For the last year, you’ve mostly seen me
riding these two bikes: My Diamondback Release 3, and Mission Pro. The Mission has 160mm of travel and a long
chainstay. When it comes to plowing through chunky downhill
it’s my fastest bike, but it’s not my first choice. More often than not, I’ve opted to ride
my smaller and nimbler Release 3. My Release has been more places than any bike
I’ve ever owned. From downhill parks. To jumps. To the moon. I’ve never been more confident than I am
on my Release. But being my main trail bike isn’t all fun
and games. I do a lot of crashing. And bailing. And
sometimes I freak the fuck out. Luckily I have great sponsors. Diamondback stands by this very sturdy frame,
Box keeps me running a fresh set of components, and Slime makes sure my tires are full of—Slime. I could easily (and happily) continue to abuse
my Release for another five years, but I won’t get a chance to. Because today, is new bike day. By now you’ve probably read about the Release
5c, Diamondback’s new carbon trail bike, but I’m fairly sure you haven’t seen this
one. This one is mine, and it’s being built and
shipped with parts that I picked out. Obviously it comes with a Box drivetrain,
carbon wheelset, and cockpit. It also comes with an MRP ramp control cartridge
preinstalled. Why not? A lot of the other parts are standard on the
5C, like Maxxis Minion tires and an MRP bash guard. Although this 5C is being built just for me,
it’s actually available to anyone by clicking the “Seth’s Build” button in Diamondback’s
Custom Studio. You can also use Custom Studio to spec your
own Release Carbon to meet your needs and budget. Included in the box is a shock pump, torque
wrench, and a few other goodies. It also comes with this additional downtube
guard for pickup tailgates. I’ll be needing that. Still I’m not so sure that any Diamondback
ships with this—Charlie from HR sent a custom bandana just for Drama. It has his title on it, “Berm Creek Trail
Boss”. The collar even has a DB logo in it. Now Drama can feel important while he grazes
in Berm Creek. Speaking of Berm Creek it was barely rideable
due to rain. So on Tuesday, Alexander and I drove 4 hours
to Chattanooga for dry dirt. This was my new bike’s maiden voyage. The 5c felt totally familiar to me from the
second I hopped on. This was no surprise, as it has the same geometry
as my last bike. But this one has all the benefits of a carbon
frame, like vibration damping and stiffness. These are luxuries, which I feel very fortunate
to enjoy. A carbon frame won’t make you a better rider
and it won’t give you new capabilities. It’s just there to give you the most enjoyable
ride possible—and it’s working. While the standard build of the 5c comes with
Fox Suspension, I opted for Rockshox since I find it easier to adjust and service. In terms of performance you can’t go wrong
with either. To any fork I’d add this MRP ramp control
cartridge, which allows you to dial in your ramp-up on the fly. In my opinion, this should come standard on
every fork in the world. Moving on to the drivetrain my build comes
with Box One shifting and a Box 46 tooth cassette, the same as I have on my other trail bikes. This is all spun by a Raceface Next carbon
crankset. On to the Raceface Aefect dropper post which
feels super refined and has a great thumb lever. I only need a 125 mill because I’m short,
but it’s available in different sizes. The stem and bars are also Box. I’ve been beating these bars senseless since
the Spring without issue. They’re the perfect shape for me, which
is why I run them on all my trail bikes. I’ve also been running Box One carbon wheels,
which help bring the weight of this bike to well under 30 pounds. They’re also really stiff around corners
and over chunk. A few people on instagram noticed that I’m
running Shimano Deore XT brakes. I find them to be reliable and I like the
levers, so I opted for them over Sram Guides. Finally the tires. Maxxis Minions are what normally come on a
5c and they’re exactly what I’d choose. Inside these tires is Slime sealant. No, this is not the stuff you see at auto
parts stores, you can only get it at bike shops or online. I love that it’s neon green and easy to
spot. I also like that it plugs leaks really well,
no glitter required. If you want to see my build or play around
with different options on the 5C, check the link below to visit Custom Studio. I’m really excited about having my own build
on Diamondback’s website, but at the end of the day the 5c is a win for everyone. It’s one of the best values in carbon trail
bikes right now, and I’m gonna try really hard not to freak out and throw it. I will however, be using it to ride new places
and make the tutorials that you guys have been requesting. Thanks for riding with me today, and I’ll
see you next time.
