This Diamondback bike review takes a look at a couple of mid-range bikes and how they handled mountain trails!
This post is not sponsored. We paid for the bikes we tested (but did get them on sale!).
As we've gotten into mountain biking over the last few years, we've gone from making do with budget bikes to searching out something with a few more features.
If you're just starting out with this hobby, check out my post on beginner's mountain biking gear!
When browsing mountain bikes for sale, one thing becomes immediately clear: they can be prohibitively expensive, easily costing over a thousand dollars. For our mid-range priced bikes, we looked at bikes that were under $600, or were regularly on sale for less than $600.
We shopped around and ultimately decided to test out some bikes from Diamondback. We've seen Diamondback bikes in person at REI, and were really impressed with the features available for the price point.
If you’re looking for a high-end mountain bike, Diamondback sells those too.
Diamondback Bike Review: Overall Pros and Cons
Pros:
⁃ Lighter aluminum (it's a different grade aluminum than what's used on cheaper bikes)
⁃ High-quality front suspension
⁃ High-quality gear changer
⁃ Both models we tried have front and back disc brakes
⁃ The extra-small bike sizes seem thoughtfully designed, more so than cheaper models we’ve tried in the past. They still have large wheels and a long enough frame. Also, the handles are easy to reach.
Cons:
⁃ The models we tried don’t have both front and rear suspension, so they might not be great on extremely rough mountain biking trails.
⁃ The price is higher than bikes we could buy at Walmart. However, the bikes routinely go on sale on their website, and we still felt like it was a good value.
Hatch 3
This model appears to be currently out of stock as of fall 2024.
I’ve been testing out the Hatch 3, and I love that it comes in an extra-small model with fairly large 27.5-inch tires.
Most extra-small bikes I’ve tried had smaller tires, which I found make it harder to keep up with friends on standard-size bikes.
The Hatch 3 is also easy to maneuver and lightweight, and the chain seems to change gears much more smoothly than the budget bikes we tried.
It's also relatively inexpensive for a nicer mountain bike, and seems to regularly be on sale (yay!).
In the past, I’ve used small or extra small bikes that seemed oddly proportioned, where the frame seemed like it had just been squished down, and my feet routinely hit the bike frame when pedaling. This bike did not have that problem, and was kind of fabulous to ride!
Mason 1
2025 update: The Mason 1 seems to be either continually out of stock or discontinued, however we're still impressed with the quality of Diamondback bikes in general. If you find this model used (in good shape) or shop for one of their current models, the information below may be helpful.
We've also been testing out Diamondback's Mason 1, which comes with wider 3-inch tires, making it even better for off-road riding. The 3-inch tires are small enough that it isn’t considered a fat tire bike, which is good, as those are sometimes prohibited.
The Mason 1 doesn't come in an extra-small, but our taller (than me) testers have been thrilled with its responsiveness and performance. Our testers appreciated how well-balanced this bike was, and the wider tires made riding on bumpy roads a breeze!
They also liked that all of the gear adjustments were on one side of the handlebars.
Overall we were thrilled with both of these bikes. They’re a nice step-up from budget mountain bikes.
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