Crucial BMX Shop – Test Pilot 187 Diamondback Forum 2014
Words and Photo’s: Dunk
The 2014 Diamondback Forum appears to have changed very little from last years model. It’s a one size fits all 20.75, shiny chrome, do it all kind of bike. Coming in at about £475 it’s at the higher end of the entry-level market, so the parts are getting a bit nicer at around this price range. You’ll find some DB 48 spline 3 piece cranks, an FSA headset and Odyssey Hawk tyres both ends on a set of female axle sealed hubs. You’ll also get a nice CNC’d chainring, a half-link chain and removable lugs too, so you’re really left wanting for nothing. The only bad thing was the stem. It felt like it was ready to strip at any moment when building it up, so rather than being able to really confidently do up the stem, we had to back off a bit for fear of damaging it. That meant that the bars slipped a bit while testing.
Crucial team rider and spanner monkey Jordan Withey hopping the rail at Dean Lane.
Ride wise it’s nice and high, the bars feel pretty wide, but that’s really down to taste and the grips feel good. All in all, it’s good value for money and with the full 4130 chromoly tubing should stand up to whatever you can throw at it.
Spec:
• Frame: Diamondback Full 4130 butted Chromoly
• Fork: Full 4130 butted chromo
• Bars: 8×28.25” Cro-mo
• Stem: DB MX dual clamp
• Cranks: Diamondback CRO-MO 3 piece 48 Spline Cro-mo
• Bottom Bracket: Mid sealed
• Sprocket: CNC Alloy 25T
• Chain: 1/2 link
• Brakes: Diamondback U rear, calliper front
• Lever: Alloy
• Headset: FSA High impact
• Grips: Diamondback Viper
• Hubs: Sealed front DB female, DB sealed female cassette rear
• Rims: Alienation Primus front, Alienation 440 rear
• Tyres: Odyssey Chase Hawk 2.20 tan wall
• Seat: Diamondback embossed mid padded OPC Combo
• RRP: £475
• Website: diamondback.co.uk
• Distro: Raleigh
• Thanks to: Crucial BMX Shop
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