I still can't believe this bike is $400 and a Walmart Bike. That thing is beautiful. The internal cable routing sold me. I'm actively looking for this bike as we speak.
@@jayrajgohil7179initially looking for X2, but found X1 brand new from owner, saved 250 right out the gate, plus essential upgrades that turned it into a trail capable/fun mtb.
You are doing a great job with explaining and deep diving into these bikes. I always wondered about the suspension travel leverage ratio but is rare to see someone taking the time to measure it. When I was into auto racing people would just take the spring off the shock and reinstall the damper. This allow you to accurately measure the total wheel travel without having to make any guesses. Just a suggestion but again great job!
Kev what are your thoughts on the rear spacing and this being a freewheel instead of cassette/freehub? I'm assuming you have a plan for this in stage 2 so I'm really curious.
I know this frame has a bolt on rear axle and a freewheel. Is the frame compatible with a standard 10x135QR hub? If so, then it would be easy enough to swap out the rear hub to a freehub/cassette to replace the freewheel or just replace the entire rear wheel. I have a Raleigh Talus 2 that came with a freewheel. I rebuilt my rear wheel and replaced the stock formula freewheel hub with a Shimano FH-M525 freehub 10x135QR. The flange spacing and diameter were so close to the stock Formula hub, that I was able to use the existing spokes. Currently running a Shimano M5100 Deore 1x11 setup with 11-51T cassette and 32T chainring. I've posted videos on the conversion.
The bike shop that I work at in Sant Joseph Missouri someone bought one of those trek fuel 9.9 and it has all xx1 axis and a axis dropper in rainbow it was sick for 10,000
Finally got one! Broke it in!.. Forks bottomed out quite often on drops about a foot or so....so yeah. Gonna upgrade! Thanks for your pioneering this! 😇😎😀
Great content. So great that people can get capable, upgradable bikes these days. Wonder if we'll see some more competition from the entry level models of bike shop brands, or if they will stick to the premium slice of the pie.
I had the Hydroform and I converted to 27.5x 3.0 and I love how it feels. Now I don't have it anymore so I guess this will be perfect for me. Time to save to get this FS bike. Thanks Kev for all the great information. Have a great day
Keep it going Kevin- I would like to hear more about the decisions the factory make on the suspension shock and why…size/travel what is their thinking/science behind bike geometry
It would give you a rough idea but the leverage ratio usually changes on most of these rear linkages to give different effects such as higher bottom out force, more supple at sag point etc, I'd say if the front is specced at 100mm the rear is likely to be similar.
Another excellent video sir. People and HTA's are so funny. I've ridden Snowshoe (Pro DH, M, N, O, blah, blah) on the 18 Roscoe 8 and it has a 68.3 HTA. There are many factors that go into making capable mountain bikes for the various styles of riding today. From fork offsets and travel to tire diameters and the bike's intended use, there is no one-size-fits-all for head tube angles of any mountain bike.
To calculate rear travel measure the rocker link pivot distances. From the center of the center pivot to the center of the shock mount, then from the center of the center pivot to the center of the seat stay mount. Divide the large number from the small and this is your ratio. For example if the first measurement is 50mm and the second is 150mm then 150 / 50 = 3, or 3:1 ratio. So if the shock has 35mm travel and the rear moves 3x more(3:1) then total travel is 105mm.
Good calculation but it's possible the leverage ratio changes if the rear suspension is progressive vs linear. I would take multiple measurements at the beginning/middle/end of the rear stroke to see if the leverage ratio changes.
Hi Kev. I bought a Mongoose ledge x1 frame for my wife. I'm impressed on the geometry. I'm customizing the rear triangle to fit a solid through axle. Easy peasy. However for the rest of the frame like crank bearing measurements are hard to find. Do you have a list of inner bearing race measurements? Thx so much.
There are some shocks out there with the same eye to eye length, by Rockshox and Suntour, with 40mm of stroke. Considering the same 3:1 ratio (or 3x the travel in the back vs the front), you're looking at 120 mm of travel in the back, which is very decent for a Walmart bike. Coupled with a 68 HTA, or maybe 67.5 - 67 effective angle (riding the bike), you're looking at a pretty good short travel or maybe even down country bike (if one can make the bike light enough). Excellent analysis.
What's the rear travel for a 38mm stroke 165mm length rear shock? All you have to do is just measure the difference between 165mm and 165-38=127mm. The difference between 165mm and 127mm eyelet to eyelet at the rear shock and the difference between the distance from starting at 165mm and 127mm at the rear axle is the rear travel. Not that complicated to be honest.
