"Phil" wrote in message
...
I'm think of buying the Mongoose for touring with full camping gear.
Does anyone out there with one care to coment on it's suitability?

They are fine for fully loaded touring and pretty good value I think.
I bought one and took it on a 6 weeks tour in France last year and it
was great, not a single mechanical problem. I bought front and rear
racks and panniers and a handlebar bag. I did change the gearing
however, upgrading to ultegra 9 speed with a 12-34 cassette instead
of the 12-30 that came standard. The rear derailleur had no problem
shifting this. This gearing was fine for me even up L'Alpe Duez and Mont
Vontoux, but I did these climbs without luggage.

Also the tektro front brake was crap so I put on an Avid shorty caliper.
Better power but they squealed badly until I toed the pads out (not in).
Strange but it worked.

I see the newer EX model has 9 speed tiagra (but still only a 30 rear
cassette) and Avid shorty front brakes. I'm sure a bike shop would swap
the rear cassette for next to nothing to make a sale. Also make sure the
front forks have the rivnut in the forks for bolting on a front rack. Mine
didn't for some reason and I had to send the forks back for this.

Adam