Univega Rover RM29 Mountain Bike - $284.99 from Mendham Bikes

[@NELSONG12]

The budget bike standards are getting good.

[@bikdav]

I noticed that also.

[@bobbybecker80]

My first MTB circa 1983 was a Univega Rover Sport, which cost more than this bike (AIR). It had mostly road components, a double chainring in front and SunTour Cyclone derailleurs. Great bike!

[@SonjaTheDork]

I'm surprised Univega is still around. I have an old uni Pro Comp from 96, an aluminum lugged carbon tubed road bike. My boss owns a uni too and they were excellent bikes back in the day. Glad to see them still around in some guise. Seems like a great bike for the price. Not too bugged by the lack of taper, there's still a lot of fork options out there for a straight steerer. Those Nutt brakes come on the entry level GTs we carry at my shop, and while they're not the most refined option out there, they've proven to be a very reliable set for the price.

[@upstatecre8]

What a great time to be in mountain biking. It’s offerings like this that keep getting better and help us to entice new riders. You can’t blame the price point for not getting into the sport anymore..

[@michaelsprinzeles4022]

I have not seen a Univega bike in almost 2 decades. I bought a Univega Nuovo Sport (road bike) in the 80s. I only ever changed tubes, tires & rim brake pads. It lasted me more than a quarter century before I gave it to a friend. It did enough mileage to have gone around the world more than once. If this is built as well it's beyond a bargain. I love a mtb that accomodates a rack.

[@vunguy3n]

Thank you for confirming it's a cassette rear hub.

[@xmonger]

Others are saying freewheel. Did kev pull it off to confirm?

[@KevCentral]

It’s a cassette. I have removed to verify. Also properly greased. I’ve seen a lot of others say it’s a freewheel too. I suspect they’re focusing on the 11-34t, which is available in freewheel form (7-8 speed)

[@01FozzyS]

Nice to see the Univega name lives again and at a good price too!

[@theraisiny6600]

Just ordered one a few days ago, excited for it to arrive!

[@beefcakees]

Ahh man 😊 waiting on my flex too

[@gamby16a]

Man, if i had the garage space, I'd buy one of these right now. Jeez, I still might. Only thing I'd change is the gearing. Bigger cassette and maybe smaller ring. That spec for that price with a once huge brand name on the frame is amazing. Considering I bought $650 Garmin power pedals for my Cyclocross bike, this bike is an absolute steal. Fantastic review.

[@ShredaSpud]

No way! I didn't think Univega was still around. I ride my 2001 Univega Alpina 400 to this very day!

[@beefcakees]

You might like the Univega flex. They shipped it to me with mtb and gravel tires

[@beefcakees]

I bought the Univega Flex Rover 27.5" and am not regretting it. With the extra $100 I'm saving I can do a couple of upgrades on it. But maaan is this a nice piece of machinery. God willing, I'll be buying this as my second bike, especially if they make it dropper compatible. Thanks Kev!

[@aaronbehindbars]

I agree with leaving this one mostly stock. You could engineer a dropper and upgrade the drivetrain, but the oddball straight steerer boost fork will be hard to source anything better. I reckon if that's a 44mm head tube, then you can toss an adapter cup anf it might work, but not sure with how much that the head tube tapers in. There might be interference. The frame geo is also less modern. It really strikes me more as a dual-sport type hybrid and $300 is a solid deal for that type of bike. Run it on the street, bike paths, and green trails with great aplomb.

[@daniellarson3068]

This channel shows affordable bikes. Other bike channels have folks with English accents demonstrating bikes that cost as much or more than the Mobile home I used to live in.

[@KevCentral]

I can remember wondering who would buy a $500 bike. Then I bought one and wondered who would buy an $800-$1000 bike, then I bought one…it’s a slippery slope. I can have just as much fun on a budget bike - and I think the average rider can too! If someone can afford a higher dollar bike then go for it, but there’s nothing wrong with working within a budget. Good bikes are out there that don’t cost big bucks 💸

[@Tarkov.]

