danjpendleton
100 W
fedex says its 40lbs but maybe thats just an approximation?
Mongoose dolomite fatbike? 7spd, disk brakes, INEXPENSIVE
- Thread starter danjpendleton
- Start date
fedex says its 40lbs but maybe thats just an approximation?
Lenk42602
10 kW
Drunkskunk said:
Regarding putting a front hub motor on this bike, I would never do so. Nor would I ever install a front hub motor on any steel rigid front fork, be it a cheap hi ten or chromoly version on lighter bicycles. There's just no purchase or strength.
just asking for problems...
This high tensile steel frame will be just fine unless someone is trying to break it.
Now, accuracy and precision, on the other hand, are my primary concerns regarding the fork, frame, and rims on the dolomite.
nah, its a full 49 pounds.
I guess we'll see....
Len
wesnewell
100 GW
Walmart doesn't manufacture bikes. They sell bikes. If you don't like the quality, blame Mongoose. They made it, and all the other Mongoose, Schwinn, Huffy, Genesis, and all the other brands Walmart sells. Reminds me of asking my niece where she would buy a dress once. Same exact dress for $100 at Kmart or $300 at Neiman Marcus. I'll let you guess which one she chose.
JohnT818
10 mW
Good luck with the Dolomite build!
I considered getting one. I got a Beast first, and I was evaluating it, trying to decide whether I wanted to convert it, when the Dolomite came out. I figured picking up a Dolomite would be better than trying to put brakes on the Beast. The Beast has a rear coaster brake only. Also, the Beast has two problems that have been documented elsewhere that I hope were fixed for the Dolomite. First, the Beast is short, so many feel cramped on it, but more importantly, people's toes hit the front tire when the handlebars are turned a moderate amount. This was kind of annoying and could be dangerous. Also, something about the geometry makes the front feel floppy when turning at low speeds. It might be something that could be gotten used to, but it was a little disconcerting. At higher speeds in a straight line it wasn't bad, but with only a coaster brake, I didn't test this much.
Sorry if the Beast talk was off topic, but I'm curious whether these issues were fixed for the Dolomite.
Again off topic maybe, but I've been spending some time on a Pedego Trail Tracker (production fat tire e-bike), and it's great! I haven't taken it on trails yet, let alone snow or sand, but it's a blast on the street! If anyone is considering a fat tire e-bike and can deal with the lower efficiency, I highly recommend them.
I considered getting one. I got a Beast first, and I was evaluating it, trying to decide whether I wanted to convert it, when the Dolomite came out. I figured picking up a Dolomite would be better than trying to put brakes on the Beast. The Beast has a rear coaster brake only. Also, the Beast has two problems that have been documented elsewhere that I hope were fixed for the Dolomite. First, the Beast is short, so many feel cramped on it, but more importantly, people's toes hit the front tire when the handlebars are turned a moderate amount. This was kind of annoying and could be dangerous. Also, something about the geometry makes the front feel floppy when turning at low speeds. It might be something that could be gotten used to, but it was a little disconcerting. At higher speeds in a straight line it wasn't bad, but with only a coaster brake, I didn't test this much.
Sorry if the Beast talk was off topic, but I'm curious whether these issues were fixed for the Dolomite.
Again off topic maybe, but I've been spending some time on a Pedego Trail Tracker (production fat tire e-bike), and it's great! I haven't taken it on trails yet, let alone snow or sand, but it's a blast on the street! If anyone is considering a fat tire e-bike and can deal with the lower efficiency, I highly recommend them.
danjpendleton
100 W
The bike isnt half bad. Its definitely a walmart grade bike though.
The brakes are junk- even after a good adjustment...they still suck.
It actually doesnt shift all that bad- it is labeled as a shimano derailer.
The handle bars and brake levers are cheap and so is the seatpost.
The frame has nice paint and the rear dropouts are actually thicker than my beach cruiser.
When you hit the front brake hard the front of the bike kind of jerks?? Not sure if it has something to do with the front fork/stem or...if it has something to do with the fact that one of the front wheel hub bearings is junk.
