fstshrk

Thinking of picking up a steilacoom rcx pro as both a commuter and a travel bike.

Disc brakes are unimportant to me since it does not rain where I live (east side of WA state).

Any thoughts on this bike? The reviews online seem fairly favorable.

Thanks

buffalowings

I have the Diamondback RCX (2014) non disk edition. It's a solid bike...One consideration is the design of the seatstay, on my frame (50cm) the seatstays are narrower then I like, I'm practically limited to tires 32/33c or less and the narrow stays limit how far I can release my brake calipers, not a concern because I bought it for the intention of starting out in cross racing but food for thought. Another issue i found was the placement of the bottlecage bosses, some genius at DB thought it would be a great idea to put the boss smack dab where the derailleur should be mounted. Looking at the website, they corrected this for the RCX pro so it's a moot issue. After owning two diamondback bikes, my opinion is: solid bikes for the money, throwing punches at bikes above their price range, but they have some stuff to work through (customer support and the little details that matter and would be evident if someone actually tested the every design.

Also worthy of consideration: the frame has eyelets/mounts for a rear rack and fenders, but the front fork does not have any eyelets whatsoever.

fstshrk

Thank you. Seems like a great bike. I am still on the fence to see if I can get a better deal on a 2014 with the new Force 22.

rogerdodger

I recently bought a medium (53cm) Diamondback RCX with Tektro CR710 cantilever brakes. The design of the seatstays is way too narrow, which limits how far the brakes can be opened. When the brakes are fully released, say to remove your wheels, the pads contact both sides of the seat stays. I brought the calipers out to measure the gap between the brake pads when fully open, and it's only 22mm. The Kenda tires it comes with are 32mm so you have to deflate the tires to remove.

I want so much to like the bike - solid components (105, FSA, etc.), but I have to say I think the width of the rear seatstays is a pretty serious design flaw.

buffalowings

With the pressure that I run the tires at (35-40 psi) I still have enough clearance to remove the tires when inflated (it's definitely a tight fit) btw, I'm using shorty avid ultimates.

One easy solution is to use shimano cx50's or cx70's. The design ensures that the pads are well out of the way of the seatstays, another alternative are TRP mini-v's. It's definitely not a bad bike, +/-$80 is well worth it instead of buying an entire new bike.

Xid

Thanks for this suggestion. I just had an RCX delivered yesterday and likewise was bummed by the narrow seatstays and the brake pads are barely off of the rims and are in contact the seatstays when not activated. I think that they'll work ok with a little more tweaking but am considering changing out the brakes. I took a look at the cx50, cx70, TRP mini-v's, and shorty avid ultimates online, and am having a hard time figuring out how they'd be better than the stock Tektros. It looks like they all will still have the leading edge of the pad within the narrow seatstays. Just curious if anyone has any information as to why these would work better - are the pads and blocks thinner, or are the mounting posts longer so that the leading edge of the brakes clear the seat stays when opened?

Thanks!

scotjonscot

Don't know if you ever got the RCX Pro or not, but I love mine. I got the 2013 model early this year with Force 10 speed and the Tektro TRP mini v's, Sram s950 crankset and Easton EA90 aero wheelset. I know the 2014 has an FSA crank and a different Easton whilst and different brakes.(and of course the Force 22) other than that they are the same. Jenson USA has both the 2013 and the 2014 currently on sale for $1560.00. Either one would be a great deal. I've done a few gavel events, and have been commuting on it all summer. I plan on racing it this fall. Anyway, so far I'm very happy with it.

scotjonscot

Oh, and the brake pads don't have any clearance issues with the seat stays.