That's a NICE bike. Kent going for the throat on every budget MTB on the market.

[@guambra2001]

That’s an amazing deal for a bike of this caliber.

[@waktosha7378]

I can honestly say all my bikes are assembled in the U.S.A.. because I assembled them all myself in the U.S.A.

[@terrycruise-zd5tw]

yeah i dont understand the whole *assembled in usa* shtick.. all the imported chinese bikes that they sell at all the bigbox retailers are assembled here lol, ive seen a bike that was assembled at walmart in the usa with its front fork on backwards

[@waktosha7378]

@@terrycruise-zd5tw If I buy a bike at Wal-Mart, I tear it down and rebuild it right! I have bought a few from there, so I know how bad their assembly is! Most of their bikes are unsafe as hell and can cause serious injury or death coming out of Wal-Mart!

[@KevCentral]

There is a difference between final assembly and building a bike from loose parts assembly. Big box stores do final assembly, sometimes not even complete forms of that 😂

[@waktosha7378]

@@KevCentral When I buy a bike from Wal-Mart, I tear it down and rebuild correctly it with plenty of grease and lubricant! Therefore my Chinese bikes are fully assembled right here in South Carolina, and built right!

[@davegravitt210]

​@@KevCentral. Triple Triangle. 🤔

[@bikdav]

Some of the UNIVEGA frames were made in USA back in the 80s, while others - like what I had - were made in JAPAN.

[@stormshaman]

Which ones were made in the US? I thought they were strictly importers. They started with importing bikes from Italy under then name Ital-Vega, then changed to Univega when they started importing from Japan as well. I thought that after a certain point in time, all Univegas were rebadged Miyatas.

[@bikdav]

@@stormshaman As I think that I remember it, some of the later ones were made in the Miyata factory. A couple of the high end racing frames were US made (as I think that I remember it). I don't remember the specific models, because It was along time ago.

[@ROBinJVILLE]

thats a hell of a deal! if i didnt have so many bkes, it would be a no brainer

[@beefcakees]

Lol. I have a feeling I am on the same path as you my friend.

[@arc9812]

No excuses for not cruising your local trails!

[@KoenMiseur]

You put the tire logo at the valve so it's easy to find, putting it on the opposite side counterproductive.

[@letour32rr]

You can always throw a EC44 lower headset cup on there to run a tapered fork. That’ll also slacken the geo .5 degrees just with the lower headset change.

[@MrJanaRobi]

I had a land rover 10 in the 1980s as my only vehicle .I wore it out a couple of times . Univega Tough !

[@beefcakees]

@@MrJanaRobi I've been really into them recently. Real fanboy type stuff. Haha. There is potential, wish they did more to market it. Their Instagram is very slack

[@Randy-ry9ss]

My favorite color on that sweet ride!

[@KevCentral]

It does look good 👍🏻

[@beefcakees]

@@Randy-ry9ss it looks really good

[@BerserkerNick]

A good friend of mine just got done restoring a 90s Univega mtb

[@MichaelBrown-wv5zu]

It was nice to meet you the other day at wildwood!

[@KevCentral]

Nice to meet you too! Nice bike! Did you enjoy the new feature on Magnolia?

[@gregnowak2492]

I haven’t torqued down a brake disc bolt yet! LOL Nice bike for sure for that price!!

[@AndresGonzalez-bg8uk]

BCA really getting going - Ozark Trail, Able, Univega, Kent… hopefully they will figure out how to make the frames here soon.

[@Phrancis5]

Dang... so many cheaper/better MTBs than the Kent Trouvaille I bought during the pandemic.

[@beefcakees]

Hey. I mean. Could sell it for $150 and get a new one! 😊

[@AK-oz4ew]

Finally some very nice deals, after $700 Walmart bikes it is a so much better!

[@potterson1710]

Color me intrigued. The lack of dropper support concerns me a bit because I’ve gotten a little spoiled.

