Submitted by
Carlos Barrantes
a Cross Country Rider
from Costa Rica
Date Reviewed: April 22, 2006
Strengths: The price, looks and weight.
Weaknesses: Paint scratches easily
Bottom Line:
I bought everything apart, the frame was very cheap yet very reliable, it has a good performance, its a basic frame for short rides, basic crosscountry. Not recommended for freestyle or downhill.
Bike Setup: Diamondback Response 05 Frame, Mavic Rims, Michelin All terrain tires (front)-Maxxis (back), Rock Shox Tora 302 U-Turn 130mm Fork, Component Group: Shimano LX, AZONIC WF SW Riser Bar,Seatpost: Pazzaz, Thomson elite stem.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Todd Nappi
a Weekend Warrior
from West Berlin, NJ
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2003
Strengths: Holds up well over time.
Weaknesses: None really, considering price.
Bottom Line:
I really like this bike, I have ridden it about 3000 miles in 3 years around town and it has held up good with all the abuse. I would recommend it to beginner/novice riders. I'm not sure if Diamondback is currently making a lower priced model but it was definately better than my friend's $300 Mongoose.
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Buffalo, NY
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2003
Strengths: Great price, nice look, and not to heavy. The frame, gears, and gear changers are very reliable.
Weaknesses: The hoop for the tires is weak and the breaks I have to constantly adjust. The front shocks are damaged. The spring is only secured in place by a hard plastic cap. The screw threads on the cap, that adjusts the tension of the shock, strip easily. I am 205 lbs. and I thought that the bike could support my weight but it has trouble doing that. The wheels constantly bend. I mostly use the bike on trails and roads, no extreme mountain biking
Bottom Line:
I have been mountain biking on and off since 1989 with a Trek and a Nishiki mountain bike. I decided to get a new mountain bike that would fit my budget in the spring of 2002. It was a great price, but it is a little weak for my weight and for what I use it for. I could easily do 60 miles on a weekend of just trail or street riding. Don't get me wrong, this is a GREAT bike for a beginner or a novice biker. This bike, I believe, is not exactly for someone with intermediate mountain biking experience. If you are considering this bike, please consider your weight, how often you plan on using it and what kind of riding you plan on doing with it. This bike, in my opinion, is mostly for casual recreational riding, which it is well suited for.
Bike Setup: Mostly stock with some other manufacture upgrades.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
luis lajara
a Cross Country Rider
from utuado,P.R.
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2003
Strengths: all,but,the paint scratch easily.
Weaknesses: nothing,hard im PR we ride at extreme conditions.
Bottom Line:
Better than i spect when i bought it,great climb,nice descent,easy sprint,strong frame 7005 aluminum,im a little destroyer why i cant say its prove by a pro hehehe. nice rides
This is a follow up to the one I posted back in April. It's been about a year that I've had my D-Back in service and it is still rolling strong. Once again, plenty of upgraded parts make the bike much better than stock. Still doing the drop-offs. Biggest was six-footer to flat without trouble anywhere. Much better handling due to the new stem and bar combo. Pretty sure the bike will hold up for another season or two. Great frame that is good to work with. Not worth racing with but good with light freeride and aggressive trail riding and urban assault.
Similar Products Used: Raleigh M60 (served me well)
Bike Setup: 16', '02 Response frame, Marzocchi Bomber 3.5 up front, Sun Ditch Witch wheelset, STX-RC shifters paired to XT med. cage rear and Acera front derailleurs. Changed stem and bars (again) to 75mm. w/5 degree rise and 1 inch rise Kore Lite handlebars. Rockshox suspension seatpost under my butt. All on top of Tioga DH 2.1 tires
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Submitted by
Jose
a Cross Country Rider
from San Juan, PR
Date Reviewed: December 24, 2002
Strengths: Light and strong frame.
Weaknesses: Noisy BB, rims bend easily, gear shift noisy
Bottom Line:
Is a good bike for the price. If you are a beginner this is a great deal...
Strengths: very stiff frame, Rst fork takes huge hits well, Stiff handle bar.
Weaknesses: RST fork takes small hits not the best, kinda heavy ( good for downhill, but crappy for climbs but not to many bad things about it overall.
Bottom Line:
This bike is awsome for the price, you can't beat it. It is good for begginers and intermediate riders of all ages. I highly recomend it if you want to get a kickin bike for kickin deal.
Similar Products Used: Simolar to a KONA Stuff bu cheaper
Bike Setup: All components are excellent for the price and is disc brake ready.
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Submitted by
Hardcore Habon
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago, IL - USA
Date Reviewed: April 20, 2002
Strengths: Probably the only thing that is good on this bike is the frame. It is built w/pretty large diameter 7005, heat treated aluminum. It is also gusseted at the head tube. All this makes for a solid and stiff frame.
Weaknesses: The component spec is cheesy at best.
Bottom Line:
I ride plenty of urban assault and trail riding. Do plenty of 5ft+ drops and jumps. Frame heavy and solid. I guess that's a good thing. Did plenty of part swaps, and only thing left was the OEM crank set and front derailleur. Overall, the bike handles very well once you upgrade the original parts. Get a suspension seatpost cause the stiff frame will put all the trail shock into your "arse". Good bike for what you pay, frame worth working with. Better bike once you upgrade.
Similar Products Used: 2000 raleigh m60 (served me very well)
Bike Setup: 16','02 Response frame, Marzocchi Bomber 3.5 up front, Sun Ditch Witch wheels, STX-RC shifters paired to XT med. cage rear, and Acera front derailleurs. Changed stem to 90mm w/20 degree rise and a flat bar. Rock Shox sus. seatpost under my butt. All on top of Michellin DH 2.2 tires.
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Submitted by
jameson hinkle
a Weekend Warrior
from Roanoke, VA, United States
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2002
Strengths: there's enought travel on the shock to hit some small jumps and large bumps, pretty light, seat is comfortable for long rides
Weaknesses: rear rims bend to easily
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is, if this is your first or second bike, it's the thing to to get because it rides well and will probably last you a long time.
My Response has a Spinner Edge AL-1 120mm travel, 30mm stanchions. I want to upgrade at around 300 bucks.
What do you guys recommend?
What travel range does the frame allow wit Read More »
I tried this in the Diamondback forum but no response so I'm trying it here.
My Response has a Spinner Edge AL-1 120mm travel, 30mm stanchions. Really basic! One side has a spri Read More »
Trail shoes have been one of the hottest categories in running. The success of the Response Trail spawned
numerous trail shoes from every running shoe manufacturer. Although so Read More »
my Response Sport certainly looks, beefy, burley, and WELL heavy!. has anyone weighed
this bike and if so how is its weight compared to other XC bikes? Read More »
