Smart, cheap upgrades for a Walmart Mongoose Ardor.
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- čas přidán 14. 07. 2021
- Today we look at more practical upgrades for the Mongoose Ardor hardtail MTB and try to get the bike to cheap off every box on the wish list, but for under $1000. Is this the way to make the Mongoose Ardor the best budget mountain bike?
Link to buy bike (affiliate):
goto.walmart.com/c/2888918/56...
To buy me a cup of coffee & support the channel: buymeacoff.ee/evansmtbsaga
If you'd like to send me something for a future video idea:
Evan's MTB Saga PO Box 6498 Goodyear, AZ 85338
For business inquiries: evansmtbsaga@gmail.com
US/UK Affiliate links to products in this video (click these links gives me a small commission but it doesn't raise the price for you)
Crank Puller & BB Removal Tool - amzn.to/3qXFL8q
Euro BB Tool - amzn.to/3qTFWS0
Headset Cup Removal Tool - amzn.to/3hNuFi4
Headset 44-55mm - amzn.to/3AHNo79
Red Carbon Seat - amzn.to/36m0zg8
Red Grips - amzn.to/36kf3gz
Rear Hub 135mm QR Cassette - amzn.to/3jXL85Q
Feedback Bike Stand - amzn.to/3sJibvM
Hex Bit Socket Set, 32 Piece - amzn.to/3a8OKNy
Lezyne Bike Pump - amzn.to/3hkKNIO
Maxxis Aggressor 29x2.5" - amzn.to/3pfzQKQ
Maxxis Minion DHF - amzn.to/3wUC5WI
Revere 6 Sealant - amzn.to/3uKorUv
Studio Gear I Use (affiliate links):
Canon M50 - amzn.to/3uFfeOw
Canon EF 50 mm Lens f/1.8 - amzn.to/3bQjZvW
Viltrox Lens Speed Booster - amzn.to/2Mw8kd6
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Microphone Overhead Boom Arm - amzn.to/3q4vJ37kk - Sport
Advent 9 Speed is just the best bang for the buck, I use it and love it so much! thanks for the content, Evan! I've opened a bike shop here in Brazil because of guys like you and KevCentral!
I like how you can hear the clutch too. Sounds like a ratcheting system
I've just watched a ton of his videos and I think I'm adicted. He makes such great videos(great quality, entertaining and educational). Well done👍. Keep up the good work man!
bro same
Put this fork on my bike a few months ago and it's been awesome so far. Such in upgrade from the stock coil fork. For the price advent has been doing good stuff with drivetrains. Bought an advent x last year and that thing has been awesome. Keep up the good work
Awesome videos man, such a good energy for you!!!
This channel deserves a 1M subs
Thank you so much and I learned so much.
Another great video! Would have loved to see some riding footage, or better yet a quick Realtime Review after the upgrades. Dang schedule messer uppers🤬! These two "Fork Conasuers" over here can't wait to see what's next for you😄. Thanks man👍
Haha I had ZTZ contact me again I think I should send them your way. I can't articulate fork feel like you guys can. I'm more of a set it and run it guy
@@EvansMTBSaga We talked to them and they said they were going to send us some forks. That was about three weeks ago or so, and still nothing.
@@WOLFTICKVIDEOS probably a flake, I’ve had 2 or 3 sponsors that day they ll send stuff then don’t send stuff and stop responding to emails
@@BMOutdoorz We get that a lot with people, but not to much with companies. We don't play games with these little internet retailers, so they sometimes decide to back out at the last minute.
Haha just got a package in our P.O. Box from them😂. Maybe they didn't flake after all.
If you and Kev had a bike buildoff contest no one would lose. Crazy
Haha I wish he gave shout outs to other creators. Haven't seen that from him, maybe he's a lone wolf which is alright. I really enjoy my relationship with Wolftick
You're a damn saint bro! YUHS! Just picked this bad boy up for my wife and the bones of this bike are sick as hell. Stoked I snagged it.
So wanting to mullet my Ledge now! Great video Evan🤘
That bike sounds like its asking to be a mullet. 68°HTA and mullet could make it maybe 66? That perks my ears up haha
I got into mountain biking 2 weeks ago by picking up a used Schwinn Taff. I tend to be a hoarder of things I like...... this bike is on my list for future hoarding. Thanks for the video, zoom brakes on the uprade list!
