Budget Dirt Jump Bike | Mongoose PT 26 Upgrades on the Cheap

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

What do you think of the setup? Was it worth it?

[@deanwylie9893]

If you're giving it away and it's for a good cause, of course. If it's a first bike and learning how to ride and upgrade your bike, yes. Buying a bike isn't the same as building a bike. You learn to work on it and develop an attachment to it.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@deanwylie9893 Definitely planning to give it away to a good cause. Just haven't figured out who or how yet.

[@deanwylie9893]

@@AdrenalineIsLife I'm sure you'll figure something out and whoever is lucky enough to receive it will enjoy it.

[@3clubforever]

Only think I would do different is use the $14 for the chain towards an aluminum sprocket

[@JB-1138]

I think you forgot to mention how much the replacement fork was. Or was it free because it was a leftover part from a different bike?

[@DirtySk8RatStaney]

I have the same brake on my DJ bike. It’s a fully built NS Metropolis, that I built two years ago. I went all out on some of the parts, like my drive train. But decided to go budget on some stuff. I was pleasantly surprised with this brake kit! It’s a vast improvement over a mechanical system, and for less than $40. I’m over the moon with my bike, and honestly would use this system even if budget wasn’t an issue.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

I was blown away by that brake for the money. I've paid more for brake pad on some brands . Lol

[@johnbehneman1546]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!! YOU TOOK A FACTORY MINI TRUCK AND ADDED UPGRADES TO MAKE IT A PRE-RUNNER!!!!!!!!! IT LOOKS LIKE SO MUCH FUN!!!!!! I NEED TO START DOING MY HOMEWORK!!!! GREAT VIDEO !!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!! YOU MADE MY NIGHT!!!!! I WANT TO DO THAT!!!!! SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Glad you enjoyed the video! 🙂 The bike is cheap enough that you can really experiment with it.

[@LifeFromtheLoam]

That original bottom bracket is absolutely horrifying. How in the world was that deemed safe enough even if someone wasn't going to be dirt jumping on it. Awesome video! Looking forward to seeing the final journey of this bike!

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

It was so bad and I nightmare removing it. It's so much better now. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@DefaultDadAZ]

Thanks for the video. I got this bike for my growing kid with similar expectations that things would need to be upgraded as he gets bigger and rides harder but is a decent cheap platform. You cover all the upgrades and now I'm honestly tempted to get one for myself due to budget restrictions/level of riding.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Glad you enjoyed it! Bikes are getting expensive. This one has potential when properly upgraded.

[@goguma2008]

$217 for bike. $25 new 720mm bars. $20 new stem. $55 new crank set with 32t and BB. $30 rear hydrualic brakes. $75 carbon fiber fork. $20 jessica headset. Sell all extra parts . $350 dirt jumper. Weight 26lbs after mods.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

That's a good amount of weight saved. Are you doing a lot of jumping with the bike?

[@QuikSnatch]

Big Marsh!! I love that park! Thanks for the video!

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ollieroks]

I'm going 48. Want get back into riding bmx and cruise. Trying to get back into shape. I think that BIKE WOULD BE perfect to ride at the SKATEPARK.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

I'm not far in age from you. I just bought a BMX bike after a 30 some year hiatus. 🙌 I would say for cruising and light fun, it will be fine in stock form. It's a very stable bike. Beyond that you'll need to upgrade it to have some measure of safety. Enjoy your comeback!

[@purplegarage05]

Haha I guessed the exact brake you were gonna use before you showed it. Saw it on Amazon the other day a good deal for a single hydro

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

It wasn't bad at all. Good stopping power. Should be enough for a dirt jumper.

[@TheMediocreMountainBiker]

A good cartridge style square taper bottom bracket will last forever but the downside is that they are HEAVY.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Very heavy. Shimano makes very good square taper BBs but a 3 piece crankset is a much better and user friendly choice on this bike.

[@ronaldornelas5786]

That bike is sick. Very nice upgrades. I own the bike still stock, but have ordered new fork, stem, stem cap. I plan to get new peddles and handle bars also. Nice job.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Thanks! Its much better now. Good luck with yours!

[@ryanjosephatienza1201]

I have this weird zoom mechanical-hydraulic brake, it is hydraulic, but uses cable, I see that "bucklos" hydraulic brake before as first option before, and I see the Zoom, so I only change the caliper, using some BMX brake lever that can't snap when it falls

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

I've seen those brakes before. Pretty unique design. I might try it on a project in the future.

