I've ridden the whole enchilada in Moab and the hardest downhill courses on big sky resort. This beast keeps up with the full dh bikes on runs, it's got everything you need and youve still got the dropper post and gear train for climbing. I feel like Diamondback is an untold secret for bikes.cheap enough that you don't go broke ( especially if you've got expertcity)
Pros Lots of travel in front and rear
Dropper post
1x11 gear train
Tubeless
Components
This bike is amazing for the price I paid for it ($1900 with change). The component spec is something you'd find on a much higher priced bike from other manufacturers, and the whole package has beautiful performance right out of the box after the initial setup. I converted my tires to tubeless fairly easily using the pretaped wheels and valve stems included with the bike. The bike geometry is perfect for the kind of riding I do, which is a different trail and terrain type every time. This bike eats up rock gardens, climbs, descents, rooty trails, and drops with no problems. It's a bit tough to pedal uphill because of the weight, but the downhills are where this bike really shines, where you can just point it and go wherever you want, letting the suspension do its magic. The dropper is very useful for trails with constant elevation changes as well. Overall, I'm incredibly happy with this bike, and would recommend it to anyone looking to buy a high performing FS bike for a much lower price than other manufacturers.
Pros -Durability
-The ability to go anywhere and ride any trail
-Frame geo is modern and plows over everything with the slack head angle
-Great part spec for the price
-Comes with a good dropper post, with southpaw remote switch
-Fork and shock are just a step below the top performing components for a fraction of the price
-Tubeless conversion possible straight out of the box
Cons -Heavyweight bike (32 lbs)
-Gear shifting feels a little heavier than other groupsets
Pros 160 mm travel both ends; hugs fast corners like a dream, climbs surprisingly well. Love this bike-balanced and fun to ride, I like the looks of it too. So damn glad I bought this bike!
Get this bike if it is in your price range because it truely packs a great value.
Pros -Suspension travel is 150mm and can handle anything I throw at it. It is adjustable with 3 different presets that truely make this an all-mountain bike.
-Brakes handle great (hydraulic/ disk).
-nice and light for such a large bike.
-1x11 drivechain is standard on the mission.
-Dropper post ready.
-Price is amazing for what you are getting.
-Tires are sticky and will keep you on track.
-The 27.5 wheel size is very versitile.
Cons -Does not come with pedals but this is minor
-Too many logos on the bike
-Not a huge fan of the rim color
This is a great line of bikes and only got better for 2015. If you don't mind having to push yourself a little harder climbing for the reward of an extremely confident ride on the way down, this is an excellent choice. It's a lot of bike and not perfect, but Diamondback has built a great starter-AM bike.
Pros -Pretty good built kit for the price.
-The Fox Float CTD suspension is very supple (not to mention endless travel) for the price.
-Geometry is definitely confidence-inspiring on descents.
-The frame is super burly and will probably last longer than the Diamondback name suggests.
Cons -Upon assembling the bike one of my brake levers was already leaking fluid. This is more a knock on Shimano's M447 brakes (and I plan to replace these with XT's soon anyway) but would have preferred not to put in a warranty claim on the first day!
-This is a heavy bike and although it pedals well, Diamondback went a little cheap on the cassette (10 speed instead of 11)
-The wheelset is super heavy but I guess that is to be expected in this price range.
This is a good fun bike. Pretty much what most enduro bikes are these days. Great at going down, reliable going up. I took it to the bike park, rode xc, and did whatever I felt like on it. I loved it every time the trail turned downward.
Pros Low and fast, reliable climber, super fun descender.
Cons The original build was not great. The fox 32 fork was flexy. The sun ringle equalizer rims bent fast. The geo was great for speed, but hard to whip or jump with.
Pros I have the 2010 Mission 3 and it does everything need it to do. From riding long singletrack to techincal rocky trails with 4 foot jumps. This bike does it all and it may weigh a little bit more than other bikes of this status but want let you know when you want to bomb of something. Great job Diamondback.
Can't find fault in the bike. I've seen them ridden hard and they just keep coming for more.