I just got my hands on a Ledge X1. I learned a lot from your channel. There's just one thing I'm not sure about. What size rear hub do I need? I want to upgrade the drivetrain right away.
Kev...did you ever state the rear travel? Regardless of the shock, the frame is only capable of a certain amount of travel before it hits the seat tube or binds the shock. Suspensions are usually progressive so the travel ratio is not the same at the beginning of the stroke vs the end. Would be interesting to know the full rear suspension travel and its leverage ratio.
another good way is to measure the distance from the dropouts to the ground, then compresing the suspension and measuring again, the difference will give you the amount of rear wheel travel.
Not sure if you’ll see this question now Kev, but what if some one were to cut that lower shock tab off and move it down some on the frame and applied a triangle welded into the corner to fit a bigger shock, basically increasing the up travel while keeping the top mount in the same spot. Do you think this would mess the geometry up too much? That’s my plan as of now to get more travel numbers. If you say for 5mm of shock travel gives 15mm at the tire then in total it should have 105
Dang, I just got an XR pro now this bike comes out? I think this bike would fit me better. Would converting the XR to a 27.5 be a good idea or should I get a refund and get a Ledge X1? These new BB bikes are getting better n better!
Hey Kev have you measured your self the axle to crown? I got my Ledge X1 yesterday and just checked it with a tape measure I am getting around 19 3/4 to 20 inches which is 501.65 to 508 mm fully extended.
68* is good for a project bike like this. That degree headtube was probably measured with the stock fork. No one want to run a 100mm fork anymore. A longer travel fork will slacken the headtube angle
Can't wait for stage 3. You definitely need to do stage 4 upgrades and have some ppl who own high end expensive bikes test ride this but put tape over the Mongoose logo
The only time that I think head tube angle has a positive affect is going downhill with a slacker bike puts you in a safer position and reduces the chances of going OTB . Now they say that makes climbing a bit more challenging but that can be helped by seat angle . Now the problem is yes the rear suspension is compressing making the HTA slacker but the front fork is compressing also steepening that HTA . Are they compressing in unison ? Probably not . This is what makes a great full suspension bike where geometry work with suspension . It takes some serious engineering . My hardtail has a 68 degree heat tube angle which back in 2018 when I bought the bike was moder geometry . I have stiffened that front for so it doesnt drive as hard going downhill over technical terrain steepening that headtube angle and putting me in a bad position over the bars where I have OTB . Now going up hill with a stiffer fork over technical terrain makes it a bit more difficult not compressing as easily but safety is more important to me . The only thing I would like to see is tubeless wheelset as I have gone tubeless and its a game changer .
The reach is nice, the seat tube and head tube angle is fine. I think a 120F-100R travel would make this a XC ripper but that chainstay is way too long for my liking. long enough for me to cancel my order. Thanks for the info as always Kev!
When you start improving rear shock, wheels and forks. After a few hard rides the pivot points on the rear will wear out very fast. Upgrade your pivot point bushings if you can before they fail.
Hi! This is very useful information. I was trying to get a caged bearing for the headset. For the life of me, I was unable to find one that matched the size. Mine got warped, but after taking that into account, I figured that the OD was 51.06mm. I cant find any bearing to replace. Can anyone point me to what size the lower bearing of the headset is, or a link to where I can buy? Thanks in advance!
Please! I need you help here, I want to buy this bike quick. Can you tell me whether a battery of size 367.36mm (length) *127.33mm (width)*90.25mm (height) will fit in the middle triangle without blocking the suspension????? I tried to calculate the triangle area in the middle, but the dimensions provided in your video is not quite enough, can you quickly test the dimension for me?
People could also run offset bushings in there rear shock if they want a little more of a slack ride. I would bet a 120-130mm fork and offset bushing in a stock length rear shock would land with that nice super slack head tube.
@@KevCentral I have seen enough to know it's demanding and can destroy a "cheap" bike in a day. Im more interested in a "built into". Something as a base that can have parts swapped out as skill increases
Any word from mongoose when they might be coming back in stock??? I had one in my cart while I was debating to buy it or not and it went out of stock ,😞
@@KevCentral MT200 can still be found from online bike retailers but they sell out fast. I was able to find front/rear for $35 each and that's with the full 1000mm and 1700mm hoses. Seems going price on ebay is $100 set with shorter hoses, which may be too short, usually in the 850/1300 lengths.
