The Diamondback Atroz 3 is an incredible bike. It’s not that it has the most high-end components, its weight, or how it looks. It’s the total package put together, and as far as value for money goes, very few bikes even get close.
This article will speak about the Diamondback Atroz 3 and explain why it’s an excellent buy if you’re a mountain biker looking for a new bike.
In-Depth Diamondback Atroz 3 Review
Specification
- Atroz 6061 Aluminum Frame Dual Suspension
- RockShox suspension
- SRAM SX Eagle drivetrain
- Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc brakes
- Double-wall aluminum rims with Vee Tires
- Sealed Cartridge bearing pivot
Frame and Geometry
Let’s start by telling you about the frame. It’s an aluminum frame and is 6061 grade. This means you get a perfectly lightweight frame that will offer you stiffness and strength.
It’s a high standard, and it will perform well on a trail, and if you end up taking a spill or two, you can feel confident the frame will be able to take a hit.
The frame has sealed cartridge bearings, and this comes in the form of a pivot on the frame. This optimized single pivot works well and is a lovely touch to this bike.
It comes in a beautiful yellow which makes the bike stand out against anything in your local bike shop, and it looks spotless just being a single color.
The geometry is aimed at all-day comfort and XC (Cross Country). This is a bike you will be able to ride for distance and speed and will be excellent for light to medium technical terrain.
It is not made to have aggressive geometry, and that works. The bike doesn’t come with a dropper post attached to this frame, but it has the seat tube routed for an internal dropper post if required.
Suspension
The suspension on this bike is excellent, and they have gone for some tremendous mid-range components. On the front, you have RockShox Recon RL Solo Air.
It’s a great fork and will give you 130mm of travel to help you get over technical terrain and save your hands from being rattled to pieces. Then on the rear shock front, the Diamondback Atroz 3 has a RockShox Monarch R Shock. It will provide you with 100mm travel and help you fly over bumps fast, keeping that rear in check.
You don’t often see full suspension bikes at the price of this bike. We are seeing more and more light full-suspension bikes hit the market because full-suspensions have more ability than hardtails, and although they may weigh a little more, they perform much better and win races. This bike isn’t just capable. It’s fast and competent.
Gearing
When it comes to getting up and down hills, this bike isn’t going to let you down. There’s hardly a better groupset to equip this bike than an SRAM MTB groupset. It has the SRAM SX Eagle, and this is excellent as far as off-road groupsets go.
You have a RaceFace Aeffect crankset with a 30t wide chainring on the front, making this a single-ring drivetrain. This is pretty small, and typically many other XC bikes will run a 32t chainring.
On the rear, you have an 11-50t cassette, and having such a vast range means you have lots of gearing for climbing and lots for descending. The mix of the 30t and 11-50t gearing works excellently, and it will give you everything you a wide selection, and you will never feel held back by your gears.
Brakes
Like many good braking systems, the brakes on this bike are hydraulic.
If you are unsure what these are, it’s where fluid is used instead of a cable to push the callipers together. This gives you incredible stopping power, which is vital on a bike that you could be going relatively vertical downhill.
The Diamondback Atroz 3 hasn’t matched the brakes with the gearing, which is typically the way many bike companies go. Instead, they have gone for Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc brakes. These work well, and you will barely have to do any maintenance on them throughout their life.
Wheels and Tires
Diamondback uses their wheelset, and it’s pretty good. They are double-walled 32h alloy, and they are solid.
They are not the lightest, but sometimes you have to take a slight weight penalty for strength. The wheel size is smaller at 27.5″, and on an XC bike, typically, you will see mainly 29″ wheels.
This isn’t an issue, though. It makes the bike feel nippy on acceleration, and you can also fit larger tires in the frame. The tires equipped are very cool.
You have the legendary Vee Rubber Mission. They are 27.5″ by 2.3″, slightly larger than your standard XC tires, but it works on smaller wheels and a full suspension setup. They are puncture resistant and will be relatively grippy and fast on a gravel road or trail.
The wheelset and tires are very much set up for various terrains and will work well in all weather conditions. The front has a 15mm thru-axle, and the rear is a 142x12mm thru-axle.
Pricing
I think one of the best attributes of this bike is the price. It is fantastic value for money for what you are getting, and it falls into a gap in the market that needs filling.
When it comes to full suspension bikes, you typically have very cheap, low-quality bikes that come in around $200 from your local Walmart, or you have $8000 bikes made to an incredibly high specification. The gap in between only a few companies dare to tread.
The Diamondback Atroz sits in a place in between where typically you don’t see a vast amount of bikes like this. It’s what I feel makes the bike so popular.
It gives people an option of a decent full suspension bike at a lower budget. We can see that a few companies are also starting to offer similar products in this price range.
Drawbacks
There are a few drawbacks to this bike that make it difficult for some people to hit that buy it now button. The first is the color. I personally really like it.
I think it looks excellent and stands out so much. I appreciate that it’d not work for everyone, and some people would much prefer a matt black color or a slate grey.
Also, the wheels are not the lightest, but in their defense, they keep the bike’s price down, and they are strong. The fact they are 27.5″ screams more trail bike than CX bike, and I feel that is the intention of this Diamondback.
Who Is It For?
I feel this bike suits quite a few different types of people, which is why they will be extremely popular. Firstly I think It is an excellent mountain bike for beginners.
The price is excellent, and it offers impressive capability without having to miss a month’s rent to afford it. The beauty of this bike is that it suits such a wide variety of skill levels for mountain biking.
The second group of people I think it suits is those looking to step up from a basic hardtail to something that still offers the speed but with a lot more capability.
The price point of this bike is perfect for people that have decided they enjoy mountain bikes and want to explore them further without spending incredible amounts of money.
This is a premium bike with a high-quality level of components and not something you want to use as a commuter bike. With upper mid-range components like this bike, it is a waste of something a road bike could do.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Strong 6061 Aluminum Frame with Dual Suspension
- Lightweight and Agile
- RockShox Suspension front and rear
- Strong Wheels equipped with Vee Tires
- Excellent SRAM Groupset with an extensive range
- Shimano MT200 Hydraulic Disc Brakes
Cons
- Very bright color, not for everyone
- The wheels are pretty basic, and I would prefer a 29.”
Short Comparison With Atroz 1 and 2
The Diamondback Atroz range is pretty straightforward. The higher the number, the higher specification the bike has. For example, the Atroz 1 has very basic gearing being the Altus 2×9 speed. The wheels and tires are very basic, the suspension is just entry-level, and the brakes are cable operated.
If you read review of the Atroz 2, you’ll know it’s a step up from the Atroz 1 because it has slightly better SunTour suspension, an Acera 9 speed gear set up, hydraulic disc brakes, and generally is a bit nicer to look at. Then finally, the Atroz three is a level above and has much higher specifications than the other bikes.
The Atroz 1 and 2 are more entry-level mountain bike status, while the Atroz 3 comes in at a more high-quality bike level. They all will do rough terrains well, but you will have more fun on the Atroz 3, though it is the higher end price for their model range.
Conclusion
As a brand, I think Diamondback Bicycles has fantastic bikes. With the Atroz range in general, they have opened up full suspension bikes at a budget price, and I have so much respect for what they have done here.
When it comes to the Atroz 3, I feel they do offer precisely what many mountain bike riders are looking for in the fact it’s a good quality full suspension bike with decent components at a medium level price.
It means people can own a good full suspension bike without spending a fortune and selling all their bikes to own a bike like this.
Do I feel it is worth the money? 100% I would be looking at buying this bike. It’s well made, has excellent components, and will be fun on gravel and some technical trails.
Featured Image Credits: Jenson USA
