# Mongoose Envoy Cargo Bike



## RaleighX (Mar 30, 2011)

I came across this the other day.... looks pretty legit for $500 and the bags look huge.... thoughts?

https://www.costco.ca/Mongoose-Envoy-Cargo-Bike.product.100396819.html


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

That looks impressive for the price. Most the components I can recognize seem like they would be at home on an $800 bike at the LBS. It's not truly a Mongoose I don't think, as Canada is not even a regiona selectable on the Mongoose website. Likely a rebranded catalogue bike for Costco. Wheel durability are important and hard to judge without seeing it in person. The other question I have is weather it is compatible with any of the accessories that are already on the market. We have been considering a cargo bike to avoid getting a second car as my oldest has outgrown the trailer. A $500 experiment to see if cargo biking is for us is easier to swallow than a $2500 one. I'd consider this one knowing it's likely it would have shortcomings that would need to be addressed, which i feel comfortable doing as an ex-bike mechanic. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts.


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

Its a mongoose alright, completely designed in house


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

skota23 said:


> Its a mongoose alright, completely designed in house


Then I feel lucky you were able to point this out, even if it proves my guess wrong! Are you able to give us information about compatibility with xtracycle accessories? TIA


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

I would imagine the bags would work and anything that would strap on. There are small alloy loops on the top of the rear frame and on the chainstays. As well as lots of water bottle bolt braze-ons on the rear rack and frame.


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

skota23 said:


> I would imagine the bags would work and anything that would strap on. There are small alloy loops on the top of the rear frame and on the chainstays. As well as lots of water bottle bolt braze-ons on the rear rack and frame.


So I went ahead and ordered one. This is an experiment for our family as we try to reduce our dependence on the car and this pricepoint is easy to accept.

To follow up on the accessories, specifically I'm wondering about the Yepp Maxi EasyFit seat as well as the different Kid cages (Yuba Monkeybars, RadWagon Caboose, Xtracycle Hoopties). Any information you can provide about the rack dimensions to mount these things would be tremendous help!


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## 1x1_Speed_Craig (Jan 14, 2004)

That certainly looks like an affordable entry into the world of cargo bikes. My only initial red flag, at this or any price point, is that crazy-low kickstand. It looks like it's begging to be ripped off the frame by hanging that low.


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

There are 5 cross bars on the top of the rack, each is 165mm apart and the bolts are 80mm apart on each bar. Please note though, we did not design this product for compatibility with the intention of carrying kids or pets. Hope you like it!


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Is that a steering damper spring I see under the downtube behind the fork ?


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

DeeEight said:


> Is that a steering damper spring I see under the downtube behind the fork ?


I don't think it's a damper proper, I think it's just meant to keep the front wheel straight when it's on the centre stand.


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## david.p (Apr 11, 2011)

Interested in seeing more views of the handlebar. From what I can see it almost looks like a Jones loop bar with less sweep and a bit of rise.


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

david.p said:


> Interested in seeing more views of the handlebar. From what I can see it almost looks like a Jones loop bar with less sweep and a bit of rise.


similar design, lots of hand position options and places to mount accessories. 710mm wide, 27 degrees sweep.


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## formula4speed (Mar 25, 2013)

Coming to the US? Can't find anything online.


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

Not yet, your best bet would be to try and have someone ship it to you from Canada, a bike shop maybe.


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## HangryMapache (Mar 22, 2018)

What is the cargo capacity/max payload? More pictures and information would be awesome.


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

FYI to all, no longer listed as back ordered on Costco.ca. Hopefully mine will ship soon!


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## corine (Mar 24, 2018)

we're wondering if anyone knows how easy it is to remove the cargo bags when we just want to ride, not carry anything....thx


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

corine said:


> we're wondering if anyone knows how easy it is to remove the cargo bags when we just want to ride, not carry anything....thx


super easy to take on and off, three hooks at the top that are connected to two by elastic straps towards the bottom. Just lift the bag up so the hooks at the top come out of the loops in the frame, tilt the bag forward and unhook the lower hooks from their tabs.


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## HangryMapache (Mar 22, 2018)

@skota23, do you know the what weight capacity is for this bike?


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

We tested it to 130lbs, but there is no "official" test for cargo capacity as an industry standard.


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## HangryMapache (Mar 22, 2018)

Thanks for the reply


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

The one I ordered got here yesterday, but I have not ridden it yet. Initial impressions from inspection are generally good.


