Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
40 of 45 people found the following review helpful.
By Volker72
I had written a long review about some issues I had with the bike. I said I would send in an update after I spoke to DB today.
Here is the quick recap of my first review:
1) DB could do a better job packaging by adding some sort of cushioning packaging material. May be the cause of the wheel issues below.
2) My front wheel was very untrue
3) My back wheel was slightly untrue (to the point where if this had been the only issue I would have just lived with it)
4) I was shipped the wrong pedals (resin instead of the metal pedals spec'ed on the DB and Amazon website)
Update:
I just spoke to Jason at DB. He called a couple local dealers and got one to true up the wheels at no cost (to me anyway). I'm really happy about this. I was was hoping I wouldn't have to ship parts back and forth to get this issue resolved. I plan on taking it in this afternoon.
I noted to Jason that I got the wrong pedals. He sa id the specs are subject to change. I understand that, but the spec's then need to be changed on the websites (Amazon and DB). Don't downgrade a part and still spec out the previously better part. However, at the end of the day we are talking about me getting a $10 resin pedal over a $15 metal pedal, neither of which I really want. I've already ordered the DB sound pedal as an upgrade and I would have done so if I had gotten the pedal I was supposed to. I noted it more for the principal of the thing.
The bike is more assembled out of the box than I would have thought (I've never bought a bike online before). It was just about ready to go except the handlebars and front tire are removed and zip tied to the frame. After getting those on you just need to tune the breaks and the derailer and its ready to go. I've never done this before but it wasn't too bad. There are also how to videos online showing customers how to setup a mail order bike if needed (third party sites, not the DB site).
I really like this bike. It is much lighter than my 8 yr old Trek 4300, even with the bigger tires. I've not done any real riding with it yet (as I need to take the front tire in to get fixed first) but just riding it up and down the street I can tell like size size of the 29 in wheels. The reviews I read about the front suspension did turn out to be true, they give more than I'd like even if you tighten them all the way.
As long as it holds up this will be considered a great buy.
Happy Riding!
Update 10-8-12:
Went to the local DB dealer that DB customer service set me up with. They got the tire issue resolved and went above and beyond fine tuning it for me. Made me feel bad I did not buy from them, but to be fair I did look at their store and they did not carry the 22" size I wanted.
Updated 10-20-12:
Found that using a pair of pliers to tighten the front suspens ion has helped a lot. I thought I had tightened it all the way by hand, but after using a small amount of pressure using a pair of pliers it was not as close to being fully tightened as I thought. Much better now. Very similar to the way may Trek 4300 front suspension feels.
31 of 34 people found the following review helpful.
By DanOnABike
After reading reviews for weeks on all the 29ers out there, i decided to give the Diamondback Overdrive V a shot. I am new to mountain biking. That being said, this bike is amazing. It feels very powerful. The upsized 29" wheels feel like they can take anything you throw at them. Assembly is extremely easy. I also love that Diamondback uses the same frame throughout the Overdrive line, so the pro model has the same frame as the V. I also love that even though the V comes with cantilever brakes, it has the mounts for disc brakes giving the option to upgrade later. Really the only drawback is that Diamondbacks warranty DOES NOT COVER any bike delivered to your home in a carton. To me, that's just not right. But, all in all, this bike is an absolute STEAL for the price. My recommendation is that if you are looking for a beginner to novice 29er, this is the bike to get. You just can not beat the quality of a Diamondback for this price.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
By AC
I decided to return to bicycling after years of running wore out my knees. I'm not in to long distance riding and I wanted something more versatile to handle ragged streets and rough terrain. I received this bike well packaged and without a scratch on the frame. The black paint has a nice satin finish and, with its black rims and spokes, it looks like a shadow floating down the road. It was only a matter of installing the front wheel, take note of the directional tread, and adjusting the brake pads. It came with a set of allen wrenches, which is all you need. The owner's manual can be somewhat confusing and vague but common sense should prevail. I'm 6'2", around 240lbs, and the large size was perfect. The bike's frame is very sturdy and has substantial weight. It took me a few rides to get accustomed to the gears but shifting was smooth and functional. All it takes is a quick click and gears switch. If you hold the shifter one second too long you'll switch multipl e gears. The one thing I didn't expect was having to buy another pump, only about $15, to accomodate the presta valve. The bike looks classic and runs smooth.
