$265 Core 29 MTB from Able Bike Co. - Sold through Mendhambikes.com CODE: KEVCENTRAL

[@bobbye7353]

That's an unbelievable deal. Better than most Walmart or Dick's bikes. They have a 9 speed clutched version with hydraulic brakes for $299.

[@beefcakees]

That's true. I guess I'm glossing over a lot of these cause the color options are kind of limited but. Beggers can be choosers.

[@JUNOMAN]

Facts! I will never buy Walmart bikes... I got a $200 Trek Marlin 4 at marketplace, it had way better components than a brand new Walmart bike

[@meckkz387c]

@@JUNOMANwait until you discover 90’s treks 🤤

[@beefcakees]

@@meckkz387c resto mods? My favorite, old frames with new components

[@jasonkelley3143]

Hey Kev, thanks for what you do! As a kid, I didn't grow up with a lot of money. I never went without, but anything extra required waiting, saving and budgeting. So bringing info and discounts to the people is awesome 👍. I know some people may not have the budget for a new bike shop brand, or just getting into it but don't want to make a thousand or multiple thousand $ investment. Bringing quality budget options to the people is an incredible service! Thanks again 🙏

[@Testbug-dy6tj]

Ohhh, nice. That suntour fork has done me right

[@samthecat8829]

Excellent bike and customer service from Mendham. One of the rotors was slightly bent in shipping and it was replaced promptly. I put on OT pedals, XTech hydraulic calipers, 203/180 rotors. Brakes were okay out of the box but as others have said the back could benefit from at least a 180 rotor. With a few cheap upgrades it stops like a champ. Can't complain, for the price this bike is fantastic and I found out about it on this channel. And the seat is comfortable. Would be interested to see a test of the red e-mtb they have listed for 299. Shipping is all free, best deals out there.

[@ChevyCamaroIsBetter]

I can’t imagine a better bike for that price brand new 😮

[@DownInItCycles]

Seems solid for the price. Ordered one this morning to make a cool singlespeed.

[@stevencole7331]

Usually the straight steer tube would not be worth looking at but not in this case . At 31 pounds and probably a bit lighter for the small this maybe a good place to start for a teenager . . I just replaced my suntour fork on my hardtail with a $100 carbon ridged fork . I also replaced my 2.3 dhf maxxis tires with 2.1 aspens . I went from 33 pounds to 27 . I can lift my front end with ease . Removing that weight off the front end lightened the ride the bike making it way more nimble and i really dont miss the supension fork because of the ease of controling the lighter front end . I was lokking at creating a bike that was somewhere between mountain and gravel bike . This maybe a good alteration for this bike with hydraulic breaks . You might get the bike weight close to 26 pounds . Never before seen at this price range . Maybe put on some faster thinner tires and you got a speed machine

[@robertsilva5041]

Kev, I have to agree about those brakes. My OTR. (Ozark trail ridge) Has those brakes. What I noticed is, they work ok in the front only, the back was trash... No matter how you adjust them. When my OTR, updated model. (M2). 2024 built, came with a 180mm in front, works good. So they only work better with bigger rotors. I now have 203mm front and rear. It's amazing but not where I want them. Definitely an upgrade to hyraulic brakes. Other than that, it's an amazing entry bike. Love your content ❤

[@SquatchMTB]

You should have looked at the rbl sport, microshift advent with clutch and hydraulic brakes for $35.00 more

[@KevCentral]

Should have one on the way 🤞

[@icantgivecredit871]

Glad to hear the weight of the bike! I was taken aback when I saw that the Ozark Trail mountain bike's advertised weight of 36 lbs.

[@donovanallen8034]

That probably includes the 4lbs. kickstand that comes on the back of the Ozark Trail. It comes off with two screws.

[@icantgivecredit871]

@@donovanallen8034 Are you sure that the kickstand weighs an entire 4 lbs.? I would have guessed maybe a pound.

[@RandyVictory420]

If you look at your front brake at 7:16 in the video, you can see that the housing is not fully inserted into the brake body cable stop. When you started riding around, it probably dropped into the stop so that the next time you grabbed the front brake, nothing happened. That would explain the braking issue you mentioned.

[@adventureswithyar5654]

Thank you ! Looks like a really good bike with a lot of potential!

[@RichardVanMeter-j5x]

This is an incredible deal plus they pay the shipping I'm definitely going to do this

[@helidude3502]

I got the “sport”. Purchased in size small for others to ride. Very similar to this but with hyd brakes. I also purchased a second seat post on eBay. I cut it shorter than the factory post for shorter riders. I’ve done that for a couple other bikes as well, but that’s also a work around for the curved seat post tube. I hate those grips, but that’s only my preference. I only rode it a few miles since I didn’t purchase it sized for me. But I’m pleased with what I received for the price. My only real complaint is that I didn’t get second one for me.

