Mango’s Original singlespeed was its first bike on launch four years ago. It remains its most popular model and the one most associated with the UK brand.
All Mango bikes are painted and assembled in house in the Cotswolds, while selling directly to the customer cuts out a lot of the end costs, meaning you get a great deal for your money. The Original sits at the bottom of the range, starting at just £270 / US$365 / AU$N/A, with Mango offering a disc-brake road bike for a very reasonable £550/ US$743 / AU$N/A.
The ride is nimble and the bike provides a fun ride nipping around the urban environment, and is a perfect platform to roll around the city. There are mounting points for bottle cages, mudguards and a rear pannier rack, meaning longer rides are certainly a possibility, although the weight and low-level components may steer you elsewhere.
The slight flex in the handlebars and stem reflects the price. Likewise, the brake callipers aren’t the best budget stoppers around and don’t fill you with confidence when riding in busy traffic. Mind you, the Mango-branded saddle is comfortable.
The drivetrain consists of a set of Chasewood square taper cranks (no, we’d never heard of them, either), which are okay. The chain is a classic BMX staple – tough as old boots and teamed with a singlespeed freewheel and budget fixed cog. They come as standard on the Original.
The wheels are a standout part of the package, with sealed cartridge bearings. It’s a nice touch, especially at this price point and something that will keep on giving mile after mile, while being extremely easy to service. These are laced to alloy v-shaped rims, which aren’t light but feel similar to many others in this category. They’ll survive a good beating but we suspect they will need truing sooner rather than later.
Via Mango’s custom bike generator, there is no end to the possibilities when it comes to the look of your potential purchase. Choose your bar type, before clicking through the options to colour coordinate your frame, rims, grips, saddle and even chain. It’s a great option considering the price bracket the bike falls into.
Overall, the frame’s bombproof and should last a while. Yes, the components are at the bottom end of the spectrum, but for the price you really can’t complain. And with the custom option and UK-based customer service desk, there are certainly a lot worse ways you could spend £270 / US$365 on a bike