Best Diamondback Bikes

‍Diamondback is a great company if you want beginner, intermediate, and somewhat high-end bikes. What are the best Diamondback bikes?

My favorite Diamondback bike is the Mission 2C Carbon, which is very durable and has incredible suspension. If you are new to mountain biking and don't want to spend much yet, you can try the Overdrive ST. The Atroz 3 is good if you want something that costs around $1000 or $1500.

I own a few mountain bikes and I have tried a few others. I have either tried or carefully researched every bike I recommend. Diamondback is a great company because they offer better than average bikes in each price range.

‍Diamondback Bikes

Diamondback offers bikes all over the price range, especially lower and mid-priced bikes. Anyone who wants to spend $500, $1000, $1500, or $2500 on a bike should try bikes from Diamondback.

Bikes under $500 are not always terrible, and they may be right if you are new to mountain biking. Diamondback makes cheap bikes that are reasonably good.

Try a cheaper bike first, then move on to something more expensive if you like the sport. More expensive bikes are cheaper, more durable, and faster than cheaper bikes.

What Kinds of Bikes Does Diamondback Sell?

Diamondback focuses on mountain bikes these days. Originally, they were a BMX bike company. They still make BMX bikes, plus Triathlon bikes and others.

Diamondback offers all of the following:

• Full suspension mountain bikes
• Hardtail mountain bikes
• Fat bikes (bikes with very fat tires, for rough terrain including snow)
• Road bikes
• Adventure and Gravel Bikes
• Triathlon bikes
• Kids bikes
• Women's bikes

Diamondback bikes cost anywhere from less than $500 to about $10,000. Most of their bikes are reasonably cheap and do not approach 10,000 dollars.

The Best Diamondback Bikes You Can Buy Today

Diamondback Overdrive ST

Reasons to Buy

• Great for its price
• Performs well on light trails
• Decent parts for its price
• Good brakes
• Durable frame

Drawbacks

• Parts are not comparable to much higher-end bikes
• Not good for harsher, bumpier trails

The Diamondback Overdrive ST is simply a superb bike for something you can find for under 500 dollars. The bike isn't as good as one that costs more than ten times as much, but it is fun to ride and doesn't have any real problems.

Since the Overdrive doesn't have a rear shock absorber, it is bumpy to ride, especially for a mountain bike. If you regularly ride on trails where you hit roots, sticks, and rocks, you will quickly wish you had a better bike.

Each stroke of the pedal generates a lot of power with the Overdrive. Just because a bike is cheap doesn't mean it is inefficient. The lack of rear suspension, though negative for a trail bike, helps make the bike more efficient.

Durability

The Overdrive's durability makes it a great deal for its price. The frame uses forged dropouts that won't break easily. The derailleur hanger might break, but it is easy to replace.

Most Parts Are Fairly Low End

While the bike does not include any downright shoddy parts that will break quickly, the list of parts is not impressive. The parts are about what you can expect for a decent lower-end bike for beginners. There aren't any impressive and expensive parts.

The front fork is an SR Suntour XCT which is half-decent and cushions you against bumps on light trails. The Overdrive is a mountain bike and should be used off-road, but it won't perform very well on harsh trails. It is best for light trails and not for city use where a road bike is faster.

The Shimano shifters/derailleurs are half-decent but not great. They work properly and are certainly good enough for the price. As long as you take care of it, the KMC chain won't break for a long time.

Brakes and Other Parts

The most impressive part of the bike is probably the brakes. The Overdrive has mechanical disc brakes from Tektro Aries which are unusually good for such an inexpensive bike. The bike also has 24 gears and has a good range of gear ratios for flat ground, mild slopes, and steep hills.

Diamondback Atroz 3

Reasons to Buy

• Full suspension for the roughest trails
• Adjustable shock absorbers
• Quality SRAM gear shifters

Drawbacks

• The tires aren't quite good enough

Bikes that cost between $1000 and $1500 are recreational bikes that don't perform much less well than competitive bikes. You could almost win a race with a bike in this price range, though you would be at a disadvantage. Bikes like the Diamondback Atroz 3 are great for serious mountain bikers that can't afford $5000 trail bikes.

A Full Suspension Bike

Unlike the Overdrive, the Atroz 3 is a full-suspension bike that works well on harsh trails. You can ride over bumps and roots, and the suspension will take much of the impact away.

The Atroz is the best reasonably cheap bike I have tried for harsh, bumpy trails. If you want to ride a bike down rough trails fast but don't want to spend a fortune, consider the Atroz. The single-pivot suspension system is great for a lower-middle-end bike.

Adjustable Shock Absorbers

The Atroz uses air shocks, which means you can adjust the shock absorbers by pumping more air into them or letting air out. You can adjust them for your weight, or for where you are taking the bike. The amount of air pressure you need for a trail is not the same as for a paved road.

The Tires May Not Be Good Enough for Racing

The tires are reasonably good but not quite good enough for riding competitively on rough trails. On easier trails, you might be able to keep up, but on harsher trails, the WTB Vigilante tires might not be competitive.

The front fork, which does not use compressed air, is a RockShox Recon. This is a decent fork, but not the best you could find in a bike that costs under $1500.