Hi, Hopefully someone can answer this. I'm looking to getting back into biking.... I'm looking to get a commuter bike for work, But want to jump off stuff on the weekends. So I was wondering IF I get something like this current Mongoose the shown here with rear suspension can it be convert to a single speed or will I have to stick with a hardtail? Thanks in advance for any answers. 🙂
Sort of an expensive bike option for a commuter imo, but the easiest way to go single speed on this would be to choose the gear you want, take off all the hardware (derailleur, cable, shifter), and leave it in that gear. Since the spacing on the frame is made wide enough for a rear hub with a freewheel, there isn't really much else you can do.
@@KevCentral Do you have any suggestions on cheap but good MTB apparel? e.g. Helmet, gloves, shoes, etc? I'll be needing to purchase that stuff to go along with my new bike! I haven't biked for > 10 years, but your videos inspired me to get back into the saddle!
@@KevCentral I don't wanna be a buzz kill but I have seen several posts of those in the 1st wave that had their orders canceled or missed delivery dates or delivery dates pushed back. I have had the "notify when in stock" setup since 2 hours after 1st video posting and nothing so far. Just throwing out some info while I wait for stock to show ;-) the waiting is killing me LOL!
Saying a 10k bike having a 68 degree headtube angle is misleading. A xc ( cross country race bike ) have a 68 degree angle. If you see their trail bikes, they are hitting 66 to 65.5 degree headtube angle and their Enduro bikes are hitting 64 degree and the new breeds of super enduros are 62.5-63 degrees now. So a major of the bikes are hovering between the 66-65 degree hta. Even the down country bikes are 66 degree hta now. I will admit that the reach is very impressive though.
This Mongoose has what 100mm or 80mm of fork travel? With that limited travel, it is a XC bike! What's he supposed to compare it to...a trail bike? Adding 20mm of fork travel slackens the bike by 1 degree but also depends on the fork offset. So simply installing a 120mm or 140mm fork will slacken the HTA by 1-2 degrees.
@@mtbbiker6401 it's got the wheelbase and reach of an enduro bike. It's only got a 100mm travel fork because you are not finding a cheap off the shelf big box bike 140mm fork to build this thing with.
its on walmarts site, but sold out instantly. i've been checking periodically and it will probably be a few weeks until its in stock again. I managed to snag two Ardors, and one of them came in damaged, so back it went.
Im looking at the geometry against other fs bikes. I dont understand the real cost? Frame doesnt seem to be it.. so it has to be rims tire fork and rear susp. So throw 1500 or 2k at this and there wouldnt be much difference. Im looking at a kona process at 3100$ or throw a fox 38 with stans 29 rim a fox rear.
Agree fork, rear shock, wheels, brakes. Where I ride that would be enough. New drivetrain wound probably be good too but could do all of that and still be in 1800 range.
So I’m a little confused on the travel of the rear shock, most modern bikes now a days have at least 140mm of travel in the rear shock, how is it possible for this bike to only have 35mm of travel in the rear?
@@lukebrosnan8679 I'm curious too. We don't know what the effective travel regardless of shock travel. The frame has a limitation before it hits the seat tube.
I retired 2 years ago and have been riding a non suspension 29er. (Giant Toughroad) I have avoided anything but packed gravel but would like to get a bike like this, so I could go on trails. There is one thing I don’t like about it, the bolt on rear wheel. I would prefer a through axle or QR. but could live with this for the price. Has anyone seen this for sale?
I would imagine the Mongoose Ledge's 100mm suspension travel puts it in a XC category so the comparison is justified. It's certainly not an all mountain or enduro bike. "Trail" is even questionable.
Even just for the frame I think it's worth it. I'm going to slap some Forks on it and ride it as is but eventually I think I'm going to change everything. I wish you could buy the frame. The Freewheel bums me out because of the cost of buying a wheelset versus just changing a cassette.
True, but you can buy a budge rear wheel for $100. Better yet, rebuild the stock wheel with a freehub, such as Shimano FH-M525 or any other 10x135QR freehub. I rebuilt the rear wheel on my Raleigh Talus 2 with a FH-M525 so I could upgrade the freewheel to a cassette. Now running a Shimano Deore M5100 1x11 drive.
@@KevCentral yeaaa. I assumed it was a 55/40 instead of 56/40, and I bought one annnnnd I jumped the gun haha. is that headset you linked the only 44/55? headset?
Folks, you are going to need a 140mm travel front fork. They are cheap now, and its the standard for the type of bike this is. This frame will accept a 2 degree angle headset and i highly recommend it if you live in the mountains, and want a cheap, SERIOUS all mountain bike. This is not a XC bike that has to built to the lightest weight, and 32, 33 pounds is acceptable. Everything i just said applies to a modern geo ENDURO, TRAIL BIKE.
Man big box has come a long way in 18 months.
I still can't believe this bike is $400 and a Walmart Bike. That thing is beautiful. The internal cable routing sold me. I'm actively looking for this bike as we speak.
