Mongoose is a brand name of performance bicycles originally designed, manufactured, and sold by BMX Products, Inc. Mongoose merged in 2001 with Pacific Cycle, a subsidiary of Dorel Industries. It produces several models of BMX, mountain bikes, and street bicycles, making ample use of light weight alloys and magnesium. They are based in Madison, Wisconsin.
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History of BMX Products, Inc.
Skip Hess started BMX Products, Inc. out of his home in Simi Valley, California in September 1974 with his first product being the famous Motomag One wheel. According to Skip “When the Motomags were the first and only product I produced, I could remain working from my home and garage in Simi Valley. I bought a van to transport the Cragar made heat treated castings to shot peening and then to the machine shop where after machining, the wheels were boxed and shipped. About a 1 ½ years later when I chose to manufacture frames and complete bikes I leased a small industrial shop in Chatsworth. Within the next 2 years we moved three times in Chatsworth to accommodate our rapid growth. We settled in the Irondale facility until April 1984 when we moved to our wholly owned, newly built, 105,000 sq. ft. Moorpark facility”.
According to Skip, at its largest point BMX Products, Inc. employed about 85 people. In the early years Skip recalls that about 600 frames per day were produced at the Chatsworth location.
RECO (Racer Engineering Company) was a wholly owned manufacturing division created for insurance purposes to be separate from BMX Products, Inc, even though RECO was always in house. It was headed by Vice President of Manufacturing Hoppy Brooks in his attempt to market motorcycle frames but was according to Skip “totally unsuccessful”.
Pacific Cycle Years
Since being sold to Pacific Cycle in 2001 the company has expanded to developing a wide range of bikes and performance parts, as well as skateboards, and electric scooters. It is heavily involved in professional bicycle events, and sponsors many riders (such as Eric Rupe) in various competitions, including the X Games and the Dew Action Sports Tour.
Mongoose sells essentially two lines of bicycles. One is a line of discount bikes offered through mass-merchandisers like Wal-Mart, Sears and Kmart. The other line, featured on the website, are higher end models sold through specialty shops.
Products
2007 Bike Models
Mountain bikes: Rockadile ALX, Rockadile AL
2008 Bike Models
Mountain Bikes: Black Diamond Dbl, Black Diamond Trpl, Canaan Comp, Canaan Elite, Canaan Team, EC-D, Fireball 26, Khyber Elite, Khyber Super, Otero Comp, Otero Elite, Otero Super, Ritual Dirt, Ritual Dirt-Hi, Ritual Street, Teocali Comp, Teocali Elite, Teocali Super, Tyax Comp, Tyax Elite, Tyax Super, amasa comp, amasa elite, amasa super
Hybrid Bikes: Kaldi, Kaldi Women's, Sabrosa 3X9, Sabrosa SS
BMX Bikes: Brawler, Expert, Fraction, Legion, Menace, Mischief, Mischief Mag, Pit Crew, Shield, Subject, Villain
Kids Bikes: Fireball 24 Downhill Bikes Boot'r
External links
- Mongoose Official Site
- BMXmuseum.com An old school BMX community with forums, photos etc..
- Vintage Mongoose History of Mongoose, B.M.X. Procucts Inc., Vintage Collectors Resources
- retro-goose A forum dedicated to oldschool Mongoose BMX
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