The Mongoose Dolomite gives you a cruiser's feeling with an appearance built for the mountains.
That's exactly how this popular budget fat tire bike is. It can ride alongside the cruisers, steadily coasting on the best coastal bike trails, beach shores, and boardwalks. Yet it also has the capabilities of a mountain bike, and the fat tires equip it to tackle snow, dirt, and mud. Let's check out why the Dolomite is an all-season bike built for heavy cruising below.
Frame design – The design of the frame has a simple urban feel that is composed only of two colors. The primary color variations for this Mongoose bike frame are light blue, navy, and red. The Navy variation with solid white accents on the frame's tubes looks cool.
Bike style – The bike's overall style has a wider fork and seat and chainstay width to accommodate a thicker wheel. It has no suspension just like its Dirt Jump (DJ) sibling, and has a steep head angle to allow better steering response.
Wheels – The 26-inch wheel size is on the small end, designed for better handling than gaining speed. The 4-inches in tire width is the most prominent design aspect that makes this men's Mongoose mountain bike fall in the "fat" or "plus" category. The tire's tread is evenly patterned and shallow—an indication that this bike is meant to roll on concrete and minor off-road trails like single tracks and grass.
Crankset – There's a distinctive design on the crankset that makes the Mongoose fat bike stand out. There's a border around the crankset that protects the sides of the chain. This will stabilize the drivetrain and contribute to smoother speed shifting.
Riser handlebars – The riser bars make this Mongoose fat tire bike unsuited for uphill tracks. On the other hand, it gives you more control of the bike's handling while also giving you an incentive to lean your weight back to the rear end—relieving the weight on the front tire as well as on your back.
Mechanical disc brake system – Unlike the DJ wherein you can have a rim brake, the Mongoose bicycles with fat wheels have to have a disc system for more efficient braking.
Comfortable seat –The cushioned saddle is a plus. It will bring you comfort especially when you’re riding this bike on a flat surface as you’ll tend to sit more often. It also doesn’t hurt to have a cushioned seat if you decide to go for the ramps and land without standing on your pedals.
Threadless headset – The threadless headset makes for better steering of the handlebar. It also contributes to a better alignment of your fat bike. These are great features to have if your bike frame is holding up a thick tire which is a challenge to steer.
Heavy frame – The heavy steel frame complements the fat wheels and adds stability. The weight holds the fat wheels firmly onto the ground giving more traction power because the weight of the steel frame will put downward force on a soft surface, and the fat wheels' contact patches will grip the ground firmly—making it easy for you to glide on the dry or wet sand and even over small bumps on the road.
Good impact absorption – Because of the wheel's thickness and width, this Mongoose Dolomite Fat Tire MTB absorbs impact well. On the other hand, the fat bike's inherent absence of suspension makes it unsuitable for hardcore obstacles. It's best to keep this bike for cruising on a flat surface.
Affordable – The Mongoose 26 Dolomite Men's Fat Tire Mountain Bike retails for below $500 despite its meatiness. It also does not skimp on the important parts. We like that the braking system is a mechanical disc, and the drivetrain has an efficient derailleur. The 26-inch wheel size effectively saves up on materials given its thick rims and tires. Steel is also cheaper than aluminum, and it gives the Dolomite the weight it needs to roll with a greater grip on the ground.
Handling can be better – Despite it having a steep head angle, a small wheel size, and a riser handle—all design features that would give you better control—it still doesn't handle amazingly well, especially if your gears are shifted for top speed. It's going to be hard to pivot quickly. This baby should be ridden slow and steady for you to get the benefits of its handling capabilities. It's best to stick to lanes and just cruise.
Weak front brake – The bike's front brake feels weak. It's not strong enough to stop your fat bike completely after you've gained speed. It will take effort to pull the front brake lever harder to get to a full stop, which feels awkward. Some riders have to stop pedaling in advance and allow the natural deceleration of the bike before using the brake. We're pointing the blame on the small rotor on the front brake, which doesn't support the thickness of the fat wheel's power.
The Mongoose Dolomite Fat Tire Bike is good for street cruising.
The street smart paint job and design are simple yet eye-catching. A bike that's not trying to be cool but gets the attention it deserves. The geometry of the bike is really meant for a slow cruise down the street, but it will not discourage you from hitting top speed. You just have to watch out for the brakes and be sure to get yourself acclimated to how it works.
Overall, this could be your project bike. It's cheap because some of its parts could use replacement. You can start with the front brake rotors—make them larger. Then you can work your way into customizing this with something exciting such as a cruiser handlebar or perhaps a cool paint job. But out of the box, the Mongoose Dolomite makes cruising fun for you.