Pros The Hammerschmidt on a bike at this pricepoint is rare. It can shift standing still and makes for a clean chainline. Along with the knucklebox suspension it leads to a capable AM bike.
I upgraded to this bike this last spring from a Klein Attitude. I love it. I looked at a bunch of bikes before i bought this one and definately hands down made the right choice. Its not the lightest bike for everyday trail riding, but im not a weight weenie.If you only ride one bike, this is the right choice. It eats up the downhills and anything that you can throw at it. The harder you ride it the more you will get out of it. Well done with this one!!!
Pros I cant say enough about this bike. Awsome components from stock. The Hammerschmidt crank alone is a gem on this bike. Love the feel of the Knuckle Box technology. Great styling and beefy frame without the heavy weight.
really fun bike to ride. highly recommend you overlook the diamondback name, bypass that urge to overpay for a name you see in every bike mag, and ride a bike that is made to do it all. point it and go--up or down. give it the gas and it will roll over absolutely anything in your way.
BOTTOM LINE - the bike rocks - ride it, demo it, buy it - you don't ever need to overpay again.
Pros great value, suspension is smooooth and strong, pedals well, climbs well, downhill is butter, handles quickly
This bike is fun to ride, saved enough money to buy my mission and all my accessories all under $3000, love the suspension design. No pedal feedback, good climbing capabilities. You won't be dissapointed. Just pedals over everything!
Pros Amazing value, Great supsension design, climbs well for all-mtn, Goes downhill very fast w/ great control/ handling
I've ridden the whole enchilada in Moab and the hardest downhill courses on big sky resort. This beast keeps up with the full dh bikes on runs, it's got everything you need and youve still got the dropper post and gear train for climbing. I feel like Diamondback is an untold secret for bikes.cheap enough that you don't go broke ( especially if you've got expertcity)
Pros
Lots of travel in front and rear
Dropper post
1x11 gear train
Tubeless
Components
Cons
Thank |None
This bike is amazing for the price I paid for it ($1900 with change). The component spec is something you'd find on a much higher priced bike from other manufacturers, and the whole package has beautiful performance right out of the box after the initial setup. I converted my tires to tubeless fairly easily using the pretaped wheels and valve stems included with the bike. The bike geometry is perfect for the kind of riding I do, which is a different trail and terrain type every time. This bike eats up rock gardens, climbs, descents, rooty trails, and drops with no problems. It's a bit tough to pedal uphill because of the weight, but the downhills are where this bike really shines, where you can just point it and go wherever you want, letting the suspension do its magic. The dropper is very useful for trails with constant elevation changes as well. Overall, I'm incredibly happy with this bike, and would recommend it to anyone looking to buy a high performing FS bike for a much lower price than other manufacturers.
Pros
-Durability
-The ability to go anywhere and ride any trail
-Frame geo is modern and plows over everything with the slack head angle
-Great part spec for the price
-Comes with a good dropper post, with southpaw remote switch
-Fork and shock are just a step below the top performing components for a fraction of the price
-Tubeless conversion possible straight out of the box
Cons
Thank |-Heavyweight bike (32 lbs)
-Gear shifting feels a little heavier than other groupsets
absolutely- this bike is rad
Pros
160 mm travel both ends; hugs fast corners like a dream, climbs surprisingly well. Love this bike-balanced and fun to ride, I like the looks of it too. So damn glad I bought this bike!
Cons
Thank |nothing so far
Get this bike if it is in your price range because it truely packs a great value.
Pros
-Suspension travel is 150mm and can handle anything I throw at it. It is adjustable with 3 different presets that truely make this an all-mountain bike.
-Brakes handle great (hydraulic/ disk).
-nice and light for such a large bike.
-1x11 drivechain is standard on the mission.
-Dropper post ready.
-Price is amazing for what you are getting.
-Tires are sticky and will keep you on track.
-The 27.5 wheel size is very versitile.
Cons
Thank |-Does not come with pedals but this is minor
-Too many logos on the bike
-Not a huge fan of the rim color
This is a great line of bikes and only got better for 2015. If you don't mind having to push yourself a little harder climbing for the reward of an extremely confident ride on the way down, this is an excellent choice. It's a lot of bike and not perfect, but Diamondback has built a great starter-AM bike.
