Diamondback Mission 2 All Mountain Full Suspension Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels) Saturday, October 23, 2010

Diamondback Mission 2 All Mountain Full Suspension Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels) Review

I ride light freeride (so far no bigger than 4 ft drops) so I climb to the top and then ride to the bottom, rinse and repeat. This bike does it for me. I threw a shorter stem on mine and I use less than recommended sag, put a chain guide and bash guard on it, and it handles everything the local trails have to offer. I also did some lift access at a nearby resort. It handled it beautifully. I also ride xc with a local group sometimes, riding 15 miles or more and it is an alright performer in that department. If I was riding more xc I'd put my old stem back on and start buying lighter parts to swap out (wheels and tires), or I'd just shop for a 29er.
If you want to ride a bit more aggressively I would recommend a longer travel fork with the 35-36mm stanchions.
Also the rear hub is not impressive stock. Expect it to last through no more than 1.5 seasons of light freeride use intact. It develops play quickly which you can correct with a pair of cone wrenches but I'd rather not have to do that once a week so I swapped it out after only a month for that reason.

For the cost it is a wonderful bike that is part of diamondback's big comeback. The 2010 frame is stiff and strong. The stock suspension is worth half of the bike's price alone.
Buy and love it.

Diamondback Mission 2 All Mountain Full Suspension Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels) Feature

• Men's full-suspension mountain bike with 6-inch all-mountain aluminum frame
• Knuckle Box suspension system makes bike feel lighter, smoother, and more maneuverable
• Hayes Stroker Trail hydraulic brakes; 32H Sun Equalizer rims
• SRAM X-7 9-speed trigger shifter; WTB Prowler MX/Stout 2.3 tires
• Comes in 15.5-, 17-, 19-, and 21-inch sizes; WTB Pure V Sport saddle

Diamondback Mission 2 All Mountain Full Suspension Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels) Overview

The Mission 2 is built up using the same revolutionary 6” all-mountain frame and many of the parts found on the top of the line Mission 3. No single ring / two speed transmission, but the Mission 2 is a very nice bike.

Diamondback Mission 2 All Mountain Full Suspension Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels) Specifications

Since its introduction in 2007, the all-mountain Diamondback Mission has become the hands-down favorite of some of the most discriminating riders in the world. The Mission put the "all" in "all-mountain" and the "mountain" back in "mountain bike," leaving riders to wonder where they couldn't ride it. Diamondback continued to refine the Mission design in 2009 with the release of the Mission 2, which is built up using the same revolutionary 6-inch all-mountain frame found on its two siblings (the Mission 1 and 3), but offers several upgrades over the Mission 1. The Mission 2 includes such improvements as a Fox Float R 150mm Air fork with a 15mm thru axle, SRAM X.7 trigger shifters, and Hayes Stroker Trail hydraulic disc brakes. Other features include a Knuckle Box rear suspension, a Truvativ Fire-X crankset, Sun Equalizer double-wall disc rims, WTB Prowler MX/Stout folding tires, and a WTB Pure V Sport saddle.

Knuckle Box Suspension System
All the scientific reasoning and engineering jargon in the world won't help you understand how the Knuckle Box suspension system performs. To truly appreciate how the system works, you really need to ride one. However, all bikes with Knuckle Box systems do share some common traits. The first is an optimized wheel rate, the parameter that defines what the suspension will feel like when riding. The Knuckle Box is shaped in such a way that the wheel rate starts off linear and finishes slightly progressive. This results in great small bump compliance, more perceived travel, and great bottom-out protection. Riders will also enjoy an optimized axle path--the parameter that defines your pedal feedback. By manipulating the pivot locations of the Knuckle Box system, Diamondback has come up with a design that produces very low chain-growth values, so you barely feel any pedal feedback at all. Finally, the Knuckle Box offers a low center of gravity. With most of the mass concentrated low in the frame, the bike feels lighter and more balanced, and maneuvers better than other mountain bikes.

The Mission 2's Knuckle Box suspension system helps the bike feel light, smooth, and maneuverable.

Specifications:

• Sizes: Small (15.5 inches), medium (17 inches), large (19 inches), and extra-large (21 inches)
• Frame: Mission all-mountain 6-inch aluminum with hooded hydroformed top tube, butted/formed down tube/seatstays, under-arch seatstay bridge, Knuckle Box technology, ISCG, Hammerschmidt readyÿ
• Fork: Fox Float R Air, 150mm travel, open bath, with exterior rebound adjust , butted alloy steerer, 32mm Easton aluminum stanchions, magnesium lowers, with 15mm thru axleÿ
• Rear shock: Fox Float RP2 200 x 51mm Air with rebound adjust 2
• Cranks: Truvativ Fire X Giga X Pipe with AL-7075 aluminum outer ring, 22/32/44t ÿ
• Bottom bracket: Truvativ Giga X Pipe outboard sealed cartridge
• Front derailleur: Shimano Deore dual pull, top swing
• Rear derailleur: SRAM X-9
• Shifter: SRAM X-7 9-speed trigger
• Brake levers: Hayes Stroker Trail with reach adjust
• Brakes: Hayes Stroker Trail hydraulic V7" (front), V6" (rear) rotors
• Gear: SRAM PG-950 9-speed cassette (11-34t)
• Rims: 32H Sun Equalizer with eyelets
• Tires: WTB Prowler MX 2.3 (front), Stout 2.3 (rear), folding
• Pedals: DB Sound alloy with molded traction pins
• Handlebar: Easton EA50 MidRise, 31.8mm
• Stem: Easton EA50, 31.8mm
• Seatpost: Easton EA50 double-bolt clamp, 30.9mm
• Seat: WTB Pure V Sport
• Headset: Zero Stack 1-1/8 inch ACB with deep alloy cups
• Chain: Zero Stack 1-1/8 inch ACB with deep alloy cups
• Hubset: 32H Neau Naim alloy sealed bearing disc with 15mm thru axle (front), 32H alloy disc cassette with CNC disc mountÿ(rear)
• Spokes: Black 14g stainless steel
• Grips: DB Brics 130mm, D2 Kraton
• Extras: DB key chain, Chainstay protector, water bottle mounts, clear coat, owner's manual

Mission 2 Bike Geometry
Size	Small	Medium	Large	Extra-large
Seat tube length	15.5 inches	17 inches	19 inches	21 inches
Standover height	29 inches	29.5 inches	29.5 inches	30 inches
Top tube length	22 inches	23 inches	24 inches	25 inches
Head tube length	120mm	130mm	145mm	145mm
Head angle	68 degrees	68 degrees	68 degrees	68 degrees
Seat angle	72 degrees	72 degrees	72 degrees	72 degrees
Wheel base	1,087mm	1,109mm	1,140mm	1,172mm
Chainstay length	440mm	440mm	440mm	440mm
Fork offset	42mm	42mm	42mm	42mm
BB height	348mm	348mm	348mm	348mm
Stem length	90mm	90mm	100mm	100mm
Handlebar width	680mm	680mm	680mm	680mm
Crank length	170mm	175mm	175mm	175mm
Seat post length	300mm	300mm	300mm	300mm

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 23, 2010 08:24:05