[@christophercrandall9154]

That head tube looks like a 44mm with a zerostack headset. If it is, you can put a conversion headset in it that will allow you to upgrade to a tapered fork.

[@HullioGQ]

OMG! It supports fenders too? I need a winter commuter that supports racks and fenders. This will actually do the magic. The only thing I am worried about is all the pictures on the Univega website and the on Mendham site all show a bike with no fender eyelets.

[@beefcakees]

@@HullioGQ my flex rover 27.5 just came in. It has fender support as well, it was a good surprise which I didn't expect. Also the bike is sooooo lightweight.

[@GOAdventures765]

Purchased this one a couple weeks ago. Got mine for under $230 shipped.

[@beefcakees]

@@GOAdventures765 hooooow?

[@simrigpc27b12]

The climbing power of a 32mm front sprocket....... 😂😂

[@KevCentral]

lol. Yep. I caught that after it was too late to correct 😂. You could just choose which leg to kick the pedals in a circle with and alternate to keep one fresh

[@simrigpc27b12]

@@KevCentral 32mm front, 52t rear. 1000 rpm while your friends walk next to you up the hill 😂

[@johnmills837]

Boost is 110mm front.

[@KevCentral]

👍🏻 fork model is boost, but this one is 15x100 spacing

[@stevencole7331]

Anither true mountain bike add at the sub $300 range which is the hydraulic brakes. Next on the list is tubless compatible rims I took my budget hardtail and replaced the heavy fork with a carbon ridged boost fork . Loosing all that weight on the front made the bike come alive. These budget suspension forks are not giving much and with such added weight affecting the performance of the front end . You might want to give it a go kv central. You might be surprised at the fun factor

[@KevCentral]

Thanks for the suggestion, but that sounds rough on the shoulders. What brand did you go with?

[@stevencole7331]

@@KevCentral Kocevelo in Alli express it's boost spacing . The key is measuring from crown to hub minus your 20 percent sag which gets the size you want the one I got is 497 mm . Now there are plenty for different forks mine was made for a taper head tube but they got straight steer . I have to say it's a superior to those clunky and heavy forks that are mostly useless . You did get to ride the Ozark trail gravel . This takes that to a whole new level . The carbon gives compliance and really you local trails don't need suspension . You would be amazed how much a budget bike can come alive . I shaved 4 pounds off my front end

[@mikeburgh3956]

This would be a great starter mtb🤙🏻

[@mellissanash7517]

I'd spend the extra for better gearing as some of us do live in areas were a 32t front with 34t rear on a hardtail is a no go up hills. A 11-40t cassette would be even better, but still not optimal. I need at least a 45t like SLX offers. I wonder if this could work with a Advent 9 or X RD and then just upgrade to 11-42t or 46t 9spd cassette from Sunrace(probably be the same weight too). Then again I'm seeing few year old refurb Kona's at bike shops for about the same price with better components. Also 175mm on a medium? This isn't 2005 any more, 165-170mm is the more appropriate size for a medium.

[@jasonlillis3437]

Great value. A little bummed about the head tube.

[@KevCentral]

Specs per dollar can excuse that in certain circumstances

[@codybroken]

good lord that is a ridiculously great deal on a bike of that quality and specification. 4:10 - those sure look like nylon pedals to me.

[@KevCentral]

Did I say something other than polymer or similar? I know I said 32mm instead of 32t for the chainring 😂

[@JoshuaMarcAragon]

That looks like a great entry-level bike for the price. No reason why you couldn't ride that on even some intermediate trails as it is and have a good time. Too bad the derailluer doesn't have a clutch. Could have easily gone with the Acolyte and probably kept it right at $299.00.

[@beefcakees]

Seems it has a stiff spring on it though like he mentioned so. Maybe they thought it's basically clutched

[@JoshuaMarcAragon]

@@beefcakees It's probably tensioned somewhere in between. I'd still prefer something you can turn off or on.

