It’s a new year and time to get on with tasks at hand. That includes our review and test of the Diamondback Overdrive Pro 29 inch wheeled hardtail mountain bike. While winter has our area in its icy grip, I have been able to wrangle a few rides in on the snow, rock hard chunky ice, and hardpacked crust. The Overdrive Pro has given up a few of its secrets so far, so here is my first impression so far.
You may remember that I mentioned the weight of the Overdrive Pro was heavier than any other bike we’ve tested so far. The funny thing is, out in the snow and ice I haven’t noticed it too much. Only in steep ups can I tell I’m pedalling something a bit weighty. Otherwise, I can say it rides about like any other hardtail that is a bit under 30lbs. This concurs with my experiences onboard this bike in Bootleg Canyon. It just didn’t seem to ride like it weighed more than 30lbs, but it does. Again, one could shave weight off this rig in a hurry with some easy part swaps, so it is possible to lighten it up without busting the limit on the credit card.
The thing that stands out for me on this bike is its handling. Before I get into that, I might address something I’ve become aware of over the past six months. That being the two basic paths that 29″ers seem to be taking handling-wise. On one hand we seem to be observing an effort to wipe out any traces of “negative” handling characteristics that 29″er wheels seem to have. This is especially true in terms of how the 29″er steers. On the other hand we see another type of bike that stops short of wiping out all traces of a 29″ers inherent characteristics and in some cases actually accentuates them. The Overdrive Pro falls into the latter category. It is a bike that is unabashedly “29”er” from stem to stern.
I felt the stability of the wheels on this bike like I have not in some time. Snow riding demands a stable bike and the Overdrive Pro strolled over the white stuff with relative ease. The only thing really holding it back was the Prowlers lack of girth which may have helped me float up on some of the hardpack and crusty snow sections I floundered in from time to time. In terms of stability, I find that a stable, nuetral handling bike inspires me to do things right away that I might be tentative or unwilling to try on such a “new to me” bike. In fact, the Overdrive Pro did just that for me. I tried launching up a three foot high solidly frozen wall of snow from flat, (something I rarely do anyway) and I ended up crashing spectacularly, not due to the bike. My own lack of skill there did me in, but the bike did inspire that sort of confidence to try unfamiliar moves.
Component-wise the Overdrive Pro delivers. I really like the Dual Release Rapid Fire shifters and of course, the Reba was like butter right out of the box. The shifting was crisp and I have yet to have any miss shifts, even in icy, snowy terrain. The Prowlers have been okay, but these conditions really demand a wider tire than they are. That said, the Prowlers are holding their own.
The frame is great with its stiff front triangle and minimal bottom bracket flex. This bike handles well mostly because of that stiff front triangle. Your geometry is only as good as that front end is stiff. Great geometry and a noodly front end really isn’t fun! Diamondbacks design pays dividends here. In the rear it is stiff, but oddly enough, I remember the Overdrive Pro out at Vegas to be even stiffer. Hmm…..not sure why that is yet. We’ll see after it thaws out here and I can get this on some “real” trails. Until then………….
Great info!
Even though I do not like Sram or Aluminum, I can tell it another quality product that I can tell people about.
Thanks for the Update Ted
Interesting point about the diverging handling attributes. Care to elaborate on that further? I assume the G2 HiFi is on the far extreme the other direction?
mtroy: Look for a full fledged post on this subject soon. 😉
Great to have someone with your breadth of experience, who can spot these trends.
Is the extra weight more easy to live with on a 29er than a 26 ?
I’d love to know the spec’n of your dream bike, or should that now be bikes ?
Gren: Great question! The extra weight on a 29″er might actually be better than extra weight on a 26″er. Consider the following: 29″ers roll over stuff easier- If you do not have to re-accelerate as much, then the weight isn’t as much of a penalty as it might be on a 26″er. Also, you have better traction with a 29″er, so getting up steeps is actually easier, especially if you utilize the momentum a 29″er tends to generate.
In my mind it is advantage 29″er no matter the weight, as long as weight is equal.
Dream spec? Well, I’m all about acquiring a four inch travel full suspension 29″er, and I am really liking the new XT stuff, so keep an eye out. I think you might be a bit surprised at what it is that is on my radar. 😉
I will look forward to the post-up of your thoughts on the handling paths that are being followed.
I think 29er are still, if not infants, at least toddlers when it comes to overall design and parts synergy. Fisher is thinking right by way of having forks made to fit their idea of the ideal bike. That takes a bit of pull and $$ to make that happen.
I still think chainstays are too long and headangles are too steep. And, to soapbox a bit more, the “CS lengths are that way to help climbing” is silly. CS ‘s are 18″ cuz it is easy to build them that way and, if it works for the buyer, great. If not, what choice have they had?
I applaud the little guy Lenz and big guy Fisher for tweaking the idea of what a 29er should be. I bet it will take another 2 years or so to get things settled down and reasonable.
But hey, what do I know? Looking forward to what you know, GT.
SRAM? The website calls it all Shimano, down to the octolink.
Damn it, I hate when I see things! it is shimano, even better 😀
I hadn’t ridden a bike in over a dozen years and got the itch to hit the trail again. I picked up the Overdrive, not the Pro, and love it. I wanted an affordable bike, and one that would last me more than a few years. I’m a big guy (6’/250) so sturdiness and build quality was important. After all of those years, getting on this bike was like I never took time off. I bought it to take back to HI with me and leave it there to have at the ready (I split time between the islands and west coast). But I decided to take it up to Big Bear for test run or two prior to my trip back to the islands. Well, I was nervous to say the least, but after a few hundred yards down the mountain I felt race ready. In the islands that extra tire size made a huge difference compared to what I remembered those trails being like so long ago. And this was also my first bike with disc brakes – a definite requirement for those wet and muddy HI trails. Instead of leaving it in HI, I decided the extra fee to lug it back and forth was worth it. I use this bike in HI and CA and I really love the handling, especially with the different terrains – from muddy, rooty island trails to dry, hard, rocky west coast stuff. This is my first 29er and it is a dream to ride, a perfect choice for being back in the saddle again.