Mongoose Cachet review by Eben Weiss

Bike Snob NYC procured the infamous Mongoose Cachet fixed speed bike from Walmart, assembled it, and rode it for the distinction of first to review this bicycle.

When I ordered the bike the website did not give me the option of selecting a size, so I can only assume Walmart only offers one. Measuring the bike, I determined that it was what most manufacturers would probably call a 55cm or perhaps a “medium” — which, as it happens, fits me fine.

But enough of all this technical “sizing” jargon. I know what you’re really wondering at this point, and the answer is, “Yes, it does have an integrated chainguard tab.”

Executive summary: The build quality you’d expect from a Walmart bike, comes as singlespeed but has a flip flop hub, iffy brakes, 48 spoke wheels, about a “Medium” one size fits all, and Bike Snob now has a manservant / Boy Friday. No mention on its lateral stiffness or vertical compliance or the bike weight. Bike Snob’s complete review here.

Should I get one to review? Afterwards, we could use this as a bait bike to snare bike thieves.

5 Comments

  1. Snare bike thieves or did you mean “potentially maul and cripple bike thieves once they steal it”?

    Either is fine by me, really.

  2. I think it's a start that a very affordable bike is now available in the US. It doesn't sound like it's a good quality bike though. As you probably know, in Japan, you can get good quality mamachari for similar or even cheaper price. I think that does a lot to make bikes popular. Though they are so affordable that they are treated as disposable which is the unfortunate aspect of the abundance of cheap bikes.

  3. mamachari are second hand so comparing it to a no retail bike is pointless. they are not made in japan, they are assembled in new zealand and marketed to japan. also they are commuter bikes with a step thru frame, we call it a girl bike here in the us but it is the primary design of most bikes internatinally

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