Diamondback Response XE 26" Mountain Bike Price: $259.99 Shipping Options:: $5 Standard Shipping Estimates: Ships in 1-2 business days (Tuesday, Dec 09 to Wednesday, Dec 10) + transit Condition: New
This was sold here a month or so ago, and we picked one up as a Christmas present for our son. Can’t vouch for it yet as it’s still in the box (need to assemble it before Christmas!) It did appear to come undamaged and assembly doesn’t look like it will be difficult.
I was just talking with my SO on a hiking trip yesterday about buying mountain bikes, hope this comes back after Christmas when I have some extra money to blow.
How much assembly is required? Can you just put it together and ride it, or does it have to go to a bike shop for adjustments after you put it together?
So, I like this bike and think it’s a good deal - disc breaks in this price range isn’t super common.
The components aren’t for big downhill bombing runs, but no one would think they were at this price.
I think the components are plenty adequate for casual XC racing, but YMMV.
One caveat to keep in mind, however, is that you’ll have to assemble it yourself. It’s not hard, but for a little more you can may be able to get a comparable bike from a local shop, professionally assembled. And often they will throw in a few free tuneups with the purchase of the bike, so you can break it in worry-free.
If assembly and maintenance isn’t a concern to you, I’d jump on this.
Ordered this bike when it was up for sale last time. I’m 5’11" and the L frame is a perfect fit, just a fyi. The bike comes mostly assembled. All off the tools you’ll need to assemble/adjust the bike also come with the bike. You’ll have to attach the handlebars to the gooseneck, install the seat post/seat and put on the front wheel. Once you put those parts together you’ll want to go over all the bolts on the bike and make sure they’re tight. Make sure you air up the tires.
Once you have the bike assembled it’ll probably be rideable, but far from ideal. Now comes the setting the bike up part, you can take it to a shop if that’s your thing, but if you’re capable of loosening and tightening and few bolts/screws you can set the bike easily up yourself at home. That page is good place to get started and there are tons of videos on YouTube.
I second that. Granted these are bottom of the barrel calipers and rotors, but learning to adjust and maintain should give at least 12 months worth of “regular” riding.
Those Tektro Novella brakes are almost the worst brakes I’ve ever worked on. They’re spec’ed on a lot of low-end name-brand bikes. Considering that this bike comes unassembled, un-tuned, and without any support from an LBS, this is exactly the price-point where I’d expect to see these brakes.
Novellas provide slightly worse braking power than run-of-the-mill V-brakes. However, since the mounts are already on the frame, it would be possible to upgrade to some Avid BB7s (however, if this has nylon brake levers, it’s hard to get much power from your hand to the calipers). Of course, by the time you get BB7s and a decent pair of levers, you might be looking at an additional $150 dollars.
Because this is an aluminum frame with a 1-1/8 headtube, this is a good starter platform that can be gradually upgraded over time and leave you with a pretty decent bike. The wheels are probably a little heavy, but they are double-walled, which is NOT often seen at this price.
If you are comfortable setting up a bike, this is a good deal. If you are not sure, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take it to a reputable shop and have it checked over. However, a basic tune-up (adjustment & Safety check) might run you $50. Many shops aren’t going to cut you any breaks if you bring in an internet bike, either. A good shop isn’t going to shaft you, but they will very likely charge you full price (whereas with a new bike from them, they’ll very likely do these adjustments for free for as long as you own the bike).
As others have said, though, you’d be hard-pressed to find an aluminum bike for this price. It’s still probably in the ~30lb range, which isn’t too terrible for a 250 dollar bike.
This bike is much cheaper than advertised. today was my 3rd time riding it and there is a metal on metal high pitched screech as I ride as well as that back tire is rubbing against the frame at higher speeds. I’ve taken the bike off road one time and it wasn’t anything extreme/crazy.
Also the breaks rub no matter how much adjusting you do.
![[Preview 1]](http://d3gqasl9vmjfd8.cloudfront.net/e43cb207-338d-482e-a33f-76f8b0d1549a.jpg){kind=link}
![[Preview 2]](http://d3gqasl9vmjfd8.cloudfront.net/98ca17d2-89a1-4225-b0f4-514b16585492.jpg){kind=link}
![[Preview 3]](http://d3gqasl9vmjfd8.cloudfront.net/57396893-4868-4d43-a293-cfa42b9506fb.jpg){kind=link}
