Diamondback Atroz 2 Review 2022: Worth Your Money Or Not?

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Wondering whether the Diamondback Atroz 2 is worth your money or not? Then you are in the right place.

In this detailed review of the Atroz 2, we look at its frame quality, design, suspension, geometry, wheels, etc., to a complete lowdown on the bike.

Hey Guys, my name is Robbie Ferri. I am a long-time cyclist who has ridden worldwide at a top level in ultra-endurance, and today I’m going to be telling you all about the new Diamondback Atroz 2.

 In-Depth Diamondback Atroz Review

  • Aluminum Frame 6061
  • SR Suntour Suspension Front and Rear
  • Shimano Acera M3000 Groupset
  • Shimano Hydraulic Brake set
  • Double Wall Aluminum Wheelset 27.5″ with 2.35″ Vee Tires

Design

Let’s start with the design. The bike is beautiful. It comes in a gorgeous Matt black with small yellow detailing and screams rugged. Everything is color-coded from the forks to the rims, and it hasn’t been made to look over the top like many bike companies seem to do.

What Diamondback has tried to achieve here is something I have a lot of time for. They have made a light, pocket-friendly full-suspension bike that will be excellent for cross country and will also handle a trail with confidence. 

They have put the weight low down and kept the wheels small. This bike will feel very agile and have a tremendous amount of control. The Bike assembly won’t take too long, and you can typically have it together in less than 30 minutes.

When it comes to geometry, they have kept it very comfortable. When we look at how high Diamondback has kept the handlebars and the stem nice and short, it will give the rider a very upright position taking the pressure off your back. It will provide all-day comfort and, unlike other trail bikes, doesn’t put you in too much of an aggressive position for the sake of aerodynamics.

Frame

Atroz 2 Frame
Credits: Jenson USA

The frame is excellent on this bike, which you expect from a brand as big as Diamondback. It’s made of 6061 Aluminum which is pretty standard in the industry. It will not be as light as Carbon Fiber, but it will offer similar stiffness and feel responsive nonetheless. 

Diamondback has taken the single pivot design full-suspension design and upped the ante with this frame. It will feel fast and be strong, so if you are taking on a few trails where you might expect an off, don’t worry. This bike will be able to take a hit. It’s quite a heavy bike, but it does own it well.

Suspension

This bike is one of Diamondback’s full-suspension mountain bikes, so as you can see, it has suspension on the front and the rear. Bikes at this price typically have suspension on the front only, so it is excellent to see that they have stayed in a lower price bracket and offer dual suspension. 

It has 120mm on the front and 100mm on the rear. Both sets of the suspension are made by Suntour, which is a very well-known brand as far as mountain biking suspension goes. 

They make good quality components, as far as value for money goes. They both offer preload adjustment and rebound adjustment, but they are not the lightest or the quickest on the rebound. Though when it comes to reliability and value, they are untouchable.

The front is the SR Suntour XCM. You’ll see this fork on many bikes and offers 120mm travel on a singular coil spring. It works surprisingly well but does weigh 2.6kg, so not the lightest. 

The rear suspension is the SR Suntour Raidon-R Air Shock. This is an excellent rear shock and gives 100mm worth of travel. Again, it’s not the lightest but an excellent value for money component.

Atroz 2 Suspension
Credits: Jenson USA

Gearing

Gearing is vital to getting a bike right, so many companies overlook this. With the Diamondback, they haven’t, and I’m impressed at the direction they went on the Atroz 2. 

They have kept it very simple and gone down a route that is precisely the same direction as they have gone with other components on the bike.

They have again kept it simple and gone for a basic modern 1 x 9-speed drivetrain. This means it’s effortless to move around your gears as you only have a single rear derailleur. 

You might think you are held back just having 9 choices of gears on a single-ring drivetrain, but the range is so vast you will still be able to get up those hills just as well as with a standard Shimano 3 x 8-Speed drivetrain 27-speed system. You have a similar range, just less selection of gears.