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## leaftye (Dec 27, 2007)

Are both wheels 26"?


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

leaftye said:


> Are both wheels 26"?


Yes.


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## HangryMapache (Mar 22, 2018)

@yammer - you have to give us some specs! You're the only source of info on this bike right now. Can you share some pics too?


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

HangryMapache said:


> @yammer - you have to give us some specs! You're the only source of info on this bike right now. Can you share some pics too?


I will try give detailed impressions, but possibly not until next week as I will be travelling again. In the meantime, feel free to ask any specific questions and I'll leave a picture!


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## HangryMapache (Mar 22, 2018)

It's a good looking bike. I wonder if it rides sluggish. Keep us posted and thanks for the picture.


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

HangryMapache said:


> It's a good looking bike. I wonder if it rides sluggish. Keep us posted and thanks for the picture.


for a cargo bike it should be pretty maneuverable. Chainstays are short compared to most at 640mm.


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## foldingdroid (Apr 4, 2018)

The rack looks very durable.


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## HangryMapache (Mar 22, 2018)

@skota23 - Is it possible to attach child seat to the rack?


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

Maybe, but design it to be compatible with any specific seat.


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## Ltdan12a (Jun 15, 2012)

Definitely let us know when they are available in the US!


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

awesome user name


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

I was finally able to finish tuning this bike up and take it for a ride. Please forgive the lack of prose as I want to hammer this out quickly for the benefit those who are interested.

The take away I feel is the value, especially for us Canadians who have fewer options and generally pay more than the exchange rate would warrant. For $500, the value can't be beat.

Pros:
- Value ($500), Costco's return policy. Free shipping.
- Lightweight for its class.
- Welded on rear rack seems very sturdy. Side carriers are bolted on and seem of good quality also.
- Included fenders that fit 2.35in tires easily.
- Surprising quality of some components (brake levers, seat, lock on grips)
- Practical handlebar design. 
- 4 bottle cage mounts (2 on fork, 2 on frame).
- Tons of mounting points.
- Inluded cargo bags.

Cons:
-25.4mm handelbar makes a stem swap in 2018 difficult.
-Tire quality
-Sticky rear brake (likely for long fully housed run)
-Fender cut and finish (visibly trimmed by hand)
-Wheel quality
-Bent rear derailleur (likely from shipping)
-Rear derailleur hanger not replaceable.

Comments.
-I would advise anyone that is not very comfortable tuning bikes to have a shop look at it, especially if you will be riding it loaded. The wheels needed some work, the axles were very tight, and the rear wheel was missing a lot of tension.
-Mine happened to have a bent derailleur, but since I'd have to return the entire bike, I'd rather replace it myself than deal with the dissambly, exchange and new assembly. The bike was well packed otherwise.
-The centre stand, fenders, and cargo bags are nice bonuses. The center stand is however pretty narrow, and with any weight on the top rack, the bike will want to tip on anything but perfectly flat ground. The bags are narrower than they seem in the pictures, perhaps just a bit wider than a 2L carton of milk. They do have waterproof zippers though. They go on and off easily.
-The bike rides well. I think it might be more of a mid tail cargo bike than a long tail.
-The brakes are nice solid shimano levers with mystery calipers. They seem to be on par with quality from Tektro and work well and did not take long to bed in. The rear is a bit sticky the first couple squeezes, I'm not sure if it's the caliper or the long cable run.
-The Yepp seat adapter works on the top rack.
-Tire volume (26x 2.35) makes fora nice ride, but the tires themselves are quite load and don't have a great road feel. I plan on getting some Big Bens
-The racks are such that the bike can be stored vertically (good for those limited on space).
-Not sure what's going on at the very back of the bike with that extra tube that is parallel to the wheel axles. It differs from the stock pictures and does seem like extra material in the end.


All and all, I'm very happy. It is working nicely for my use. I will switch the tires, replace the derailleur and maybe even upgrade the calipers to BB7's

Happy to answer any specific questions.


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## corine (Mar 24, 2018)

We just mounted the bike yesterday and yes, it is a big bike with big bags but looks and rides great.


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## 1x1_Speed_Craig (Jan 14, 2004)

Yanner said:


> I was finally able to finish tuning this bike up and take it for a ride. Please forgive the lack of prose as I want to hammer this out quickly for the benefit those who are interested.
> 
> The take away I feel is the value, especially for us Canadians who have fewer options and generally pay more than the exchange rate would warrant. For $500, the value can't be beat.
> 
> ...


