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Joker

Joker

Adventurist
Founding Member
Hey Bike Experts,

I've been thinking about picking up a decent used full suspension bike but i really do not know much about them, their components and what brands are good and which ones to stay away from. This one has been on our craigslist for a couple of weeks and recently dropped from $900 to $860. I know Mongoose kind of became the walmart bike but what about their higher end bikes, would this one be worth $860?

00f0f_ldQ75iCE8e2_600x450.jpg



http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/4978192957.html



I'm still not 100% sure I'm going to get something as there is a lot i need to do to my truck but if a great deal comes along I may jump at it.
 
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^That's a nice bike! Worth $860? Maybe. Not sure what Teocali's are going for nowadays. But it has good components, a decent fork and rear shock, and the bike looks to have minimal use. The Teocali is a nice bike, my dad almost bought one a few years back. What type of riding do you want to do? This bike would be closest to an All Mountain style. Which means its not excellent at anything but can do it all decently (climb, long distance, downhill, etc). It's also a small frame, how tall are you? A small would be for somebody like 5'5"-5'7"ish, if you are avg height (6' give or take) a large is generally about right. If it is the right size for you, I think I'd throw like $700 cash out there and see what happens.
 
If you want to ride your bike get Campagnolo components, if you want to go fishing you get Shimano components! (we have now exhausted both my bike knowledge and humor in one sentence). I did see that Trek just had a million bikes recalled because the front wheel quick release can get stuck in the front brake rotor causing a VERY rapid stop.
 
Frame size is listed as SMALL. Not sure about you but that's a kid's frame size in my family. New list price as of today is $1,199

http://www.mongoose.com/usa/teocali-comp-20001

Anyway, I'm not sure $860 is a good deal. Unless you MUST have full suspension, $800 will get you a NICE NEW hard tail from Specialized or Giant or Canondale. Just my .02
 
I'm 5' 10" and have 20yr old GT Pantera hard tail so I do want a full suspension if I get a new bike. Interesting about what you said about the teocalli not excellent at anything but good for pretty much everything; I'd have to say that's kind of what I'm looking for, road, single track, hills but nothing hardcore.
 
Looking for a mountain bike is a bit different from a road bike. Some people particularly myself tend to run a size smaller than what is normally my size. That's just a matter of preference as I tend to move a lot on the saddle uphill or downhill so I get more control and momentum. I don't like to the feeling of being stretched out to I point where the bike feels less maneuverable.

Getting the right fit is a little tricky as well and its not a one size fits all as everyone probably knows. Lots of factors like handlebar width and rise, length of the stem, offset of the seatpost among others.
The ad says the frame size is small and 17. Small frames are at least 15-16", medium is 17-18" and large at least 19" and up. And Mongoose does make Walmart bikes as do others. But all of the major brands have higher end models as well from $1k upwards.

It looks like it has pretty decent components but not enough to make me pay $860 for a used one. You also have to consider your riding style, whether its xc, enduro, downhill and dirt jumping. This is considered all mountain which might run just a tad heavier than an xc and with more robust longer travel suspension. The good thing about enduro/all mountain models is that you can still ride xc style on moderate terrain then transition to more agressive single tracks. Good luck sir!

http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/article/mountain-bike-styles-explained-40770/

http://www.mbr.co.uk/news/bike_news/mongoose-teocali-elite-bike-review-276991

image.jpg
 
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Perfect, this is the exact info I was looking for thank you. My current bike is an 18" and honestly I've often thought I would rather it be slightly smaller; I'll keep looking and if its still available i'll offer $700. Like i said before I'm not 100% sure I want to spend the money on a bike right now knowing how much i want to do to my truck but I am probably going to sell my boat to finance that. That and I did just pull the trigger on a new Pelican 65 Cooler yesterday.
 
Consider adding a Thudbuster to your current bike and see if you really start riding as much as you think.
http://www.thudbuster.com/products.html

I have the LT and it takes up the hard hits. It is not a cushy as a FS, but I couldn't afford a FS that was not a brick. Watch out for teh pivot design, some wear out fast, have no serviceable parts or are just load.

BobYJ91 - Campy is not in the mountain bike game.
 
A good saddle will help as well particularly if you don't ride as much, your sit bones will thank you for it. If you haven't tried the ones with the cutout in the middle that protects your perineum perhaps its about time. Trust me your dangly bits will also thank you for it.
Then you have the choice between gel and foam cushioning so I suggest going to something like performance bikes or an REI store where they would have a decent selection for you to choose from.

