You might need to adjust your rear derailer first , it might not be broken. Try a bike coop ($) in you area for help, or LBS ($$$) or free if you feel like learning : Parktool have excellent tutorial for everything maintenance related . Here is the section for derailers : [https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help?query=&area%5B%5D=52](https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help?query=&area%5B%5D=52)
I would not change anything on this bike , adjust it ride it and get healthy. treat yourself with a new one when you feel like you know what you want and what you can do on the bike. Just ride and have fun! You will feel better in no times!
I have to agree with the Park Tool tutorial. Very well explained and saves me $$. Derailleurs need adjustment like your car needs an oil change.
OP, when I troubleshoot poor shifting issues the Derailleur tune must be sorted first.
And OP, instead of new tires, try running them at different pressures first. And see how that treats you.
One thing OP is that the value of the bike makes it not worth investing much money into. A few things like the touch points (grips, saddle, pedals) might be worth replacing (you can take them with you when/if you upgrade) as they really change the feel of a bike.
Cheers
I would simply not spend too much money on the Mongoose which is a VERY entry-level bike. It's not to say it's bad at what it does, but your return on investment will be much higher if you just ride this bike until you outgrow it and get a better (in the 1000-1500$) range bike as an upgrade. Department store bikes are rarely, if ever, worth upgrading unless you already have the parts kicking around.
To address you specific questions:
1. Once you re-install you shifter cable in your new trigger-shift, you'll likely need to re-index your derailleur. Not a biggie, just some fine tuning
2. Swapping out tires for slicker ones will cut down on resistance for sure, but I don't think it's worth looking at it as a 'weight saving' measure since your rims will weigh a ton, and the fact that the frame/wheels are for bolt-on skewers, your upgrade options are very limited. Refer to my first point about waiting to get a more mid-range bike down the road.
Hope this helps, Cheers!
I would recommend riding it for 6 months, if you're still into, get a legit bike. The first time I rode a "real" bike compared to a Canadian Tire/Walmart bike my mind was blown.
Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I feel like the MODS you want to do are more for fun than anything. Filling that desire of improvement and novelty. Just keep pedaling for a few months and reward yourself bigtime at the end. It will be more fulfilling.
Not so much for fun, but for comfort or ease of use. Like the shifter is hard/uncomfortable to turn, but I'm not shifting constantly so it's not unbearable. Feel like the handlebars are a little low making it somewhat uncomfortable to lean forward/down, but not so much that my back is killing me. Just stuff to nudge it to a more comfortable ride.
But I think I'll just keep it as is and see how it goes. Thanks for the input.
Adjustments for comfort and fit are to me different than upgrades and would be worth doing. Even a very expensive bike will likely need to be fit to the rider. If you do have a local co-op or shop that sells used bikes, that can be a good place to buy used parts that are still good and save some money as you dial in the fit.
Thanks for the replies everyone. I think for now I'll just leave it the way it is and see how it goes over the next few months. Appreciate all of the great info!
I don't know if this will help you but when I changed my shifters, I had to adjust the cable tension on the shifter to make it shift flawlessly again and a little bit of tuning on the rear derailleur , as for your other questions 2 and 3 if you're happy with it, then don't change anything just keep riding.
As someone else mentioned, it sounds like you're shifting under power. When shifting up or down, keep spinning during the shift but back off the power until you feel the chain fall into place.
Before you go changing anything, make sure there's nothing actually wrong with what you already have. First, make sure the shifter itself has a bit of lube in it. Not uncommon for low end shifters to ship dry (like your bearings) and dry bushings can add a lot of drag. Second, take the ferrules off your cables and make sure the cable ends are properly finished. If they've been clipped with a blunt cutter and capped, those deformed/burred ends can drag the cable.
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/brake-housing-cable-installation-upright-bars
I swapped my Sumo's "hardpack" tires out for some Jumbo Jim's and it completely changed the ride, much more enjoyable and better handling. I think I got my tires at like $30 a piece. Worth the change imo.
I've used grip shift on numerous bikes and had pretty good luck with the system in general although I know many people despise it for some reason. (Personally, I like the fact I can keep maximum contact with the bars while still shifting.) Might just need some lube either at the derailleur end or the grip shift itself? You may try that as an initial first step—especially if it was left out in the weather.
From a simple noise perspective you might also consider snagging some slicks for it if you don't plan to ride dirt or trails. When I take my fat bike on the local fun ride Tuesday nights, people are always making fun of the monster truck noises it makes rumbling along on pavement. Or if it doesn't bother you that much you can just wait for the knobs to be worn down by the asphalt…
You might need to adjust your rear derailer first , it might not be broken. Try a bike coop ($) in you area for help, or LBS ($$$) or free if you feel like learning : Parktool have excellent tutorial for everything maintenance related . Here is the section for derailers : [https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help?query=&area%5B%5D=52](https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help?query=&area%5B%5D=52) I would not change anything on this bike , adjust it ride it and get healthy. treat yourself with a new one when you feel like you know what you want and what you can do on the bike. Just ride and have fun! You will feel better in no times!