It's available on Walmart's website today. Just got the in-stock email and just ordered one.
Got mine brand new for 200 🥳🥳🥳
@@NovaBlade926 how? And how do you like this bike?
@@jayrajgohil7179initially looking for X2, but found X1 brand new from owner, saved 250 right out the gate, plus essential upgrades that turned it into a trail capable/fun mtb.
I’m sure a lot of bike enthusiasts were thinking to themselves in high school “When will I ever need geometry?”
I'm confused, it's NEEDED for this? Can you explain?
@@dangerous8333 the entire video is about geometry, head tube angles, etc, try watching it.
With all the videos you have coming out, I guess I can forgive the lack of livestreams. I really like the informative videos!
Awesome way of explaining how the rear linkage works and moves the head tube angle! I need a new bike lol
As your rear suspension compresses, your headtube gets more slack. As your fork compresses, it gets less slack.
Kevcentral mvp of UA-cam mtb community ... I can't wait for kevcentral goes to berm peak ranger station in your future RV
You are doing a great job with explaining and deep diving into these bikes. I always wondered about the suspension travel leverage ratio but is rare to see someone taking the time to measure it. When I was into auto racing people would just take the spring off the shock and reinstall the damper. This allow you to accurately measure the total wheel travel without having to make any guesses. Just a suggestion but again great job!
Kev what are your thoughts on the rear spacing and this being a freewheel instead of cassette/freehub? I'm assuming you have a plan for this in stage 2 so I'm really curious.
I know this frame has a bolt on rear axle and a freewheel. Is the frame compatible with a standard 10x135QR hub? If so, then it would be easy enough to swap out the rear hub to a freehub/cassette to replace the freewheel or just replace the entire rear wheel. I have a Raleigh Talus 2 that came with a freewheel. I rebuilt my rear wheel and replaced the stock formula freewheel hub with a Shimano FH-M525 freehub 10x135QR. The flange spacing and diameter were so close to the stock Formula hub, that I was able to use the existing spokes. Currently running a Shimano M5100 Deore 1x11 setup with 11-51T cassette and 32T chainring. I've posted videos on the conversion.
The bike shop that I work at in Sant Joseph Missouri someone bought one of those trek fuel 9.9 and it has all xx1 axis and a axis dropper in rainbow it was sick for 10,000
Finally got one! Broke it in!.. Forks bottomed out quite often on drops about a foot or so....so yeah. Gonna upgrade! Thanks for your pioneering this! 😇😎😀
Great content. So great that people can get capable, upgradable bikes these days. Wonder if we'll see some more competition from the entry level models of bike shop brands, or if they will stick to the premium slice of the pie.
I had the Hydroform and I converted to 27.5x 3.0 and I love how it feels. Now I don't have it anymore so I guess this will be perfect for me. Time to save to get this FS bike. Thanks Kev for all the great information. Have a great day
Since you seem to have Mongoose's ear, can you ask them if they're planning to offer this in a Large, i.e. 19-inch or larger frame?
x2 version will come out next spring with same frame so probably no.
461mm reach is between medium and large. 440-450 is medium. 460-475 is large.
Keep it going Kevin- I would like to hear more about the decisions the factory make on the suspension shock and why…size/travel what is their thinking/science behind bike geometry
So it sounds like its running a 3:1 ratio on the rear travel. So a 35mm stroke rear shock should give 105mm of travel.
I'm wondering if it's linear. 5 mm may be 15 mm travel, but that doesn't necessarily mean, say 10 mm will be 30 mm travel.
@@Zimpo79 true, but the rear suspension is just a basic horst link setup. Basically what Specialized has ran for like the last 20 yrs or so.
so his 50mm shock would result in nearly 150mm of rear travel that is enduro territory there!!!
There isn’t anywhere near that much movement
It would give you a rough idea but the leverage ratio usually changes on most of these rear linkages to give different effects such as higher bottom out force, more supple at sag point etc, I'd say if the front is specced at 100mm the rear is likely to be similar.
Ooof.... That Linkage looks a bit stiff. Are they using bearings where the linkage meets the seat tube?
In the other video, it shows bearings in the arms.
Tip for making your bike slacker lock out your fork and let all the air out of your shock 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Still not enough? Convert to 12" back wheel and throw on an 8" travel dual crown downhill fork.
Or just get a pair of those long, chrome chopper forks like the ones you could get from the Auto World catalog in '74 to customizea a 20" bike. 😃
Or get an expensive angle headset ha!