They are using Shimano Acera M3000 Shadow components, and these are incredible. Shimano is known for making an excellent groupset that not only performs well but it lasts, and also, when it comes to maintenance, you’re not paying through the teeth for chains and cassettes.

They use a 30 front chainring and an 11-36 cassette on the rear. Great for those sustained climbs. Excellent for climbing and riding in the flats. They have also included a chain tensioner, so there’s much less chance of dropping it while on a technical trail.

Atroz 2 Chain
Credits: Jenson USA

Brakes 

Again, I feel they have knocked it out of the park here and just got it right. They haven’t looked for the cheapest brakes they could find and just thrown them on. They have gone for another quality component.

They are using the legendary Shimano MT200 brakes. 

These are excellent for various riders and just easy to use, very powerful, and cheap to maintain. Instead of using cable brakes that many companies do to save a bit of cost and make more profit, they have gone with Hydraulic Disc Brakes. Instead of pulling a cable to lock the brake on, you push fluid.

This makes the brakes so much better and more reliable. As a rider who has been riding a bike in some pretty extreme places, I can honestly say having trust in your brakes is everything, and the MT200s are high, in my estimation.

Atroz 2 Brakes
Credits: Jenson USA

Wheelset and Tires

When it comes to wheelsets, you typically find two sizes on modern MTBS. These are 27.5″ and 29″. Depending on what companies want the bike to do and the sizes, they will use both.

On the Diamondback, they have gone with 27.5″ wheels, and I think this was an excellent decision. The smaller wheels mean you can fit larger tires in the frame, which is precisely what they have done. 

They have equipped the bike with 2.35″ Vee Rubber Flow Snap tires on the front and rear wheel. Excellent choice and very grippy in various situations, giving you precise control when you need it the most.

The smaller wheels typically will make the bike feel much more agile, and it will give it great acceleration, and you will be able to work around technical terrain efficiently with these. They are using Double Wall Aluminum wheels, and they have gone for Non-Boost Hubs keeping them more adaptable for the market if you want to upgrade.

Accessories

As far as accessories, they have kept it very simple. The handlebars are 750mm wide with a 15mm ride to bring the position up. The stem is 45mm, nice and short, making it easier to move the bike around. It also comes equipped with flat pedals and quick-release skewers.

The bike doesn’t come with a dropper post, and I would’ve expected it at this price. I was very impressed that they had made the frame with internal routing ready for a dropper post if you wanted to upgrade. This is a basic bike, but it has plenty of room for upgrades. 

Pros

  • Great Looking Solid Frame
  • Dual Suspension
  • 27.5″ Double-walled Wheelset with Vee Tires
  • Excellent Gearing and Chain Tensioner
  • Price

Cons

  • Basic Look is not for everyone
  • In between Cross County and Trail

Diamondback As a Brand

Diamondback bikes are a gigantic mountain bike brand and have been around for 45 years. They are currently based in Kent, Washington, and sold worldwide. 

They offer a massive range of bikes at all different ability levels, and they produce a good quality build with lots of thought put into it. Diamondback’s range of bikes also includes the Atroz 1 and Atroz 3.

Should You Buy This Bike Or Not?

There’s no denying that Diamondback has made an excellent bike here. It is at such a low price point and offers so much more than other companies do. It’s a very affordable bike, and at this price, you would expect a hardtail bike.

I love this bike because they haven’t just thrown a load of random parts together, it feels very thought through, and I have so much time for that.

If you are looking to race downhill and enduro, this bike might not be enough. If you are looking for a bike that will decimate cross country and be capable of some tricky trails or rolling terrain, this is an excellent bike. 

The Diamondback Atroz is a very affordable mountain bike that, in my opinion, could be capable of what many expensive mountain bikes can do. And that is what makes it worth every penny (it is a purchase you won’t regret for years).

Photo of author

Written By

My name is Robbie Ferri, I’m an Ultra Endurance cyclist from the UK. I have been lucky enough to have cycled all over the world. With some amazing world record attempts, bikepacking races, and many miles under my belt I couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than on my bike.

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