Diamondback or GT?

gphillipk · #1 October 28th, 2005, 10:29 AM

Hi guys & girls,
I did that most odious of mistakes and bought a supermarket bike. I regretted it from the outset and have spent more time taking the bike for repair than riding it...I've resolved to get rid of it and get myself a good entry-level bike. It'll be used for the odd commute to work, but mostly for exercise. Have done what I should have done i.e. research and I've settled on these 2 brands. Basically, I want to get a bike with adjustable front shock, hardtail and the Shimano Alivio groupset.
What're your personal preferences as far as the 2 brands are concerned? Which has better reputation and reliability?

symphonix · #2 October 28th, 2005, 07:57 PM

Well, I prefer Giant myself (but then my needs are probably different to yours), but of the two you've narrowed it down to, I'd go with the Diamondback, mainly because I'm more familiar with the brand and have only ever heard good things.

**mdnky** · #3 October 30th, 2005, 05:47 AM

I wasn't familiar with GT either, so I looked into them real quick and found out they're owned by Pacific Cycle (who also owns Schwinn and Mongoose). I'm not sure about GT, but both Schwinn and Mongoose have gone down hill recently. As far as Diamondback, they used to be some of the best bikes money could buy—10 to 15 years ago, but now I'm not so sure anymore. They're owned by Raleigh America, and from the people I spoke with when I was looking their quality has gone way down since the buyout.

I was all set to get one (Diamondback) in June but decided to go with a cheaper Schwinn that just "felt" better to me...all I wanted it for was some exercise and occasional short trips (save gas). So far it's been a great bike, I'll have to wait and see if any problems arise.

All things considered, I'd suggest you try each one out and see what you like the best. What may be good for one person may be horrible for another. Make sure you get a chance to ride it before you buy it...so in other words spend the extra cash to deal with a real bicycle shop and not an internet supplier or some kind of 'mega-mart' sporting goods store. Based on a few reviews I saw on the net, the GTs win over the Diamondbacks and they'd be my choice if I was limited to just those two. If I was buying something I wanted to keep for a long time...and not limited to those two brands...then I'd buy a Trek or a Specialized.

A good site with reviews is http://www.mtbr.com/.

Macraze · #4 October 31st, 2005, 08:17 AM

I have an old pair of Diamondback, I love them. I ride mostly in the city, they are very light, very reliable, looks good...(I bought them second hand and still don't want to replace them).

gphillipk · #5 October 31st, 2005, 08:31 AM

Does anybody know of Merida mountain bikes? Their Kalahari series doesn't look too bad. It most probably isn't available in the US coz I've not been able to locate any info/reviews...

DeltaMac · #6 October 31st, 2005, 08:53 AM

Meridia is the second largest Taiwanese bicycle maker (behind Giant). Like you, I can't discover any info about the bicycles on-line.

gphillipk · #7 October 31st, 2005, 10:34 AM

Mechanical disk brakes; how reliable are they? I just saw a Schwinn Mesa GSD equipped with such brakes and its quite tempting.

Pardus · #8 October 31st, 2005, 10:50 AM

Get a specialized, they are amazing quality. I race BMX and have always liked specialized the best and also have a BigHit downhill bike. http://specialized.com they make road and touring bikes as well. Disk brakes arent really important if you are on the road, it is more for trail/downhill where you are constantly applying brake pressure as it assists the braking so it is easier on your fingers. There also isnt a huge difference with mechanical disc brakes vs. traditional. you see the big difference with hydraulic disc brakes.