The bike has eleven speeds and uses parts from SRAM. While the SRAM parts used are not the same as those found in much more expensive bikes, they are still good quality. SRAM is a reputable company and you can trust the gears to shift easily and not develop problems quickly.

Diamondback Mason 2

Reasons to Buy

• Performs very well when climbing or going down hills
• Good on the pavement as well as the trail
• Components are worth the price
• Excellent control
• Available in many different sizes

Drawbacks

• No significant disadvantages

The Diamondback Mason 2 is a great hardtail bike that performs well either on the trail or on the road. It manages to climb difficult hills and picks up speed fast when going downhill.

The Diamondback Mason is available in two models, one of which costs a little over $1000 and the other closer to $2000. The Mason 2 is the more expensive of the two, which I recommend.

The higher-quality components make it worth its price. The brakes, wheelset, drivetrain, and suspension in the Mason 2 are all better than in the Mason 1.

Excellent Control

The Diamondback Mason 2 is very easy to control because of its oversized tires. It uses Vee Rubber T-Fatty 2.8″ tires, which are great for staying in control when going around a corner on a rough trail.

It is the right bike if you want as much traction as possible. The strong aluminum frame also makes the bike durable. The hydraulic disc brakes are a bit better than you can expect for a bike that costs less than $2000.

Simple Gear Shifting

The Diamondback Mason 2 only has 11 gears. However, gear shifting is simple with a 1x11 gear shifter. The SRAM gear shifter is also of high quality.

Reasonably Good On Bumpy Trails

While there is no rear suspension, the front fork suspension is powerful. The front fork has 120mm of travel and can absorb surprisingly strong impacts.

Is it good enough for a very rough trail that usually requires rear suspension? In my experience, it is, although I have not tested the bike on the bumpiest trails I have ever ridden. Possibly, there is a point beyond which a trail is too bumpy for the Mason 2.

Available in Many Sizes

The Diamondback Mason 2 is available in four different heights. You can choose a bike based on your height:

• A small frame for riders 5'4 to 5'7
• A medium frame for riders 5'7 to 5'10
• A large frame for riders 5'10 to 6'1
• An extra-large frame for riders 6'1 to 6'4

Diamondback Mission 2C Carbon

Reasons to Buy

• Very powerful suspension on both wheels
• Durable carbon frame
• Parts are worth the money

Drawbacks

• No significant disadvantages

Relatively high-end bikes are very long-lasting and adjustable. They do not massively outperform bikes that cost $1000 or $1500, but anyone experienced can tell the difference. Everything is more durable, fine-tuned, and efficient if you get a more expensive bike like the Diamondback Mission 2C Carbon.

Higher-end bikes also offer adjustability. They are for people who are serious about the sport and want their bikes to be exactly right for them. You can fine-tune everything with a higher-end bike.

If you take the Mission 2C Carbon to a bike repair shop, the mechanic will probably take very good care of it. Most of the bikes they work with are cheap, so they will be sort of impressed with your 2C Carbon and do a really careful job fixing it. The mechanic will assume you have money and will want you as a repeat customer.

Excellent Suspension

The 2C Carbon has powerful suspension on both the front and back wheels. There is 180mm of travel at the front and not much less at the back, enough to handle big bumps.

Durable Carbon Frame

The frame is made out of a high-tech carbon material instead of aluminum or steel. Carbon frames are better than either steel (may rust) or aluminum (relatively weak) frames, but they are still more expensive than older materials, so they are still commonly used.

High-Quality Parts

Both the front fork (Performance 36 Float fork) and the back fork (Fox Float X2 Performance Elite shock) are as good as you would expect for a bike of this price. Both of them use compressed air, so you can adjust them as precisely as you want.

Diamondback Haanjo 4

Reasons to Buy

• Lightning fast on pavement
• Can handle gravel roads
• The handlebar position is great for speed
• Excellent control
• Powerful brakes

Drawbacks

• No significant disadvantages

While road bikes aren't good on trails, they are lightning-fast on paved ground. The light frames, thin tires, and lack of suspension make them great on paved ground. You can use a road bike to get all over town using way less energy than it would take with a mountain bike.

The Diamondback Haanjo 4 is a light and fast road bike built for efficiency and speed. The handlebars are positioned for riders who want to lean forward, minimize wind resistance, and ride as fast as possible. You can use the bike for racing or to ride around town while using very little energy.

Precise Handling

You can be very precise in your movements with the Haanjo 4. The bike has a short reach, which can make the bike uncomfortable for some people.

However, the short reach gives you excellent control, and the bike doesn't seem uncomfortable at all to me. There is also a long wheelbase, which keeps the bike stable. Even if you are riding fast, you can stay in control.

Comfortable Enough for Unpaved Roads

The Haanjo 4 is not a mountain bike and will be too bumpy if you try to use it on a rough trail. However, it works perfectly fine on unpaved country roads.

If you take it off-road, it may even still work ok, as long as the trail is fairly flat. It is a road bike, but it doesn't perform as poorly on trails as other road bikes do.

Other Advantages

The Shimano Hydraulic Disc brakes also work very well. The brakes engage instantly and can keep you safe when riding quickly through the city.

The tires are also unusually wide for a road bike. This makes the bike perform well on gravel roads. The bike is very fast on pavement and able to handle relatively rough terrain.