Mountain Biking - OPINIONS NEEDED: Diamondback Ascent EX Adventure Series

A local guy has a Diamondback Ascent EX Adventure Series for sale for $40. Im just getting into mountain biking and it looks pretty decent. 18 speed, No suspension, 24" steel frame, 26" tires. Is it a good bike? Reasonable price? and will it fit a 6'4" guy? lol Also, how "upgradable" is it? Like if I wanted to put on a new fork with suspension, disc brakes, new derailleur, rims, hubs, etc, how would this factor in? Are the upgrades somewhat limited or is it really not upgradable at all? Sorry for the n00b questions.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z71/rfehr613/DSC06046.jpg

also, my buddy has a mid-late 90's diamondback sorrento. it looks very similar except it appears to oly have a 1 or 2 piece crank and crappier brakes. the pic is fuzzy so thats why i said "appears" lol

That bike uses a threaded headset which is not used anymore. It probably also is 1" instead of the more common 1 1/8" unthreaded. This means you won't be able to use a modern fork. Your rear dropout spacing may not be able to accommodate a more modern 8 or 9 spd drivetrain. You won't be able to mount disc brakes because you don't have the necessary tabs on rear, or on your fork.

If you buy it, don't plan on upgrading it. Plan on using it to learn how to ride, then save your money for a good bike that's more modern. You can take this one on some light trails, and learn to pick your lines because you don't have any suspension to ease the bumps. Good luck.

damn :( i guess the sorrentos probably the same?

I don't know. All I know is that 6-spd cassettes are narrower, and require a smaller distance between dropouts, which is why you can't upgrade to 8 or 9-spd. From the picture, that bike has a quill stem, so it has a threaded headset and attaches to the steerer tube via an expander wedge. Usually, this indicates a 1" headset, which is incompatible with nearly all 1 1/2" steerer tubes on suspension forks these days, although some 1" compatible ones probably exist on the used market. I can tell by looking at the frame, that there are no disc tabs near the hubs for mounting brakes. I suppose if you had a pic of the Sorrento, someone could tell you for sure.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z71/rfehr613/DSC06046.jpgThat has "commuter" written all over it . . . and a pretty one at that. Mountain bike? - - not so much.

I found a 1990 Diamondback Ascent EX in the trash with Shimano XT/LX components and yes it is an excellent candidate as a commuting bike. I am rebuilding it as an expedition touring bike with fenders, trekking bars and racks.

I don't know. All I know is that 6-spd cassettes are narrower, and require a smaller distance between dropouts, which is why you can't upgrade to 8 or 9-spd. From the picture, that bike has a quill stem, so it has a threaded headset and attaches to the steerer tube via an expander wedge. Usually, this indicates a 1" headset, which is incompatible with nearly all 1 1/2" steerer tubes on suspension forks these days, although some 1" compatible ones probably exist on the used market. I can tell by looking at the frame, that there are no disc tabs near the hubs for mounting brakes. I suppose if you had a pic of the Sorrento, someone could tell you for sure.

well as for the disk brakes, would replacing the hubs with ones that allow discs fix that issue? i also dont need 20 billion gears, i think 18 speed would be fine. so the only issue that could suck is the fork thing i think.

That has "commuter" written all over it . . . and a pretty one at that. Mountain bike? - - not so much.

i just started cut me a break :p lol

so you think i should look elsewhere? ill probably mostly use it on the road. but there are a number of trails around here, so id like a bike that can handle that kind of terrain.

1) Remove everything
2) Paint it hot pink
3) Paint the parts neon green
4) Make it a fixie
5) Wear checkered Vans and tight pants.

EDIT: I really like that bike, but throw some slicks on that thing! Do you have a bigger budget for a MTB? Or is $40 pretty much it?

1) Remove everything
2) Paint it hot pink
3) Paint the parts neon green
4) Make it a fixie
5) Wear checkered Vans and tight pants.

EDIT: I really like that bike, but throw some slicks on that thing! Do you have a bigger budget for a MTB? Or is $40 pretty much it?

no, i can go a little higher than $40. i really all depends on how good of a deal it is. I also FINALLY got a job here at school, so I should have some extra cash in a few weeks. Suggestions around $100-150? (used of course)

I'd say that using it to learn how to ride trails is a good idea, and if you don't like mountain biking then you're only out $40 but still have a great bike for a commuter.

yeah, its just if im spending $40, i feel like i might as well throw another $20-40 in to get like a mongoose or something lol.

Hes a crappy iPhone pic of my buddy Sorrento. He said hed get me higher quality pix today. And he thinks its around 1999-2000...

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z71/rfehr613/IMG00203-20090805-1437.jpg

Dude, save up your cash for a bit and then get on Craigslist for something like one of these. When you find one, barter them down. It isn't hard because people don't like conflict.
Raleigh M80 (http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/bik/1308300177.html)
Spec Rockhopper (http://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/bik/1306605926.html)

i dont know how long itll take me to save up that much though lol