Pros
-Pretty good built kit for the price.
-The Fox Float CTD suspension is very supple (not to mention endless travel) for the price.
-Geometry is definitely confidence-inspiring on descents.
-The frame is super burly and will probably last longer than the Diamondback name suggests.
Cons
Thank |-Upon assembling the bike one of my brake levers was already leaking fluid. This is more a knock on Shimano's M447 brakes (and I plan to replace these with XT's soon anyway) but would have preferred not to put in a warranty claim on the first day!
-This is a heavy bike and although it pedals well, Diamondback went a little cheap on the cassette (10 speed instead of 11)
-The wheelset is super heavy but I guess that is to be expected in this price range.
Pros
Super aggressive, super plush, point-and-shoot style. Light for an aluminum framed 6" travel bike, too
Cons
Thank |Not as great of an uphill pedaler, but it's not really supposed to be.
This is a good fun bike. Pretty much what most enduro bikes are these days. Great at going down, reliable going up. I took it to the bike park, rode xc, and did whatever I felt like on it. I loved it every time the trail turned downward.
Pros
Low and fast, reliable climber, super fun descender.
Cons
Thank |The original build was not great. The fox 32 fork was flexy. The sun ringle equalizer rims bent fast. The geo was great for speed, but hard to whip or jump with.
This is an aggressive all-mountain bike that definitely leans toward the descending side of the AM spectrum.
Pros
Aggressive descending, solid construction
Cons
Thank |No fun on the climbs.
All Mountain , Trail ride.
Pros
Thank |I have the 2010 Mission 3 and it does everything need it to do. From riding long singletrack to techincal rocky trails with 4 foot jumps. This bike does it all and it may weigh a little bit more than other bikes of this status but want let you know when you want to bomb of something. Great job Diamondback.
Can't find fault in the bike. I've seen them ridden hard and they just keep coming for more.
Pros
The Hammerschmidt on a bike at this pricepoint is rare. It can shift standing still and makes for a clean chainline. Along with the knucklebox suspension it leads to a capable AM bike.
Cons
Thank |I've never been a fan of the Talas.
Diamondback has some good bikes.
Pros
Awesome component spec.
Heavy duty trail weapon.
Lift park worthy
Cons
Thank |Long stem.
Would like DHX air shock and dropper seatpost.
I just bought the frame and built it up. Good frame for the price and built to last.
Pros
plush suspension with little bob while seated. durable.
Cons
Thank |a little heavy, and chainstays are a little long.
I upgraded to this bike this last spring from a Klein Attitude. I love it. I looked at a bunch of bikes before i bought this one and definately hands down made the right choice. Its not the lightest bike for everyday trail riding, but im not a weight weenie.If you only ride one bike, this is the right choice. It eats up the downhills and anything that you can throw at it. The harder you ride it the more you will get out of it. Well done with this one!!!
Pros
I cant say enough about this bike. Awsome components from stock. The Hammerschmidt crank alone is a gem on this bike. Love the feel of the Knuckle Box technology. Great styling and beefy frame without the heavy weight.
Cons
Thank |none
really fun bike to ride. highly recommend you overlook the diamondback name, bypass that urge to overpay for a name you see in every bike mag, and ride a bike that is made to do it all. point it and go--up or down. give it the gas and it will roll over absolutely anything in your way.
BOTTOM LINE - the bike rocks - ride it, demo it, buy it - you don't ever need to overpay again.
Pros
great value, suspension is smooooth and strong, pedals well, climbs well, downhill is butter, handles quickly
Cons
Thank |heavy(ish)
This bike is fun to ride, saved enough money to buy my mission and all my accessories all under $3000, love the suspension design. No pedal feedback, good climbing capabilities. You won't be dissapointed. Just pedals over everything!
Pros
Amazing value, Great supsension design, climbs well for all-mtn, Goes downhill very fast w/ great control/ handling
Cons
Thank |none