DIAMONDBACK Overdrive Comp 29er Mountain Bike - Nashbar Exclusive

A great value. Deore components are as good as the XT's on my other full suspension bike. The front shock is a nice surprise and feels very smooth. It's not as nice or as light as the FOX 32 Evo's on my other bike but I think it's only a pound and half heavier. This not a bad tradeoff. I may go for some better wheels but it's a relatively easy upgrade considering all the money you save with this bike.

Good:- Looks cool- Disk brakes- Comfortable ride- Straight handlebars- Can handle unpaved trailsBad:- 20 speeds with small front disks- Bulky. Could be an issue with public transport.- Heavy (~16kg)- Terrible on mud, not good for rainOther things:- Nashbar shipped the next day (from US)- Couple of weeks after I got it Nashbar had 21% off on their web-site but not on Amazon (check the website before you buy!)- I should have checked local dealer before buying online. 2016 model has 30 speeds and smaller wheels and probably works better.Here is more details:I'm 6 ft (or 6ft 1") tall, 175-180 lb.I used size-L diamondback insight 1 and size-XL diamond insight 2 before, so decided to order XL configuration.I'm cycling 20mi on weekdays (10mi each way), sometimes on weekends.I'm using unpaved trail on the way to work, and use road on the way back.I used hybrid bikes before (29ers), but my insight-2 hard time handling small segment of the trail (dry mud covered with tire footprints), so I decided to give a try to a mountain bike.First of all, this bike is HUGE.It is 29er like my insight 2, but tires add another 2" so you will sit much higher.This raises some safety concerns as there is always a chance to fell.It barely fits on the public bus rack (San Jose, CA) and does not fit on light-rail racks.Took me about 50mi to get used to the size.Assembly.a) I had to adjust front derailleur (I hate it!).The way you know that your front derailleur is not installed correctly is:- you cannot changes front gears (this is very wrong);- or chain touches front derailleur when you are riding (maybe after changing rare gears).b) I tried to adjust disk brakes several times using instructions from youtube but it did not work. In the end of the day I had to push brakes with my fingers while tightening screws; but got wheels spinning without touching the brakes.c) make sure you install handlebars at the right angle: you should feel comfortable applying the brakes.d) Bike computer (CatEye Velo 7 Wired): distance between wheel spoke and the fork is so big that there is no way to install magnetite and receiver 5mm apart. I ended up taping pieces of wood to inner part of the fork and installing receiver atop of it. Also I had to manually enter wheel size (kind of non-standard).e) Water bottle cage: installation should be easy but one of the screws on the frame which needs to be removed in order to install the cage was defective and I was unable to remove it (so I'm holding the cage with one screw and a piece of tape)f) It looks like factory locks cannot hold brake cable on the frame. I used tape to fasten it.Rides.I'm riding on flat terrains mostly.On paved roads this bike is much slower than my insight 2.With maxed out gears I have hard time riding it at 20mph (I was able to run it at 23mph when I tried to pass someone). With insight 2 I was riding 23mph with about the same effort. This is 15% difference. And on insight 2 I used the middle front gear, so I had potential to go way faster than that.Since this bike is heavy, it is hard to accelerate. You can feel its weight as you speed up.On a bad unpaved road I feel better with overdrive as I'm not afraid to go here at 15-17mph, and if all my route was that bad I would be happy about this purchase. But I also believe that mountain bike with smaller wheels would deliver the same experience here.One issue to keep in mind is that tires pick up everything from the road.I was riding it after the rain, and found that water from the front wheel is pushed in front of the bicycle and then goes into my face.But the worse thing is a mud. I tried to go through the mud the day after the heavy rain (I have a huge bike, right?) and in a second my wheels were covered with 2" of mud. It filled the space between wheel and the fork, and I immediately got stuck.What I like about rides: if I want a relaxing ride (13-17mph) then its ability to handle small obstacles (including speed bumps) gives a smooth ride; since you are seat high it gives an unusual feeling for a bicycle rider.Parts.Look OK.I cannot say that gear switching is very smooth, but I trust to shimano brand.I start getting clicking sound in pedals after about 350-400 miles. Will see how long it will last.Sizing. I feel OK with XL now, but my first feeling was that I should have got size L. Since I did not try riding on L-sized model I cannot really tell if sizing is correct (another reviewer claimed that it is not).Conclusions.If I'm to buy a bike again I would probably go with a different model.I would start my shopping with a local dealer (google for 'diamondback where to buy', it will give links from the official site).I attached photo where I have "overdrive" next to my "insight-2" (both 29ers)

Eh, I didn't get so lucky with this bike. I'm getting brake rub at the front wheel. Bike shop tells me the rotor's not straight. So I put a quality rotor on there, and it still rubs. Turns out the wheel has a wobble that causes the pads to touch. Fine, no big deal. Today I rode the bike at length, and I got a knot between my shoulder blades, then the tension climbs into my neck, then the back of my head starts to ache. I'm 6'2 (35 sleeve) and according to DB's size guide I need a 22inch XL. I got the 20inch L, cause other reviewers said you gotta go a size down than recommended. Even so, the bike is huge for me, the handle bars are way out there, I can barely stand over it. So now I gotta sell this thing cause it's agony to ride it, after the hassle of assembling it and trying to figure out why the brakes rub. Buying a bike is complicated. Don't do it often.