Another excellent video sir. People and HTA's are so funny. I've ridden Snowshoe (Pro DH, M, N, O, blah, blah) on the 18 Roscoe 8 and it has a 68.3 HTA. There are many factors that go into making capable mountain bikes for the various styles of riding today. From fork offsets and travel to tire diameters and the bike's intended use, there is no one-size-fits-all for head tube angles of any mountain bike.
To calculate rear travel measure the rocker link pivot distances. From the center of the center pivot to the center of the shock mount, then from the center of the center pivot to the center of the seat stay mount. Divide the large number from the small and this is your ratio. For example if the first measurement is 50mm and the second is 150mm then 150 / 50 = 3, or 3:1 ratio. So if the shock has 35mm travel and the rear moves 3x more(3:1) then total travel is 105mm.
Good calculation but it's possible the leverage ratio changes if the rear suspension is progressive vs linear. I would take multiple measurements at the beginning/middle/end of the rear stroke to see if the leverage ratio changes.
Hi Kev. I bought a Mongoose ledge x1 frame for my wife. I'm impressed on the geometry. I'm customizing the rear triangle to fit a solid through axle. Easy peasy. However for the rest of the frame like crank bearing measurements are hard to find. Do you have a list of inner bearing race measurements? Thx so much.
There are some shocks out there with the same eye to eye length, by Rockshox and Suntour, with 40mm of stroke. Considering the same 3:1 ratio (or 3x the travel in the back vs the front), you're looking at 120 mm of travel in the back, which is very decent for a Walmart bike. Coupled with a 68 HTA, or maybe 67.5 - 67 effective angle (riding the bike), you're looking at a pretty good short travel or maybe even down country bike (if one can make the bike light enough). Excellent analysis.
Awesome to get the official geometry data...Thanks. Please give us the travel at the rear wheel when you do stage 2 :).
What's the rear travel for a 38mm stroke 165mm length rear shock?
All you have to do is just measure the difference between 165mm and 165-38=127mm.
The difference between 165mm and 127mm eyelet to eyelet at the rear shock and the difference between the distance from starting at 165mm and 127mm at the rear axle is the rear travel.
Not that complicated to be honest.
I just got my hands on a Ledge X1. I learned a lot from your channel. There's just one thing I'm not sure about. What size rear hub do I need? I want to upgrade the drivetrain right away.
You may find it cheaper to just buy a new wheel with a freehub unless you know how to lace in hubs
Kev...did you ever state the rear travel? Regardless of the shock, the frame is only capable of a certain amount of travel before it hits the seat tube or binds the shock. Suspensions are usually progressive so the travel ratio is not the same at the beginning of the stroke vs the end. Would be interesting to know the full rear suspension travel and its leverage ratio.
another good way is to measure the distance from the dropouts to the ground, then compresing the suspension and measuring again, the difference will give you the amount of rear wheel travel.
Excellent suggestion!
Can you review the vilano blackjack on Walmart. What about the mongoose grit gravel bike or the pt26 dirt jump bike
The pt26 is an awesome value in my opinion
If I come across one
Nice thanks for the lesson I can't wait to see what you do to it next
Not sure if you’ll see this question now Kev, but what if some one were to cut that lower shock tab off and move it down some on the frame and applied a triangle welded into the corner to fit a bigger shock, basically increasing the up travel while keeping the top mount in the same spot. Do you think this would mess the geometry up too much?
That’s my plan as of now to get more travel numbers. If you say for 5mm of shock travel gives 15mm at the tire then in total it should have 105
That sounds like a good way to add up lots of cost unless you have the skill to make such a modifications on your own.
Dang, I just got an XR pro now this bike comes out? I think this bike would fit me better. Would converting the XR to a 27.5 be a good idea or should I get a refund and get a Ledge X1? These new BB bikes are getting better n better!
I think you’ll have clearance issues in the XR with 27.5
@@KevCentral much appreciated I'll get the refund going! Hope they restock soon! 👍
Hey Kev have you measured your self the axle to crown? I got my Ledge X1 yesterday and just checked it with a tape measure I am getting around 19 3/4 to 20 inches which is 501.65 to 508 mm fully extended.
68* is good for a project bike like this. That degree headtube was probably measured with the stock fork. No one want to run a 100mm fork anymore. A longer travel fork will slacken the headtube angle
Can't wait for stage 3. You definitely need to do stage 4 upgrades and have some ppl who own high end expensive bikes test ride this but put tape over the Mongoose logo
Patiently waiting for mine to come in 😁😁😁
Have you received a tracking number yet?
@@elulysero8863 I have not yet. I will not worry until Thursday though.
@@chickensendies same. Walmart says expected delivery is Thursday. But no tracking number yet
@@elulysero8863 same here lol It is what it is.
