this bike are the brakes. They bend, are too loose, need to be adjusted. Hell for the past 2 weeks I have been riding with no brakes. However this thing can take a beating and still gets up and goes at it. I have owned the bike for about 2 months now and have put over 200+ miles and its does great on light hills and incredible on flats and down hills. But you defently want to get a different seat. You adjust within a week and brake it in to get it squishy but for long rides it starts to hurt. I'd recommend getting one for anyone trying to get into biking. As long as you go to a bike shop to get everything tuned up FIRST it should be a very good bike
I agree with Most on it, cheap and cheap made, but they discontinued at Walmart, rack only now for a whopping 68$, get your shot while it's hot! I got one, nice flat road bike, ride till the wheels fall off, which may be sooner than later
It would be fun to see what you think the bikes you've reviewed are worth. Maybe a segment after some videos, that would be awesome! And by the way, is the Schwinn Cutback back (pun intended) in store?
Quill to threadless adapter = flexability. The rear derailer should be fine. My wife has a TD 1 rear derailer, no problems since 2006. No tires to replace immediately. A plus. The Hotshot's trigger shifters are far from nice. I hate twist shifter's, but they do work. Re-route the cables and they can stay. Comparison overall? Seems equal. Worth $98 + tax? Yes.
Good basic bike I'm sure but considering it has such a simple drivetrain they could have stumped up for a Shimano rear derailleur and freewheel. The best type of cheap bike a simple bike, 1x drivetrain and no suspension. The sort of bike that can last many years. Typically those high tensile steel frames and forks are both comfortable and very strong at the expense of weight. If I was thinking of improvements to the bike, I'd probably go for a double wall rim for the rear wheel with a freehub and a 7 speed cassette. So basically I'd upgrade the rear wheel and have a much more solid bike with crisper shifting and less issues with the wheel going out of true plus it would be faster on the flats and easier up hills, i.e. I'd use something like a 11-34t 7 speed cassette. If they'd actually configured it like that from the factory it probably would have only cost about $129 but would be hugely improved. Still as it is a very usable bike.
all the "independent pharmaceutical vendors" in my area have cheap ccm and shwinn bikes, and for some reason they remove the brakes, and it not at fixie setup either
First off: I thought you said you weren't going to review this due to being a worse cutback. Seriously. I wish Mongoose made a refresh of the hotshot with a cutback's feature set. Second: Peel off some of the stickering and it is actually a pretty nice looking bike in my opinion. Third: This is what i'd been looking at for awhile because the local walmart has it. Too bad my eyes aren't cooperating. It doesn't look like a 'bad' bike. It looks like it is what it is and not trying to pretend to be a mountain bike. No worthless suspension. No 'attempting to look upscale with faux features' additions. basic frame. basic fork. If it had the trigger shifter and deralleur I'd say it's pretty solid.
It's honestly not that bad and the twist shifter might grow on you. It did for me coming from triggers. It's not super snappy but the goal is for it to work and that it does
The top tube seems to slope more in a relaxed fashion whereas the cutback seems to have a top tube that has no slope more like a race bike or fixie. I never saw the Cutback in store so I’m just judging based on that video and comparing to visual inspection of the Mongoose.
Kev, finally got my XP, however the rear brake is in dire need of adjustment. I had to cancel my maiden ride due to the unbearable noise. Also had a hard time keeping my feet on the pedals since I have always used straps on my bike. What do you think of moving my strapped pedals over to the XP? Bad idea?
Hey Kev, any thoughts on reviewing the Schwinn twinn tándem from Amazon? They sell it for around $500. Disc brakes and a non-quill stem. Could be interesting ;-)
I couldn't find one of these $98 Mongooses (Mongeese?) at my local Wal-Mart, but I did find the $150 Huffy Scout. Would you look at one of these in-depth?
Very disappointing to see the cost-cutting measures on the 'Goose… stamped steel brakes (and hubs?), off-brand drivetrain, nylon brake levers, & 1" threaded steerer. You're right about the Schwinn being the better bike, IMO.
