Diamondback's Carbon Release 5c – Review

Diamondback’s new carbon Release 5c did not happen overnight, and while the concept of pairing a responsive, 130-millimeter chassis with a longer-stroke, 150-millimeter fork is gaining traction today, it was a risky roll of the dice over two years ago when DB rolled out the original aluminum version in the heat of the big-travel/enduro revolution. Originally launched in aluminum along with the brand’s “Level Link” four-bar rear suspension, the Release was well received for its next-gen handling and for its suspension’s ability to shrug off bumps without interfering with its rider’s pedaling action. For Diamondback, the bike was a message to many riders who grew up with the brand, first when it was a BMX powerhouse and later, as a pioneer mountain bike maker, that they were done with the bargain bike experiment and were marching back to their ancestral roots in the forest of shred. Launching the carbon version of the Release suggests that Diamondback has finally made it home.



The Release 5c is more than another carbon trail bike with 27.5-inch wheels. It has a “needs nothing” component spec, its numbers are on the money, it feels wonderful under power, and the descending ability of this mid-travel shredder is a category bender and, it marks a new way of doing business that gives Diamondback customers options that are rarely, if ever offered at such an affordable sticker price.




Customer-Direct, With a Custom Option

The Carbon Release chassis is spec’ed on two models: the $4499 5c we review here is based on a SRAM Eagle X01 transmission, with a Fox 36 FIT 4 fork and Elite DPX2 shock for and the $3000 4c, that is based around Shimano’s SLX ensemble and suspended by a Fox 34 Performance fork and a DPS3 Evol shock. Hop onto the Diamondback Carbon Release web page and for an up-charge, you can spec your bike with just about anything you want and they will custom build it for you. Diamondback sells directly to its customers and either ships you your bike 95-percent complete in a special box, or arranges for the final assembly at your local dealer. If you live in a service area, you can have Beeline Mobile Mechanics deliver it to your door – all for no extra charge.


Cable routing is internal, with lightweight plastic tubes bonded in place to assist routing the cable housings and brake hoses through the frame. The bottom bracket is threaded and DB specs the Release with an MRP bash guard bolted to the frame’s ISCG 05 bosses. For the hydration curious, a single water bottle mount is tucked below the down tube, and to the disappointment of some, none exist inside the front triangle (although there appears to be room enough on the large and X-large sizes).

Geometry



To extend that beneficial kinematic as far as possible beyond the sag point, the upper link is targeted at 90 degrees to the lower one, which causes the suspension’s instant center (the imaginary point in space that the swingarm pivots around) to migrate forward along the chain line. The result is enviable, because the Release can be pedaled efficiently, without reaching for the low-speed compression lever, while its rear wheel is free to conform to the trail surface. It’s a clever and effective solution, crafted by Luther Beale of Level One Enginee+ring, who cooperated with Diamondback on the Release project since its inception.



Diamondback spent its money wisely, by side-stepping the Kashima coating on the Fox 36 fork and using the savings to balance the suspension with a more capable Fox Elite DPX2 reservoir shock. The shock was tuned to perform with the Level Link kinematics, which translates to a lot of mid stroke support. For a relatively short-travel suspension that is intended to be run wide open most of the time, that makes sense, so there probably won’t be much call to flip the shock’s blue “make my bike pedal-friendly” lever. That said, it’s there should you desire it.



Where many brands spec a top-line derailleur, or flashy Kashima-coated suspension as a ploy to capture a sale, Diamondback spreads the love throughout the entire bike to ensure that its owner has everything he or she needs shred. In fact, they even throw in a pair of flat pedals, a front fender, a spare derailleur hanger, and a multi-tool/torque wrench to back up that promise.

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I had already put in a half-dozen rides on the Carbon Release when Diamondback's Brice Wenker and Eric Porter made the trip down to Southern California for a pedal. It was riding with Porter that clarified the bike's mission statement. Eric has excelled in trials, as a freestyle rider and lately, he's taken on some massive cross-country events with climbs that would crush ordinary men.