Great job, Evan. I was considering mullet for my hardtail but I'm not so sure it's a good idea since I ride road with it also.
Craigslist is also a good option for bike parts. I like the build, simple and effective. I'm at $950 on my 2.0 build
Awesome dude keep the work up
remember me when this guy hits 100k subs 👏
Bro I’ve been here since like 130 subs your content is soooo much better now
Yeah you have! One of the OGs, I'll never forget that! Videos were so simple back then 😂 (and took a lot less time)
@@EvansMTBSaga you and Seth from berm peak are the only channels I watch every video the day they come out very good content keep it up
Very good and informative video 👍
The king of cheap haha. Well done man
i love budget video like this
I bought the Mongoose Impasse a few months ago, got a rs recon, advent drivetrain new wheels etc, dropper post, and etc. It's better just to spend 800-900 on a solid hardtail and buy a better fork for it
@@thomasbednarz5 wow
Great videos, and just a tip, some compressed air in the end of the slip on grip and it pulls right on and off with ease
love the new intro man but you actually took apart all the other part then im actually thinking on buying the microshift advent rd cause it has clutch and my bike has been dropping chain like crazy even if i have a 3x8
Clutchs work best on 1x setups
Super tutorial, thanks for sharingI really like watching new and interesting places. You have an interesting channel, so I'm staying and watching. Big like, stay connected. Greetings 🙂
Just got the Advent groupset for my Polygon Cascade, can't wait to ditch the 3 x 8.
Nice video!👍good stuff ❤️
Awesome video
Evannnnnn always awesome content, question for you. Could you refer me to a decent set of tool set? My vitus is 1 year old now and is in need of a tune up and I want do it myself. Thank you
Fyi I went tubeless on the stock tires they came with and it works!! They don't say they are tubeless ready but no issues other than have to put air in every few weeks
Cool man, nice vid.
I'm also debating about 3 bikes I have...
what avdent derailleur did you use ? the clutched? long or med cage? I have an 11-40 cassette an x5 and x9 shifter for my soul cycle loki build, thanks for videos !! awsome and wolftick is a good shout out
Nice bro, I see you will hit 10k subscribers very soon...keep it up... Also may relatives come to MX next moth so finally I will be able to put my hands son that fork....
Heck yeah man. Fork and more surprise parts!
That fork and front wheel made the build!!! You know I missed that riding footage tho...😎⚓👍
I'll be hitting it hard next week with the riding footage with a bike that's not even considered to be a mountain bike. I'll showcase my BMX skills
@@EvansMTBSaga Yes!!!! I hope its a DJ!!!
Spot on 👍🏽 hope the subscribers like it
I love the channel. Been binging all of your videos. You should try doing them without so many jump cuts. Its jarring when you have jumps mid-sentence. Thanks for the videos, keep them up.
Wow I like that bike
Great video. If you don’t want to re-use the grips you can just cut it with an knife. It’s so much easier than messing with WD-40
I did that with the esi chunky grips and scratched the bars a little, so didn't like that method
@@EvansMTBSaga yea that can happen. That’s why you have to not go all the way and just pull the last thin little rubber layer apart. It’s a lot less elbow grease than having to just yank it off.
On the bright side, the new grips should cover the scratch!
A good alternative for shimano mt200 is clarks clout 1 plus it has a short lever for a finger braking
What is the exact size taper on the fork stem? I’m picking up one of these later in the week and wanted an idea of what size to get
Hi, could you please let me know what size and type of head set bearings shall I order to install the front fork you recommended in you video. Thanks
Jan
I say go cheap low budget on drivetrain, I went for deore m6100sgs I got it for a great deal, so low price it was cheaper even with delivery to the door from Denmark to Norway than the Norwegian retailers so got a great deal on it, I regret not buying two, but wanted to test one first, but when I went to buy second it was gone. The m5100 cassette I got las tone in Norway. But then Garbaruk I ordered arrived but it cost more than the Ardor bike, but less than half of the weight, as I am on 29er i went for big cassette and sgs rd, combined with 32t oval chain ring. But the m5100 cassette and m6100sgs Rd is great value, flawless shifting, very smooth.