Independent pharmaceutical vendor lol 😂 hahaha yes!! Ooo, ooo, let me try one... A Entrepreneurial Chemistry aficionado We have way more of them in these parts. They don’t ride Walmart bikes they ride your and my bike when you turned your head to film this video ;)
Hey Kev, still really enjoying your channel, Can I request a review of the Schwinn Midway 29 inch 7 speed cruiser from Walmart, I really value and appreciate your opinion on bicycles, I have been eye balling it for a while now as an affordable cruiser. Where I live has lots of hills but I like the comfort of a cruiser as well.
I was more impressed with the hyper Urban then I was that bike slightly more expensive but a better bike on overall there's one in my bowling now it's got dual disc brakes on it and it's about time I still like your Mongoose Envoy I could really use that bike I wish I could make money faster to be able to afford one
The hotshot is just a basic commuter thing... I am considering buying one just as a cheap "bus bike".. I would NEVER take it on a trail or even think it was very much upgradable. It just a cheap get around bike. But yeah I've seen independent pharmacists running around on them... Kinda the reason I haven't bought one.
Honestly, I kinda want one as a cheap intro to riding 700c wheels. That way if I don't like it (or if I don't like it that much) I didn't waste that much money. Though, in that regard, I'm probably better off buying a cheap road bike secondhand on FB or CL
The TD 1 shifters and derailleurs are slow and clunky I also think the flat face Shimano that you're a fan of is slow there is a difference in the truth I don't think there is a better one they should have called the Mongoose the cut back I don't see many redeeming features in this perhaps just price wish they'd bring back the Schwinn version unlikely though arbor replacing a flat-faced Shimano with a Tourney hopefully this Shimano shifter will not need to be replaced but I'm open to that
It's worse. The derailleur's worse. Stem/headset's worse. Linear pull brakes offer better stopping power...when properly adjusted. The cutback's side-pulls are harder to come unadjusted.
I know this is a 9 month old comment but, I bought one of these bikes as kids wanted to get dad riding with them so, Walmart solved the quick need for a cheap bike, about 30min later and pedaling up a small gradient......taco'd the rear wheel, it jammed and sent me to the ground. Its been parked since until I decide to upgrade it, cant muster discarding it as I think it has some potential
Owned it now for 3 years! Best cheap bike I've ever ridden! It's a warhorse! Still shifts good!
I was hoping this might be a viable upgrade option so that we would be treated to an episode called “Hot Shot! Part Deux”. Oh well....
I just bought this bike just because I haven’t had a bike in many years and for $60 at Walmart I couldn’t resist for the price. I really love the retro styling imo. I will say for how cheap it was it definitely isn’t half bad.
Mongoose Hotshot is a great bike i have owned 2 of them and they are great for road traveling
I bought a Hotshot used($70) because of the similarities to the Cutback. A fun bike to get me back into riding after many years, but that twist shift+derailleur combo sucked a lot of the magic out of the experience over the months. Seemingly kept losing any adjustments I made and could never get it to shifter to the lowest gear. Have a better ride now for around town, but I still have a soft spot for the Hotshot. When I have time to make sure it is safe, I'll donate her to some one else who can also put it to use. :)
I have this bike I got it earlier this year and have easily put 100+ miles on it. I would like to upgrade the brakes and shifter but for now it does what I need it to do
I found a Hot Shot frame next to a trash can in a city park , abandoned from a a homeless camp, stripped of every thing except the crank set. I strapped it to my own bike as I was commuting home from work. I eventually decided to build it up with parts I had laying around and from the local community bike shop. I found a matching fork at the bike shop, wheel set, BMX handlebar and 700x 40 tires, extra long seat post and saddle, plus a decent brake set. I went with a dinglespeed set up in the rear with 20 and 22T cogs and the original 42T crank in the front. I also found a rear rack and cheap panniers. I have to say I'm impressed by how the bike handles. It has a smooth ride and handles various terrain pretty well. I did a 60 mile gravel and bike path ride across town here in the Phoenix area . There was quite a bit of mud and standing water puddles due to recent rains and I didn't have any problems. I like that the frame has clearance for bigger tires if I decide to make a ghetto 29er out of it. I'm usually not a bike fan of Walmart bikes but I'm a fan of rigid singlespeed bikes. A lot of the basic steel frames with horizontal dropouts are perfect candidates for SS projects and do just fine for XC trail and gravel riding.
I bought this bike about 4 months ago because I got plantar fasciitis while running and needed an alternative. Have ridden it about 10 hours. Watched some videos about how to adjust the derailleur and brakes which it needed after 10 hours. Seems like a good bike to me - all that I needed.
