Diamondback

Interval Carbon Elite Complete Bike - 2015

As with the rest of us, the folks at Diamondback ride their bikes for myriad reasons ranging from training and racing to transportation and utility. Also like the rest of us, they believe that riding should always be as pleasurable and rewarding as possible — at least, that's what the Diamondback Interval Carbon Elite Complete Bike would suggest. The Interval combines the vibration damping responsiveness of carbon fiber with the pleasant rider posture of Diamondback's Performance Hybrid Geometry for a ride that packs as much enjoyment into a commute to a destination as a weekend ramble to no place in particular.

While most manufacturers reserve carbon fiber for top-end racing frames, Diamondback apparently sees no reason why the same benefits that make carbon so desirable in the pro peloton can't also improve the daily cyclist's more utilitarian experience. We agree, and one afternoon spent on the Interval's monocoque frame will convince even aluminum's staunchest defenders that locking commuters and recreationalists out of the carbon club is borderline inhumane.

The frame is built up with a blend of Shimano, SRAM, and FSA components. The immediately obvious headliners may be the Ultegra shifters and FSA Gossamer Pro crankset — both of which tend to feature on machines meant for racing — but SRAM's reliable competent Elixr 5 hydraulic disc brakes will quickly become a challenger for top billing when this show rolls into town. The bike's kit is rounded off with Diamondback's proprietary wheelset, which incorporates some orange branding details that complement the subtle flair on the chain stays and fork.