[@a-bomb3593]

Picked one up and it came in yesterday. Great bike. Got it from Mendham too.

[@jswjimmy]

Wow. My bike had very similar specs new and was almost twice as much.

[@driver8sk]

That's a serious deal. I actually like the tires. A sub-$300 mtb is probably spending most of it's time on gravel and pavement. I've actually put similar tires on alot of friends and family mtb's to reduce the sketchiness.

[@SofiaisSunshine]

There is also an RBL Sport for $299 that comes with the Microshift Advent 9 speed w/clutch. That is not a bad deal

[@KevCentral]

👍🏻 should have one of those coming

[@SofiaisSunshine]

@@KevCentral ​​⁠I might buy one just to give away. Seems like a decent bike for the price. Thanks for the video.

[@markant4612]

Thanks for the details. always informative. Question does the bike have holes for a rear bike rack. I notice on some bikes the screw holes are inside the frame to keep the look clean. I s this the case on this bkie. Thanks again.

[@user-rl4ji5ne4o]

I never get grips that bulge in the centre. I've bought several Odi AG2 grips after finding that the middle being thinner works better with my hands (avoiding metacarpyl pains) And the slats under for your fingers to grip, not slip, actually work too.

[@theraisiny6600]

Their $285 hydraulic brake Univega Rover RM29 is a crazy steal too! (original price $899)

[@cup_and_cone]

So here's my research: It seems the Able brand was started by someone in Miami custom ordering them through Kent... that business went under, and Kent is clearing surplus through Mendham (which is owned by Kent). If you like these, definitely order, because I'm not sure they'll be around for much longer.

[@BaconatorScum]

Very nice!! Thats a great bike for a killer deal.

[@dragster9886]

Thanks for introducing them to me could you please do a review on the rover rm29 appears to be tapered and front fork says boost on it with hydraulic discs for 284.99

[@JSATI]

Have you done any videos on what (front) suspension travel is right for most beginner/intermediate trail riders or the difference between, say, 100, 120, 140mm? Besides the obvious 20mm of travel between each..

[@michaelmay9728]

Not bad, might have to one as a loaner bike, so i can stop letting people ride my beautiful vintage Gary Fisher,(love that bike).

[@Tarkov.]

I was wondering if they were associated with Kent when I saw the IJOY parts. Similar hubs and quick releases as on the H1. Are they free hubs?

[@SofiaisSunshine]

They would have to be if they come equipped in both an 8spd and 9spd.

[@f.j.garcia5782]

Yes, they are.

[@Randy-ry9ss]

Pretty sweet ride.........Move over Schwinn there is a new player in town.

[@jonlavigne3270]

Check out the Giordano bikes there as well: comparable prices and spec.

[@KevCentral]

I already have reviews on those. Good bikes

[@marcushuff5215]

Now we need a Univega Rover RM 29 review 👌

[@KevCentral]

Coming

[@waktosha7378]

That is a lot of bike for the money. No dropper or tapered head tube are deal killers for me though.

[@MrStingraybernard]

Gone up to $299. $285 with your code , still good deal , funny price went up since this video

[@bobbye7353]

That's the "Sport" version. It has better components.

[@KevCentral]

Nope. That’s the Sport - hydraulic brakes. I should have one of those to look at soon

[@MarvinWestmaas]

@@KevCentral I hope it's more then just those brakes, because otherwise I can get a set of new MT200 for less as I would pay extra. ed: Brakes and clutched derailleur it seems

[@JimG89887]

You really can’t go wrong with that price point, but a taper headtube would’ve made this the ultimate budget bike.

[@W4ltzzzz]

I saw the website and saw it says 11/46, did they accidentily mark it wrong?

[@KikorPlaysHobbies]

Better than Walmart or target bikes 😊😊😊

[@donaldroe1776]

Kev, if you keep this bike for any length of time, let us know your impressions, if any, of the rust buster chain that came with this bike.

[@KevCentral]

It will get donated, but all those end up locally ridden, so odds are I’ll be able to see how it holds up

[@MrStingraybernard]

Ohh my bad ,regular version is sold out in the slate color

[@jasonlillis3437]

The 29" Rover sounds even more impressive for the price

[@KevCentral]

Review on that coming soon

[@vunguy3n]

@@KevCentral When you review, can you tell us if it has a freewheel or a freehub?