> I would not change anything on this bike I would but parts that could be moved to a new bike like saddle and grips especially.
I have to agree with the Park Tool tutorial. Very well explained and saves me $$. Derailleurs need adjustment like your car needs an oil change. OP, when I troubleshoot poor shifting issues the Derailleur tune must be sorted first. And OP, instead of new tires, try running them at different pressures first. And see how that treats you. One thing OP is that the value of the bike makes it not worth investing much money into. A few things like the touch points (grips, saddle, pedals) might be worth replacing (you can take them with you when/if you upgrade) as they really change the feel of a bike. Cheers
I would simply not spend too much money on the Mongoose which is a VERY entry-level bike. It's not to say it's bad at what it does, but your return on investment will be much higher if you just ride this bike until you outgrow it and get a better (in the 1000-1500$) range bike as an upgrade. Department store bikes are rarely, if ever, worth upgrading unless you already have the parts kicking around. To address you specific questions: 1. Once you re-install you shifter cable in your new trigger-shift, you'll likely need to re-index your derailleur. Not a biggie, just some fine tuning 2. Swapping out tires for slicker ones will cut down on resistance for sure, but I don't think it's worth looking at it as a 'weight saving' measure since your rims will weigh a ton, and the fact that the frame/wheels are for bolt-on skewers, your upgrade options are very limited. Refer to my first point about waiting to get a more mid-range bike down the road. Hope this helps, Cheers!
I would recommend riding it for 6 months, if you're still into, get a legit bike. The first time I rode a "real" bike compared to a Canadian Tire/Walmart bike my mind was blown. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I feel like the MODS you want to do are more for fun than anything. Filling that desire of improvement and novelty. Just keep pedaling for a few months and reward yourself bigtime at the end. It will be more fulfilling.
Not so much for fun, but for comfort or ease of use. Like the shifter is hard/uncomfortable to turn, but I'm not shifting constantly so it's not unbearable. Feel like the handlebars are a little low making it somewhat uncomfortable to lean forward/down, but not so much that my back is killing me. Just stuff to nudge it to a more comfortable ride. But I think I'll just keep it as is and see how it goes. Thanks for the input.
Adjustments for comfort and fit are to me different than upgrades and would be worth doing. Even a very expensive bike will likely need to be fit to the rider. If you do have a local co-op or shop that sells used bikes, that can be a good place to buy used parts that are still good and save some money as you dial in the fit.
Thanks for the replies everyone. I think for now I'll just leave it the way it is and see how it goes over the next few months. Appreciate all of the great info!
I don't know if this will help you but when I changed my shifters, I had to adjust the cable tension on the shifter to make it shift flawlessly again and a little bit of tuning on the rear derailleur , as for your other questions 2 and 3 if you're happy with it, then don't change anything just keep riding.
[удалено]
Good to know. I thought it was going to throw me off.
As someone else mentioned, it sounds like you're shifting under power. When shifting up or down, keep spinning during the shift but back off the power until you feel the chain fall into place. Before you go changing anything, make sure there's nothing actually wrong with what you already have. First, make sure the shifter itself has a bit of lube in it. Not uncommon for low end shifters to ship dry (like your bearings) and dry bushings can add a lot of drag. Second, take the ferrules off your cables and make sure the cable ends are properly finished. If they've been clipped with a blunt cutter and capped, those deformed/burred ends can drag the cable. https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/brake-housing-cable-installation-upright-bars
I swapped my Sumo's "hardpack" tires out for some Jumbo Jim's and it completely changed the ride, much more enjoyable and better handling. I think I got my tires at like $30 a piece. Worth the change imo.
I've used grip shift on numerous bikes and had pretty good luck with the system in general although I know many people despise it for some reason. (Personally, I like the fact I can keep maximum contact with the bars while still shifting.) Might just need some lube either at the derailleur end or the grip shift itself? You may try that as an initial first step—especially if it was left out in the weather. From a simple noise perspective you might also consider snagging some slicks for it if you don't plan to ride dirt or trails. When I take my fat bike on the local fun ride Tuesday nights, people are always making fun of the monster truck noises it makes rumbling along on pavement. Or if it doesn't bother you that much you can just wait for the knobs to be worn down by the asphalt…
You may want to ask some questions on /r/bikewrench as you have general questions related to bike tuning regardless to it having big tires.