Diamondback Highline 1 27.5" Hardtail Bike

I would buy this again at sale price if I was just starting out but now I'm looking at a $3000 full sus on clearance. Expect to upgrade if you want to ride it forever. I bought my gf the expresso and honestly do not buy that, buy a Highline 1.

I swapped the tires to 2.35" schwalbe nobby nics. They seem to roll faster and have much better grip. I've put in a stiff spring in the fork.

I've put this bike through its paces but I'm outgrowing its intended usage of being a mostly single-track bike because I've been riding woods for 3 months and here there's a 1500m elevation with a ski hill. It's obviously an entry-level bike and it has its limits but I can confidently say that if it just had a stronger front brake + dropper post + air fork you'd have a very capable light-weight bike for light downhill + rocky trails and I THINK all of that can be upgraded. In OEM form the coil fork suffers due to my 250lbs - I put a stiff spring in which did next to nothing for rebound. The fork works well even for larger city curbs but once you're going downhill and hit rocks it can squat and stay low in its travel - if Suntour offered a dual-spring fork it would probably work for heavier riders (there's one spring in the fork). I've never bottomed out and it measures closer to 130mm.

The deore 10sp shifts SO WELL! It basically doesn't miss shifts ever but if shifting quickly from like 7th to 10th it can skip 10th and derail but it has only happened once. It doesn't require maintenance past cleaning the gunk out of the derailleur cogs and as long as you're not shifting under too much load this thing is snappy and handles quick up/down shifting so much better than older twist designs. The only maintenance I do is use a toothpick to clean the gunk off the cogs and wax the chain. I've never even taken a hose to it. I've never thought "I need more gears," either.

The only real point of failure complaint I have about this bike out of the box is the plastic clips that hold the wires to the frame - they pop off so easily and my shoes hit them, I've lost a few, and secured almost all of them with zip ties instead. I don't know if this is intended but it might as well just come with zip ties to begin with even if it doesn't look OEM. I don't like the presta valve, I use an adapter.

Suggestions: include a water bottle holder, possibly a faster engaging crank as there's a bit of play and in slow rocky sections you want instant power-to-ground. I would have included boost axles instead of 9mm QR, that way people can upgrade without changing out the whole wheel. More expensive, but most would appreciate the universal sizing, at least on the front wheel when fork swapping. Other than that everything else is pretty tight, my grips aren't even worn under 95%. Everything else is super durable.

There's tonnes of positives with this bike: the seat is comfy, everything is upgradable, it's light weight. I suppose I'm describing upgrades as the Highline 2 but I wouldn't buy a Highline 2 because I don't like the fork. I'd rather forgo the M5100 for the M4100 drivetrain and upgrade the fork to a Fox 36. The Highline 2 is too in-the-middle, I wouldn't even offer it, just make the Highline 1 more universal sizing.

The Tektro M275 work flawlessly even with their somewhat on/off feel. Lots of power on flat ground, but when you go 30 seconds downhill they'll heat up and fade a smidge. They'll still work when heated, but it's mentally scary. Out of the box the only component I'd change is the front to a 4-piston & 200mm rotor, for safety because people are going to push their limits on this bike because it's so inviting.

First ride was like a revelation into fairly modern design. I rode this every day for 6 months last year to lose weight and gained a pound of muscle in my quads instead (calorie deficit works better for weight loss). When I first started any uphill winded me terribly, to the point I'd nearly faint, BPM 180 and I'm just breathing for dear life. My legs would burn and it was very difficult to climb. Now on those same 150-foot climbs my heart rate doesn't get above 120bpm and my breathing is barely working hard and I can speak coherently after. Technique changes over time, and I learned that downshifting doesn't always make a climb easier, sometimes it's easier to just keep it in like 8th and stand up and have a slower spinning speed, especially in the hot sun. I've significantly reduced carbs and it seems to have a positive effect on my circulation. I've lost 58lbs since a year ago. Another thing I've learned about is pre-hydration: before any big ride I'll chug a liter of plain water and then slowly sip a liter of an electrolyte mix (200mg magnesium biglycinate, 500mg potassium, 1800mg sodium). This is absolutely necessary for me to not get a migraine 1.5 hours into a ride. I even pre-hydrate my dog now for big walks.

Riding downhill flow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRDuDikBJF8&list=PLyfPGB8v5dlwGgKtUpJ...