[@jaredbernardo2279]

i was suprised that this vid only had 67 likes bruh the editing on this video was so good keep it up man

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Thanks! Trying my best. 🙂

[@purplegarage05]

That bike looks so much better now. I would watch the frame though one of my friends said they're friend had one and it snapped from hopping off a curb

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Yikes! Let's hope that was a fluke.

[@purplegarage05]

@@AdrenalineIsLife yeah I hope so I was really looking forward to this bike but after everyone's reviews nit sure if I wanna spend my own money on one. Might save up for a haro Steele reserve or wait until alludark launches their dj frame

[@ktlcustoms3847]

I used this bike for an Ebike and was happy with the basic bike. Although it was only temporary until I finished my personal build. But for the money isn’t bad. I do agree the fork and lower bracket are junk and if it was going to be a forever bike I would have used a Bafang mid-drive and installed down hill forks. Problem with this bike is frame is too small for any of my batteries.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Thats very cool. How much range did you get out of it?

[@ktlcustoms3847]

@@AdrenalineIsLife actually I put two 48v 20ah batteries together for a total of 40ah and the bike got 80+ miles, its a heavy package though with a 50mm ammo can the two batteries fit well and mounted easily to a heavy-duty rear bike rack. Ive since moved on to better with a mid drive unit and a 52v 40ah battery but not on that bike as it was too small. I Have an order at the moment for three of them and am trying to find a big enough frame to build off. I can’t use the frame I am using since it is a vintage frame and real hard to find.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@ktlcustoms3847 Thanks for sharing. I'm curious about these retrofits. I'd like to do one in the future.

[@ktlcustoms3847]

@@AdrenalineIsLife When you are ready reach out maybe I can help prevent some of the problems I had to face. Just remember its best to figure what your needs are and start with a battery based on that! Its the most important aspect to the build.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@ktlcustoms3847 thanks!

[@LucrativeLarry]

I had that bike when I first had seen it , I had to buy new forks right off the bat brakes Were not assembled correctly , i basically stripped of all stock parts and used just the frame

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

There were a lot of bad parts on that bike.

[@MikeHunt-lz2hq]

Should've slapped on an fsa pig 1 and 1/8th headset or a hammer head they are great and what I always swapped out for stock in the bikes before integrated headset was a thing

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

I tried to keep cost as low as possible but that would've been a good move. I was looking for a headset for a DH bike and found an FSA Pig for cheap. Would've been perfect on this bike.

[@GDub83]

Iv been looking at this bike as a project bike. I see them on fb market place for $150 or less. If it’s a solid frame this will be a fun project.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

The one I have seems to be solid. For $150 it's worth experimenting.

[@GDub83]

@@AdrenalineIsLife I mean right now I hit up MBT trials on a kink whip XL BMX, even in the winter I’m sending it on my 20”

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@GDub83 well.if your hitting MTB trails on a 20in bmx, a 26in will definitely smooth it out a bit. I can see this frame getting used as a single speed mountain bike.

[@matthubbard904]

Had the mafia bike black jack d it was a awesome bike just replaced the pedals chain sprocket and grips and the combo seat to pivitol seat and post other then that the bike was freaking awesome 😎

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Nice. Definitely more of a true dirt jumper than the Mongoose.

[@matthubbard904]

@@AdrenalineIsLife yeah but sold it last year wanna a better one

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@Matt Hubbard lots of great options out there. DJ buyers guide is dropping later this week. Hopefully, it will give you some ideas.

[@matthubbard904]

@@AdrenalineIsLife cool I’ll be watching just subscribed to your channel earlier 😎

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@matthubbard904 Thanks!

[@JB-1138]

At first I thought an extra couple hundred bucks was too much, but when you compared it to other bikes for several hundred more I guess it's a good deal. Thanks!

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Absolutely! We all decide how best to spend our money. Sometimes an expensive bike is simply not a priority.

[@JB-1138]

@@AdrenalineIsLife I am wondering if buying a box store bike just for the frame, is good for the cost/value? I've seen some people buy "high end" box store bikes and upgrade basically everything but the frame. I never knew if it was a cost-effective move or maybe they just enjoy customizing bikes? Thanks.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@JB-1138 Its not always cost effective. You should price out all the parts you plan to change out and compare it to the cost of a complete bike from one of the core bike brands. The fork and wheels are usually the biggest expense. The stock parts on most big box bikes are essentially worthless for resale so you won't get much for them to offset your costs. I did the PT26 as cheaply as I could. I know that some people will put a lot of money into a big box bike and they like them very much. You can find some good deals on dirt jumper frames if you shop carefully.

