mtb-timeline

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<div column 50% #intro>
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===== Mongoose =====


**//BMX Products//** was started by [[http://www.vintagemongoose.com/people/skiphess.php|Skip Hess]] in 1974 in Simi Valley, CA.  He started making Motomag BMX cast magnesium wheels, followed by Mongoose BMX frames and later complete bikes starting in 1975.((Supposedly, Mongoose was the first BMX specific complete bike after the Schwinn Sting-Ray.))  Later, At Chatsworth, with 85 employees, BMX Products produced 600 frames per day at its peak. ((Company history from: [[http://www.vintagemongoose.com/company/history/index.php|vintagemongoose]]))
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They continue today as a successful mountain and bmx bike [[https://www.mongoose.com/collections/mountain|company]].

{{skip.jpg?360|Skip Hess}}
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Skip Hess, [[https://www.mongoose.com/pages/legacy|mongoose.com]]

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<div column 45%>
{{poster.jpg?360|1986 Mongoose Ad}}
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1986 Mongoose Ad
[[http://mombatbicycles.com/MOMBAT/BikeHistoryPages/Mongoose.html|mombat]]

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<div column 50% #s1982>
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===== 1982 Kos Kruiser ====


This example was purchased as shown from a Long Beach, CA bike shop, who built up the bike with five speed SunTour Cyclone GT (1978->1980) derailleurs.  The 26" [[http://www.vintagemongoose.com/products/koskruiser.php|Kos Kruiser]] was often converted to a geared cruiser, with many examples dating from 1981.  It's not a mountain bike, but Mongoose must have noticed that much of the dirt action was shifting to mountain bikes and their customers wanted to ride bikes up hill and not just pretend to be motocross racers.  This is Mongoose's transitional bike to their first ATB developed in 1983.

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<div column 45%>
{{1982.jpg?300|1982 Kos Kruiser}}
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1982 Kos Kruiser
[[https://bmxmuseum.com/bikes/mongoose/31256|bmxmuseum]]



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<div column 50% #s1983>
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===== 1983 All Terrain Bike ====


1984 is the official release of the Mongoose ATB ((The ATB first shows up in the [[http://www.vintagemongoose.com/info/catalogs.php|1985 catalog]], where it states that is was released the year before.)).  The example to the right was built in November 1983, according to its serial numbers and probably didn't ship to stores until 1984.  The timeline will use the earlier date, as the production Mongoose ATB was first built in 1983.
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SunTour MounTech GTL (1982-3), chromed frame, slingshot stem, dual crown fork, Mongoose Pro Class BMX rims, which require special metallic rim strips.


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<div column 45%>
{{1983.jpg?300|1983 All Terrain Bike}}
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1983 All Terrain Bike
[[https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1161997-another-chrome-atb-80s.html#&gid=1&pid=1|bikeforums]]


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<div column 50% #s1984>
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===== 1984 All Terrain Bike ====


Biplane fork, slingshot stem, newer derailleur.


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<div column 45%>
{{1984.jpg?300|1984 All Terrain Bike}}
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1984 All Terrain Bike
[[https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/1087777685206652/?media_id=0&ref=share_attachment|facebook]]


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<div column 50% #s1985>
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===== 1985 ATB =====

Square double crown fork continues for the ATB, while the ATB Pro gains a unicrown.  SunTour GTL for the ATB while the Pro gets GTL II.

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<div column 45%>
{{1985.jpg?300|1985 ATB}}
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1985 ATB, 1985 catalog
[[http://www.vintagemongoose.com/info/catalogs.php|vintagemongoose]]

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<div column 50% #s1986>
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===== 1986 ATB =====

SunTour MounTech II GTL, XC Sport shifters, Mongoose Pro Class rims.


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<div column 45%>
{{1986.jpg?300|1986 ATB}}
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1986 ATB
[[https://www.ebay.com/itm/224803376649?hash=item3457534e09:g:FyUAAOSw7dVgvSPq|ebay]]


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<div column 50% #s1987>
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===== 1987 ATB =====

Shimano Deore, u-brakes, Ovaltech chainrings.

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<div column 45%>
{{1987.jpg?300|1987 ATB}}
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1987 ATB
[[https://www.mtbr.com/threads/1987-mongoose-atb.915401/|mtbr]]


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<div column 50% #s1988>
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===== 1988 John Tomac Signature =====

Full Deore XT with Biopace celebrating [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tomac|The Tomes]], who would go on to be the winningest mountain bike rider ever.(("At the time of his retirement in 2005, [Tomac] had won more mountain bike races than anyone in the sport" as per Wikipedia.))

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<div column 45%>
{{1988.jpg?300|1988 John Tomac Signature}}
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1988 John Tomac Signature
[[https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10220122503154639&set=gm.4860883003999812|facebook]]


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<div column 50% #s1989>
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===== 1989 IBOC Titanium John Tomac Signature =====

Titanium front end made by Merlin bonded to a steel back end.  John Tomac raced on a full Ti bike by Merlin, but this one has bits made by Mongoose with a Merlin serial number.  It also has a full Shimano XT group set, as per original spec.  As sold, it should have come with Switchblade forks and a Tioga stem.  See original [[http://mombatbicycles.com/MOMBAT/BikeHistoryPages/Mongoose.html|review]].  IBOC := //International Bike of Champions//.



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<div column 45%>
{{1989.jpg?300|1989 IBOC Titanium John Tomac Signature}}
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1989 IBOC Titanium John Tomac Signature
[[http://www.secondspincyclesblog.com/2018/06/|secondspincyclesblog]]


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<div column 50% #s1990>
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===== 1990 Sycamore =====


Mongoose's mid range mountain bike, just under their IBOC range and above more "urban mountain bikes." SunTour XCT components.


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<div column 45%>
{{1990.jpg?300|1990 Sycamore}}
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1990 Sycamore
[[https://www.facebook.com/Tysons-Bicycle-Museum-Page-2065899410186446/photos/pcb.3357355047707536/3357353927707648/|facebook]]



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<div column 50% #s1991>
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===== 1991 Hill Topper =====


A lower end Mongoose.  //"The best balance of performance and value."//
Shimano Acera (budget Shimano - but not the bottom.)


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<div column 45%>
{{1991.jpg?300|1991 Hill Topper}}
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1991 Hill Topper
[[http://bikewhistle.blogspot.com/2016/04/1991-mongoose-hilltopper-mountain-bike.html|bikewhistle]]


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