# Worth rebuilding, mongoose D70R



## Irongrave (Mar 16, 2012)

I've got an older late 90s Mongoose D70R that I rode a little as a teen. Now toying with the idea of getting back into riding to stay in shape and something to do. I know its not the best bike out there but at this point its more or less free. The derailleurs flat out suck on it and the tires on it need to be replaced. Is it worth the time and a little money to ride it or am I better off taking what i can get for it on CL and buying a better hard tail.

Thanks Drew


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

What are the specs? My hunch is that it's probably not worth spending much money on, but I'm not familiar with this bike. I'm not seeing a lot of info online about it either.


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## Irongrave (Mar 16, 2012)

IIRC its a dept store special. Its got Rock Jett front shocks and a rear shock not sure the brand 24 speed. 26R x1.95s


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

Yeah, not worth any money on. You might be able to get it up and running without spending anything if you learn how to do some basic service.


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## Irongrave (Mar 16, 2012)

I know i can get the derailleurs adjusted but still leaves the issues with tires, needs tubes and rubber both dry rotted and not holding air. put 50 PSI in them last night had 16 at lunch time


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

Irongrave said:


> I know i can get the derailleurs adjusted but still leaves the issues with tires, needs tubes and rubber both dry rotted and not holding air. put 50 PSI in them last night had 16 at lunch time


OK. Tires can be swapped from bike to bike, so it wouldn't be much of a problem putting new tires on. I might recommend CST tires for something cheap that performs well. You can get them online for around $12-$15 per tire.

Sorry about the first sentence in my last post. I must be out of it.


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## Irongrave (Mar 16, 2012)

after spending a little time working on it its time to shop for a new or used hard tail. bike is way to short for me now so the hunt begins


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## huffster (Nov 14, 2011)

From what I can tell this is a Walmart special so its best you discovered its too small. That way you can put your money to something better.


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## Irongrave (Mar 16, 2012)

I'm 6'3" so its way under sized I like wrenching on stuff figured playing around with a bike would be the next step just not with this as a base its on CL now to free up space for something better. Debating between a Trex 3700 a Specialized hardrock and a Cannondale Trail 6 all with discs and 26s


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## MountainRaider (May 29, 2012)

Yes it's worth rebuilding, I have owned a D70 for over 10 years now and I have put it though hell and it's still going strong. The D70 is not a Walmart Mongoose, these were made before the Pacific Bike take over. Mine weighs only 31 pounds. Put a Rock Shock Dart or another good fork on it and it should be ok. You can't kill this frame. Sure it will pogo on the rough trails, but you can change out the fork and the suspension in the back and it will make a world of difference. I would love to find another one Craigslist or something and give it to my son. This isn't a high end bike, but it's not junk ether.


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## SuperSlow35th (Jul 22, 2011)

For whats available these days on ebay and craigslist I wouldnt say any bike over 5-8 years old is worth spending money on with a few very small exceptions. Outdated technology, modern part fitment issues, and overall just crappy geometry.


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## mojoemil (1 mo ago)

MountainRaider said:


> Yes it's worth rebuilding, I have owned a D70 for over 10 years now and I have put it though hell and it's still going strong. The D70 is not a Walmart Mongoose, these were made before the Pacific Bike take over. Mine weighs only 31 pounds. Put a Rock Shock Dart or another good fork on it and it should be ok. You can't kill this frame. Sure it will pogo on the rough trails, but you can change out the fork and the suspension in the back and it will make a world of difference. I would love to find another one Craigslist or something and give it to my son. This isn't a high end bike, but it's not junk ether.


 Agree. My D70R is very nice. I paid a decent chunk of money for it new, and it has done well on moderate trails, and still looks and rides like brand new.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Why are all the forum newbies resurrecting dead threads? Feels like The Walking Dead is coming to life now.


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## Shinscrape (5 mo ago)

This is something I am currently doing. I bought a nice cheap hardtail upgrading it and using the stock parts to update an old norco wolverine that was blown to bits. It's fun and you are saving a bike from going to the dump. Get something you can ride now for cheap and take your time building the old bike there's no rush to make it perfect. I have only spent 50$ on the bike and it's again operational. Although clearly still needs some more wrenching. I'd get a second hand bike and use that as something until you have this bike working again.


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## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

Battery said:


> Why are all the forum newbies resurrecting dead threads? Feels like The Walking Dead is coming to life now.


Gotta get the post count up before spamming us?


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