I manage a bicycle co-op, and have seen my fair share of this particular bike come in for repairs. As low as $98 may seem, in short order they always end up costing more because the low quality brakes, gears, wheels, and bearings. They work poorly in the beginning, and work terribly within a short period of time. I *strongly* recommend anyone considering purchasing a Hotshot to spend a bit more, and/or get a better quality used bike.
Thanks for sharing
Maybe I got a bike from a good batch and tuned it up but I've been riding my hotshot every weekday to and from university this past year and its still chugging along. I think I've put at least 200 miles riding on asphalt.
I really think you should build a bike on the *Dartmoor Hornet frame or Dartmoor Primal frame* . These are an absolute blast when it comes to the construction, a price point, the look, geometry, colors, sizes, and standards.
In the case of Hornet for $200, you get an indestructible hard-core enduro hardtail frame. Primal is designated for the custom building of the trail bikes.
Devil Red is the best available color you can imagine. Hornets are in jet-black or sth like that.
Now with the Covid-19 crisis, they sold out of those locally, deeply discounted for $59 for which I ran to the store and found out that the inventory listed online was incorrect and the bike was already gone. I totally agree that for $100 is (or was) the best deal at Walmart.(imagine $59!)...Like you pointed out, the Cutback was even better due to the Shimano components and thread-less headset. The Cutback's only problem at $99? Again, like you said, the 'scare me away' color(s), something which you may be able to solve with $10 worth of: 1 can of black or silver spray paint, 1 small roll of painter's tape/masking tape and a couple of sheets of sandpaper.
Please do a review on the schwinn Kempo...please..
Just returned my huffy scout and picked one of these up today excited this came out today makes me feel better about it.
What happened with the scout?
@@KevCentral front fork froze up completely came with 80mm of travel after one ride around town the front fork went to zero tried fixing it but couldn't get it to adjust out definitely would of been fun to upgrade.
I’ve got a hotshot. I’ve upgraded the brakes and brake levers and swapped the cabling house out with something in orange. I plan on upgrading a few other things as well (like that seat), so you may ask, why didn’t I just buy a better bike? My answer is, I wanted something cheap that I can learn to wrench on. It’s my first bike after 15 years and I never did learn how to maintain one properly back then. If I screw something up on this bike, it won’t hurt as much as screwing something up on a $500+ bike. Once I’ve gotten to a certain skill set I will probably upgrade, but for now it gets the job done and scratches that itch!
The bearings in the crankset, headset and wheels are low grade steel and wear quick. I had a few Mongoose bikes.
That might be the best drug dealer euphemism I've heard in a while. Thanks Kev.
Saving up for a Raleigh Redux but I picked this up to get me by until then being that it's a similar style. Not a bad bike for the price, was setup pretty well right off the shelf, and nothing has broken yet(I've had it for 2½ months). Be sure to to tighten down any lug nuts right away as they tend to be loose from the factory. Also the decals peel off with ease if you're not into the flashy orange and blue, leaving you with a pretty cool all black finish.
I can tell you from my experience as a mechanic that the biggest flaws of the Hotshot are the stamped steel brakes and the single-walled rims. V-brakes made of stamped steel are literally made of a material that has already failed twice- once when it was stamped out and once when pressed into their shape. No matter how good these brakes are set up, they will never perform as well as any level of forged or cast aluminum brakes. As for the wheels, I've seen these wheels taco and buckle at even the most conservative efforts to true them and the hubs and prone to getting loose.
Honestly the best feature of this bike is the horizontal dropout, so when the derailleur or the unserviceable shifter inevitably break, it's easy to set up single speed. However, $20 generic alloy brakes from amazon and another $20 derailleur/shifter combo can easily work around most of the flaws on this bike.
Hate to be a debby-downer, but this is definitely the worst of the budget bikes and I don't believe is worth the price.
Thanks for sharing
@@KevCentral I guess to avoid leaving my comment on such a negative note, the Schwinns definitely hold up the best among all of the big box bikes. I often use your videos to make recommendations to people as to what budget bikes they should look for and what upgrades can/should be done. I know my opinion is pretty skewed because I often only see these bikes when they're broken and in for repair. Keep up the good work!
