Diamondback

Mason Complete Mountain Bike

The 29er has been the mountain bike of choice for a few years now. And although the common perception is that the wheel size limits the design and frame geometry, manufacturers are continually proving this wrong through small changes that give the 29er more versatility. Born in the Northwest, the Diamondback Mason Complete Mountain Bike features a slack and slung design that provides both climbing prowess and aggressive trail manners.

The newly redesigned Mason features a 6061-T6 aluminum frame with a hydroformed top tube and a butted down tube. And if your aluminum tech jargon is a little rusty, hydroforming is a process of shaping aluminum that allows lighter, stronger, and more rigid tubing to be formed. During this process, high pressure hydraulic fluid is used to press room-temperature working material, in this case, aluminum, into a die. Using this method, complex shapes, that would otherwise be difficult with standard solid die stamping, are enabled. Hydroformed tubing has a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio, which in turn, means a lighter, stronger bike frame. The butted down tube adds additional strength as the "butting" process removes excess material from joints which, contrary to logic, decreases stress. And because of the long 140mm travel of the fork, the top tube was designed to be low for greater clearance. A tapered head tube, direct-mount front derailleur, seatstay bridge, and a stiff 12x142mm vertical dropout were also included.

To enhance the slack feel of the Mason, the RockShox Sektor 29 Silver with 140mm of travel was used. Add to this a 433mm long chainstay, and you'll see why you feel tight to the ground on the Mason. In fact, you'll also find that the bike is highly maneuverable in downhill and aired out sections. The head angle is 66.5 degrees, which makes it easier to get the front end of the bike up and over obstacles that traditional 29ers have trouble clearing.

As for the build of the Mason, Diamondback equipped the bike with SRAM X5 trigger shifter and a mid-cage X5 rear derailleur. The bike is setup as a one-by, with a MRP 1X D-Mount chain guide, an 11-36t PG-1030 cassette, and a 32t Race Face Ride narrow-wide crankset. Braking duties are handled by Avid DB1 levers with hydraulic DB1 calipers that stop 180mm front/ 160mm rear G2 rotors. You'll roll on 32-hole AM290 wheels with Kenda Nevegal front and Slant rear tires (2.2/2.0mm). Meanwhile, the cockpit is a regiment of Diamondback's exclusive components, a DB 740mm wide, mid-rise handlebar, a DB AL6061 3D forged stem, and a DB SL309p micro alloy seatpost. You sit on a DB Mason Signature saddle, and your feet drive on DB Sound Alloy pedals with molded pins that keep your feet from sliding.

The Diamondback Mason Complete Mountain Bike is available in the color White and in four sizes from Small to X-Large.