I noticed a rotational noise up front when i took it on a quick ride. Took the front wheel off and found that one of the bearings in the front hub is tweaked and when u spin the wheel you can hear that its not smooth.- not sure if i should replace the hub or try to reuse this one with better bearings or attempt regreasing the original ones?
The brakes are junk- even after a good adjustment...they still suck.
It actually doesnt shift all that bad- it is labeled as a shimano derailer.
The handle bars and brake levers are cheap and so is the seatpost.
The frame has nice paint and the rear dropouts are actually thicker than my beach cruiser.
When you hit the front brake hard the front of the bike kind of jerks?? Not sure if it has something to do with the front fork/stem or...if it has something to do with the fact that one of the front wheel hub bearings is junk.
I noticed a rotational noise up front when i took it on a quick ride. Took the front wheel off and found that one of the bearings in the front hub is tweaked and when u spin the wheel you can hear that its not smooth.- not sure if i should replace the hub or try to reuse this one with better bearings or attempt regreasing the original ones?
Lenk42602
10 kW
mines arriving Friday. glad you can confirm the parts suck... 
Hard to understand what you're describing by the front under braking. With regards to the wheels & hubs, I a planning on immediately disassembling, re=greasing with a good quality hub bearing grease (Phil Wood at the shop) and then readjusting. As far as adjusting the preload on loose or even caged ball bearings, when a wheel is new I like to preload them a bit tighter than their final preload after run-in. This creates a nice bed or channel in the race for the bearings to travel in. After a season or so I will was rinse and repeat, but leaving the bearings a bit loose-er.
Stick with the wheels; if you have to buy a new set, you've already made a mistake buying one of these.
Cheapest retail on a set of fat bike wheels is around $300....
Len
Hard to understand what you're describing by the front under braking. With regards to the wheels & hubs, I a planning on immediately disassembling, re=greasing with a good quality hub bearing grease (Phil Wood at the shop) and then readjusting. As far as adjusting the preload on loose or even caged ball bearings, when a wheel is new I like to preload them a bit tighter than their final preload after run-in. This creates a nice bed or channel in the race for the bearings to travel in. After a season or so I will was rinse and repeat, but leaving the bearings a bit loose-er.
Stick with the wheels; if you have to buy a new set, you've already made a mistake buying one of these.
Cheapest retail on a set of fat bike wheels is around $300....
Len
danjpendleton
100 W
I didnt plan on ditching the wheels, just possibly the front hub...but maybe i can disassemble, relube, and save it
aroundqube
10 kW
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2012
- Messages
- 577
Re; Dolomite front brake. I read this on another Fatbike forum. Caliper assembled incorrectly at factory. Inside the caliper there are 3 small bearings which run on ramps.These were all bound up and actuator not lined up on hex shaft properly.
MikeFairbanks
100 kW
Thanks, guys, for helping me understand why a front hub motor on these is a bad idea. I might have made that same mistake.
So, how would one go about mounting a rear hub motor? That, to me, seems the first obstacle. I know nothing about wheel building, especially at 180mm.
So, how would one go about mounting a rear hub motor? That, to me, seems the first obstacle. I know nothing about wheel building, especially at 180mm.
wesnewell
100 GW
Most rear hub motors are ~225mm wide. and can fit in dropouts as wide as 180mm leaving ~20mm per side for the axle nut. Put a jam nut on the inside of the dropouts on each side. Building a spoked bicycle wheel isn't rocket science, so if you want to use the wide rim, just lace your motor into it.
wesnewell
100 GW
Would someone that has one of these please post the font and rear dropout widths along with the width of the BB housing.
Big thread on the Dolomite @ MTBR. Most individuals take apart the bike and "regrease" (probably for the first time) everything. Pacific Cycles or whoever has a really fine policy regarding problems; they will send parts, sometimes complete bikes to resolve problems. Also you could exchange it at Walmart.
danjpendleton
100 W
ya i had to take apart the front hub, regrease and adjust preload on the bearings. Will do the same for the headset. The bb spun nice and freely so ill probably leave that. im ordering avid bb7s and looking into new adjustable stem, new handlebar, new seatpost and seat
danjpendleton
100 W
i think ill end up buying a new rim from choppersus. They have a 4" wide double wall aluminum rim. I asked my buddy about lacing a motor into the single wall alloy rim the mongoose came with but he was hesitant
danjpendleton
100 W
how do you guys feel about lacing motors to single wall aluminum rims ?