Bravo great job Now I'm torn the cut back looks really nice, but I really appreciate your delivery very well spoken.
I've put on 200+ miles on my Hotshot, it's a good value for the money. However, it's not built to last, my bottom bracket is basically toast and the rear hub has a lot of in and out play on it so the back wheel wobbles. Surprisingly, the shifter and derailer when properly lubed up and adjusted is one of the best things on the bike. The stock brake pads are awful and they wear out rather quickly, but a set of Bell V type pads for $10 - $15 (also at Wally world) actually gives the bike pretty good stopping performance when tuned up.
i really wish they brought back the cutback. I would buy it in seconds
Couldnt resist to comment, but this bike in varying configurations is 39 dollars per 100 on Alibabas supplier page. Before the tariffs you could get a container full of 100 for 250 bucks shipping . You could get customized logos for a extra 15 dollars per bike as well.
I've had one for a couple months, swapped the pedals, tires, seat, rear pads. Removed the decals and I love this thing it's a rock but I've put some good miles on it. Ps changing the tires can soften the ride a lot
All the indepedent pharmaceutical vendors around me bought all the hybrid style e-bikes for their work.
Hey Kev - I've seen some products online that allow you to use a post that works like a quill stem so that you can attach a threadless headset. Do you have experience with these? I think that would be a cool video considering you likely have some quill stem bikes you could change around and test it out on
I’ve seen them, but that ads to the cost of upgrading, so I usually pick bikes with quill stems I like or move to something with a threadless headset
I don't know Kev. The cost of the parts is really not that bad. A threadless converter is about $16, a 31.8 mm stem can be found for $17. Throw in a new handle bar for another $20 and for roughly $55 you have a bike that's better than what it was. Its to bad the Hotshot is not available in my local Walmart Stores.
Ayyy the bike that broke my collarbone. Good bike to promote 21k in medical bills
Wow. What about the bike caused a collar bone break?
@@KevCentral front wheel crumbled at around 15mph while riding at my local park. All paved bike path
I own 13 bicycles (2 of them eBikes) and I can say that my Hotshot isn't my favorite, but it is far from the worst one in my squad. I like it for it's simplicity and overall feel. For short trips (1-2 miles), or just some light exercise, I will choose this one.
I actually rode this bike its pretty nice has a one by pretty nice brakes
You usually mention the weight. Did you mention that?
I’ve also had a Hotshot for 2 years but the breaks are terrible but I don’t know what to look up to find new ones
I just bought one at Walmart for $59 on clearance.The rims aren't perfectly flat,the brakes are difficult to adjust,but I like the single front sprocket.The seat clamp is inferior.I've seen better clamps on toddler bikes.I'd like to try something else on the front brakes.
Walmart online has one clearanced for $59 to pick up at my local store! I think I might pick one up now finally my youngest can ride a bike now and dad can ride with all 3 of my boys. Honestly for $59 I don’t think I can go wrong. Maybe slowly upgrade pedals, brakes, etc. but believe “out of the box” it will suffice to ride along the greenway with my 7 and 5 yr olds. Thanks for the review!
Bikes are hard to come by right now, so good luck
velo orange makes quill stem parts still, though a bit pricey.
Or just get a $10 stem adapter... then you can pick any stem and bar you want.
Tread was facing the wrong way on the front wheel.
That's Walmart assembly for you
I just noticed today when I was selling my Hotshot that the tires was on backwards. lol
This is an extremely common bike around my university. For the use of light commuting, quill stems are perfectly sufficient. I figure you add a tourney derailleur, a set of specialized armadillo tires, and you'd have a super reliable ride for sub $200.
It's really not worth upgrading the components - they are decent when properly adjusted. The reason I say this is the bearings will fail within a couple of hundred miles.
Way I see it the less gears you have, the less you need to maintain and less money you will be spending when fixing the bike. Which is why I tend to prefer single/fix geared bikes, if this was mine I would definitely drop it down to a single speed bike.
MR. CHEESEY SWEETROLL NOW WITH BACON I mostly agree, but riding a fixie literally feels like riding a seized freewheel to me, so one speed, yes. Fixie, I'd rather walk on injured legs, which I tend to get from fixies.
@@officialclownbusiness7788 That's true 👍
Well, less moving parts does equal less maintenance...
