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On test: Mongoose Canaan Team, June 14, 2007
Purpose-built 24-hour enduro machine
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Pacific Cycle's Mongoose performance mountain bike division conjures up the spirits of the West Virginia forest to create its 24-hour special, the Canaan Team. Cyclingnews Tech Editor James Huang heads back to the good old days to see how well Mongoose's newest machine satisfies the niche.
Ah, the 24 Hours of Canaan… just the mere thought of it brings back a plethora of fond (and occasionally not so fond) memories: slogging up that first hill with the lactic acid of the previous lap still fresh in your legs; tearing around the twisted and rocky singletrack made uber-slick with nighttime dew and the tangled maze of exposed knuckle-white roots shorn of bark by the wear of hundreds of riders; that stunning view over your weary shoulder when you finally crest the peak and begin that glorious final descent; and shooting across that oddly beautiful over-and-under wooden bridge (bracketed with that frightening orange safety netting) that signaled your safe return home.
Ah, the glory days…
Sadly, that race course is no more (sniffle, sniffle), but the genre it created has flourished in its wake as 24-hour endurance racing continues to expand at a healthy clip in both team relay and solo formats. That growth apparently caught the attention of the folks at Mongoose as they saw fit to not only develop a bike specifically engineered for that segment of the sport, but even named it after the race that started it all.
Borne out of the Canaan Valley
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Just as on the Peloton LTD of its sister company, Schwinn, Mongoose has assembled a stunning component spec for its flagship XC model. Drivetrain standouts include a FSA Carbon Pro Team Issue crankset, SRAM X.0 trigger shifters and rear derailleur plus a PG-990 cassette, and even a pair of Crank Brothers Candy C pedals (ok, not exactly a top-shelf item, but it's notable that pedals are included at all these days).
Stopping duties are handled by Avid's Juicy Ultimate hydraulic disc brakes mated with the shifters via SRAM's Matchmaker clamps to an Easton Monkeylite SL CNT-enhanced carbon low-rise bar and aluminum EA70 stem. The front end is finished off with an oft-coveted Terralogic-equipped Fox Racing Shox F100X fork and Cane Creek IS-2 integrated cartridge bearing headset, while seating components consist of a KORE I-Beam Elite Carbon post and matching saddle.
The included wheelset is just as likely to be found on someone's aftermarket wish list with its ultralight NoTubes ZTR Olympic Disc tubeless-compatible rims, Ringlé Dirt Flea hubs, and DT Swiss butted stainless steel spokes with alloy nipples. Hell, Mongoose even includes the molded rubber rim strips required to make the Kenda Karma tires tube-free (although not the sealant; either way, Kenda doesn't recommend the use of Stan's NoTubes sealant in its tires, anyway).
All of this is shrink-wrapped over Mongoose's moderately relaxed, baby blue butted aluminum frame equipped with 100mm of travel courtesy of the company's unique FreeDrive suspension system and a Fox Racing Shox RP23 shock. This linkage design is visually complex, but the bump-eating promise of the slightly rearward axle path essentially mimics that of a conventional high-mounted single-pivot design.
Mongoose claims to have nullified the pedal bob and kickback annoyances normally associated with that design, however, with its FreeDrive linkage system. This setup moves the bottom bracket shell slightly rearward (in concert with the rear wheel) in order to maintain a nearly-constant effective chain stay length throughout the travel range. According to Mongoose, the near-zero chain growth eliminates the effects of pedaling on the suspension, and vice versa.
As equipped, the complete package weighs in at 11.85kg (26.12lb) for our medium-sized tester, complete with the included pedals.
Time to get dirty
Did we lose you back there with the tech speak? No worries. As always, the ride quality is the true measure of a bike's suspension performance and few places are as demanding on equipment as the mountain biking mecca of Moab, UT. True to its billing, the Canaan Team delivers a well-controlled and firm, but not harsh, ride quality that handles both low-speed and high-speed head-on impacts with equal aplomb. In addition, the slightly rearward axle path of the FreeDrive system is particularly adept on square-edged hits that would normally stifle even top-end Horst Link designs. As a side benefit, the system maintains a relatively constant wheelbase (don't forget that the fork moves up-and-back, too), so drop-offs and landings feel wonderfully stable.
Also as promised, pedal kickback on even the biggest obstacles was virtually non-existent and the system displayed relatively minimal bob (but not no bob), even with the versatile RP23 shock set on full-open. Increasing the power input didn't seem to exacerbate the issue at all, but then again, it shouldn't, at least in theory. Flipping the ProPedal switch to the 'on' position calmed things down nicely, although somewhat at the expense of plushness.
Regardless, while we didn't experience all that much visual movement, the bike didn't really display all that much 'snap' when we really wanted it to get up and go. Bursts of power were rewarded with a reasonable gain in speed, but it never really felt all that responsive as a bike of its billing should.
As it turns out, part of the issue may not be suspension-related at all. Given its no-stone-unturned parts spec, we would have expected the complete Canaan Team to be lighter than its still-reasonable 11.85kg (26.12lb) weight. The somewhat weighty F100X fork shoulders some of the blame here, but a quick teardown exposed our bare frame (with shock, derailleur hanger, and seat collar) for the portly 3.1kg (6.83lb) mass that it is.
To be fair, we have to remind ourselves of the bargain-basement US$2999.99 asking price, but it's clear where the money is spent. The usual bicycle-buying mantra of 'buy the best frame' might not apply here; while you may be able to shave weight off of another similarly-priced bike at a reasonable cost, shedding grams off of the Canaan Team will almost assuredly be a pricey venture.