It's been reported that the rims on the Dolomite aren't welded sufficiently; the pictures showed that the entire seam wasn't welded. You might just sell the wheel and start over. I think owners reported 190 mm rear spacing and 100 mm bottom bracket.
danjpendleton
100 W
yup. Thats what im planning. I dont really like the look of red rims on a dark blue bike anyway so this will work out aesthetically as well
Chalo
100 TW
2old said:
In practice, pinned rims work just as well as welded rims. Thus it can be inferred that welding the ends of the rim seam would function the same way as pins, and would be entirely adequate for the job. Remember that the rim is under a great deal of compressive force when the spokes are tightened.
MikeFairbanks
100 kW
I'm seriously thinking of buying the Dolomite, and for a while it would be just a regular non-e-bike.
I can't help but wonder, however, why I want it. If it's just because it looks so cool, I wonder if I'm setting myself up for disappointment on the ride.
Yes, it will be primarily in hard-pack dirt with a lot of ruts, along with railroad gravel, tall grass, and a few paved areas (all this to and from work for three miles), but would a regular mountain bike perform better and give me a better ride?
I've actually never owned a real mountain bike, just hybrids (like the Trek 7100 or Navigator), and urban street bikes (like the Trek Soho) and cruisers (like my Trek Pure).
It's really hard to get past the cool factor on these fat bikes. They look about as groovy as a bike can look.
THIS looks more promising as a regular fat bike that could, in the future, become electric. It's twice the price, but at $499 you get a much better frame and components. I might pick this up, use it as my mountain bike, and then make my Trek Pure electric again for those mornings when I'm in a hurry and just need to get to work quickly on the paved surfaces.
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/fat-bikes/fat-bikes-bullseye-monster.htm
I can't help but wonder, however, why I want it. If it's just because it looks so cool, I wonder if I'm setting myself up for disappointment on the ride.
Yes, it will be primarily in hard-pack dirt with a lot of ruts, along with railroad gravel, tall grass, and a few paved areas (all this to and from work for three miles), but would a regular mountain bike perform better and give me a better ride?
I've actually never owned a real mountain bike, just hybrids (like the Trek 7100 or Navigator), and urban street bikes (like the Trek Soho) and cruisers (like my Trek Pure).
It's really hard to get past the cool factor on these fat bikes. They look about as groovy as a bike can look.
THIS looks more promising as a regular fat bike that could, in the future, become electric. It's twice the price, but at $499 you get a much better frame and components. I might pick this up, use it as my mountain bike, and then make my Trek Pure electric again for those mornings when I'm in a hurry and just need to get to work quickly on the paved surfaces.
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/fat-bikes/fat-bikes-bullseye-monster.htm
danjpendleton
100 W
Ive gone back and forth as to whether i should just reassemble this dolomite and sell it to buy that gravity but i cant justify it.
That bike is lighter, it has better components and its really a good deal overall.
BUT....
this bike has a steel frame and from what i can tell a pretty damn strong one. I have an electric beach cruiser that does 50mph top speed and it weighs about 70lbs. It feels so solid i can let go of the handlebars at 40 mph. I may be wrong, but I think the weight of the front fork and frame play a role in the stability. Not to bash anyone with a lightweight aluminum ebike, because ill probably build one at some point....
The other thing is that most of the components i plan on upgrading---stem, brakes, possibly headset(sealed cartridge style), rear cassette, twist shifter, seatpost, seat---are all relatively inexpensive and i can pick what i want.
The cheap brake levers will go in the trash for some metal ones with microswitches for regen braking.
If you did go with the gravity you might end up with double wall aluminum rims....but i couldnt find a definitive answer to that tho. I wouldnt recommend lacing a hub motor into the stock dolomite rims
Regardless you can get a pair of 4" double wall aluminum rims pretty inexpensively.
