$2499

40.7 pounds

7.5-inch rear wheel travel

Mongoose, (800) 666-8813

Maxi test: May 2006

Highlights: Designed by the same team who dreamt up the GT i-Drive, Mongoose's Freedrive suspension accomplishes through links what the i-Drive did with a funky rotating bottom bracket assembly. The Black Diamond offers two types of suspension action. In its lower position, travel is boosted to 7.5 inches and the suspension action becomes more supple. The suspension is semi-active in the small ring and more active in the big ring. Bolting the lower shock eye into the upper hole turns the Mongoose into a fiercer pedaling bike. The rear suspension is mostly locked out in the small ring and semi-active in the 36 toother.

Best quote: "At speed, the Mongoose doesn't require the same level of commitment to negotiate a turn as a full downhill rig, and hard braking has little effect on the rear suspension's ability to absorb gnarly bumps."

Bottom line: The gnarliest of the gnarly downhill runs are rated with triple black diamonds. Hence, the Mongoose's name. You are going to be strapped to find a better big-stunt, downhill, no-lift-access, do-everything, seven-inch bike at a better price than this. What makes the Mongoose Black Diamond Triple such a sought after idea is that it brings downhilling to the general public.