Needed a new runabout after the old one was stolen & was leaning towards a single speed for ease of maintainance.

Settled on Mango Bikes due to cost, sizing and availability. Ordered and received the bike in six working days which i thought was reasonable – especially as Easter was slap bang in the middle of that.

Bike arrived half built with plenty of protection around the parts. The build is very simple, slot the front wheel in, bolt bars to stem, attach brake levers to bars, fit pedals.

First impressions were good, nice slim steel tubing in a rather classic ‘old school’ design, short chsinstays and longish flat top tube suggested to me it was going to be nippy around town. Wheels are deep section own brand rims with 700×23 tyres in your choice of colours. Bolt-on axles for security it is claimed, although i think cost is more an issue.
I opted for bullhorn style bars and was pleasantly surprised by how comfy the bar tape is, not being an aficionado of drops it came as a pleasant surprise.
Brakes are z-star calipers, basic but seem well put together, rear wheel comes with option to run it fixed if you wish.
Chainset seems durable and solid so far, doesn’t look clunky next to the skinny tubes of the frame anyway.

Ride : Rather nice actually! The 44/16 ratio allows a reasonable start at the lights etc and it is a good enough ratio to keep the speed up around urban streets that make up my commute.
I found i needed to flip the stem (it came in the negative position) to give me a little more ‘heads up’ vision in traffic, and an inline post will shortly be fitted as I’m short. The stem option may then be reviewed.

Overall, a nicely put together budget bike who’s ride belies its price tag and makes me look forward to the morning commute – which can only be a good thing.

Just don’t go mental with the colour schemes, these bikes are BRIGHT!!

(I went for a classic red & black colour scheme)

I got one a couple of weeks ago for my commute to the station and back. The bike looks good and rides well for the price. Although it started making an annoying sound whilst pedalling recently and for the life of me I can’t seem to find out where its coming from. Me thinks it must be the rear hub or freewheel, as I have removed everything else and liberally applied grease where ever I could. Mine is in black flavour with orange bits, love it!

I did ditch the – frankly horrible – pedals though, stuck an old set of platform SPD’s on and that made the ride a lot more satisfying.

They got good reviews in Urban Cyclist mag (cue the abuse). Tempted to get one over a Charge Plug.

I opted for the Mango over the plug, mainly due to sizing but also i didn’t like the quill stem set up on the Plug.

Yeah they look great. I have a Charge Plug but will Defo look at the Mangoes for my next one.
Got any pictures?

Er yeah, cant remember my password to Flickr though!

Have to say I have found myself drawn to these, more so after the review in Urban Cyclist, so good to hear real life positive reviews of them here too

Here’s mine.

Lovely that. Matches your dado rail 😀

Holy thread ressurection!

How are you guys getting on with a Mango bike? My son is thinking of getting one and, to be honest, I’m relieved that he’s ditched the idea of a folder.

Anyone riding a large? Are the pedals sufficiently huge for size 11’s? Do you feel the gearing is about right? Views on the tyres? What bars do you use?

As always, thanks. 🙂

Morning CG!
Ok, i think the gearing is just right for the commuter & nipping about town with lots of stops & starts at lights, traffic etc. Tall enough gear to clip along at a decent pace but not tall enough that your knees blow off on a hill start!
Tyres are Kenda 23c and roll well enough although not as comfy as the 28c tyres on my Boardman – obviously.
I opted for the bullhorn bars and I’m glad i did. The horns really help with starting off and give a good hand position too, plus the bar tape is nice and comfy.
The pedals are horrible to be frank and i swapped them for some old SPD’s after the first ride but that’s just me.
Not a large of course, but i found they are fairly long in the top tube so should suit a giant!

I’m loving mine, fun to ride and nice and bright.

Good morning muddy!

Excellent reply, thank you. Interesting about the bullhorn bars, I did suggest to my son that drops wouldn’t be a good idea. Presumably only 23mm tyres can be used?

Sounds as though he’ll need some better pedals so I’ll suggest that to him.

For the money it looks really good value and an ss makes sense for a short commute.

Thanks again, good stuff. 🙂

Not sure what the maximum tyre size would be, but the rims are a fairly narrow and deep V section. Possibly 25c tyres but no bigger. I find them to be a bit punishing if the road is full of pot holes but apart from that no problem with them.