When you say you wish it was rather smaller do you mean the frame itself? If its a matter of reach, you can buy a shorter stem and a handle bar with a higher rise. Also try moving the seat forward, adjusting the tilt and lowering the post. This link might help a bit.

http://www.ebicycles.com/article/determining-your-bicycle-saddle-height.html
 
There is a company in Asheville that makes 'hinged' bicycle seat posts. Cane Creek or something. I have one on my bike. It is an amazing reducer of shock in the nether region. I'll try to remember to post up a picture tomorrow.
here you go...I didn't realize it's the same Thudbuster that Jay mentioned earlier, but I guess this company is the manufacturer and it has more technical specs and detail.
http://www.canecreek.com/products/seatposts
 
bruinlad said:
When you say you wish it was rather smaller do you mean the frame itself? If its a matter of reach, you can buy a shorter stem and a handle bar with a higher rise. Also try moving the seat forward, adjusting the tilt and lowering the post. This link might help a bit.
Click to expand...

Frame itself and I adjust the post differently when i'm off road or just on road. When I ride on the road it is perfect its just when I'm n a trail I wouldn't mind if it were slightly smaller.
 
Joker said:
Frame itself and I adjust the post differently when i'm off road or just on road. When I ride on the road it is perfect its just when I'm n a trail I wouldn't mind if it were slightly smaller.
Click to expand...
Small like a toy are you?
 
So you feel the same way I do. Riding on flat terrain you're fine but once it gets to more downhills, uphills, switchbacks you wish it was smaller. I'm suppose to ride 17-18 but I do better on a 16-16.5. Funny how half an inch can make so much of a difference. With a smaller frame I can move the saddle back to sit comfortably and get off it but still be able to feel the front of the saddle to help me control the bike. People tend to overlook this but you can actually get better control your bike with your thighs in tandem w/ the handlebar, etc.

Anyhow, here are some links that we tell our bike club members (socalb3.com shamless plug) to browse. And as well as good "how to" videos from bikeskills.com and Joe Lawwill one of their long time instructors. They have a good lineup of instructors incl former world champs Brian Lopes and Leigh Donovan. I would recommend bikeskills youtube channel for videos as well.

http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bicycleseats.html
http://www.bikeskills.com/blog/category/media/instructionalarticles/
http://www.joelawwill.com/

Here's a sample video. I wish they had better quality ones but hey its free ��

[video=youtube_share;hF9efIKIvk8]http://youtu.be/hF9efIKIvk8[/video]
 
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bruinlad said:
So you feel the same way I do. Riding on flat terrain you're fine but once it gets to more downhills, uphills, switchbacks you wish it was smaller. I'm suppose to ride 17-18 but I do better on a 16-16.5. Funny how half an inch can make so much of a difference.
Click to expand...

Yea especially down hill.
 
Well the bike is still out there but now its at $800. If I can sell my boat in the next couple of days I might go take a look at it.
 
I'd take a look at it first in person for obvious reasons. Pictures don't tell the entire story. Check the typical areas for major wear and tear. Ask why the handlebars were replaced (the brake levers look quite dinged up) and also why the drivetrain was majorly upgraded (owner might just like better components or he was in a pretty gnarly crash). Make sure the wheels are true and not out of balanced either (check spoke tension to make sure it's even). Double check all the welded areas to make sure there are no stress cracks and also check all the linkages/bushings/bearings for excessive play. Test ride it and shift through all the gears to make sure everything's working properly. It may need some adjusting so don't freak out if it doesn't complete a shift on queue. Check the rear suspension compression for any unnecessary play, especially lateral play. Oh and check underneath that covered chainstay to see if the paint is destroyed. If he was smart, then it'd have been put on before actual use.

For the overall price and components, that's quite a deal. The upgraded components alone I'd highly consider just jumping on it. And if you want to upgrade down the line, just buy a frameset and transfer what you can over from the old bike. If you're looking for an XC/All Mountain, you're in the right ballpark of mountain bike. The Teocali is a decent platform to start out on, although it's not as prestigious as your other big name brands that cost $2k+. A great bike for under a grand. Haggle the guy for $750 considering it's over 5 years old now and then throw on a set of SRAM X9 shifters. The 1:1 shift ratio beats Shimano's laggy shifting any day. It's so crisp I used to shift gears because it felt so great... this makes me miss cycling.

BTW, I used to work at Performance Bike for 5 years and rode mountain/downhill at the time, but I still ride road once in awhile :p
 
If you are interested in overlanding by bike, may I suggest either the Framed Minnesota 2.0 (http://www.framedbikes.com/mn2new/) or if your budget will handle it either the Cogburn CB4 fat-bike (http://www.cogburnoutdoors.com/) or the Surly ECR, (http://surlybikes.com/bikes/ecr) both of which were designed for that kind use. I have a Cogburn and if they had come out 6 months earlier I never would have ordered my custom MTB. I ride it year-round and it has really brought back the joy of cycling for me.


Ride safe,
Hans
 

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We'll I sold my boat and the bike was still posted the whole time until I went in the other day and of course now it's gone, oh well. Maybe it's Gods way of telling me I need a motorcycle :)

I did look at one shop for the Thudbuster and they didn't have them so I'll have to try another shop.
 
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