[@JSATI]

Is that suntour xcm 30 the same fork that comes on some of the kent ozark trail 27.5s? Is that particular coil fork available to purchase online?

[@KevCentral]

29er version with the addition or a manual lockout

[@ashmc84]

Looking forward to a review on Mendham’s Univega Rover RM29. Ordered one and with the code I found online it was $228 shouldn’t be bad for the specs!

[@paulshek1495]

What do you think of the rover RM29? Can you ask them for geo on that bike? It has hydraulic brakes and boost fork for only about $20 more

[@KevCentral]

Review coming as soon as the hurricane passes

[@stargazer1930]

People are saying it has a freewheel. No bueno.

[@gregnowak2492]

That’s a great bike for the price!!

[@RadioSaladStudios]

Very much interested.

[@waynefields8724]

Humm I'm digging that 29" INTREPID I wonder if it really comes with 29 X4.0 meats.

[@KevCentral]

lol. Someone messed up on that spec listing 😂

[@waynefields8724]

@@KevCentral I'm still digging it hopefully you'll do a review on soon I may be ready to pull the trigger on two one for myself and one for my girlfriend. As for now we are still 26" gangsters

[@KevCentral]

$654 Giordano Intrepid 29er 120mm Thru-Axel Fork MTB from Walmart - 1x10 XLE - Hydraulic Disc Brakes kzbin.info/www/bejne/poTNnpWdeJuijaM

[@MarvinWestmaas]

Warning: this bike is not intended for jumps or stunts 🙃 .... have they seen the avg mtb trails the last few decades, I can't believe they still market things as mtb's but then claim you shouldn't 'jump or stunt' with them. If I buy an XC mtb it should say: intended for xc mtb. If I buy a trail or dh bike, it should say it's suited for trail/dh and heck if I then would like to lump all that 'capability' around on an XC trail well that would be my choice. After getting this of my chest, I'm once again appalled at how cheap decent bikes are becoming in the US compared with Europe. It might be because it's easier to market for a single country, but in the EU start ups or existing companies wanting to venture out should feel just as capable of hitting these price points, yet even for this spec we're paying double the price ( our entry level bikes are say Decathlon / Rock Rider where for this spec you're putting down over 500 euro.

[@CaliforniaFishing]

Don't get it either. Why do you need 100mm front suspension if you're not going to jump it? But I've never taken an SR Suntour suspension fork on the trail, since there's really no adjustment except for locking it out. But like you said, the price is a real winner here and it's a good commuter bike. But watching the video again, I didn't see any seat stay eyelets, only drop out I think. So, limited to types of racks you can put on it or how to attach them. It would be simple to drill and ream your own, but you'd think they'd have done that themselves.

[@KevCentral]

Wow. Given how popular cycling is in Europe you would think prices there would be crazy good.

[@MarvinWestmaas]

@@CaliforniaFishing For a commuter bike, ideally I think people would mainly want a more 'upright' geometry. Then again, I live in the land of the omoefiets.. the famous 'upright' Dutch 'grandmother bike' where these style of bikes are normal for everyday use, and bikes like these are more seen as a leisure bike. I have an SR fork right now, thought it's their cheapest air fork so a step above what's seen here. It does have lockout, but also rebound control. You should be able to jump either one though including the coil fork. Suntour makes budget parts, but they are budget mountainbike parts. They aren't Danlos or any of these Chinese ebay companies. I would rather jump the cheapest SR coil fork then a Danlos air fork.

[@MarvinWestmaas]

@@KevCentral Sadly they are not. You can get really cheap bikes, sure. But those are just as bad as the worst bso you have in your department stores. We're really still waiting for things like you been reviewing with your project bikes, showing how a real cheap platform could actually get you started and even 'could' be upgraded to not hold you back while progressing. As I said, I think Decathlon is considered the cheapest option for 'entry level mtb' but their price to components is terrible in comparison. Second hand market is thriving, component prices are good again, but it looks like no company wants to upset the current status quo among known manufacturers to bring prices down on new entry level bikes.

[@CaliforniaFishing]

@@MarvinWestmaas I agree about the Suntours - I have an XCM and XCR in my garage. They're stupid easy to work on, clean, relube, etc. I would say though, is it still warrantied if I use it for big drops and not jumps, or are drops considered stunts?

[@79thump8]

C'mon you could have just bunny hopped the fallen tree. I think i'm buying one of these. I'll watch for an XL.

[@KevCentral]

Apparently, I can’t make it around a tight turn. Much less bunny hop anything 😂

[@letsgoOs1002]

Any chance parts maybe counterfeit?

