2002 Mongoose Inferno
December 19th, 2004 by MikeMy uncle and I had the idea of getting back into mountain biking about three years ago. The only problem was, we didn’t have mountain bikes and didn’t have much money to spend either. Not knowing much about biking, we went to the local chain sporting goods store – Dicks. We looked around for a while and then spotted the 2002 Mongoose Inferno, with full suspension and Judy TT forks. I would like to say that we bought the bikes because we read reviews about them or looked at consumer ratings, but I can’t. I’m pretty sure we bought the bikes because they looked cool and they didn’t cost a lot of money – around $300 at the time.
The Inferno came with a full suspension, Rock Shox Judy TT forks, Shimano EZ fire shifting and an Altus rear derailleur. The bike was made of aluminum, I’m not sure how much it weighed when I bought it, so let’s just leave it at a whole lot. And the fact that I’m six feet tall and weigh around 210 pounds doesn’t help matters!
The Altus front and rear derailleurs have proven to need a lot of attention. For the first year or so, the shifting just didn’t seem right with the bike, but after I took it to the LBS about four months ago, the shifting has been great. I still haven’t figured out why they call it EZ fire shifting – where does the “fire’ come into play? Originally, the shifting was sluggish and you really had to anticipate the hills. But that is to be expected from the Altus product line – “you get what you pay for.”
I’ve had to replace both the front and rear wheels. I bent the front rim slightly on some single track, and then on the very next ride, I taco’d the rim beyond repair. This prompted me to install some double wall rims for a little added sturdiness. I also had to replace the rear rim after I bent the rear axle. The axle did hold up for almost two years with a whole lot more abuse than it was built for. That little upgrade cost around $80.
The Rock Shox Judy TT fork has held up quite nicely. I still have quite a bit of travel and haven’t had any problems with the shock seizing. Since I purchased the bike, I have replaced the handlebars, stem, seat and seat post. These changes have really lightened the bike.
The Mongoose Inferno was definitely worth the $300 that I spent on it at the time. I have gotten my money’s worth, and then some. The downside to buying a cheaper bike is if you tend to be hard on it, it’s not worth constantly spending money on repairs. This can be a Catch 22 – do I spend more money on my $300 bike, or do I save that money and put it toward buying a higher quality new one? Personally, I know I made a good decision in buying the Mongoose Inferno as my first mountain bike. To check out Mongoose’s new bikes, visit their website at www.Mongoose.com. Check back to see updates on this review.
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Just bought a Mongoose Inferno from my friend for $115 (with lock and pump). Have only ridden on 1 trail with it, but I like it so far. I can definately feel some power loss as compared to my previous hardtail, but that could also be in the tires. Also, my bike has some Shimano Alivio components on it instead of the Acera (between Acera and Deore?). Moving up from the SRAM GripShift on my old Huffy, the EZFire shifters feel great. I can also tell the difference in the Aluminum frame versus steel. Do you know how much your Mongoose weighed (before and after your upgrades)? Thanks for posting the review. I was unsure about buying the bike, but your review helped me to make what is, as far as I can tell, a good decision.
I hope you get as much enjoyment out of your Mongoose as I did. There will always be a special place in my heart for the Mongoose Inferno. Seriously though, it was great bike to get back into mountain biking with and it took a lot of beatings.
I’m in Iraq serving our great country with my trusty Mongoose Inferno at my side. My battle buddy has a Mongoose Intake and I consistently kick Iraqi sand in his face. Seriously though… I bought the bike here after I purchased a Huffy. The Huffy had plastic pedals. The pedals broke. I took the broke pedal back received a new pedal. Later that day it broke. I returned the Huffy and now am the proud owner of the Mongoose Inferno. It has alloy pedals. They take a beating and keep on cranking. The bike goes through serious abuse. Sand, sand, and more sand spins through the derailers and they keep moving and don’t clog. The suspension is pretty good. I’m 6′5″ and weigh 265 with my Kevlar (which by the way smash on your man parts while riding sometimes.) The only downside is the seatpost and handlebars do not extend to a comfortable height for my height. However, the only thing I’m going to regret about leaving Iraq is that I will be leaving my Mongoose Inferno. I will be leaving it for the incoming battle buddy replacement.
“Combat Airpower for America… Right Here, Right Now!”
SSgt Pring
USAF
Matt,
Thanks for the comment. Long live the Mongoose Inferno!!! I have much respect for you man, thanks for keeping it safe over in our neck of the woods. Make sure and get another Inferno when you get back to the states.