Diamondback is best known for their broad offering of value-priced, value-packed, dual-suspension and hardtail mountain bikes. While selling rows of mountain bikes is good for a company’s bottom line, the hardcore riders and designers at Diamondback (located just outside of Seattle, Washington) wanted to strut their stuff and make a statement. The Mission 2 is the result of their efforts.
WHO IT IS MADE FOR?
The Mission 2 is such a versatile trail bike that it is easier to explain what it is not for. While the 2 is tough enough to spend a day ripping the double-black-diamond trails of any mountain bike park, Diamondback offers the $3750 Mountain Goat with a Truvativ HammerSchmidt two-speed internal transmission crankset if you are a season pass holder. Outside the park, the Mission 2 will tackle any trail obstacle or situation you decide to attack.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
The Mission 2 is made from aluminum. No carbon fiber stays and no apologies. This bike is built for unabashed abuse. The frame’s top tube is hydroformed and angled to reduce standover height. All the welds are beautiful. The rear suspension delivers six inches of travel through what Diamondback calls their Knuckle Box suspension. The Knuckle Box is the triangular rocker that is located low in the frame and positioned to accept a massive 200x51-millimeter shock. This long stroker allows the Mission 2 to enjoy a lower leverage ratio than if the bike used a shorter shock. The one-piece seat stays use an arch just in front of the rear tire to firm up the rear-end performance.
WHAT COMPONENTS STANDOUT?
Everything stands out on the Mission 2. The WTB Pure V Sport saddle gets white highlights. Easton supplies the bar, stem and seatpost. The Hayes Stroker Trail brakes use white calipers and reservoirs. The Diamondback guys even took time to spec a different tire for the front and rear wheels. Diamondback also throws in a free National Bike Registry membership with the Mission 2.
HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
The Mission 2 has a long wheelbase, and it’s noticeable as soon as you settle into the saddle. Rider weight is centered, and the rider position is classic trailbike (fairly upright). The bar feels a little narrow, but the soft rubber grips feel awesome.
Moving out: This is not a light bike, but there is some type of magic going on here. Setting the suspension with an honest 20-percent sag results in the feeling of floating down the trail. Leave the ProPedal off and enjoy the flying carpet as the Mission 2 glides over rocks, ruts and roots. It is crazy. You see obstacles coming at you, but never feel them as you roll over them. This is one smooth bike.
Hammering: Thirty-three pounds is a lot of weight to get up to speed, but don’t despair. Stay seated, pick a comfortable gear, and build up to the speed you want to hold. The amazing rear suspension keeps the tire hooked up when other suspensions would have the tire slipping or losing contact with the trail. We didn’t use the ProPedal lever, because even wide open, the suspension remains oblivious to your pedaling input.
Cornering: The Mission 2 is not going to dive under a cross-country race bike in the tight corners, but who cares? Instead, the Mission 2 is a stable, somewhat slow handler that doesn’t cross the line into feeling sluggish or too raked out. Diamondback gives you an eight-inch front and seven-inch rear brake rotor that work great in this application. The Hayes Stroker Trail brakes offer good modulation, so you never find yourself locking up the rear wheel or scrubbing too much speed entering a corner.
Climbing: If you want to reach down and turn on the shock’s ProPedal feature you can, but you don’t need to. Just spin along in a comfortable gear and work your way up the climb. Use the sweet suspension to pick the shortest line, not the smoothest line. When the going turns steep, move the saddle’s nose and power away.
Descending: The Mission 2 rider is never aware there is a full six inches of travel under his chamois until he starts to descend. It is while hitting sizable obstacles at speed that you finally notice all that travel. The rear end has a very linear feel as it moves through its travel, and even bottoming the suspension doesn’t punish the pilot. The brakes are great, and the tire selection was an astute choice. Torsional flexing in the rear end is evident when slamming a berm, so don’t use the Mission 2 for dual-slalom racing. That’s a joke, because it is not a race bike. One wrecking crewer surmised that the slight flexing in the rear end was one of the reasons we all loved this bike so much.
TRICKS, UPGRADES OR TIPS?
The grips slipped, so we’d replace them with lock-on style grips once they were worn out. Other than that, the Diamondback crew did all the work for you. The suspension components, brakes and drivetrain should be left alone.
BUYING ADVICE
The Mission 2 sells complete for the price of some boutique brand’s frame and shock combos. But this is not a great bike for the price; it is just a great bike. In fact, it is more bike than a recreational trail rider needs (Diamondback makes the Sortie for them). The Mission 2 is for the rider who wants to push the limits on a bike that can keep up with his lofty ambitions. How good is this bike? If you took a Mission 2 demo bike on a nasty test loop, you’d buy one. Mission accomplished.
DIAMONDBACK MISSION 2
Price $2650
Country of origin Taiwan
Weight 33 pounds
Hotline (800) 222-5527
Frame tested 17" (medium)
Bottom bracket height 14.5"
Chainstay length 17.5"
Top tube length 23"
Head tube angle 68°
Seat tube angle 72°
Standover height 30.5"
Wheelbase 44.5"
Suspension travel (front) 5.9"
Suspension travel (rear) 6"
Frame material Aluminum
Fork Fox 32 Float R 15QR
Shock Fox Float RP2
Rims Sun Equalizer
Tires WTB Prowler MX (f), Stout (2.35")
Hubs Neau Maim
Brakes Hayes Stroker Trail
Crankset Truvativ FireX
Handlebar Easton EA50 (25" wide)
Shifters SRAM X-7
Front derailleur Shimano Deore
Rear derailleur SRAM X-9
Chainrings Truvativ (44/32/22)
Cassette SRAM PG-950 (11-34)
Pedals DB Sound platform