[@KevCentral]

What’s to counterfeit? JAK? Doubtful

[@letsgoOs1002]

@@KevCentral sr suntor and microshift. There are legit issues with that right now. Just got to Sr suntor site and micro shift

[@bobbybecker80]

Killer deal for a newbie, very mild trail riding and/or commuting IMO.

[@matthewaugsburger536]

Just wish they offered bikes in a large

[@KevCentral]

They do have large

[@dennisfloyd8514]

This is a great deal!

[@dennisfloyd8514]

I take it back. Should have saved my comment till the end. They needs to straiten the seatpost for a dropper and a tapered headtube. I’d pay a bit more for the ability to get those upgrades.

[@dennisberry2699]

Man thats nice for price unfortunately i dont need or can i afford another bike right now- why why why -lol

[@iBike2Live]

Please use extreme caution when ordering from Mendham bikes. My experience was absolutely abysmal, but hopefully you’ll have better luck than I did. Customer service was/is nonexistent and their “Chinesium” bikes are very disappointing. Please be extra careful when dealing with them. 😢

[@tarstarkusz]

Is that the same joytech that makes e-cigarette stuff?

[@KevCentral]

lol

[@MarvinWestmaas]

Omg I knew it sounded familiar lol

[@tarstarkusz]

@@KevCentral I'm not joking. Joytech is a major e-cig maker.

[@davegravitt210]

The headtube looks like a 44??? Maybe?

[@chrisrice4006]

I went to the site and noticed that they had the intrepid reduced to under 400! I feel like they've gotta be losing money on all these deals. I hope they aren't going under.

[@KevCentral]

The entire industry is hurting right now. 🤞they aren’t one of the casualties. I suspect they’re in a better position than some brands

[@lasticonoclast]

Looks like an incredible bargain for a MTB in 2024, but there’s a reason why established brands only use established parts. Experience tells me bikes like these will be difficult to tune and maintain as the parts lack precision design and mfg. It’s a good thing the price is right for a throw-away after use bike.

[@davidcrowson4745]

❤

[@raylaux8295]

That stem looks more than 50mm.

[@philrc1]

Nice for the $$

[@robertstock6086]

The only downside to that website is it only delivers to the USA

[@GROGU123]

That corner leads right into a tree, who designed that trail????

[@KevCentral]

😂

[@beefcakees]

By the looks of it the univega rover has a more aggressive head tube angle. Comes with hydraulic brakes. A through axle and a quick release, for variety i suppose? 😂😅 I mean with an after market derailleur you are looking at the same price as the able sport... With a lockout fork that is 2mm thicker... I guess 2mm stronger? Lol

[@rammart8762]

No tapered headset no buy for me

[@mickpowell8503]

Bud, interested to know what difference that would make, I have never even thought about this aspect.

[@jasonlillis3437]

@@mickpowell8503 easier to upgrade forks.

[@SofiaisSunshine]

@@mickpowell8503especially when they make tapered bearing kits to adapt a tapered fork and rockshox has some decent forks for this headtube

[@rammart8762]

@@mickpowell8503 upgrades, it’s almost impossible to find a better quality fork that’s not tapered. even a $100 forks are tapered.

[@TheBikeChannelwithMongooseJake]

@@mickpowell8503 Not a big difference on a xc hardtail. A standard straight headtube offers plenty of strength and a decent headset already has enough durability. The tapered design really matters more with longer travel and higher stress from enduro or more difficult riding. Other than that, it does indeed offer a bit of "future proofing" for fork upgrades. That's the main difference for a hardtail like this one.

[@bradchervel5202]

This is an Ai voice isnt it

[@KevCentral]

lol. Nope.

[@bradchervel5202]

@@KevCentral LOL your voice is so consistent.

[@DozerDogg-rr4kw]

Kool bike for price

[@24blade00724]

Why is there, What looks like a wood screw, in the brake lever housing?

[@KevCentral]

Common in the plastic housings

[@DownInItCycles]

for lever reach adjustment

[@MichaelRobibaro]

Mendham/core = Kent/giordano

[@robertsilva5041]

Kev, I have to agree about those brakes. My OTR. (Ozark trail ridge) Has those brakes. What I noticed is, they work ok in the front only, the back was trash... No matter how you adjust them. When my OTR, updated model. (M2). 2024 built, came with a 180mm in front, works good. So they only work better with bigger rotors. I now have 203mm front and rear. It's amazing but not where I want them. Definitely an upgrade to hyraulic brakes. Other than that, it's an amazing entry bike. Love your content ❤