From custom paint jobs to personalized fittings, our team can help you create a bike that reflects your personality and preferences. Stand out from the crowd and ride in style with a one-of-a-kind bicycle tailored to your unique taste. mongoose racing bike Really, any manufacturer on our list makes a great bike. The tech and engineering has gotten so good that the average cyclist can figure out an appropriate budget and find at least two or three really solid options to choose from.
The Schwinn Axum is a bike that’s priced similarly to the Mongoose Switchback Expert (the brands share a parent company), though it weighs more and is only offered in a couple of sizes. However, the Axum comes with a dropper post and features wider and more stable 2.6″ tires. Experienced riders may want to upgrade by adding a dropper post to the Mongoose Switchback Expert. The frame features internal routing so you could install a dropper post yourself for about $199 or so. This is one change that could make sense for some buyers, though percentage-wise, it’s a big addition.
The brand’s first road bike came out in 2000, and actually had two Tour de France wins on subsequent bikes (2006 and 2011, the first vacated for doping). Various iterations at the sport’s highest levels translated to serious engineering prowess for BMC, which has made the brand a bit of a cult favorite across several cycling disciplines. Today, some of their tech from the mountain side can be found in the URS 01 Two, which topped our list for the best gravel bikes.
The brand is considered one of the American originals alongside Specialized and Trek, and makes a similar range of bikes across the cycling spectrum. The Topstone 1 is a popular alloy choice that allows riders to go a bit higher on components without the need for a full carbon setup. Since its inception in 1972 in Taiwan, Giant Bicycles has emerged as one of the world’s largest bicycle manufacturers. With a focus on research and development, Giant continually pushes the boundaries of bicycle technology, offering a wide range of bikes suited for various riding disciplines.
I worried about flat tires so I added a bit more pressure than I usually run on my other bikes—about 20-25psi—and I recommend buyers do the same. However, if you’re like many of my non-bike friends asking for a bike recommendation and want to ride on the road, and maybe off road a little, the Switchback Expert could be a good fit. The drivetrain is generally pretty quiet when pedaling on smooth surfaces, though things start to clang the faster (and rougher!) you ride. With the included flat pedals, the Mongoose Switchback Expert weighs 33.9lb (size XL) which isn’t too far off what a more expensive full suspension mountain bike might weigh. The bike has a clean, modern look thanks to internal cable routing and a short 40mm stem with medium-wide, 720mm bars. The geometry is fairly modern for a department store bike, with a 66.5° head tube angle and a 75° seat tube angle.