[@JustAnotherHo]

The mendham site is a bit odd. First it says "Free Shipping to the contiguous Canada" and I go to check out and it says only ships to USA. I'm not surprised, but their sales sites must auto change to say can ship to your country. Still, nice video. Also yes, i live in Canada.

[@KevCentral]

Thanks for sharing

[@i_rides_bikes]

Pretty amazing what $300 buys you these days

[@matthewshultz8762]

I remember paying 2x this (in 2014 even) for a specialized hardrock of similar spec. Bikes are so good for so cheap now!

[@KevCentral]

@matthewshultz8762 I don’t expect the amazing deals to stick around indefinitely. The bike industry has a glut of inventory post-Covid. Once the industry is able to dig out of the hump, and we see who doesn’t make it, prices will climb above the current closeout deals - IMO

[@DKStanford]

Kev, I think you should start highlighting/complaining about bikes that still ship with Schrader valves in 2024. I consider this probably the most important differentiator amongst budget bikes. You used to make similar comments about tapered headtubes and the market finally came around. In 2024 we have 2 remaining inexcusable design decisions--wheels with Schrader valves and skewers instead of axles. Ozark Trail bike have proved it is possible to ship budget big-box bikes with Presta valves so there's no legit excuse for not including these wheels. Yes, it might be a minor issue, but it's one of the few differences. All I'm suggesting is highlighting this feature in future reviews in order to send a message to the industry (which seems to pay attention to your channel). Finally, great video! I've subbed for years and appreciate your focus on affordable cycling.

[@growingup4487]

presta valves aren't consumer friendly especially cheap bikes

[@DKStanford]

@@growingup4487 there's a discernable difference between "cheap bike" and bikes like the Axum, Aggressor Pro and the Ozark Trail. The bikes Kev covers are in a unique product category that is just now emerging - I don't claim to have the best descriptor, but they're true entry-level budget XC bikes designed around industry standards in order to allow the consumer to upgrade them. And the decision to use Schrader valves is actually bad insofar as finding 29" or 27.5" bike tubes with Schrader valves isn't easy. Presta valves are the industry standard for "real" mtbs. Walmart themselves have already acknowledged what I'm suggesting is true. The 29", the 27.5" Ozark Trail mtbs, as well as the newer Ozark Trail G. 2 gravel bike have Presta. It's time Schwinn and the rest of the manufacturers releasing bikes in this emerging segment of the industry catch up to Walmart.

[@bobbye7353]

Nobody here wants presta valves. You're preaching to the wrong choir. Come back when automobiles start using presta valves.

[@DKStanford]

@@bobbye7353 you're certainly entitled to that opinion. But here's the reality - "real" bikes (both mtb and road) use Presta . That's just the industry standard. You'll NEVER find a Specialized, Trek, Canyon, Santa Cruz or literally any other hobbyist brand that use Schrader. You can't even find tubes for 29"or 27.5" wheels that use Schrader. It's the same as tapered head tubes - a few years ago people like you used to say that nobody cares about that. But if you want to upgrade your fork it is difficult to find decent air forks with straight tubes because the industry moved away from them. And that's exactly why Kev covers these bikes because the big-box stores have finally started to produce decent bikes that conform to industry norms and are easy to upgrade, find parts, and actually ride on real trails.

[@bobbye7353]

@@DKStanford I can easily find tubes that use shrader valves in all sizes. We're not in Europe. Shouldn't you also be pushing for tubeless anyway? You know, since the industry is moving away from tubes? Your narrative is inconsistent.

[@MarvinWestmaas]

I was wondering what shipping would be to The Netherlands... it's quite the obstacle, being 'not available' 🙃 I really think these bikes would do well here.

[@KevCentral]

Email them. You never know until you ask - especially if you were willing to foot the bill for shipping.

[@richdavenport7751]

Not bad for the price

[@ianmangham4570]

I still love schraeder, i hate presta and I've got them on 😮

[@robertstock6086]

Sadly, they won’t ship to Canada

[@drewbrown9678]

Can you change the raceway to take a tapered headtube?