[@danielanthony1054]

I mean it's better than what I did, which was buy a 24 inch specialized riprock (I think it was a riprock, it was used and like $150) and broke the fork on the first jump

[@tgvLitvlogger]

Nothing like seeing Rays MTB Park

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Ray's is so awesome!

[@thegrommechanic6265]

The faux- headtube is for beeing cheeper

[@Jimbosreptiles]

Whats the background song at the start of the video mate ?

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Fly High- Jeremy Black on the YT audio library

[@Jimbosreptiles]

@@AdrenalineIsLife thanks also i like your content keep it up

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@Jimbosreptiles thanks!

[@sardilongboard]

Just come across your channel. Super good. Quick question: looking at buying a Haro steel reserve 1.1. good price and will only see time on pumptracks. Would you recommend? It looks a good bike straight out of the box with room to upgrade down the line.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

The steel reserve is a a good bike for the pumptrack and priced well. Glad you're enjoying the content 😁

[@sardilongboard]

Just pulled the trigger on the bike. I'll let you know how it goes.

[@austinklith792]

@@sardilongboard how’d it go?

[@VesselFitterguy]

I'm buying this bike for my nephew. We dont do much trail riding. More of wheelies and skate park a little. What gear and sprocket. Sizes do u recommend. We just ride around doing wheelies more than anything. He has a little trouble being able to pedal hard enough now on his 20" bike..so this one's gonna be impossible the we it's geared. What a horrible gear setup

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

It's geared for jumps and pump track. If you want to set it up for wheelies. You can use a smaller front sprocket or change out the freewheel to a bigger one. For the front you'll need to replace the cranks because you can't change the front sprocket on the stock cranks. I would suggest changing the bottom bracket while you're at it. I used a 32 tooth sprocket up front attached to a 3 peice crankset which made it easier to pedal.

[@VesselFitterguy]

@@AdrenalineIsLife alrighty. thank u.

[@Rev_John_Danger]

Can you grind out the dropouts to make them longer and shorten the wheelbase?

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

I don't know if there's enough room to do that plus there is bracing at the top of the seat stay that might interfere with tire clearance. There is also the risk of potentially weakening the frame.

[@Rev_John_Danger]

I’m going to look for a used one to do specifically this mod. As it’s probably Hi-ten, I’d be interested to see if you couldn’t kiss the seatstay brace with a ball peen hammer.

[@Rev_John_Danger]

@AIL no danger in weakening the frame from a dropout grind if done correctly. In fact, the shorter wheelbase will exert (marginally) less leverage and redistribute the load.

[@navorgonzalez2744]

Id love to take it for a ride

[@lonebirchtrails5465]

I was just about to comment about the Verde Theory, I managed to find one on a BMX site during the pandemic for 600$ and it’s treated me sort of well. I have a follow up review video on my channel if you are interested.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Cool. I'll check it out!

[@tC.Kelvin]

I got the mongoose pt26 almost 4 months ago and just yesterday the whole bottom bracket broke. I’ve been riding it pretty rough, riding down stairs, bunny hops, riding rough dirt trails, etc. I was planning on replacing the bottom bracket but wasn’t expecting on it giving out so fast. Not only is the bottom bracket horrible but so is the fork too. I bought the same parts you bought. Do I need only one too hat washer?

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

That bottom bracket is so bad. You only need the top hat washer for the sprocket so you only need one. Most sprocket manufacturers will include one. The sprocket I bought on Amazon unfortunately didn't come with one.

[@rubenledesma2143]

I own a bike like this one who cares where you got it from i like this bike in time i will order new parts but i"m in no hurry for now, yes the front shocks are no good and what kind of forks should i get no shocks just forks please help me out with what size forks????

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

The most important thing about a bike is whether you like it or not. A rigid dirt jump fork with a ~ 425mm axle to crown is what you want. I used a Gussett 26in fork but I'm not sure about availability. Identiti also makes a decent one.

[@jameslovasziii6917]

At 4:05 is that the wheel mill in Pittsburgh?

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

No. That's Ray's in Cleveland.