Holy thread resurrection once again!

Son’s bike has just arrived but I have a couple of questions. How are you guys finding the 44:16 ratio? He’s never ridden ss before and I’ve told him that he’ll end up with Chris Hoy thighs!! Any chain slippage and are the chains fairly strong, he’s 6’4″? Are there any bottle mounts?

Thanks very much. 🙂

I don’t have one of these but another road ss. 44:16 is reasonable for on the road. I’m currently on 44:17 but have done 44:16 and there’s not much difference. Much smaller and whilst it’ll be easier up hill, you’ll be spinning out on the flat.

I’m no ss god but i find 44:16 to be a pretty good ratio for commuting/generally nipping around. Chains are BMX jobbies so pretty damn strong!
There are bottle mounts on the down tube as well.

Just back from a 50 mile ride on my regular road going bike and considering a 20 miler on the Mango tomorrow – with a 1000ft hill thrown in for good measure.

Ill let you know how i get on if i make it..

Thanks very much chaps, will relay the info. 8)

Good luck for tomorrow muddy!

I took delivery of a plug yesterday that I’ll be using for my commute. Which is 12.5 miles each way with about 100m of climb each way (marginally less coming back, 13m overall height diff from start to finish)

42:16 worked perfectly on the trial run this morning, hills all manageable and I only span out properly on one drop on the way back, and the flat was perfect, managing 80-90 cadence most of the way based on the average speed.

I didn’t see the mangoes before ordering but seeing as I found a deal from triton cycles for £320 I’m pretty satisfied anyway. How much do they sell for?

Mangoes are £300 so nothing in it. I looked at the plug but the small was stupidly big for a small – apparently Charge have an odd sizing system – and even the chap i emailed about it said not to bother! 🙂

If I resurrect this thread again, is it a re-re-resurrection? New to Singletrack, so trying to avoid spamming the forums. Considering a Mango bike so keen to hear from those that own them.

I’m a commuter cyclist, in Cambridge, so very flat and, generally, quite well maintained cycle paths. I do about five miles (each way) five times a week. Looking for something to make the commute faster and more fun and Mangos seemed to fit that bill.

Questions: what’s the frame like? I’ve read lots about frames (I know zip about bikes) and many suggest steel over aluminium (I can’t afford carbon fibre!).

How easy are spares to come by? I Googled the tyres they use and found it hard to find them elsewhere, or even tyres the same size? 700/25s hard to come by? 700/23s etc. seem more prevalent.

Do the rims just get marked up after a few hard braking moments? They look lovely now but probably less so covered in black brake block rubber?

Lastly, mudguards. It comes with none. You can buy the ‘ass savers’ for the back wheel but with nothing on the front do you get a dousing in spray?

Thanks in advance!

Frame – No idea. Muddy seemed happy tho
Spares – Looks all bog standard. You could walk into Evans and buy 25s and all the big online people sell them
Rims – The braking surface is not the white bit. As with all bikes though, the white will not be white for long if you’re riding regularly but they should just wash clean
Mudguards – I’d guess you can fit some clip-on ones like raceguards but you’d need to contact Mango to ask.

Any mudguard that sits close to the wheel will be a PITA requiring removal for taking the wheel out.

My son is happy with his for a short commute. First bike so he’s nothing to compare it with.

He’s being getting loads of punctures so I’ve nagged him about getting some decent tyres. He’s also going to fit some Panaracer Flataways which is an excellent idea.

Can’t comment re mudguards. For a steel bike it’s great value and I’d have steel over aluminium any time.

Edit: re tyres, you can get Continental GP 4 Seasons (I think that’s what they’re called) in 25mm size.

Thanks so much for all the quick replies. Was rather hoping for some “no, they’re terrible” replies to help me make my mind up, as I’m really torn between the ‘beautiful’ option of a Mango and something more ‘sensible’ like a 21-speed road bike etc.

Thanks for the tyre advice cinnamon-girl. I should have been more specific, in that I meant coloured tyres. Half the fun/point of the Mangos, for me, is their looks. So I was thinking ahead about the first time I need to replace the tyres and, if I had to switch from red/green/rainbow (or whatever I choose) to black after my first bad puncture, it would rather dent the aesthetics! 🙂

Going to be a bugger for a beginner anyway given it’s a SS and the need to get the tension right when the wheel goes back on

Hmm… PITA repairs/maintenance doesn’t sound good. Was thinking ‘ass saver’ and maybe a clip-on ‘crud guard’ on the frame for the front wheel?

