M is for Mongoose

A mongoose is a slender flesh-eating mammal from Asia and Africa. It's like a ferret. Some people keep them as pets. They are well known for their ability to kill cobras even though they are not immune to their venom. Gutsy critters eh?
But a mongoose is also a brand name for a bicycle. I have a Mongoose IBOC Road, purchased in Canberra on Australia Day in 1996 for about $1500. It is made mostly from carbon fibre which makes it light and flexible. The gears, cranks, brakes are all Shimano 105 except that the gear levers packed it in and I have replaced them with Shimano Sora levers. It has 21 gears and STI levers. This means the gear shifters are integrated with the brake levers.
This is the bike I rode from Perth to Sydney in 2003. The bike did a great job, averaging about 144 km per day over the 4,309 km. About 5.5 hrs riding daily. Amazingly I only got 1 puncture in all that riding!
The mongoose is happy to go out in any weather, unlike its owner who prefers ideal conditions.
In Sept/Oct I rode another Bike for Bibles ride from the Blue Mountains to Dubbo and back. 1,000 km over 9 days.
Yes, my Mongoose IBOC Road is a great bike and will probably last me for years to come.