Even I have a high end full suspension enduro bike I still keep cheap rear derailleur, and it svetter than the pricy Box One I wasted money on as it wears slow, but box will get won't out bushings after about 60 to 70km. So pointless to try. So I think I will stick with Shimano Deore. Rd is exposed to impacts so might as well be cheap.
Also someone I think mentioned before but you kind glitch sometimes I know is probably the editing parts but just let you know. Brother either way good work.
you speak of zoom brakes, but i see mismatch brake in thend with a magura lever. what's up with that ? were the zoom trash ?
I’m looking for a first bike and this looks like a winner but I’m 5’10 and afraid it might be a bit small, any suggestions? Parts? Or another bike?
My full suspension down country bike came stock with the Markhor in 120mm, I think it's a good fork but has quite a bit of flex I don't know if you noticed this, but I think it has quite a little bit of flex and it's a little bit scary knowing it
My Ledge just arrived on Wednesday and I already put a dropper on it. I got a KS ETIN and it came with 120mm of travel, I'm 5'7" so it works perfectly. I'm going to go with an angled headset and lot of travel in the front I'm thinking 160mm as well as mullet it
Do not put a 160 and mullet that’s the a angled headset, that’s probaably 6 degrees
@@BMOutdoorz it's a 68° head tube angle so I have plenty of room to play with
@danielvalverdeortiz2216 how did it go?
I'm trying to decide if I should mullet with a 160mm as well.
I guess the zoom brakes were right lever on left side, and I saw that you snuck in Magura rear brakes... 😁
What is the rear hub size for the mongoose ardor? Is it 135mm? Also I’m new so is it 5x135mm or 10x135mm?
Good video brother, hey what is the most bigger size you can go tires on the vitus??
I have 2.5 right now and think 2.6 would be good, anything more than that would be pushing it
You can mix and match, get some 4 piston calipers of ebay, and use them...oh, and in my opinion , thru axles in the front make a difference, not so much in the rear...
can I replace the derallieur with any 7speed derallieur without having to upgrade anything else ?
was this video filmed before you installed the RockShox yari on this bike because you kept the stock cranks. or did you put the stock cranks back on? also if ur wife ever starts to enjoy mtbing i think the ardor would be a good step up for her. but if she is less than 5'5 the ardor would probably be too big on her
Link for the new fork and brakes?
i never knew mt200's price that much rising 😮. in asia its still at 60 dollars.
On my Ardor I bought that rear hub and restrung my spokes. The ardor factory hub was 2-3 mm larger in diameter than the new hub….do I need to buy a different sized spoke to finish the job? It’s approximately 1.5ish mm difference. My hub is still kind of loose. I followed the park tool J style video that’s on CZcams. Does anybody have any advice?
This video is like whn you swapped parts from the axum to the neuclues.
I don't understand your comparison. He's putting better budget parts on a bike but putting stock axum parts on a nucleus would be a downgrade.
@@HatefullKilla czcams.com/video/FH2DbWfoLfw/video.html this video he up graded his axum but he put stock vitus parts on the axum and the upgraded parts on the vitus
You should have made this your wifebike since its a smaller frame and a upgrade from the al comp pre taper
Are the stock rims tubeless compatible?
Shout out to Wolftick videos! They helped me upgrade my GT Aggressor
Thanks for the Shoutout Alex🥰👍
if you want a air fork mountain bike for under $1000 look at Rocky mountain Fusion 30.
Hey Evan, a bit off topic for this video... But what are the tyre clearances for the Vitus Nucleus VR 2021? I wanna put 2.6's on there are go tubeless but the stock 2.3 upfront and 2.25 rear already look pretty snug with a bit of room for more tyre, do you know the max you can fit in there? Rear looks especially tighter. Thanks in advance!
2.3 the most. Its not boost
@@rogerfloyd852 Are you sure? There is still plenty of gap in the front and back, maybe 2cm ea side
I dont Know if its Just me or already saw this video hahaha like the Last week
I don’t know if I would trust that cassette for very long haha
How did that Microshift derailleur work out? Did it play nice with the sram shifter?
