Weaknesses: everything except the frame and forks should be trashed
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty good bike, it was my first mtb and I have had it for 8 years. I have other more expensive mtb's that i avidly race, but I have built this one up as a commuter and trail bike. It has withstood quite a beating over the better half of a decade, and is a permanent member of my collection.
Bike Setup: Built from ground up as a single speed. Rock Shox Jett XC, GT Aluminum brake levers, Tektro linear pull brakes, Ritchey Z-MAX 2.1 XC Tires, Shimano hubs, GT flat bar 5 degree sweep, GT Gell lite saddle. Odessey Black Widow Pedals, Oury Grips, Redline 17-T rear cog. Alex Rims
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Value Rating:
Submitted by
Scott Roberts
a Cross Country Rider
from Rogers, Ar. USA
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2004
Strengths: Awesome, strong bike.Easy to handle, good on single track, takes 60' downhills(though scary!) and jumps well, climbs good.
Weaknesses: The front brakes are terrible, they squeal and don't stop very well.
Bottom Line:
I've taken this bike over huge rocks and ground over logs, thru water and weeds and up monster hills. And this bike hasn't missed a beat. The brakes need to be tuned or maybe replaced, but it still has been a great bike so far. I may have gotten it really cheap, but knowing what I know now, I would have paid much more. This is bike is for Weekenders or Crosscountry, but I'm not so sure about a lot of downhill.
Bike Setup: Replaced Brake levers and added spin-off on the front hub and seat.
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Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jon Hsu
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, Washington, USA
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2000
Strengths: Frame Quality Value / Price Tires
Weaknesses: Fork Strength (More on that later...) Wheelset Strength Decals Brake Routing Cantilever Brakes
Bottom Line:
I've had this bike for nearly 5 years, and it has held up surprisingly well. As you can tell by my equipment, I take this bike many places it was never meant to be. (4 foot drops, etc.) I now use this bike when I'm preparing to do something really stupid, or when I don't wanna get my good bike jacked. On that note, I now ride one of these: http://www.konaworld.com/Bikes/2kbikes/2k-muni.html . You can see the reviews for it here: http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Bike_hardtail/product_19518.shtml . Not like anyone cares... Anyways, the bottom line is, if you want a bike for just riding around, nothing serious, buy a Diamond Back Outlook. If you are ready for some serious play-time, buy a Kona Muni-Mula. You'll never regret it.
P.s.: On the "fork strength"... Let's just say that I was screaming down a hill on the last day of school (very excited) and well, out of nowhere, I hit a patch of thin dusty dirt and well, ran into a Silver 1986 Volvo 240 Station Wagon. The fork was bent COMPLETELY backward, as the wheel was past the downtube. Quite a catastrophe, but at least I finally got my MARZOCCHI BOMBER!!! http://www.marzocchi.com . Gotta love it!
Similar Products Used: 1996 Diamond Back Sorrento 1995 Schwinn High Plains 1996 Schwinn Frontier GS 1996 Schwinn MTN Sport
Bike Setup: 1996 Diamond Back Outlook 1999 Marzocchi Z5 Air Fork 2000 Dia Compe Aheadset 2000 SDG Sattelite Saddle 1997 Pyramid Bar-Ends 2000 Kryptonite New York U-Lock 1998 Linear Pull Brakes (El Cheapo's)
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Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kasey
a Cross Country Rider
from Deep river, ontario, canada
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2000
Strengths: price !!!! the price is dirt cheap and the bike lasts for ever , it has taken a serious pounding from me , I mean the frame is fairly rigid, and the forks havent bent once.
Weaknesses: the rims, after one tiny drop they folded nearly in half. the stock V-brakes arent worth a crap. I immediately replaced them with shimano Alivio V-brakes which work much better. The cables on the top side of the cross-bar scratch the paint and some times get cought on your knees. The cable routes are rather strange also. and the tires are junk. just junk junk junk. stock shimano SIS derailleur really likes to skip when climbing steep hills and cranking on it hard.
Bottom Line:
well worth the money that you you pay , the only thing that lasts however is the frame , I just decided I was sick of riding a totally rigid bike and changed all the components but like I say if your looking for a half ass bike to dork around on this is the perfect one for you.
Similar Products Used: diamondback topanga , wildwood, wildowood dx, outlook dx, sorrento , Schwinn Frontier.
Bike Setup: alivio brakes and shifters , Trace brake boosters , shimano rapid rise derailleur, Rigida Xplorer rims and Cheng shin tires, Zoom aluminum handlebars with crossbar, 34-T Mega-range cogset, Shimano XT crankset and head set, RST 281 front fork.
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Submitted by
Robert Timmings
a Racer
from Reilgh, north carolina, usa
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2000
Strengths: This is an all-around awsome bike!1
Weaknesses: it has none
Bottom Line:
This bike is a great bike. i have rode many high quality bikes. This is the best bike for the money!!! i suggest any adult who like cross country riding or just riding around town. I would suggest this bike for almost anyone.
Bike Setup: v brakes, 21 speed, shimano 717 componets
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Submitted by
Sean
a Weekend Warrior
from Crofton, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2000
Strengths: PRICE! Tough bike for the money. I replaced my "real bike" after it was stolen w/ the Outlook - I was pleasently pleased w/ the overall performance of this bike. This bike has really held up well after well over 500 miles.
Weaknesses: Initial shifting problems - solved by a trip to the Bike Doctor.
Bottom Line:
Best bang for the budget! I have taken this bike all over - within zero problems. I have recommended this bike to several friends testing out the MB hobby - it is a great entry level or weekend rider.
Submitted by
Michael
a Weekend Warrior
from Tallahasse Fl. USA
Date Reviewed: January 13, 2000
Strengths: It was a good bike at the time back in 91.
Weaknesses: Heavy, bike really flexis when you build up some speed, lots of pressure on brakes for hard stops, and shifting is dificult to get in the right gear.
Bottom Line:
Stay away, enless you can get a used one for free don't bother.
Similar Products Used: Just your run of the mill Huffys
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
cbg
a Cross-Country Rider
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: August 24, 1999
Strengths: Solid feel, tough, good price
Weaknesses: none for the price
Bottom Line:
I saw a bit of the shifting problems described by one of the other reviewers but eliminated them with a little fine tuning. This bike has stood up to some hard riding without a problem. It is a great entry level bike and I have had no problems with it to date. I take it out to some of the rougher trails here in Austin and have only had to handle the regular maintenance. I am really pleased with it for the price and would recommend it for it's class.
Submitted by
Kai Brinker
a Weekend Warrior
from Vestal, NY
Date Reviewed: May 16, 1999
Strengths: tough, mad, great for snow-biking.
Weaknesses: Gear system sometimes has problems, mostly around gears 3-4-5.
Bottom Line:
This was the first adult mountain bike I had, and although this month, I will graduate to a Sorrento SE, I will still use this Outlook for my hobbie/sport of winter snow-biking. By-the-way, go snow-biking, it's fun! Despite a small gear problem between gears 3-4-5, I love this bike, and it is a great bike. If your budget is around $100, buy this bike, you will not regret it!
Bike Setup: Outlook, bought bike computer, kick stand, water bottle/stand, Kangaroo Bag (TM).
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a weekend warrior
from Kingwood, TX
Date Reviewed: December 20, 1998
Bottom Line:
I have had my bike for a while now and I haven't really had any complaints. Sure, if you have the cash, you can get a way better bike, but if you just want a bike that will hold up well on mild cross country, this is a good choice. The only downside i have found so far is that the shifters don't work that well.
