£269 / US$432

Frame High tensile steel / Fork High tensile steel / Wheels41mm alloy rims, 32h high flange hubs, flip flop rear / Transmission Forged 6061 aluminium, 44x16T / BrakesCStar dual pivot calipers

Perhaps the most important aspect  of bike testing is calibrating your expectations. And expectations are, of course, different to preconceptions which should always be banished. These two challenges are never tougher than when testing very cheap bikes. By not wanting to be snobbish about them, it can be hard not to reduce your expectations so low that you end up being impressed because the wheels are round and nothing fell off in the first mile.

One thing that we really didn’t expect was for the Mango (no model name, it’s just Mango, like Lovejoy) to get so much love. On one occasion we looked round a few times before noticing the person banging on a first floor window to get our attention, give us a cheesy double thumbs-up and shout ‘cool bike’ through the glass.

Of course, you may not like green but if that’s the case try to see past the colour because, by our quick count, there are over 191 million colour combinations available. The frame, saddle, grips, rims, tyres, chain and pedals are all offered in eight or nine different colours and there’s a clever design tool online that will occupy you for hours. This personalisation was the core idea when the brand was started by university house-mates Jezz and Ben, and it was well received by BBC Three’s Be Your Own Boss, which gave them a leg up.

The good Mango saddle is the detail you’ll appreciate most often

The Mango has a basic high-tensile steel frame with a relaxed 72-degree head angle and steeper 75-degree seat angle. The build kit is impressive for the price. No corners have been cut even in places were no one would notice, such as the seatpost clamp and cable guides. The dual pivot brakes are decent, the gearing is ideal, the Kenda tyres are tough and a bullhorn bar is optional. It’s as well equipped as the State but it’s so much cheaper that it’s definitely the best value.

Typically for a hi-ten steel frame, it thumps a bit over bumps and flexes when you sprint for a gap in the traffic but it still steers and handles well. In fact, the Mango really made us smile. It’s fun to ride and, assuming you’ve bought one in your perfect colourscheme, it’s bound to make you feel good every time you open the garage door. It’s our clear favourite. Who expected that?

Verdict: Brilliant value for a decent quality bike with millions of colour options

From: www.mangobikes.co.uk

2. Wear a helmet, don’t be one
Okay, we’ve heard it all before – helmets are not cool… Well now they are! Our friends over at Bern have come up this super cool, urban style helmet. Available in a range of mens and ladies colours to match your Mango.

3. Stare out drivers at junctions, so that they definitely know you’re there
Any keen city cyclist can relate to this one. Put on your hardest “don’t mess with me face” and really stare those guys out right up until you’re past them. If they still persist and pull out in front of you, scream and shout as loud as you can whilst slapping their roof. (MB takes no responsibility for any black eyes as a result of this).

4. Over takers not undertakers
If we expect them to obey the rules then so should we. Buses and lorries have huge blind spots, undertaking a left turning lorry can end bad, very bad. Check your blind spot, flick it out and hammer down.

5. Cycle lanes are far from perfect
Beware of this and don’t entirely rely on them. Always look ahead and watch for when they lead you up the left had side of those turning buses.

6. Check yourself, don’t wreck yourself! Make sure you’re seen by wearing the appropriate gear and using a decent set of lights

At this time of year, it’s more than likely you’ll be cycling in dark, wet and windy conditions. Kit yourself out with some high visibility gear and a set of lights. Yeah, you might look like a wally but it’s definitely worth it. Check out the MB site for the essentials in high visibility and lights, we even sell the ones you can charge in your USB port during the day.

7. Don’t be a jock, buy a lock.
We have the perfect answer to this one. The ‘Brute Lock’. This beast’s massive 16.8mm hardened ultra-steel shackle provides maximum cut resistance. Topped off with a quattro bolt locking mechanism and 5 laser cut keys. It’s so good there’s even a £1200 anti-theft guarantee when you buy one. Get it now for just £49.99 at mangobikes.co.uk.

8. Don’t let your bike ruin your style
You wouldn’t leave home in out of date clothes so why ride a bike in them. Mangos are one of the best looking bikes on the market today. Design your own Mango bike to suit your own personal style from just £269.

9. Avoid turning up to work with a muddy rear end.
We see it all the time, those poor cyclists who have to suffer with a wet and muddy bum all day long. Problem solved with our nifty ‘Ass Savers’. Simply clip them under your seat and they’ll catch all that horrible muddy spray. Plus, they come in a range of Mango colours and look far better than any traditional mudguard on the market. Available now at mangobikes.co.uk.