Thanks for the spec info and thought logic! Hey wasn't sure where to put this, have you ever Reviewed Huffy Carnage???
Thanks. I haven’t reviewed a carnage
Would be interested in knowing the stripped frame weight, less shock and drivetrain.
Best of luck to you.
The only time that I think head tube angle has a positive affect is going downhill with a slacker bike puts you in a safer position and reduces the chances of going OTB . Now they say that makes climbing a bit more challenging but that can be helped by seat angle . Now the problem is yes the rear suspension is compressing making the HTA slacker but the front fork is compressing also steepening that HTA . Are they compressing in unison ? Probably not . This is what makes a great full suspension bike where geometry work with suspension . It takes some serious engineering . My hardtail has a 68 degree heat tube angle which back in 2018 when I bought the bike was moder geometry . I have stiffened that front for so it doesnt drive as hard going downhill over technical terrain steepening that headtube angle and putting me in a bad position over the bars where I have OTB . Now going up hill with a stiffer fork over technical terrain makes it a bit more difficult not compressing as easily but safety is more important to me . The only thing I would like to see is tubeless wheelset as I have gone tubeless and its a game changer .
I want this bike. Thing is I want to keep the new Axum dp I just got as well. Got to crunch some numbers and pray lol...
The reach is nice, the seat tube and head tube angle is fine. I think a 120F-100R travel would make this a XC ripper but that chainstay is way too long for my liking. long enough for me to cancel my order.
Thanks for the info as always Kev!
Interesting. Thanks for sharing. Did you see where they confirmed the Ardor as ZS44/55?
@@KevCentral yes!
When can we get our hands on these in a large? Haven't seen it on Walmart's site yet.
When you start improving rear shock, wheels and forks. After a few hard rides the pivot points on the rear will wear out very fast. Upgrade your pivot point bushings if you can before they fail.
Pivots at seat stay (4 points on lever) are bearings, this is shown in one of the videos, dunno about chain stays or main pivot.
Will a Bontrager Kovee Elite 23 Rear MTB Carbon Wheel // 27.5" 142mm fit as a rim replacement for the rear?
Would think a 140mm +/- RS Fork would make the head tube angle about perfect.
*NEED IN STOCK* 😄😄
Like the color!
do the bearings stay in play?, does it use bushings?
Hi! This is very useful information. I was trying to get a caged bearing for the headset. For the life of me, I was unable to find one that matched the size. Mine got warped, but after taking that into account, I figured that the OD was 51.06mm. I cant find any bearing to replace. Can anyone point me to what size the lower bearing of the headset is, or a link to where I can buy? Thanks in advance!
Please! I need you help here, I want to buy this bike quick.
Can you tell me whether a battery of size 367.36mm (length) *127.33mm (width)*90.25mm (height) will fit in the middle triangle without blocking the suspension?????
I tried to calculate the triangle area in the middle, but the dimensions provided in your video is not quite enough, can you quickly test the dimension for me?
is the frame really that strong on this bike ?
These new mongoose bikes are 🔥🔥🔥🔥
People could also run offset bushings in there rear shock if they want a little more of a slack ride.
I would bet a 120-130mm fork and offset bushing in a stock length rear shock would land with that nice super slack head tube.
I like the grey shirt
I understand the 68 but I don’t ride anything less then 66 degrees anymore. For the intended market this is probably a better choice.
What's the rear travel? and chainstay size? Thanks :)
Mongoose ledge x1 or Schwinn Axum (not dp)? Which is the better buy? I can't find the total weight on either of these?
Weight is mentioned in my reviews. The best choice would depend on your riding needs and what you expect out of the box
You should paint the linkage black or orange.
Sealed bearing bushings though good value if you asked me. Is it possible to put an airshock at the back?
If it fits, why not.
Epic it's like a 1 to 3 ratio.
Are there good budget dropper options for 27.2 seat post diameter? Ive read in other comments that there are limited choices.
I have three different 27.2 droppers
can fork offset compensate for a slack head angle?
I wouldnt change the eye to eye measurement but maybe experiment with the stroke.
Kev some one stole my Cannondale so I bought a Schwinn taft from Walmart for 300... didn't you do a review on the taft not too long ago?
Sorry to hear that. Yes I did
@@KevCentral guess what kev?...the taff broke down on me and I had to return it..less than a week it lasted 😪
That's not exclusive Alabama way of measuring travel, we do it that way in New Jersey too!
What do you feel the bike would need from Stock to be (and sorry for the example) "Whisler Ready" ? To take THAT level of abuse ?
