Diamondback Bicycles is one of those names that has been cemented in the mountain bike industry almost since the beginning. I can remember back in the early 90’s drooling over some of their offerings that graced the covers of industry rags everywhere. With their newer Knuckle Box suspension design, Diamondback Bicycles is looking to bring back that glory and offer bikes that appeal to beginners to experts alike with a solid suspension design.
The Diamondback Sortie Black is the top of the line 130mm travel xc/trail bike from DB. Equipped with the complete 3×10 Shimano XTR component group, the Sortie Black looks to capture the inner gear head while providing a capable platform for getting up and over your local hill.
The Diamondback Sortie Black by the Numbers
The Sortie mountain bike uses the same suspension setup as the previously reviewed Diamondback Mission. With a pivoting box in the lower section of the main triangle, the rear suspension rotates around the Knuckle pushing up on the Fox RP23 rear air shock. This is a unique angle on traditional four bar suspension models that keeps the weight of the rear lower towards the bottom bracket.
Component Spec Highlights
- Sortie Trail 5″ 6061-T6 Weapons Grade Aluminum w/ Hydroformed Top Tube, Butted / Formed Down Tube / Seat stays, Under Arch Seat stay bridge, Knuckle Box Technology
- Complete Shimano XTR 3×10 Trail Component Group including wheels
- Fox RP23 and Fox 32 Float RLC FIT Air Suspension Components
- Easton EC-70 XC CNT LoRise Carbon 31.8mm Bar, Easton EA90 31.8mm Stem, Easton EC90 CARBON Double bolt clamp 31.6mm Seat post
- Weight as tested: 28.16 lbs.
Diamondback Sortie Geometry Highlights
- Head Tube Angle: 70 degrees
- Seat Tube Angle: 73 degrees
- Chain Stay Length: 435mm (17.12 in)
- Bottom Bracket Height: 336mm (13.22 in)
The overall construction of the Sortie Black is great with even welds and a durable black anodized finish. I am actually partial to the “black” look of this frame with matching black components. It appeals to the clean, simplicity side of mountain biking without too much color or flare. There is just enough bend in the tubes to set this frame apart from typical straight tube frames without going overboard. It ends up being a nice touch that complements the overall look of the bike.
You can see the rest of the component spec and geometry numbers at Diamondback.com.
On The Trail: Diamondback Sortie Black
By the geometry numbers, we were expecting a really well handling mountain bike for tight and twisty single track…and that is exactly what we got. With the 70 degree head tube angle and 73 degree seat tube angle, the Sortie Black puts your body in attack mode making quick turns between trail obstacles and tight trail easy. When you combined that with the low center of gravity and bottom bracket height, you get a bike that just wants to keep on railing.
The Knuckle Box Suspension
Diamondback’s Knuckle Box suspension design does a great job of handling small bumps keeping the bike plush without robbing you of power transfer when you go to drop the hammer. Like most four bar suspension designs, you will probably want to flip the ProPedal on the RP23 for forest service roads, but for normal trail riding…the suspension stays control and provides a lot of grip. Even during long single track climbs, I never really felt the need to lock the rear end out…just point, climb and let the rear end provide the grip.
The asymmetrical stays and solid box design make the rear end incredibly stiff, but that comes at the price of weight as the bike tips the scales at over 28 pounds with the full XTR component group. As you can imagine, that weight is only going to go up as you move down the Sortie lineup. Since this is a 130mm travel platform, potential buyers of the Sortie Black are going to be more weight conscious than most…especially given this component group and price point. To be really competitive, Diamondback is going to have to find a way to get this bike down in the low 27’s to mid 26 pound range.
Gravity Assisted Riding On The Black
When things got pointed down, the Sortie Black did a great job of handling hard hits and smoothing out the smaller bumps. Square edge hits were handled incredibly well due to the stiffness of the rear end and the suspension design. More serious downhill riders (not dedicated DH…just more AM types) might feel the Sortie is too steep making it sketchier on steep tech, but that is not what this mountain bike was really built for. It can handle the rough terrain…just don’t expect to be hucking off of drops anytime soon with the steeper geometry angles.
On tight, twisty, rolling single track, the Sortie Black really shines. It is a blast to rail this bike around the corners as it barely loses any momentum as you look to the next tight switchback or S turn. If you live in an area like the southeast US where every trail is under tight tree cover, you will love the way this bike handles through the turns.
Overall: Diamondback Sortie Black
For our local trail systems, the Sortie Black was a great bike. It handled the tight, twisty trails with ease and pedaled well given the bike’s weight. However, for this price point and travel range, the bike is too heavy. On a long day of riding following fit riders on 26 to 27 pound mountain bikes in the same category, the weight starts to add up. If the Sortie weighed in at about 26.5 pounds, it would be a monster on the trail.
Diamondback is doing a great job with the Knuckle Box suspension design…with a little bit more performance tuning…it is going to be a bike to contend with.
Positives: Diamondback Sortie Black
- Rails tight single track with ease
- Stiff suspension design with a low center of gravity
- Plush suspension platform that doesn’t rob you of climbing power
- Great build quality
Negatives: Diamondback Sortie Black
- Price – Given the component group…this is no surprise. The wheels retail for over a grand! (lowest price I could find was $5,500)
- Weight – To really compete in this travel market and price point, it is going to have to go on a diet. Just by the numbers, this will be a deal killer for many riders.
If you are looking for a bike that performs great in the forest, the Diamondback Sortie is worth a look. Luckily, they have other models that are more budget centered, so check them out as well.