I think its a toss up. I dont mind the weight, or the fact that ill have to upgrade some things...i still think ill end up with an awesome, stable bike and ill learn a lot in sticking with the walgoose
That bike is lighter, it has better components and its really a good deal overall.
BUT....
this bike has a steel frame and from what i can tell a pretty damn strong one. I have an electric beach cruiser that does 50mph top speed and it weighs about 70lbs. It feels so solid i can let go of the handlebars at 40 mph. I may be wrong, but I think the weight of the front fork and frame play a role in the stability. Not to bash anyone with a lightweight aluminum ebike, because ill probably build one at some point....
The other thing is that most of the components i plan on upgrading---stem, brakes, possibly headset(sealed cartridge style), rear cassette, twist shifter, seatpost, seat---are all relatively inexpensive and i can pick what i want.
The cheap brake levers will go in the trash for some metal ones with microswitches for regen braking.
If you did go with the gravity you might end up with double wall aluminum rims....but i couldnt find a definitive answer to that tho. I wouldnt recommend lacing a hub motor into the stock dolomite rims
Regardless you can get a pair of 4" double wall aluminum rims pretty inexpensively.
I think its a toss up. I dont mind the weight, or the fact that ill have to upgrade some things...i still think ill end up with an awesome, stable bike and ill learn a lot in sticking with the walgoose
MikeFairbanks
100 kW
It seems the Mongoose "The Beast" is marketed under a few different names while still using the Mongoose name. For example, Academy Sports sells the Beast in a different color scheme under the name "The Brutus", and I just found the same bike at Toys R Us (website) under the name The Mongoose Dozer. Both are shown below. The Brutus on top and the Dozer on the bottom. I kind of like the Dozer colors. Unfortunately, Toys R Us is selling it for 250 instead of 199.
However, I have not seen the Dolomite in any other color schemes or under any other name.
However, I have not seen the Dolomite in any other color schemes or under any other name.
Lenk42602
10 kW
danjpendleton said:
You put that thing up on craigslist and it will be gone in very quickly. Another reason I bought it. Can't lose much more money than I did buying it! I chose this frame because if I have to weld anything on to it I can. You might want to think about a mid drive set up..
The entire bar stem and controls are in back in the box it came in. The seat and post are gone as well. Next to be removed is the crank, bottom bracket, brake calipers and rotors. Better headset laying around here somewhere if I can find it.
I have all these parts already in my used part inventory. Free. I ordered an origin 8 square taper cartridge BB (100 mm) today at work, J&B sells them under their proprietary origin 8 label, but are manufactured by vp comonents. They are really inexpensive and are pretty much maintenance free (as are all cartridge bb's) once in stalled.
Just gotta figure out what bar I want to run on this sucker and I can get started putting it back together. Wheel bearing repack will be part of a large focus on the wheels...
IMO, setting those wheels up to be useable really defines whether or not this bike is worth 250. If you can't put any sweat equity in them to make them perform at least acceptably, then its not worth it. Considering a wheel set price, the gravity option would make more sense.
For the record, double walled rims are stronger, but there are a few single walled rims out there for fat bikes that will do just fine. That extra wall adds alot of weight when its 4 inches wide...
danjpendleton
100 W
http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/weinmann-dhl100-alloy-rim-26-x-4-0-32h-black?gclid=CKjfyomgh8ACFSpo7AodmTcA9w
Thats pretty darn inexpensive^^^
My friend that builds wheels said hed really rather use a double wall rim, at least for the motor wheel.
How much was that bb? are u changing the chain ring as well? what stem and seat post did you end up going with?
I was thinking about shortening the stock bar a bit.
Thats pretty darn inexpensive^^^
My friend that builds wheels said hed really rather use a double wall rim, at least for the motor wheel.
How much was that bb? are u changing the chain ring as well? what stem and seat post did you end up going with?
I was thinking about shortening the stock bar a bit.
wesnewell
100 GW
That's a 32 hole rim. You probably want the 36 hole model.
http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/weinmann-dhl101-alloy-rim-26-x-4-0-36h-black
http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/weinmann-dhl101-alloy-rim-26-x-4-0-36h-black