I loved the idea of the Cutback but I didn't manage to pick one up before they were discontinued. I was really hoping the hotshot would match it decently, but I'm honestly disappointed
I was looking at getting one of the two as their price is about the same, but to me just looking at it the frames don't look the same at all. The cut back seems to me to have a more horizontal top tube, giving it a more classic look.
98 bucks seems like a good winter beater bike
Hey, any idea what frame size this exact bike is? I have it and have no idea what size it is so it would help a lot.
I need a Pharmacy to deliver my meds. This guy on the Mongoose bike, could be my guy. Lol. That's the 1st thing I thought about when you said that. I am on a few meds but I pick them up on my Lectric XP or in my truck. It's just stomach meds though. The Pharmacist always says, you fly boy, go back home and get a motor vehicle for the drive thru and for some reason he always gets amazed at the back wheel moving, without a loud, and polluting pipe, at least that's how he describes the electric motor. He hands me my meds and says, zoom zoom, Every month. I thought about getting this Mongoose but my store has torney derailers on all 3 of them. They have a hard seat that is all black and looks like the cutbacks seat. No padding at all. The only reason why I was thinking about doing this is because I am thinking about getting a single speed sprocket and turning it into a single speed and ride it to places I will be looking it up. If it gets stolen, just buy another $100 bike and do it all over again. The 100c wheels would be better with coasting and I can put a lower gear in the back. I already lock up my cruiser bike from Walmart and I will just do the same, gets stolen, I will just get another. I have been thinking about looking into used bikes for the same purpose. Theft has been a major issue here and it has been getting worse. I am in a suburb of Detroit and the bad people are moving away from the more dangerous people in downtown and they are coming 40 miles west, towards me and I'll just give them less reason to take mine and it will hurt less to lose it. That's one reason why I love cheap bikes but $100 is still alot to me though. A $80 cruiser is even better. Lol.
This would be an awesome bike for me if it weren't for the skinny tires. I borrowed one from a friend, and pinch flattened the rear tire within the first half mile.
Its a great bike but requires a lot of repair in the beginning and in the end would be better off without the quill. The shifter is good but it isnt the best and it can be a pain sometimes. The number 1 part that is terrible about this bike are the brakes. They bend, are too loose, need to be adjusted. Hell for the past 2 weeks I have been riding with no brakes.
However this thing can take a beating and still gets up and goes at it. I have owned the bike for about 2 months now and have put over 200+ miles and its does great on light hills and incredible on flats and down hills. But you defently want to get a different seat. You adjust within a week and brake it in to get it squishy but for long rides it starts to hurt. I'd recommend getting one for anyone trying to get into biking. As long as you go to a bike shop to get everything tuned up FIRST it should be a very good bike
I agree with Most on it, cheap and cheap made, but they discontinued at Walmart, rack only now for a whopping 68$, get your shot while it's hot! I got one, nice flat road bike, ride till the wheels fall off, which may be sooner than later
You think something like this would work well for a 6 foot 265lb man?
It would be fun to see what you think the bikes you've reviewed are worth. Maybe a segment after some videos, that would be awesome! And by the way, is the Schwinn Cutback back (pun intended) in store?
Quill to threadless adapter = flexability.
The rear derailer should be fine. My wife has a TD 1 rear derailer, no problems since 2006.
No tires to replace immediately. A plus.
The Hotshot's trigger shifters are far from nice. I hate twist shifter's, but they do work.
Re-route the cables and they can stay.
Comparison overall? Seems equal. Worth $98 + tax? Yes.
Good basic bike I'm sure but considering it has such a simple drivetrain they could have stumped up for a Shimano rear derailleur and freewheel. The best type of cheap bike a simple bike, 1x drivetrain and no suspension. The sort of bike that can last many years. Typically those high tensile steel frames and forks are both comfortable and very strong at the expense of weight.
If I was thinking of improvements to the bike, I'd probably go for a double wall rim for the rear wheel with a freehub and a 7 speed cassette. So basically I'd upgrade the rear wheel and have a much more solid bike with crisper shifting and less issues with the wheel going out of true plus it would be faster on the flats and easier up hills, i.e. I'd use something like a 11-34t 7 speed cassette. If they'd actually configured it like that from the factory it probably would have only cost about $129 but would be hugely improved. Still as it is a very usable bike.