Eric's an ace on a bike, which means that he can compensate for the Release's minimal rear suspension travel while he's ripping downhills that most riders reserve for their big bikes, and he's got the base fitness to push a 30-pound trail bike uphill at an impressive pace. So, Eric wants a bike that is efficient under power, playful and maneuverable in every situation one might encounter on natural terrain, but still low and slack enough to hit jump lines and park trails. Unsurprisingly, the Carbon Release 5c is all of those things. After all, Eric has been involved in the bike's development from day one.



Central to that story, of course, is the competent rider who can take advantage of the ride-height stability that results from a shorter-travel chassis, and who can ignore the wider steering arc of a slack head tube angle at slower climbing speeds. The long-travel trail bike trend has been raging for quite some time, and it has produced an abundance of talented riders who may be ripe for Diamondback's downsized trail shredder. Porter says they designed the Release to excel at the kind of riding that skilled riders enjoy most. The more miles I put on the bike, the more I've been liking it.

Setting it up: Like Mike Kazimer discovered in his review of the first-gen aluminum Release 3, the Release 5c delivers a firm ride with a lot of support in the mid-stroke. That must have been intentional, because Diamondback has put a lot of effort since then to perfect the shock tune. The 5c's current Fox DPX2 shock feels smoother over everything, but large root or rock strikes will still overwhelm its 130-millimeters of wheel travel. I set the sag at the recommended 30 percent in the rear and used a smaller number up front. After a few rides, I learned that the front end of the bike required less low-speed compression, and the result was a smooth acting fork, backed up by a slightly firmer setting on the shock than I would normally use to maintain a little travel in reserve for those moments when I either lack the resolve to dance over the boulders, or simply over-extend my skill set and have to figure out an alternative line on the fly. I quickly learned to take advantage of the bike's long front center and lean in on the fork in a pinch.



Climbing and acceleration: Thirty pounds is my borderline for not heavy, but not lightweight either, and that's exactly where the size medium Release 5c sits on the scale. Fortunately, the lion's share of Diamondback's Level Link claims proved true. After experimenting with the DPX2's compression lever, I learned to leave it wide open most of the time to take advantage of the suspension on rough ascents (and most flat pedaling for that matter). I did prefer to use the middle setting for long, smooth climbs, but it was mostly a creature-of-habit response. Pedaling circles up smooth trails feels better than average. Where the Level Link seems to excel, however, is finding traction and ironing out choppy, technical grinds. I successfully sessioned some steeps that I had yet to clean aboard the Diamondback.

The fun stuff: Get into a fast set of turns and the Release chassis comes alive. The advantage of the reduced wheel travel becomes apparent. The suspension stays planted in the middle of its travel. Grip feels predictable and the farther the bike is leaned, the better the steering syncs with chassis. Drifts feel controlled. I don't think I rode any of my familiar trails faster, but I found myself doubling small rock gardens, back-siding drops that I'd normally roll, and drifting chunky corners just to see where the tires would give up. Oh, and I was crashing more often, which is actually a good thing because it meant I was riding out of my comfort zone.


Technically, There really is no substitute for lots of wheel travel and a long, stable chassis when the steeps turn scary and speeds edge toward the realm of a DH bike. As long as I kept my speed in check, I could drop down gravity lines aboard the Diamondback without much trouble. The stable handling and quality of the Release's fork and shock absolves a lot of sins, but when you finally do reach the precipice, you'll run out of options much, much faster on a 135-millimeter bike than you will aboard a 160-millimeter chassis. But, that's the fun of it, really. The Release 5c is so surprisingly capable that it goads you to skirt disaster. You know you shouldn't go there, but what if you did and pulled it off?



Pinkbike's Take:
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Reviews and Tech Reviews Trail Bikes Diamondback Diamondback Release