Diamondback Mission (2013)

"If you could only have one bike”… You hear it all the time. But what would you look for in that bike? A great pedaling platform? Got it. A balanced ride? You bet. Increased bottom out resistance and a ton of perceived travel for any hit? Done deal.
With 6 inches of front and rear travel, the 2013 Mission caters to the all mountain/Enduro riders. Super D’s and single track, up and down… the Mission continues to be the go-to steed for almost any situation.
“I spend 90% of my time on my Mission. It’s the bike that got me excited about Diamondback. It can be set up to do everything. If I could only have one bike in my quiver, it would be my Mission,” states Diamondback DF5 Pro Factory Rider Kyle Thomas.
Diamondback’s Design Philosophy is a no-nonsense approach to building quality bicycles. We want our bike designs to be straightforward: their hardware accessible and their suspension simple.
The 2013 Mission All Mountain 6" frame is created from 6061-T6 Weapons Grade Aluminum and features a hydroformed top tube, a butted and formed downtube seatstays, seatstay bridge, a tapered headtube, ISCG 05 tabs, a 142×12mm E-Thru Axle drop out and Diamondback’s legendary Knuckle Box Suspension technology.
The Knuckle Box, or bell crank, is the core of our single-pivot four-bar suspension platform. Optimally placed pivots equate to a low leverage ratio, and ultimately to superior pedaling efficiency and small-bump compliance. This also allows the shock to work more efficiently and reduces pedal induced motion. It also reduces overall load on the system which will lead to improved shock and bearing life.
Placing the Knuckle Box low within the frame, situates the greatest weight of the bike closer to the bottom bracket, which lowers the bike’s center of gravity and allows it to better track and corner.
Wheel-rate is also one of the most significant aspects of a suspension system. Wheel-rate is the effective spring-rate when measured at the wheel. A benefit of our four-bar linkage is increased control over the wheel-rate. Obtaining the spring-rate curves in shocks from Fox is necessary to allowing us to determine the wheel-rate. Working closely with Fox, we’re able to optimize the wheel-rate to be linear-to-slightly progressive. This results in superb small-bump compliance, more perceived travel and excellent bottom-out protection. For this application we’ve chosen to run the stellar Fox Float CTD Air Shock with Adaptive Logic and Boost Valve Technologies. The DB Mission Spec 216×63mm air shock has rebound adjust and an all-new 3 position “adaptive logic” Propedal Platform. This keeps the rear riding plush without sacrifice on the pedal uphill. The CTD’s three modes—climb, trail, and descend—let you customize your ride on the fly.
Where the Mission comes to life is on the descent. On previous versions of the Mission, we’ve run both 150mm Fox 32’s and 160mm Fox 36’s. This year we have the best of all worlds with a 160mm travel Fox 34 Float CTD. A 160mm fork up front allows the front end to sit slack at a capable 67 degrees. The slacker front end eats obstacles with ease and adds more stability on the descents, but doesn’t compromise your climbing ability. With loads of travel, external rebound, a tapered steerer, Easton aluminum stanchions, and magnesium lowers, this is a fork that means business.
In addition to the top notch Fox Suspension, the Mission drivetrain is comprised of a Sram X-9 Type 2 rear derailleur, X-7 shifters, a PG-1030 10spd Cassette (11-36t), and Shimano Deore dual pull, top swing 34.9 front derailleur for accurate shifting every time. The Raceface Respond 10spd crankset with outboard bearing bottom bracket and bash guard (24/36/AM) provide a powerful base for maximum speed and a stiff platform for acceleration out of the saddle.
Stopping power is adequately supplied via the AVID Elixir Hydraulic disc brakes (200mm front/180mm rear). An Easton stem and post accompany a DB Probar oversized handlebar for a pleasing yet value oriented cockpit. In the same vein we’ve spec’d a 32h AM260HD double wall rim and alloy sealed cartridge bearing hubs (15mm front/142×12mm rear, 32h) to build out the wheelset combining strength and good looks with value.