Riding Whistler should be done on a high caliber bike, IMO. Not a bike built from the nest budget parts one can find
@@KevCentral I have seen enough to know it's demanding and can destroy a "cheap" bike in a day. Im more interested in a "built into". Something as a base that can have parts swapped out as skill increases
Any word from mongoose when they might be coming back in stock???
I had one in my cart while I was debating to buy it or not and it went out of stock ,😞
Hopefully soon
lol frame only option coming soon?
@kevcentral would the rear triangle from the xr pro bolt on to this frame to make a 29er?
The 29er wheel, derailleur…yes. Those will fit
Ooops. It was bearings. But it doesn't surprise me being a 44-55 headset. I just ordered a FSA for my GT.
Can't find this bike anywhere? Not even a sold out sign? Any info
Link in description
That's why the spring is so heavy. The tire has a mechanical advantage because the wheel is so far from the pivot point. Kind of like a doorknob.
I need a hydraulic brake for an XR Pro that fits right on, no modifications. Any suggestions on a budget friendly unit for that bike?
Hydraulic brakes are overpriced right now. Normally, I like Shimano MT200 for budget brakes
@@KevCentral MT200 can still be found from online bike retailers but they sell out fast. I was able to find front/rear for $35 each and that's with the full 1000mm and 1700mm hoses. Seems going price on ebay is $100 set with shorter hoses, which may be too short, usually in the 850/1300 lengths.
Hi, Hopefully someone can answer this. I'm looking to getting back into biking.... I'm looking to get a commuter bike for work, But want to jump off stuff on the weekends. So I was wondering IF I get something like this current Mongoose the shown here with rear suspension can it be convert to a single speed or will I have to stick with a hardtail?
Thanks in advance for any answers. 🙂
Sort of an expensive bike option for a commuter imo, but the easiest way to go single speed on this would be to choose the gear you want, take off all the hardware (derailleur, cable, shifter), and leave it in that gear. Since the spacing on the frame is made wide enough for a rear hub with a freewheel, there isn't really much else you can do.
Ledge X1 is back in stock @ Walmart, I ordered one. Estimated delivery is 7/12.
Thanks for sharing. I just got back from the trail on Stage 2. Video coming tomorrow
@@KevCentral Do you have any suggestions on cheap but good MTB apparel? e.g. Helmet, gloves, shoes, etc? I'll be needing to purchase that stuff to go along with my new bike! I haven't biked for > 10 years, but your videos inspired me to get back into the saddle!
That's some serious crown to axle height
Is this Frame considered a medium / large the reason I say is because my giant stance is a large in this Mongoose has a longer reach
Medium. 17”
Any clue on a restock date? They’re over there just teasing us!
I haven’t heard anything. I suspect the second wave came and went as fast as the first
@@KevCentral I don't wanna be a buzz kill but I have seen several posts of those in the 1st wave that had their orders canceled or missed delivery dates or delivery dates pushed back. I have had the "notify when in stock" setup since 2 hours after 1st video posting and nothing so far. Just throwing out some info while I wait for stock to show ;-) the waiting is killing me LOL!
Thanks for sharing
Saying a 10k bike having a 68 degree headtube angle is misleading. A xc ( cross country race bike ) have a 68 degree angle. If you see their trail bikes, they are hitting 66 to 65.5 degree headtube angle and their Enduro bikes are hitting 64 degree and the new breeds of super enduros are 62.5-63 degrees now. So a major of the bikes are hovering between the 66-65 degree hta. Even the down country bikes are 66 degree hta now.
I will admit that the reach is very impressive though.
Put 140 mm shock on it and it will be even slacker.
This Mongoose has what 100mm or 80mm of fork travel? With that limited travel, it is a XC bike! What's he supposed to compare it to...a trail bike? Adding 20mm of fork travel slackens the bike by 1 degree but also depends on the fork offset. So simply installing a 120mm or 140mm fork will slacken the HTA by 1-2 degrees.
@@mtbbiker6401 it's got the wheelbase and reach of an enduro bike. It's only got a 100mm travel fork because you are not finding a cheap off the shelf big box bike 140mm fork to build this thing with.
Really hope this bike comes back in stock
I don't think it ever was in stock. It's not on Wal-Mart's or Mongoose's website. At all.
@@TivonSanders it was on Walmarts
its on walmarts site, but sold out instantly. i've been checking periodically and it will probably be a few weeks until its in stock again. I managed to snag two Ardors, and one of them came in damaged, so back it went.
68 is perfect imo. my dually is a 2017 and ill never get rid of it because it has a 68 HT angle. we dont have mtns so i dont need mega slack
I would like to see a Schwinn vs. Mongoose big box shootout.