10. Make sure you start with a decent quality bike and then keep it that way.
You’ll be glad to know that Mango Bikes have recently come out on top of a 50 bike test review with particular compliments on quality. Don’t let our price fool you, no corners have been cut, after all keeping you safe is our number one priority. Once you’ve got your shiny new Mango, keep up with regular maintenance to make sure you don’t get any nasty surprises on that wet and dark night after a long hard day at work. Don’t worry, we supply tools and “how to” guides. Blimey we’re good!

Thanks for checking out our Mango Bikes tips. Remember, ride hard and ride fast but always ride safe.

If anything, we should see this as a period of rest and temporary downtime ahead of the Mango-fest that will be Spring-Summer 2013. This is our off-season; time to enjoy other forms of transport like skiing, boarding or sledging. So get your bike somewhere warm and safe, and give her a bit of R&R. Clean up your frames and tighten your brakes beacuse, no matter how nasty it is outside right now, your bike has only been temporarily sidelined.

Spring is coming, and when it does Mangos will be out in force at barbeques on the beach and parties in the park. So enjoy the snow whilst it lasts, because we have high hopes for the rest of ’13.

Dark and nasty now…but Spring isn’t far away.

words by Peter McKenna

Aaron and his mate, Cesca Dessain, pedalled from London to Italy through the Alps in less than a week in support of an aweome chairty ( https://www.justgiving.com/acornoverseas/donate) and in doing so, put to bed the idea that single speed bikes are just for the flat.

A great effort on their behalf and we’re pleased to have been a small part of it. This is their (brief) story…

The new bikes have a few small changes, such as bottle cage mounts and some minor tweaks in dimensions, all in the task of seeking perfection.

We’re also gradually adding to the accessories page so keep an eye out. We’ll be adding mudguards (unfortunately not yet coloured but we’re working on it), lights, locks, high vis clothing etc. Drop us a line if there’s anything you’d like to see us stocking over the coming months.

Finally we’re in need of some bike builders. The most important job available at the moment is a head builder/workshop manager. This person must have exeperience with bikes, work well under pressure and live closeish to Cirencester. Send us an email if you think you’re the one.

Tonight is the first in a new series on BBC 3, fronted by Richard Reed (one of the co-founders of Innocent Drinks) called Be Your Own Boss and as the title suggests, we’re going to feature.

It will be well worth a watch if you want to see what actually went on in the weeks before we pre-launched and how manic things got when we actually did launch. It’ll also be a chance to see that we are who we say we are too, which is always cool.

So that’s BBC3, 9pm today, Weds 12th September. Enjoy!

We’ve teamed up with a new company, Candy Kittens (you might have heard of them?!), who have just launched their new shop in Chelsea. There are two very girly Mangos in there, so go check them out if you’re in the city.

It’s pretty damn busy here at MB, so if you want to be one of the first in the UK with a Mango, order now as we’re very close to being cleaned out of parts. The next batch won’t be available until October!

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Firstly, we had a hell of a time. I’ve done a few festivals before, but WOMAD was completely different. The sun was out, there was a real mix of people there (not just the hardcore hippies we expected) and everyone was so down to earth. Most importantly I guess, is that  everyone seemed to like the Mangos we had on display and we loved just chatting to people about the bikes and about us – if you came over to say hello or spoke with one of us we really enjoyed your time and interest, so thanks for making the long weekend such good fun!

The next thing to mention is how supportive evryone is of bikes and cycling in general. People are starting to realise that actually, bikes are a pretty damn effective way of getting around so that was great to hear too. We also had lots of people saying that they weren’t really in to bikes and had no interest, but would get a Mango (we had a few people deicde there and then they wanted one) and start using it because they like the simplicity, style and customisable feature of the bikes. So it’s cool to think that already we’re getting people pedalling who wouldn’t have until seeing/buying a Mango.

And, for all of those people who we spoke with over the festival, and for anyone else interested, we’ve got a geared version lined up for you very soon too! If you’re undecided about whether you need gears or not, it’s more than likely the case you’ll get away with our current single speed model – less hassle, lighter in weight and just damn cool. But if you know you need gears then we’ll have that option coming soon. Oh, and for the record if you’ve ordered a standard custom bike from us then you should be able to add gears when the time comes. We’ll give you all a heads up nearer the time, but if you want any more info on anything atall or even if you spoke with us at WOMAD and just want to catch up contact us!

Cheers, the crew @MB