Excellent, detailed review. Thank you!


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## dismantler (May 2, 2018)

skota23 said:


> We tested it to 130lbs, but there is no "official" test for cargo capacity as an industry standard.


What is the total weight carrying capacity of the bike? I am a heavy rider at 360lbs and have been very hard on rear wheels and axles in the past. I am in the market for a heavy duty bike and am wondering if this bike would be a good choice for me.


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

we don't list a maximum weight limit. The bike is tested to standard cpsc standards. If you do buy it you may want to have a heavy duty wheel set built. As far as other manufacturers claiming a maximum capacity, It would be interesting to hear how they come up with these numbers as there is not a standardized test for this.


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## HangryMapache (Mar 22, 2018)

I have been riding mine for a while now and I really like it. Feels light and nimble enough. Steering dampener certainly helps. Wheels are true, breaks work well and so do the gears.
There are tons of attachment points in cargo area.

Only issue is the stand that doesn't keep the bike upright unless on a perfectly flat surface and weight in bags is perfectly balanced. I've knocked it over so many times. I wonder if I could bend the stand to make it wider, or if I'll just need to get a new one.

All in all, I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a cargo bike and dont have 3K to spend on one.


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

I've been riding it for over a month and it's probably about 350 lbs loaded up (me + cargo). The wheels seem fine so far.

One of the advantages of the longer bike is that you end up with less weight on the rear wheel when its the rider only, vs the same rider on a standard bike, which should help wheel longevity. The disavantage is that it's nearly impossible to pick up the back wheel over sharp edges


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## dismantler (May 2, 2018)

I ordered the bike last week, but was set on returning it after skota23's comment. Then I was on the fence after Yanner's comment and didn't immediately return it when I received it yesterday. Then my wife clinched it after reminding me that with Costco's return policy, I could basically bring it back in a mangled pile of parts any time in the next two years and get my money back no questions asked.

I built the bike last night and will take it out for a ride this weekend - once I figure out how to mount the front fork centering spring (what the heck is that tension adjuster for and how does it mount?)


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

dismantler said:


> I ordered the bike last week, but was set on returning it after skota23's comment. Then I was on the fence after Yanner's comment and didn't immediately return it when I received it yesterday. Then my wife clinched it after reminding me that with Costco's return policy, I could basically bring it back in a mangled pile of parts any time in the next two years and get my money back no questions asked.
> 
> I built the bike last night and will take it out for a ride this weekend - once I figure out how to mount the front fork centering spring (what the heck is that tension adjuster for and how does it mount?)


I used pliers to pull the spring and give me the slack needed to get it hooked on to the mount. You'd have a hard time bolting the mount in with the spring attached because of the tension.

I can take close up shops later today if that helps. That little gizmo is handier than I had anticipated when it comes to loaded, unloading or walking with the bike, very happy it was included!


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## jaredboth (May 22, 2018)

Anyone successfuly attached monkey bars to the Mongoose envoy and carried children in it? Is it safe?


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

This bike dropped $50 in price. We are still very happy with ours.


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## fotooutdoors (Jul 8, 2010)

If it was available in the USA, I would own one by now... Seems like an excellent price point, even though I would want to upgrade a few parts out of the box.


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## Honda Guy (Mar 29, 2011)

What kind of rear hub does it use? Is it proprietary?


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

Its made by a company called modus and they are used by a lot of other manufacturers, 141mm qr spacing.


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## fpmtl (Aug 26, 2018)

skota23 said:


> Its made by a company called modus and they are used by a lot of other manufacturers, 141mm qr spacing.


I have à hard time to find good rear hub to build a winter wheelset. Is there a possibility to order this hub somewhere? Do you recommend something better?


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

It's a fine hub but unfortunately I don't know anyone who sells them aftermarket.


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## phountinhed (Jan 14, 2019)

Is this bike available anywhere for people in the US? I have been looking everywhere for it. I want this bike!


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## Two Wheel Tango (Feb 12, 2019)

This bike is available through Amazon as of September '19

https://www.amazon.com/Mongoose-8-S...keywords=mongoose+envoy&qid=1569272470&sr=8-2


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## leaftye (Dec 27, 2007)

I can't be the only person that's disappointed. I was hoping it would be the Canadian price or close. At least it's here though, and brings greater hopes that it'll show up at Costco's in the US for $500ish.


