2016 Diamondback Sorrento Mountain Bike Price: $269.99 Shipping Options:: $5 Standard Shipping Estimates: Ships in 1-2 business days (Tuesday, Aug 11 to Wednesday, Aug 12) + transit Condition: New
Labeled as a mountain bike but really considered a lifestyle bike in that nobody should expect to use this bike to ride down mountains or even to primarily ride what passes for MTB trails in the flatter states. Not that there is anything wrong with that; any “Mountain Bike” you find at this price point (even MSRP price point) is going to be a lifestyle bike just because the less expensive components aren’t designed to take the abuse of actual mountain biking. Actually, unless you know you are either going to be doing hardcore road biking (going really fast in funny looking shorts) or hardcore mountain biking (riding over logs on skinny dirt trails) this is probably the type of bike I would recommend for you. So-called “hybrid” style bikes are complete junk generally and an inexpensive mountain (lifestyle) bike will serve your purposes better and will last longer assuming you are riding around the neighborhood, going on short commutes, crossing bumps and curbs, riding asphalt or gravel bike trails, or even going off on dirt trails occasionally.
Worth noting on this bike is the 27.5" tires which are slightly larger than “normal” 26" tires that were sold on almost all bikes, even mountain bikes up until a few years ago but are smaller than the 29" tires that are starting to become more popular on “real” mountain bikes. As your tires get bigger you trade starting power for staying power; 29" inch wheels are harder to get going but stay going really well once you do. The 27.5" wheel size is a nice compromise where I don’t notice much difference in starting power but do notice a difference in how the bike travels once it gets started.
I don’t own this specific bike but I do own a slightly more expensive Diamondback mountain bike model (2014 Axis Sport) that also has 27.5" wheels and I love it, although I do occasionally go on more advanced trails. If you are looking for a bike anyway, are price sensitive (aka: cheap), and aren’t planning on doing anything advanced, you probably can’t go wrong with this thing. Just make sure you get the right size.
I bought the 2015 model of this bike on woot back in June. I am very pleased with this bike and recommend it for casual riders, especially at this price point. The bike comes shipped in a single large box, and although the gears and brake cables are pre-attached, there is still a fair bit of assembly to get through before you can set out. The written directions leave a lot to the imagination and if you are not already a bike mechanic I would advise going over to youtube and searching videos for some quick how-to guides. Even after assembling the bike there are a lot of adjustments that need to be made to the gears and brakes and I suggest taking it to a local bike shop and get a tune up on the bike to make sure everything is properly connected and adjusted - try riding the bike pre-tune and post-tune, big difference. As for the bike itself, if you are looking for something to get out on the road (paved or dirt) on the weekends it can’t be beat. It is a heavy bike, not really made for top speed, but the fat tires make riding bumpy roads with patches of dirt easy. I have put about 150 miles on this bike in the past two months - very happy with it so far.
Yeah, when I was a kid, Diamondback, Mongoose, and Schwinn were all premium quality bikes. Now they’re all made in China and sold at Wal-Mart, Target, etc.
That said, I recently bought a Mongoose from Wal-Mart for casual neighborhood riding and mild trails and it gets the job done very well. Aluminum frame, 21-speeds, disc brakes on both wheels, 3-piece crank, suspension fork, etc. I’m sure the components are junk compared to what’s on a high-end mountain bike, but it’s fine for my needs (and pocketbook). I’m sure this bike would work very well for someone with similar needs.
This seems like a perfect fit for me in terms of how I plan to use it. A question…I have a toddler who I’d like to bring along when riding, is the rear rack that I would need to purchase if I’m using a rear-mounted carrier standard for any bike, or would I need to look closely at measurements to be sure it would fit this bike? Any answers are appreciated.
I think you will find that most trailers will come with a hitch of some sort. I don’t think there is a standard. Assuming you are fond of the child, you should check into reviews pretty carefully, as there can be huge quality differences between brands and designs.
I must say, I was a little disappointed. I’ve been waiting all summer for this bike, as I missed the last three Woots for the 2015 version. But now, it’s $35 more. At $235 it was a real bargain. but at $270 (+ tax, + shipping, + assembly), I might as well just buy it at Dicks or Sports Authority for nearly the same money.
![[Preview 1]](https://d3gqasl9vmjfd8.cloudfront.net/44700481-2b71-40d4-8659-f380b3724e50.jpg){kind=link}