Yeah no issues at all. Both 1:1 throw
I have used zoom hb100 brakes, they are semi hydraulic, the first one started leaking oil after 1 hour the second one after 10 hours. I have read alot more bad reviews about those. But these brakes you are using are designed totally different and the leaking part of those brakes is not present in these brakes so i hope these will be more reliable
Yeah me too! They felt even more solid that the MT200, but they sent me two right hand levers lol
@@EvansMTBSaga yh a downside of these cheaper products is that the sellers often don't have a clue about what they're selling
I think the 70.5° seat tube angle wont help with the climbs😂
Sad to see the Ardor go, but onto bigger and better things!
Hmm.. To me that screams no mullet but then go with a works angleset and and higher rise bar's instead 😁 The STA then would be steeper yet still have the bar's high and a slack HTA. Also the BB would be lower wich i atleast would like.
Can't wait to see another "enduro" Hardtail build🤩 Maybe a ragley mmmbop?🤔
Haha dude that sounds sick. I need to order a works headset already. Been meaning to!
@@EvansMTBSaga I use a 2dagree one in my Brand X ht. Rides very good with it!
Where was this frame made? Vietnam?
Hey there, wondering if you still recommend that red inexpensive Amazon carbon saddle?
I didn't use it for long, but I've used two variations and they're great. One started creaking a lot after 200 hours I'd say
@@EvansMTBSaga thanks for the quick reply!! Love your videos!!
Nucleus
Good vid, although you could easily do something very similar for under $900.
Yeah thats why i talked about used is the way to go. I have a bike build on standby that I want to do 100% used parts 😁
Can i use these parts on a Mongoose Durham 29''?
Can I mullet 26er mtb
Since the ardor belongs to ur brother maybe you should do an update video on it if it ever comes back to u
Please do a more tight budget upgrade.
How much mountain bike alloy frame
Hear me out, I really would like to see a dh ardor, like idk but it would be cool to see it with a dh fork a dh characteristics right…?
Haha I've been wanting to mess around with DH forks, but on this frame would be very silly
it comes down to math if you get a 2-300 $ bike and throw another 500$ in budget upgrades then save up to get a higher end bike at that price, hey maybe you can find a deal on offer up, I found my 2012 GT sensor for $700, it came with a marzoochi 55 bomber air forks with 160MM of travel, diety carbon bars, M6 carbon wheels, 46 tooth 10 speed connected to a sram shifter, sram XX1 hydro breaks and disk rotors, crank bros peddles and grips, race face saddle and post, with GX eagle cranks and a eagle crank gear, oh and hope hubs with ceramic bearings now thats a budget buy haha
Any links to buy the Manitou sus ??
I don't at the moment. The Manitou forks go in and out of stock. Sometimes I see them on aliexpress 😂
So I have a felt 720 with 26" wheels would a mullet conversion to a front 27.5" wheel be worth it or just a waste of time and money?
I think that'd be a great way to breathe new life into that bike!
In the philippines the mt200 brakes are between $50-60 in pesos its 2.5k-3k
While the zoom brakes are $30-40 in pesos its 1.5k-2k
Wow the MT200's are so expensive here. Lugi ako!
Hi Broo
Can You Tell Me The Size
Of That Crank BB??
Please🙏 asap/
how much did you sell the bike to ur brotha for. also when is the pt26 coming
That's a secret don't tell anyone! I took some parts back, so for $400
Unless the fork is completely trashed, I've worked on a bike few days ago, sold some parts and fixed some problems on a 2005 trek elite 9.8 fork was punctured, did not move was basically almost rigid, guy said it worked, but when I tried it it was stuck, the fork leaked aoil tru punctured leg and tru bottom and tru the dust wiper seals which were cracked for was super light, but was completely trashed that's wha tyou risk second hand and don't ask for pictures of every single part on the bike. He paid about what this Ardor costs, but atleast now he has a rear rim, ths ti's not trashed new cockpit, and bar end plugs so bike is safer. I should have taken pictures of it but was no time. What a mess. Loose damper, incorrectly installed remote hose holder. Atleast fork is unstuck from the headset. 😁 There were more wrong with the bike. But I see there is a fork shortage, mabye he can get one, I found one yesterday.