All the cool bikes are too small for me. Any suggestions for someone 6’4~5”
Large size schwinn taff
Will you be getting rid of your Large Axum?
I’ve reverted it to stock form (except for the new air fork I put on it) to use in the future
Based on these numbers you could have a very capable full suspension bike if you invest a little
Im looking at the geometry against other fs bikes. I dont understand the real cost? Frame doesnt seem to be it.. so it has to be rims tire fork and rear susp. So throw 1500 or 2k at this and there wouldnt be much difference. Im looking at a kona process at 3100$ or throw a fox 38 with stans 29 rim a fox rear.
Agree fork, rear shock, wheels, brakes. Where I ride that would be enough. New drivetrain wound probably be good too but could do all of that and still be in 1800 range.
Put a 120 - 130 mm fork and the head angle will slacken (probably to 66.5 with a 130?)
See my stage 1 upgrade
hey, Walmart has a new Ebike have you heard anything about it?
What model?
@@KevCentral it’s a Movelo I can’t find it again on the site but I know they have them in some stores where I am SK,Canada
So I’m a little confused on the travel of the rear shock, most modern bikes now a days have at least 140mm of travel in the rear shock, how is it possible for this bike to only have 35mm of travel in the rear?
140mm of travel at the wheel, is not 140mm of travel at the shock. most shocks are only 150-190mm in length total.
@@chuck8261 so what is this bikes travel at the wheel? Or it’s effective travel?
@@lukebrosnan8679 I'm curious too. We don't know what the effective travel regardless of shock travel. The frame has a limitation before it hits the seat tube.
I retired 2 years ago and have been riding a non suspension 29er. (Giant Toughroad) I have avoided anything but packed gravel but would like to get a bike like this, so I could go on trails. There is one thing I don’t like about it, the bolt on rear wheel. I would prefer a through axle or QR. but could live with this for the price. Has anyone seen this for sale?
Just change the rear wheel. Solved.
I mean you are comparing specializes hardcore xc bike which has a very very steep hta, on the other hand there are bikes now with a 62.5 hta
I would imagine the Mongoose Ledge's 100mm suspension travel puts it in a XC category so the comparison is justified. It's certainly not an all mountain or enduro bike. "Trail" is even questionable.
Million dollar question where may I buy a mongoose ledge X1 ???
Link in description
All sold out
Even just for the frame I think it's worth it. I'm going to slap some Forks on it and ride it as is but eventually I think I'm going to change everything. I wish you could buy the frame. The Freewheel bums me out because of the cost of buying a wheelset versus just changing a cassette.
True, but you can buy a budge rear wheel for $100. Better yet, rebuild the stock wheel with a freehub, such as Shimano FH-M525 or any other 10x135QR freehub. I rebuilt the rear wheel on my Raleigh Talus 2 with a FH-M525 so I could upgrade the freewheel to a cassette. Now running a Shimano Deore M5100 1x11 drive.
is this the only headset option we have? I'm kind of afraid of it..
I’m not sure what you’re asking. I only gave a headset size in the video
@@KevCentral yeaaa. I assumed it was a 55/40 instead of 56/40, and I bought one annnnnd I jumped the gun haha. is that headset you linked the only 44/55? headset?
@@KevCentral I was referring to the headset you have linked in this video
is that not the headset we would need for the ardor?
Nah. There are many
@@KevCentral man. I've searched high and low. I cant seem to find only that one. had any experience with the one you linked ?
Nice!🤘
Folks, you are going to need a 140mm travel front fork. They are cheap now, and its the standard for the type of bike this is. This frame will accept a 2 degree angle headset and i highly recommend it if you live in the mountains, and want a cheap, SERIOUS all mountain bike. This is not a XC bike that has to built to the lightest weight, and 32, 33 pounds is acceptable. Everything i just said applies to a modern geo ENDURO, TRAIL BIKE.
They're cheap now, because they're cheap.
My 140 mm wasn't cheap, because it's not a cheap fork.
@@dangerous8333 look again these are large damper 34mm stanchion forks that rival Anything from Fox.
would an air shock work????
In place of the coil shock? Yes - as long as it’s the proper size
You need to stop all these videos. We are getting spoiled! Great work Kev!
Can that suspension rocker arm be modded?
I guess anything can be modded
frick... I just ordered a cane creek 55/40... that's not gonna work huh?
What is the sizr of this bike
Do you mean the frame size? It’s a 17”
Is this going to be your favorite bike? Or too early to tell?
Too early since I don’t have stage 2 complete. Many parts going on tomorrow. Still trying to find the wheels I want - likely a stage 3 coming too