This is 59 dollars now at my locale Walmart. Would it be worth the 59 bucks?
Is hot shot a aluminum frame ?
Please do a review on the diamondback atroz there are no good reviews on it
“Independent Pharmaceutical Vendor “ LOL
all the "independent pharmaceutical vendors" in my area have cheap ccm and shwinn bikes, and for some reason they remove the brakes, and it not at fixie setup either
First off: I thought you said you weren't going to review this due to being a worse cutback. Seriously. I wish Mongoose made a refresh of the hotshot with a cutback's feature set.
Second: Peel off some of the stickering and it is actually a pretty nice looking bike in my opinion.
Third: This is what i'd been looking at for awhile because the local walmart has it. Too bad my eyes aren't cooperating. It doesn't look like a 'bad' bike. It looks like it is what it is and not trying to pretend to be a mountain bike. No worthless suspension. No 'attempting to look upscale with faux features' additions. basic frame. basic fork. If it had the trigger shifter and deralleur I'd say it's pretty solid.
It's honestly not that bad and the twist shifter might grow on you. It did for me coming from triggers. It's not super snappy but the goal is for it to work and that it does
@@stevensager2854 It looks like it will be good for what it is so long as you go in understanding what you are getting.
Just noticed this bike the other day at Walmart. I hadn’t thought about it being a rebadge because the frame geometry appears to be different.
I haven’t put them side by side, but the geometry looks the same to me. What makes you think it’s different?
The top tube seems to slope more in a relaxed fashion whereas the cutback seems to have a top tube that has no slope more like a race bike or fixie. I never saw the Cutback in store so I’m just judging based on that video and comparing to visual inspection of the Mongoose.
The Cutback looks more like the Kent Frontrunner sold by Academy.
Kev, finally got my XP, however the rear brake is in dire need of adjustment. I had to cancel my maiden ride due to the unbearable noise. Also had a hard time keeping my feet on the pedals since I have always used straps on my bike. What do you think of moving my strapped pedals over to the XP? Bad idea?
I don’t see how it would be any different as any other bike with straps as the pedals don’t keep moving with momentum.
Still laughing at the "vendor" reference!
When I was into bmx bicycles mid to late 70's, mongoose was sn elite brand, O couldn't afford, so I built my own.
What do you think about the Gravity fsx and the Marin Bolinas Ridge??
Haven’t seen either in person, and there are multiple variants of each. Which specific one are you referring to?
@@KevCentral FSX 2.0 full suspension and the Marin Bolinas Ridge2
Hey Kev, any thoughts on reviewing the Schwinn twinn tándem from Amazon? They sell it for around $500. Disc brakes and a non-quill stem. Could be interesting ;-)
I can’t down shift it back 1 gear . It stuck on the 7th gear . How do I downshift it
Is this something that happened all the sudden, or has it never shifted properly?
I couldn't find one of these $98 Mongooses (Mongeese?) at my local Wal-Mart, but I did find the $150 Huffy Scout. Would you look at one of these in-depth?
Oh, the "independent Rx Vendor", how priceless a definition has there ever been!!!
Can you review the trek roscoe 6 2020 version 👍🏽
Love your videos. And wish I could be patreon. But I can't as parents won't let me. But sending mental money haha
You had me until quill stem. That's my nope line.
Quill stems worked for decades until threadless came. I've never had an issue with a quill.....
My son has this bike. I tried it and the lowest gear wasn't low enough for me to peddle up a hill. Lol. Is this common?
Probably less of an issue for him. I’ve found I need more teeth on the low gear every new birthday 😁
Very disappointing to see the cost-cutting measures on the 'Goose… stamped steel brakes (and hubs?), off-brand drivetrain, nylon brake levers, & 1" threaded steerer. You're right about the Schwinn being the better bike, IMO.
Where’s the mongoose xr pro?
About getting a Schwinn cut back for my aunt I can get one used online do you think I should
It would have to be practically free. Buying a sub-$100 bike that’s used...that doesn’t inspire high expectations
@@KevCentral thank you for the information
Are those wheels 26 24 27?? Doesn’t say it
No one else has mentioned that front tire looks backwards so I'll be wrong or eagle eyed 👍
Good eye. I guess the assembler wanted the wheel to match the cable routing
@@KevCentral I mean as soon as someone tries to pedal and the bike goes nowhere it's a dead giveaway 😉
Independent pharmaceutical vendor lol 😂 hahaha yes!!