Oh… really torn now. Love the look of the Mango; it’s cheaper than the road bike spec I’ve been looking at; and I’m not sure I really NEED the road bike spec. I only use three gears (maybe 4) during my commute and mostly because they’re there. A 21-speed road bike does seem overkill.

Just wary of buying a ‘woo, look! Pretty!’ bike… and regretting it when I ‘should’ have got a proper/grown-up bike. 😀

CO2, just be careful when/if you do go for something new and bling (or at least shiny looking). Cambridge is not known for being a safe place to leave bikes alone so best budget fr a good lock or take it into the building with you.

Where are you working? The Science Park?

TBH having looked at their site the bikes don’t seem all that different from My Viking “Citifix” other than:

a- You get to choose your own Hipster colour scheme

b- They cost almost twice as much…

There are loads of gas-pipe tubed, 120mm spaced, SS/fixed type bikes knocking about under various brand names… All Mango have done is paint theirs brighter and give you a bit of choice on the bars and colours…

There are better VFM options for SS/fixed commuters TBH, they just might not match your bright orange wayfarers or plimsolls quite so well…

Willard: I work in town but bike rack is in a staff-only area, which needs a swipe card to access. I have a D-lock but any lock can be cut off, no?

Cookeaa: “gas-pipe tubed, 120mm spaced” is bad per se? Or just Mango are over-charging for it? I’ve read their spec page but to be honest it may as well be in Greek. Though it lists all the parts unless you know what’s good/bad/indifferent (I don’t) it’s kinda meaningless.

cookeaa

I’m quite tempted by one of those citifixes at £165.

Can you stick a pannier rack on it? It’s a must-have feature for me.

“gas-pipe tubed, 120mm spaced” is bad per se? Or just Mango are over-charging for it?

The latter, they are over-charging for what is a pretty basic bike but in fun colours, IMO…

cookeaa

I’m quite tempted by one of those citifixes at £165.

Can you stick a pannier rack on it? It’s a must-have feature for me.

Alas My Viking does not have rear eyelets (The Mango frames don’t appear to either looking at the Pic’s on the site).
In order to fit my guards I resorted to P-Clips on the stays This sort of thing Not sure if they’d work for loaded up Panniers.

The Viking’s basic spec is pretty similar to what you get from Mango: 44-16 fixed or free gearing, Caliper brakes, 700 x 23c Kenda tyres “Aero” rims, and it comes in either Flat or drop bar flavours, it’s a very basic bike but it serves a purpose.

Have a look at the Merlin “Single Malt” Single Speed Bike, looks quite good as well.

jtintheuk: thanks. Looks-wise similar to Muddy’s (up there)! I’m still not convinced single speed will suit me though. I lack the strength for standing starts! Spec-wise that bike looks similar to the Mango though, which does make them (Mangos) seem pricey. Are the specs similar? There are no named brand cranks or gears etc. on the Merlin?

Edit: just seen you posted here already as a Mango-owner. Does recommending something else mean you’re not keen on it?

Can’t really complain about my Mango, still going strong and no mechanical issues.Perfect for my station commute and I am quite happy with it. Spec wise between the malt and mango, my guess they are pretty similar, budget range components. I only mentioned the malt as another option, and it does look good in a understated kind of way.
I wouldn’t worry about lack of strength, they really are not hard to get going and before you know it you will be cruising at a good old pace with almost no effort.

thanks cookeaa 🙂

p clips are fine for guards, but I’d not mount a rack on them

I had P-clips come with this PDW rack (which weighed a ton) and they seemed fine.

Well the Single malt says it has pannier mounts so that could be your best bet, but if you were to choose a Viking or similarly cheap option could you consider something like this:

Cantilevered off the seat post, I’m not sure it would take quite the same sort of loads as a traditional rack but you could get a fair bit on it I reckon… I’m Half tempted to try one myself to give the commuter a bit of load capacity.

Good call on the seatpost rack.

Interesting to see that some racks come with clips. Maybe not such a bad option.

Food for thought, either way, thanks chaps.