Review: Mongoose 2009 Sabrosa SS Commuter Bike

With the high gas prices lately, many people have chosen to commute on bikes. There's many brands and models to choose from and in this review, I'm going to tell you about the 2009 Mongoose Sabrosa SS bike. Although the Sabrosa does not look like any other SS bikes, it remains to be one of the top SS sellers.

The 2009 Sabrosa SS is one of Mongoose's Hybrid line which basically is a mountain bike which has been modified for the street. It weighs in at about 26 pounds so it can in no way be considered a lightweight.

In recent years, when you chose a Mongoose Sabrosa SS, you had a choice of sizes ranging from small to extra large. However, with the 2009 Sabrosa SS, you are limited to either medium or large. Hope you like the color, Pearl Gray, because that is the only color choice you have this year.

The Sabrosa SS features disc brakes which, in my opinion, offers better stopping capabilities on wet pavement. Disc brakes also offers more reliable speed control. I like the way they mounted the rear disc to make it easier to mount fenders or racks on the rear of the bike.

For more stability and safety in all weather conditions, Mongoose has added bigger wheels (32") and fatter tires to the 2009 Sabrosa SS. Although the increased size of the wheels and tires add to the bulky look of the bike and makes the handling of it a bit harder, it compensates for it by making you ride higher and better able to see and be seen in traffic.

As for the drive train, the Sabrosa SS, as you probably guessed from the name, is a single speed (SS). No gears also means less maintenance and less hassles such as no more changing and stripping and missing gears. It features an eccentric bottom bracket that is actually the way you tension the chain.

As far as price is concerned, the 2009 Sabrosa SS bike retails for $600 which is not a bad price considering that you are buying a high quality Mongoose that will outlast most bikes on the market today.

Why would you want a single speed bike? The Mongoose 2009 Sabrosa SS is simple and basic to use. It's really a low matinence bike. Although it's going to cost you energy wise, that's not a bad thing if you want to get fit or loose some weight!!