Ooo, ooo, let me try one...
A Entrepreneurial Chemistry aficionado
We have way more of them in these parts. They don’t ride Walmart bikes they ride your and my bike when you turned your head to film this video ;)
Another great video, thanks!
I fuckin love how you said independent pharmaceutical vendor. No explanation needed on what that is😆😆
Hey Kev, still really enjoying your channel, Can I request a review of the Schwinn Midway 29 inch 7 speed cruiser from Walmart, I really value and appreciate your opinion on bicycles, I have been eye balling it for a while now as an affordable cruiser. Where I live has lots of hills but I like the comfort of a cruiser as well.
Thanks for the suggestion
Hey why does the tag have a face on it
I enjoy your bike video so keep it up
Yay you uploaded
Check out the Huffy Scout!!!!!
Review the Merida big 7 pleaseee
Thanks for the suggestion
First baby! Looking forward to this!
2nd 🙂
I was more impressed with the hyper Urban then I was that bike slightly more expensive but a better bike on overall there's one in my bowling now it's got dual disc brakes on it and it's about time I still like your Mongoose Envoy I could really use that bike I wish I could make money faster to be able to afford one
Lol independent pharmaceutical vendor.... Lmao you kill me.. great review I might pick one up to try. Thanks man.
Add $100 for tripple crankset/ front derailleur/friction shifter/bottom bracket/cables/brake pads and have 21 speed ok casual bike.
Possibly a Cutback sequel that has had the equipment cut back to meet the $99 price point because of the current tariff war.
Pretty sure the Hotshot pre-dates the current tariff environment
KevCentral I’ll admit there are holes in my theory.
The hotshot is just a basic commuter thing... I am considering buying one just as a cheap "bus bike"..
I would NEVER take it on a trail or even think it was very much upgradable. It just a cheap get around bike. But yeah I've seen independent pharmacists running around on them... Kinda the reason I haven't bought one.
Honestly, I kinda want one as a cheap intro to riding 700c wheels. That way if I don't like it (or if I don't like it that much) I didn't waste that much money.
Though, in that regard, I'm probably better off buying a cheap road bike secondhand on FB or CL
Why do people say Pacific when they mean specific...?? Lots of people do it.
Pacific Cycle is the umbrella both Mongoose and Schwinn are under.
Being the choice of independent pharmaceutical vendors made this bike more appealing to me.
😳
Good job buddy
I like this bike, just wish people didn't think I was a drug dealer when I ride this bike
In my opinion, it looks much better than the Cutback.
But featurewise not so much
The TD 1 shifters and derailleurs are slow and clunky I also think the flat face Shimano that you're a fan of is slow there is a difference in the truth I don't think there is a better one they should have called the Mongoose the cut back I don't see many redeeming features in this perhaps just price wish they'd bring back the Schwinn version unlikely though arbor replacing a flat-faced Shimano with a Tourney hopefully this Shimano shifter will not need to be replaced but I'm open to that
Schwinn sells a bike for under 100 MSRP and fittingly calls it what else...Cutback.
😂
Cutback had so much more style. Shame on you for changing those tires!
😁 coincidentally, they’re back on it at the moment
It's worse. The derailleur's worse. Stem/headset's worse. Linear pull brakes offer better stopping power...when properly adjusted. The cutback's side-pulls are harder to come unadjusted.
I see this bike all over my campus with taco'd wheels. They just sit abandoned in the bike racks. Don't buy
Indeed. Taco'd mine, and I was very nice with it. Read wheel. Ah well, it was nice while it lasted.
I know this is a 9 month old comment but, I bought one of these bikes as kids wanted to get dad riding with them so, Walmart solved the quick need for a cheap bike, about 30min later and pedaling up a small gradient......taco'd the rear wheel, it jammed and sent me to the ground. Its been parked since until I decide to upgrade it, cant muster discarding it as I think it has some potential
@@cdoleoj1 not worth the effort. Even in the scope of chinese mass market bikes there are better options
My drug dealer also mountain bikes, he has a diamond back over drive.
Independent pharmaceutical vendor 😂