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## Two Wheel Tango (Feb 12, 2019)

Don't know if it's a seasonal discount or if this will be the new price on the Mongoose Envoy but Amazon currently has the large/medium frame on sale for $627.43 and one of the reviewers shared a code (10ENVOY) for an additional 10% off bringing that bike down to $565!!! I currently own this bike and that is a crazy deal for an extremely capable cargo bike. If you've been considering picking up a cargo bike for 2020, this might be the time to do it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XGN4J2M...ding=UTF8&th=1


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

It sure looks good to me...


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

After gettin' lost for an hour in bike trailer world , some where in there I found that bike, listed for 731.00 buckaroos.


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

fpmtl said:


> I have à hard time to find good rear hub to build a winter wheelset. Is there a possibility to order this hub somewhere? Do you recommend something better?





skota23 said:


> It's a fine hub but unfortunately I don't know anyone who sells them aftermarket.


The big blue 'S' is making a non-series Deore level hub with 141 QR spacing, now. Just an FYI.


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

I installed a dropper post and an SR Suntour e-bike system on mine. Cant wait to get out and ride now!


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## evan the cdn (Jul 5, 2006)

It's not listed on the Canadian Costco site anymore. Is it still available in Canada?


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

Pretty sure Costco Canada doesn't carry it anymore


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## evan the cdn (Jul 5, 2006)

skota23 said:


> Pretty sure Costco Canada doesn't carry it anymore


Bummer! Is there another way to buy it?


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

Know anyone across the border you could ship it too?


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## skota23 (Mar 7, 2011)

Nice review on Bicycling 
https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a31927017/mongoose-envoy-review/


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## leisesturm (Aug 25, 2020)

skota23 said:


> Nice review on Bicycling


I saw that review a few days ago. I was clicking on the link to Amazon to buy one before I finished the article! I had not heard of an Envoy before. My only concept of a cargo bike was a Yuba Mundo or Surly Big Dummy. I've never been seriously interested in either one.

Since cargo bikes have never been on my radar yet I have needed a bike with some utility, until very recently my plan was to put front and rear racks on some reasonably strong (but attractive, think Salsa Journeyman 650B) general urban streetbike and call it good.

I would have spent what the Envoy cost just for the bare bike. Racks and bags would have been $200+ additional, and I probably would have had to swap out chainrings to get the gearing that comes stock on the Envoy. I really can't believe it's all come together in one easy package.


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

I put these thin plywood pieces on my Envoy. Much nicer for the kids feet not to fall through, and still works with the stock bags.


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## leisesturm (Aug 25, 2020)

JackOfDiamonds said:


> I put these thin plywood pieces on my Envoy. Much nicer for the kids feet not to fall through, and still works with the stock bags.


Shh, you're not supposed to use Envoy's to carry passengers. LOL. What else are you supposed to do with a rig like that?!

Nice personal touch with the decking. Love it when folks get creative with their bikes. You're not supposed to put e-motors on them either. Right. I've got my shortlist of motors down to: Grin All Axle (front) Hub motor; Bafang BBSHD mid-drive; TongShen TSDZ2 mid-drive.


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

My front caliper is sticking and I think I might just use the opportunity to upgrade to some different calipers. Do the levers on these bike have "road" geometry (caliper or cantilever-type) or "mountain (vbrake-type) geometry? I need to know so I can get the right calipers.


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## leisesturm (Aug 25, 2020)

JackOfDiamonds said:


> Do the levers on these bike have "road" geometry (caliper or cantilever-type) or "mountain (vbrake-type) geometry?


It's not easy to find out online. Pacific Cycles is the parent company of Mongoose. I'd ask them directly. However, just from appearances I'd say that we are working with "mountain" calipers. I'd bet money on it.


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

I just looked at the bike again and the levers say "Shimano V brake" so yep.


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

I'm going to upgrade the rear wheel to something wider and go tubeless. What's the widest rear tire that will fit on the back


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## Yanner (Dec 20, 2006)

I don't know what the widest is, but I've had a 2.5 in Maxxis Hookworm with no issues.


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

I like Hookworms but are they tubeless ready?


