From the first products – to our current crop of BMX, Mountain and pavement bikes, Mongoose is synonymous with bikes that perform on the smoothest single track to the biggest drops and riders looking for trails that never end and keep the party going. While Magoo’s tenure at Mongoose only lasted for 3 years (until 1991), this was a fruitful period in which the essence of the brand was strengthened and the future direction of the company crystallised. For example, one of the first moves Magoo made after taking up the role at Mongoose was to hire Dennis McCoy and Tim ‘Fuzzy’ Hall.
Inevitably, wider society was sooner or later going to come into contact with BMX. A significant milestone in this regard was the release of the 1982 film ‘E.T. The Extra Terrestrial’ – directed by Steven Spielberg and featuring a young Henry Thomas as Elliott Taylor. Featuring the iconic scene in which the boys are being chased by cops on BMX bikes, pedalling at speed, tearing around the neighborhood, jumping and eventually taking flight.
Distinctive designs and lots of innovations.Still making bikes today, they have seen it all thru the years. For over 45 years, Mongoose has been in the dirt, at the park, and on the street. Ranging from your first true BMX bike in the L18 to the full 4130 chromoly pro-performance L500, the Legion series was designed to withstand the punishment that takes place as you progress your BMX skills. When I said Originally, I was referring to before the 1983 redesign. I.E, the early Motomag, Team, and Supergoose with the first gen drop outs and the double front gusset. The Motomag frames had a Cro Mo front triangle with a mild steel rear.
Beyond that, Mongoose are still supporting bikers in all forms (particularly racing, freestyle and mountain bikes), contributing to jams and events as well as producing some of the raddest products available. The mid 1980s resulted in a significant downfall schwinn mountain bicycles to the growth of BMX (primarily racing), enabled through the rise of adjacent modes (i.e. freestyle, mountain bikes and scooters) and a lack of mainstream interest. It was a time to either stick to your guns and perish or reimagine and grow.
It is perhaps at this point that the story skips forward, with there being way too many moments and characters to emphasise. Coming only a year later was the 1983 Australian film ‘BMX Bandits’, arguably resulting in an even more significant impact on BMX than ET. The film is famous for being shot in the northern beaches of Sydney (primarily Manly), featuring Nicole Kidman in one of her first ever acting roles and for its portrayal of BMX in its freestyle form. Originally written with 9 year old characters in mind, the lack of finance meant that the script was re-written by a different team, this time pivoting to teenagers as the central characters.
If you need further assistance contact our Customer Solutions Team . Push your limits and test your skills on our flagship BMX bike with the Legion L500. This men’s & women’s BMX bike has a Mongoose full 4130 Chromoly frame, removeable brake mounts, and mid BB shell. The Mongoose Hooligan AL 29″ Bike is a lightweight cruiser. The frame and rims are made from a durable lightweight aluminum while utilizing a steel… In the end, the quality of the frame does not have much to do with the country of origin, so much as the quality of materials and personnel who build it.
We think that this offers our customers the chance to celebrate and embrace the nostalgia of Mongoose, while moving forward in the modern BMX world with taste, style and strength. Hop on the Mongoose MXOne BMX race bike and you’ll be ready to take the track by storm. The MXOne features a durable steel frame with BMX Race geometry and BMX Race bar with Taper leg race fork.
At this point, Mongoose is still one of the leading companies in progressing BMX and have been designing and manufacturing products for close to a decade. For the most part, Mongoose was renowned for pushing the boundaries of BMX technology in a popular and authentic direction, however primarily in the BMX race scene. Leading up to and including 1985, it is important to understand that BMX freestyle was absolutely booming and Mongoose fell somewhat short of capitalising on this phenomenon, with brands like Haro and GT being frontrunners in this market.
Now, Mongoose is one of the brands of Dorel Industries, which also owns Pacific Cycle, Schwinn, and GT Bicycles. As of 2018, you can find Mongoose bikes at Pacific Cycle in Madison, WI. Their products are distributed worldwide, mainly through independent distributors and retailers. BMX Products Inc’s product range includes BMX Bikes, Dirt Jump Bikes, BMX Racing Equipment, and other Bicycle Accessories such as clothing and helmets. RECO (Racer Engineering Company) was a wholly owned manufacturing division created for insurance purposes to be separate from BMX Products, Inc, even though RECO was always in house. It was headed by Vice President of Manufacturing Hoppy Brooks in his attempt to market motorcycle frames but was according to Skip “totally unsuccessful”.