[@beefcakees]

You know, I think I heard berm peak mention something about adaptors but I haven't looked into it

[@BerserkerNick]

It looks like a 44mm headtube so should be able to get an external lower cup for a tapered fork

[@KevCentral]

There are external adapters, but I’m not a fan of those. Some people are happy with them, so they work

[@markvonwisco7369]

I'm 6'3". This bike very tempting. Are there torque specifications in the assembly instructions?

[@KevCentral]

They are not, but there are standard torque values easily found online…or you can always ask here. I’m more than happy to share what I set things at. There’s also the $75 rebate for bike shop assembly. Any bike shop would know how tight things need to be

[@pixelatedmushroom]

3:01 I think you mean 15 by 110

[@evannelson9183]

Univega has sold out to Kent.

[@brianzurf]

Can you give us the rear tire size and approximate max rear tire size thanks.

[@stevenj7045]

I'm not familiar with boost on the fork. What does it do, and how does it work? Thanks for another great review!

[@KevCentral]

Thanks for watching. Boost axels are stronger than a traditional QR.

[@bobbye7353]

110mm "thru axle"

[@bigtrucklittlerv7969]

@@KevCentral Boost is 110mm

[@Wireman134]

@@KevCentral "Boost" is same strength as non boost TA's 15mm. "Boost" is just wider (110mm) spacing.

[@jamiehogan4364]

Kent=Ozark Trail=BCA=This

[@theOrkinMan1]

It looks like the assembled in u s a is all the stuff that we still have to do ourselves. 😅

[@KevCentral]

Ha!

[@gweinervt]

Could you upgrade the cassette to a 11-42 or 11-46 by changing out the groupset to a Microshift advent with a clutched derailleur?

[@johnmills837]

Maybe, the shifter might need to change too. I have a Acolyte rear and a Advent X 10 speed cassette and shifter. Free hub will go 10 speed if you want.

[@gweinervt]

⁠it would be a matching advent 9 speed shifter, derailleur and cassette.

[@johnmills837]

@@gweinervt Just get the Acolyte rear derailleur and the Advent X cassette 11-48T and Advent X shifter It will be cheaper and you'll have a 10 speed that perform flawlessly. Look it up on KZbin. Acolyte has the same pull ratio as the Advents and is $10-$15 cheaper.

[@johnmills837]

Universal Cycles or 365 Cycles has the best prices now.

[@gweinervt]

@@johnmills837, just bought one for my son. Planning on doing a drivetrain upgrade and some knobby tires. He’s going to love it.

[@g3mini_p3t3]

Im 5'8" will that be suitable for me?? 🤔✊🏾

[@KevCentral]

16.5” frame, so it should work unless you like your frames smaller. In which case there is the small frame

[@lvstreeter]

This is very similar to my Ozark Trail 29 but it's lower priced

[@Phrancis5]

Don't feel bad. I bought the $400 Kent Trouville during the pandemic. So many better and cheaper bikes coming out now.

[@beefcakees]

I'd say, it's better cause it has character. 😊 That being said. I was considering it myself before I found Mendham

[@jamesweldon8118]

I thought boost was 110?

[@racerx8410712]

It is and the way he regards it as such is a misnomer. Not a big deal just not a true boost wheel and fork.

[@bagera3005]

tires look like unmarked Kenda Slant Six 29 x 2.00

[@timbo0755]

Kinda looks like an Ozark Trail lol

[@HullioGQ]

Assembled in America of Chinese Made..! 🤔

[@monstrp85]

haha it gets gooder~

[@KevCentral]

😁

[@jrockthecasbah]

No taper = no thanks. Rest of the bike is gooder especially for the price.

[@badbattleaxe5832]

Symbol in America is not made in America! I hate that

[@cosminadrian5185]

Asambled in the USA by chinese workers :)))

[@waktosha7378]

It's still made in China!

[@KevCentral]

That’s why it doesn’t say Made in USA 🙃 🇺🇸

[@waktosha7378]

@@KevCentral Well duh! 😂