Ridgeback - Hardtail Mountain Bike (27.5") - Grey

I purchased this bike from Sportchek in Ontario on 4 July 2022 (picked up 7 July).
In late July of 2023, the bike developed significant looseness of the rear wheel axle.
As it was past the warranty period I (shamefully) did not pursue service, thinking it would be a minor repair.
I resorted to an old bike for my summer cycling.

In taking the bike wheel apart, I note a complete catastrophic failure of the gear side bearing cup, which detached and was inside the hub.
This took place at approximately 1900 KM of usage, of which 70% is street riding, and 30% is trail riding.

Up to the failure, I loved the smoothness and sensitivity of the shifting, the stopping power of the disc brakes, but it is now a boat anchor.

Fresh out of the shop (Sport Chek) and the bike feels amazing. If you only intend to do some strolling around concrete surfaces then this bike should suffice. That being said, I go on trails often and upgrading this bike is a necessity. Don't get me wrong, the stock parts are fine but if your life is on the line, you better upgrade the parts. I'd say that this bike is a pretty good starting point for modifications.

This bike is exactly what i was looking for. The price was right and it's more then i expected. I love the colour too.

I bought this a few days ago knowing I would have to carry it up/down a flight of stairs every time I wanted to use it. I regret buying this bike now. My 10 year old cheap K2 bike was easier to get up and down my apartment stairs.

Also, I hate the shifting - it does not shift fluidly between the 3 big gears near the pedals. They jerk and skip and finally hit into place. Definitely returning it to the store tomorrow for a derailleur adjustment. I also hear grinding in the lowest gear - something that should not be happening on a well tuned bike.

The mechanical disk brakes are not at all what I expected - much harder to use than the older v-brakes. Maybe this will just take some getting used to but I found I need to really apply the breaks hard for anything close to immediate stopping.

I went with Diamondback because I had done some research on bikes for plus size riders and found Diamondback on more than one recommendation list - I just figured the extra weight of the bike was a trade off for the extra weight I carried. The fact that it had Shimano parts vs Microshift was the deal sealer but in the end, I regret the purchase and wish I had gone with my gut and selected something in the next price range up. You get what you pay for.

Customer provided ratings only review