[@Elgallotapado626]

Which size cranks did you use? I want to do the same change on the BB and cranks. 😊

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

I used 170mm cranks. The Stolen Mob cranks have a 19mm spindle.

[@Elgallotapado626]

@@AdrenalineIsLife awesome thanks man 😁 also would any kind of 26" threadless bmx forks fit or do I need a certain size?

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@Elgallotapado626 I would stick to a dirt jumper specific fork. The axle to crown is too short on BMX forks.

[@dreamdevelopmentproduction8548]

What millimeter size is the brake caliber I haven’t gotten my bike in yet but it’s the same one and looking to do the same upgrade

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

The brake rotor is 160mm stock.

[@MAGICCIGAM68]

Nice review! I'm an old school BMXer at the ripe old age of 53 and thanks to you the bug has bitten once again. #wantadirtjumper #thanksforsharing

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Glad to help stoke the fire! 🙂

[@tC.Kelvin]

Do you think a 165mm crankset would work for this bike?

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Yes. It will work fine. It's really a matter of personal preference.

[@crobilotti]

The girlfriend got me one of these bikes for my birthday in August of course it was shipped to her place and shocking the fork was damaged the box wasn't so that means the way it was packed and shoved on messed it up after her going back and forth with Wally world they refunded her and told her to keep the bike she replaced the fork with a Odyssey hard tail fork along and some old school BMX pedal and honestly it's works great it handle the pump track well and good started under 200 bucks I didn't want alot of money spent on something I was just getting into

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

You're not the first person to tell me that the bike had damage right out of the box. Glad the issue was resolved. A full refund is a great place to start from. 🙂 Enjoy the new bike!

[@Robotooo]

Does that thing have a kickstand plate on it????

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Oh yes. It comes with a kickstand INSTALLED.

[@linang2211]

Very Nice

[@mv8122]

I want to make the two down tubes of the bike into two 72v batteries with a Cyc x1 pro gen2 set up with asi bac 2000 controller with an addition of a rear suspension setup to make a worthy 26" full suspension electric dirt jump bmx bike!!! Using a mongoose p26! That's my goal I know I can do it!!! God helped me build my very own bmx dirt jump hardtail bike that out satisfied the most expensive electric trek mountain bike from a used trek Marlin 6. So I know it's God helping me organize the parts I need to creatively build what I want! Which I couldn't have never afford if it wasn't for him lining up the fate of cheap priced parts and heart ❤️ of will that he gave me to put together something awesome! Glory to my king, it really was all him. Trust me I'm not even that smart alone when it comes to goals of any sort! I always fail on my own!!!

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Sounds like an awesome project! Would love to see the final result.

[@filipr3386]

I make my own dirt jumper it coast my 320$ and it has way bether fork, crancks, breake and frame

[@antoineallaire4420]

Nice job but i think that for that price you can build a better bike but realy nice video

[@chipsandsalsa2520]

those welds on the frame .....geez

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Ugly welds for sure

[@juliocarino9171]

whats the actual tire size

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

26x2.3

[@tgvLitvlogger]

You from OHIO?

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

I'm actually from Illinois. I go to Ray's a few times over the winter.

[@wootang1113]

Dang my p slopes weigh 32lbs.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Crazy how heavy the Mongoose is.

[@deanwylie9893]

Don't let your wife know you have a hair dryer, it will disappear pretty quick.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

😄 It's was her hair dryer. I stole it and I'm in a bit of hot water now. LOL

[@deanwylie9893]

I know the feeling, mate. I stole my partners hair dryer, it's now lost it in the garage somewhere $250 later and I think I learnt my lesson.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@deanwylie9893 😄 sometimes you have to pay the price.

[@MikeHunt-lz2hq]

Bikes were not built better back then lol even the dyno or gt of back in the day were trash .no three piece cranks no sealed bearings any where. The stem and headset were the worst of all time and the fork stem wedge thingy that would always spin in circles was garbage .now you can spend 300 bucks and get a fully sealed bike with no loose bearings anywhere

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

You're talking about old school bmx bike tech. Things have evolved as riders got better and went bigger. I agree the new designs are better but big box bikes are not IMO. They're equipped with mystery parts that are generally bad where at least in the old days they were equipped with legit brand name parts. BTW, they're still putting loose bearings on BMX bikes. My $500 Kink has loose hub bearings up front. 😃