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

If anyone needs to mount a EU style tail light with 50mm bolt spacing and has a 3D printer I made this adapter and put the files on thingiverse.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4601388


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

I checked out my tire clearance. On my stock Envoy, the chain is really close to the tire and actually is already rubbing on the tire at the bottom. I guess this answers the question about how big of a tire I can fit. The frame has tons of clearance. Could I get a longer crank spindle to move the chain over?


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## Jacob Malham (Oct 2, 2020)

*Mongoose Envoy Monkey Bars*



Yanner said:


> So I went ahead and ordered one. This is an experiment for our family as we try to reduce our dependence on the car and this pricepoint is easy to accept.
> 
> To follow up on the accessories, specifically I'm wondering about the Yepp Maxi EasyFit seat as well as the different Kid cages (Yuba Monkeybars, RadWagon Caboose, Xtracycle Hoopties). Any information you can provide about the rack dimensions to mount these things would be tremendous help!


Any luck installing any of these types of monkey bars?


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

I didn't go for the cage-type bars...I'm not sure that I'm a fan since they are so heavy, and I sort of don't like how the kids are trapped in them. I know that's the point, but I'm not sure it's a good point. I just made a double seat for my kids to sit on and they do well enough for me.


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

Here's the seat setup I made...holds a 5 and 7 year-old, but it's better to put the 5 year old on the back. I got the seat-back thing from Amazon but I made the seat and the loop-bars, in case it's not obvious from my quick and dirty "handiwork". The front bars are scrounged with an eBay tandem stem. I leave one pannier off so they can reach the platform pretty well, and I can still fit 2 backpacks in the other one.


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## Jacob Malham (Oct 2, 2020)

JackOfDiamonds said:


> Here's the seat setup I made...holds a 5 and 7 year-old, but it's better to put the 5 year old on the back. I got the seat-back thing from Amazon but I made the seat and the loop-bars, in case it's not obvious from my quick and dirty "handiwork". The front bars are scrounged with an eBay tandem stem. I leave one pannier off so they can reach the platform pretty well, and I can still fit 2 backpacks in the other one.


Thanks for the reply! The bike I bought has a similar setup already, but my son is only 3, so it'll be a while before I'm comfortable having him sit back there without extra support. The couple of times I rode with him on the back, I turned around to see him with his hands off the front bar.

I noticed on the Cargo Bike Republic facebook page that someone had gotten the Yuba adjustable monkey bars to work on the Mongoose Envoy, so I'll probably try those.


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## 1x1_Speed_Craig (Jan 14, 2004)

Jacob Malham said:


> Thanks for the reply! The bike I bought has a similar setup already, but my son is only 3, so it'll be a while before I'm comfortable having him sit back there without extra support. The couple of times I rode with him on the back, I turned around to see him with his hands off the front bar.
> 
> I noticed on the Cargo Bike Republic facebook page that someone had gotten the Yuba adjustable monkey bars to work on the Mongoose Envoy, so I'll probably try those.


My daughter was riding on the back of our old mountain tandem at 22 months old. Don't let the 3-year age dissuade you.

I used a saddle with an integrated seat back, and a seat belt to make sure she stayed on the bike.

Craig


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

Does anyone know the rear hub width? Is it 135mm?


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## Mikebmeehan (Oct 23, 2020)

Great pictures, I had one 26er but were damaged by the bumpy terrains. Unable to post the picture as it was badly damaged.


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## JackOfDiamonds (Apr 17, 2020)

For future reference, the hub is 142mm QR.

Would it be possible to upgrade this to a 10-speed cassette, like would it fit on the same hub? Then I understand I would need to buy a 10-speed shifter, but I'm starting to get a little annoyed at being between the best gears on the 8-speed cassette. Also, if I had a 10-speed I could fit a clutch derailleur and cut down some chain slap.

Also I had a problem with my chain jamming against the rear rack and locking up the cranks and dropping the chain. There's another thread about it, but I posted some pictures here.

Thirdly, even aside from the jamming issue, this thing loves to drop the chain off the small chainring about every 5 times I shift down to it, even though I'm otherwise pretty happy with my derailleur adjustment. It think it has something to do with the huge amount of chain slapping around in the bumps. I 3D printed this drop-stopper thing to try to stop it from happening.


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## david.p (Apr 11, 2011)

JackOfDiamonds said:


> Would it be possible to upgrade this to a 10-speed cassette, like would it fit on the same hub?


Yes, 9/10/11 speed cassettes all use same hub.

Nice DIY chain watcher. I've used a Third Eye chain watcher on problematic setups and found it effective.


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