I sold my Fox 36 few days ago,so soon will be a tnew home, but rebuilt by suspension expert i sent it to.
Definition of a sleeper bike
Yea over 1000 dollars you probably could build something better from scratch, especially going second hand. But the bike turné dou tpretty sweet adnd a syou mention the upgrades you did you can transfer over to a new build. With current bike shortage get anything you can now or its gone and 2022 bikes will b ehopeless to get probably. I can see my local Intersport store is short on product off all kinds, as the thave reorganised their whole store more room and much less bikes.
If I have the Vitus nucleus and I wanted to buy a fork with a through-axle, would I need a new hub?
Depends what model Nucleus
@@EvansMTBSaga I have the same one you have m. The 27.5 vr
I need to try lacing a wheel. Ever time I change from freewheel to cassette I buy a complete wheel, and not always with the components I really want, more like whatever is available cheap.
Don't we all😄.
It’s DEFINITELY worth learning to build a wheel. I built my first wheel a few months ago as I didn’t have enough money to splurge on a new built rear wheel. All I used was a cheap spoke key, a diy nipple tool and my bike as a truing stand.
@@YourRealMother how did you know what spokes you needed?
@@chrishorbatt3504 my new hub just so happened to have the same size flanges as my previous one so I reused my spokes. There are probably many videos explaining spoke lengths.
adding budget parts on a butget bike noiceee
Name of the fork plz?
Are you going to get the ledge x2 cause that bike has 29 inch wheels and I think eh geometry would be the same as the x2 if not better. On Facebook there is a ardor and ledge group and some guy on that group said he got an x2 by accident whe. He ordered an x1
Oh yeah I don't even see it on the Walmart side. I'm going to focus my attention on the PT26 for 3-4 videos and then be done with Walmart bikes for a little while. It's stressful finding the right parts and diligently working on them. Bikes like the Mythique and Nucleus are so modern and everything is plug and play. Walmart bikes take hours searching for the right parts and bolts. They look modern but there's a million minor differences.
how much time do you spend on looking for parts?
Countless hours haha. It's become my hobby at this point. Let me know if you have any parts lying around!!
I noticed that the zoom brake lever was upside down 😂
Yeah they sent me the wrong orientation :(
Can I send my bike to you to have it upgraded?
How did you get ahold of one of these? Trying to find a starter bike for my gf.
I just heard about it right when they came out. Just bookmark the Walmart listing and check a few times a day. I remember the Axum came back in stock last year around July 20
Doubt Walmart will ever carry the Ardor again. Almost immediately sold out and they will probably just replace it with another model ☹️
So is it worth it to upgrade a cheap MTB (that was 400€) or not?
Please somebody answer! 🙂
Where did you get the ardor?
Walmart. There should be a link in the description
Please tell me you seated that chain pin at 8:14 completely before riding
Absolutely. I cut that clip because it was getting boring and the shot was off center.
@@EvansMTBSaga Sweet, I was worried for a second. I've been getting a lot of diy bike stuff in my suggested and have seen a lot of sketchy assembly practices. Glad to see yours aren't among the rest!
I would have picked a new bar/stem than a new wheel.
So were was the conclusion?? 🤔
These new mongooses are so so, they could and should have done a little bit better. At least bikes like the xr-pro there were at least some usable parts. For what it cost to bring these new mongooses up to par you could have a brand new specialized and have a couple extra hundred bucks in your pocket.
Same thing with a Nucleus. I didn't mention it in this video cuz I had already talked about it in my last two
Brake levers Up Side down 😮
Haha so true. I forgot to mention for the video they sent me two right hand levers. Kind of annoying 😢
@@EvansMTBSaga They are shipped from China, Euro setup is front brake is RH and rear is LH. I love the brakes but that part is so annoying. Sometimes you can get the lines out of the handles and just switch them. I just run them upside down if they are put together by the Chinese Hulk.
@@nitroprofuel8325 that's not true mate, UK standard is front brake right hand, Europe is Front brake - left hand