Diamondback 2013 Launch: Sweet Singletrack and Sick Dirt Jumps
Words by Brice Minnigh
Photos by Anthony Smith
Diamondback Bicycles unveiled its 2013 line of mountain bikes over the weekend with the perfect blend of new product information and actual time on the trails—as well as on a spectacular composition of backyard dirt jumps.
The backdrop for the new lineup of bikes was the extraordinary alpine singletrack that surrounds Park City, Utah—home to Diamondback rider Eric Porter and a core assemblage of mountain bikers and trail builders. With such an impressive selection of world-class trails and jumps, little time was wasted in getting out on the dirt.
Among the 2013 line of bikes were time-tested stalwarts such as the Mission, the Scapegoat and the increasingly popular Sortie 29, in addition to highly anticipated newcomers like the 29-inch, long-travel hardtail called the Mason.
On hand to try out the bikes were the winners of online contests for bikemag.com and pinkbike.com—respectively, Matt Jagger of Olympia, Washington, and Ted Morton of Kamloops, British Columbia. Not only did the contest winners turn out to be stand-up dudes, both happened to be absolute rippers who put the bikes through their paces on the trails and dirt jumps.
You’ll be hearing and seeing more about the new bikes in the coming weeks, but for now we offer a gallery of images and words summing up our weekend
Forsaking the obligatory PowerPoints and Kool-Aid drinking, we opted for a patch of shade and a succinct overview of the 2013 bikes before hitting the trails.
Silhouetted and safety checked—keys, wallet, phone, Knucklebox…check. A PBR in the pack and we’re good to go.
If you wanna play with the Big Dogs, you’ve gotta get off the porch and into the Wasatch Mountains—hang tight, young Milo Porter (bottom left), you’ll get cranks on that bike soon enough.
A tale of Matt and the Mason—maneuvering through the aspens of the Wasatch Crest trail on Diamondback’s one-of-a-kind, raked-out hardtail 29er.
Every descent should start with good friends and a laugh: Matt Jagger and Ted Morton trade jabs with Diamondback marketing hustler Jon Kennedy before shredding their way down a 3,000-foot Symphony of Destruction.
No spineless lines for Diamondback team rider Kelly McGarry, whether on his home jumps in New Zealand or a burly Wasatch ridgeline.
Matt Jagger gets waaaaaaay too much satisfaction on this stretch of the Wasatch Crest—no brakes, no mistakes.
Tearing through the aspens of the Wasatch is better than your first time listening to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Beers, barrels and backyard behemoths: Whipping the jumps back into shape after an afternoon thunderstorm.
“Listen up boys: These jumps will one day be yours—but always remember to respect the drainage.”
The first rider to drop in after the storm was two-and-a-half-year-old Milo Porter, who lamented the mud-shedding shortcomings of his Strider tires—not to mention those of his bogged-up Baby Crocs.
Chillin’ with the Build Crew and McGazza on Porter’s back porch.
The Park City Chainsaw Massacre—soft lips and soft landings didn’t stand a chance against the Diamondback determination.
Option one: Scramble to the top of the roll-in. Option two: Grab a cold one and settle in for the Billy Lewis Show.
The Co-Presidents of the Kelly McGarry Fan Club scream louder than Slayer fans calling for an Angel of Death encore.
Billy Lewis goes to Heaven…sideways.
"We were told this is an all-ages show": The Co-Presidents of the Kelly McGarry Fan Club—Milo Porter and Charlie Dalton—demand back-flips or a full refund.
The Build Crew—Derek Thomson, Dan Hammack and Beau Hennings, of Buckets-Up Construction—revel in the fruits of their own destruction.
First session. Golden light. Eric Porter takes flight on his new backyard Zen Garden after two months of muscle-driven meditation.
Mi casa su casa—Porter doles out the hospitality, from the high-alpine hijinks to the hoppy goodness of his home brews.
