Diamondback Recoil 29er

I have a slightly older “Comp” version of this bike, and I have been very pleased overall, although mine has slightly upgraded components from this one (much better rear shock, for one - the front fork is pretty crappy in either bike, I ended up getting the stronger spring and it helped a little). The worst thing I can say about it is that it’s heavy…but so am I so it kind of equals out lol.

I can’t say how this compares to your other bikes, as I don’t really know what they are.

I do think that this is a good value at 365. I think at $500 or it’s “SRP” of 650, it’s probably not. The generic answer is that you get more value for your money when you don’t buy a bike with full suspension, and instead buy one with front or no suspension instead. You get higher quality components and better suspension when you don’t get FS, in general. On this bike, you’re not getting a great fork and you’re not getting a good rear shock. The frame will likely weigh more than an equivalent hardtail.

That being said, this bike has components that are equal to or better than most hardtails in the price range, so you’re effectively getting the bonus of FS. I started riding on a bike that was similar (crappy shock, steel rear end, bottom end RS fork) and it held up fine for me for several years and several riders. I don’t think this one is going to explode nor leave you stranded, but it’s probably going to need more regular tuneups than a $1500 bike.

Anyways, my rule of thumb is that if you want a good bike, you have to be prepared to spend at least $500 and go to a bike shop, and that anything below that or from walmart is a gamble. In this case, I think it’s a safe bet. Diamondback makes decent buy not superb bikes, and the componentry is fair for the price and intended audience.

I am a professional bicycle mechanic. This is what we refer to as a BSO.
Bicycle Shaped Object
They do come assembled but never tuned. If you plan on riding the thing off road it needs to be properly assembled and tuned. The big 29" wheels are assembled by a machine but are not tensioned or trued and must be done by hand. None of the bearings will be adjusted properly, the drivetrain may or may not have the limits and tension set correctly. This usually costs between $60 and $80 for a new bike.
A quality mountain bike has a 1x11 or 1x12 drivetrain, an adjustable suspension system consisting of quality hydraulic,air-sprung,or coil components, and should weigh less than thirty pounds.
Entry level bikes are a waste of money for anyone who wants to actually go mountain biking.

this is generally just adding on the headset and handlebars, putting on the seat and tires… pretty straight forward, but if you want it to shift right, you should ride it for a few weeks and then take it in for a $30-40 adjustment/tune up… you can definitely do it yourself too by watching youtube.

SmilingBoognish isn’t wrong, it’s just that for light riding, this isn’t going to break… I have taken a $90 toys r us bike, with garbage plastic derailers, down Mathews/Winters and Dakota Ridge in Denver. These are pretty aggressive trails, and surprisingly, the bike held up VERY well… I only did this because my $2000 bike was in the shop at the time and I wanted to ride…

As far as maintenance free goes, full suspension generally needs a little more upkeep than a good hard tail, but the ride is definitely softer than a hard tail, and I agree, with my bad back, I like the full-suspension better…