Mongoose also claims that the fully enclosed rear end provides heaps of torsional and lateral rigidity out back… unfortunately, we're not so sure we agree as we could detect some out-of-plane movement from off-angle impacts, especially while traversing some off-camber sections of Moab's Slickrock trail where it was occasionally difficult to hold our line as a result.
Also, while that enclosed triangle probably does function well as a single unit, that unit is attached to the main frame through a labyrinth of linkages and the most critical pairs of pivots don't enjoy much separation from each other so there isn't much mechanical advantage to keep both ends moving in tandem. To make matters worse, the main pivot is attached to the main frame at a series of open aluminum plates which don't provide as solid a foundation as an enclosed structure.
Parts is parts is parts
Component-wise, the Canaan Team performed about as we expected (for the most part). Drivetrain components were buttery smooth and rattled off clean shifts without fail both out back and up front, which was particularly important since the 32T rear cog demanded a few more granny gear dumps than we're used to. The stock organic pads of Avid's Juicy Ultimate calipers provided ample stopping power with nary a peep, even when wet, and after an inadvertent nine-hour death march near Pritchett Arches just outside of Moab (note to self: get a better map), we're also happy to report that the suspended center section of KORE's I-Beam saddle is worlds more comfortable than the unyielding shell of SDG's version.
Oddly enough, what would normally be a componentry highlight in the F100X fork turned out to be among the most disrupting to the bike's overall performance. We should point out the fork worked exactly as it should with no mishaps or maintenance gaffs to speak of, but the standard F100 RLC version would have been a better choice here. The F100X's Terralogic damper doesn't sag much and keeps the fork sitting up relatively high in its travel, which exaggerates the Canaan Team's relaxed angles. This wasn't much of an issue on bumpier terrain or at higher speeds when the fork was open and active most of the time, but it did make it difficult to keep the front end planted on steeper climbs and made it virtually impossible to balance the feel of the front and back end. We ended up running the RP23 shock in the ProPedal mode at '1' and with the F100X at the lowest threshold setting at all times in an effort to even things out, but no amount of further futzing with air pressures or damper settings could solve the issue.
A package deal
Mongoose hit the nail squarely on the head with a big giant sledgehammer with the Canaan Team… at least on paper. Unfortunately, its killer spec is connected to a so-so frame with very good (but unbalanced) suspension performance but far too much mass to be considered a legitimate race machine.
Value-oriented buyers looking to get premium parts in a ready-to-eat wrapper will likely continue to flock to Mongoose dealers (Canaan Teams are hard to come by), but those of you who are looking to start out with a solid foundation on which to build over time may want to look elsewhere.
Weight: 11.85kg (26.12lb) as built, with pedals
Price: US$2999.99
Pros: Excellent bump-eating abilities of the FreeDrive suspension system,
good pedaling performance, phenomenal value with unbeatable component spec
Cons: Relatively sluggish acceleration, rear end could be more rigid,
unbalanced suspension feel
Cyclingnews rating: 
More information: www.mongoose.com
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com
- The Mongoose Canaan Team packs a killer parts spec on a capable suspension system.
- The reasonably-sized main triangle still allows room for a large water bottle (or battery, as the case may be).
- The Canaan Team uses Mongoose's FreeDrive suspension system which provides the same bump-eating capabilities as a high single-pivot…
- …but the FreeDrive linkage system maintains a nearly constant effective chain stay length to minimize the effects of pedaling on suspension movement (or kickback on bigger hits).
- The rear triangle is completely enclosed to help promote frame rigidity.
- Sealed cartridge bearings at all pivot locations keep things running smoothly.
- Fully integrated head tube allows for greater separation of the top tube and down tube for better front end strength.
- A beefy head tube gusset adds frontal impact strength and also provides more fork crown clearance.
- Plenty of tire clearance in the rear end gives users the freedom to easily run larger rubber.
- The top-shelf spec includes the Fox Racing Shox RP23.
- The Terralogic-equipped F100X is a rarely-seen , but highly sought, spec for a XC/Enduro racer.
- Premium drivetrain components include the FSA Carbon Pro Team Issue carbon crankset, SRAM X.0 rear derailleur, and PG-990 cassette.
- FSA's Carbon Pro Team Issue crankset incorporates a one-piece carbon fiber driveside arm and spider.
- It doesn't get much better than this , especially at this price point.
- SRAM's PG-990 cassette provides smooth shifting and durable performance.
- We were skeptical about the KMC chain , but it held up well and shifted smoothly throughout testing.
- Bikes don’t come with pedals that often anymore , but Mongoose includes the very capable Crank Brothers Candy C.
- The lightweight component spec doesn't stop with the Avid Juicy Ultimate hydraulic setup.
- A stout-looking rear dropout holds the new Avid Juicy Ultimate one-piece caliper body.
- Avid Matchmaker clamps are usually an aftermarket item, but Mongoose includes them with the Canaan Team to clean up the control area.
- An Easton EA70 aluminum stem offers lightweight and reliable performance.
- Curiously, Mongoose uses a standard diameter handlebar and stem, but the Easton Monkeylite SL is one of our perennial favorites and feels plenty rigid so we're not about to complain.
- Mongoose-branded clamp-on grips deliver a tacky surface but a little more movement than we'd like.
- Ultralight NoTubes ZTR Olympic tubeless-compatible rims come as standard equipment, along with some fast-rolling Kenda Karma rubber.
- Ringlé provides a Dirt Flea up front…
- …and another one out back.
- We were pleasantly surprised with KORE's I-Beam saddle and post which proved comfortable even during an inadvertent nine-hour death march in Moab.
- A tough chain stay guard protects the baby blue finish.
Full specification: Mongoose Canaan Team
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Frame: Mongoose butted aluminum Freedrive XC Enduro, 100mm (3.9")
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Cassette: SRAM PG-990, 11-32T |