27.5", medium 17" frame, I'm 5'8". Waited a whole year to buy this. Bought it to lose weight and because I hate my old bike. Just rode it home from Sportchek. I'll do another review in a year. My old bike was an improperly sized impulse buy, a 26" Supercycle so this is my first quality bike. I got it for $565 shipped because they gave me an additional 20% discount. I almost bought an Expresso but I'm glad I didn't because I wanted a single drive. I had my eyes on this thing from first sight because of how huge the 120mm forks were but didn't like the retail price so I waited for a 40% off sale. The Expresso sold out, then the Motown online so I got this. The universe aligned for me to have this. All I have to compare this to is the no-suspension Supercycle so I'll dive into that. All I had to do was adjust the seat and I was off. It's completely different from my old bike, it's like riding on a cloud and it feels robust and sturdy. I don't need rear suspension, it'd be a weighty waste for what I'm using it for. When going off curbs your legs should be enough suspension. This city is full of potholes, curbs, hills, sand and gravel. As soon as I got on it I felt confident so I rode off a big curb and it felt super comfortable on my wrists, the suspension is very plush and I didn't blow through its stroke doing anything. The bars are very wide and it feels like I'm on a motocross bike which I prefer. I went up a short but very steep incline like it was nothing while a week ago I did the same hill on my old bike, a 45 degree garden patch rising to a sidewalk and it felt like a jackhammer to my torso, the whole bike shook and everything clanged and it was awful. This time there wasn't any vibration at all, the tires with 40PSI handling my 260lbs with ease. I was surprised that 1st gear is as short as it is while 10th is nearly too hard to pedal. I'm not sure that 8 gears would've been enough (Motown) as when I rode home I used them all, 9th and 10th briefly on a long declining road. I kept thinking that I was in 2nd while I was in 4th-5th and I kept thinking I was in top gear when I was in 7th-8th so it has a very useable range. I was worried it'd be like "a 21 speed with less than half the gears," but it's not, it's almost like an 18-21 speed, the gears being double-spaced and the hardest to pedal gears removed. You ever struggle to use a twist-shift on a front gear? It absolutely sucks. These are simple and refined finger & thumb levers. The gears take a half second to shift, I thought they'd be faster but they're smooth enough and don't have an immediate clunky feel or a feeling of being stressed when shifting even for low speed downshifts. You can also downshift 3 gears per yank of the thumb lever which is appreciable. The levers feel good but the brakes aren't a smooth stroke as I thought they'd be, they're even a tighter feel than my V-brake levers. I didn't notice the brakes being more powerful than my old bikes V-brakes; but they most certainly are. The mechanic warned me saying that I should use caution because they'll stop on a dime. I was able to lock the rear tire with ease so there's plenty of stopping power for my use. I could also get a consistent feel out of them when braking from higher speed whereas V-brakes have a subtle stop-and-let-go feel before it's fully locking the tire. I feel like I'll have to be modestly careful with their action to not over-brake. I was going to say that it's probably heavier than my old bike - so I went and picked them up - and it feels 15lbs lighter while dwarfing it! Did not expect that. It was a tad slower speed wise I think due to how beefy the tires are (they look a lot meaner standing next to the Expresso, it's eye-catching), however, going down a very long road that was only at a 2-3 degree angle got me going 30-40kmh and it didn't feel sketchy one bit whereas before I felt like I had to keep a prayer handy to make it home. I can't speak much on the quality of the components but the only thing I think I might have to switch out are the pedals if they snap as I'm 260lbs but they're certainly wider than my old bikes and most likely way more durable. There's 8 metal posts in each pedal for grip - hex screws - a genius design as each screw can be taken out individually. I could feel them clawing at my shoes for grip. I can't see any part of this bike randomly failing. I was told not to take this thing dirt jumping but I don't think I would, I'm not fit enough. I think my only complaint is that I don't know which way to turn the rebound adjustment for softer/harder and when I did turn it I couldn't tell a difference either way by compressing the forks. Maybe I have to turn it further or maybe it takes riding it to feel the difference. While I do appreciate that it's got hydraulic disc brakes I think a mechanical disc would've been less maintenance. The 17" frame is perfectly spacious - don't get a 19" if you're my height. Very happy with it! Shoutout to Berm Peak!