Diamondback

Sortie 1 29 Complete Mountain Bike

Even with the untested encroachment of 27.5-inch mountain bikes, the 29er still reigns supreme for 2014. Serving as testimony to this, Diamondback took its much lauded 26-inch platform and redesigned it for the added benefits of 29-inch wheels — momentum, increased surface contact, and stability. As a result, the Sortie 1 29 Complete Mountain Bike is a no-nonsense full-suspension rig that'll carry you up, over, and down the mountain. It benefits from all of Diamondback's race-ready technology, ensuring that you'll crush the trails, and not your wallet.

The Sortie 1.0 29 features a 6061-T6 Weapons Grade aluminum frame with a hydroformed top tube and a butted down tube. And if your aluminum tech jargon is a little rusty, hydroforming is a process of shaping aluminum that allows lighter, stronger, and more rigid tubing to be formed. During this process, high pressure hydraulic fluid is used to press room-temperature working material, in this case, aluminum, into a die. Using this method, complex shapes that would otherwise be difficult with standard solid die stamping, are enabled. Hydroformed tubing has a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio, which in turn, means a lighter and stronger bike frame. The butted down tube adds additional strength as the "butting" process removes excess material from joints which, contrary to logic, decreases stress. A tapered head tube, seatstay bridge, and a stiff 12x142mm thru-axle provide the ideal frame design to incorporate Diamondback's Knuckle Box suspension technology.

The core of Diamondback's full-suspension bikes is its four-bar Knuckle Box, or bell crank technology. The first thing that you'll notice is that the shock sits low in the frame, and that it's oriented vertically. This placement moves the weight of the bike – primarily the shock and rear triangle — closer to the bottom bracket. This effectively lowers the bike's center of gravity, which makes for improved tracking and cornering.

But how can you tell that the design is truly effective? Well, wheel-rate measurement is one of the most significant indicators. This is the effective wheel return spring-rate when measured at the wheel. In other words, it's how fast the shock and rear triangle react to changes in terrain. The faster and more efficiently they react, the smoother and more controlled the bike feels over varying terrain. One of the benefits of a four-bar linkage is an increased control over the wheel-rate. Utilizing FOX's spring-rate curves, Diamondback was able to optimize its Knuckle Box pivot so that the wheel-rate is linear to slightly progressive. What does this mean for you? Well, having a progressively responsive wheel-rate equates to more perceived travel with protection from bottoming out, as well as superb small-bump compliance.

Additionally, the Knuckle Box design allows for an overall lower air pressure in the shock. This increases shock life, which results in less frame loading and more efficient pedaling. It also isolates and cradles the rear shock in order to keep it free from damage.

Diamondback gave the Sortie 1 29 quite the durable component package. At the rear is a FOX FLOAT CTD air Shock with Boost Valve, which is complemented at the front with a FOX 32 FLOAT CTD 29 Air with 120mm of travel. For shifting, Diamondback selected Shimano Deore Rapidfire shifters, a SLX High-Direct Mount 3x9 front derailleur, and a Deore Shadow Type rear derailleur. Meanwhile, the drivetrain is comprised of a 22/32/42t Shimano M430 crankset, a  BB-ES25 bottom bracket, a HG54 chain, and a 11-36t HG62 cassette. The bike rolls on 32-hole WTB Speed Disc 29 wheels that are cased in WTB Wolverine 2.2-inch Comp foldable tires. And lastly, the cockpit is comprised of Diamondback's own DB Lazer Series handlebar and seatpost, while the seven-degree stem is a DB AL6061 and the saddle is a WTB Vigo Comp.

The Diamondback Sortie 1 29 Complete Mountain Bike is available in the color Silver and in four sizes from Small to X-Large.