Road Test/Bike Review (1990) DIAMOND BACK Master TG
01-24-24, 10:40 AM
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Road Test/Bike Review (1990) DIAMOND BACK Master TG
The article "Big Steel" (Bicycle Guide, July 1990) featured the DIAMOND BACK Master TG and the RALEIGH Team 753. The former is included in this post. The latter will be in a separate post later today or tomorrow.
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Last edited by SpeedofLite; 01-25-24 at 09:56 AM.
01-25-24, 04:24 AM
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I appreciate the beginning of this article, where it examines both the philosophy and the mechanics of tubing diameter choices. A couple observations on the Master TG; 1.) Not sure why the almost 74-degree headtube was chosen. This likely impacted the review of the bike on rough road 2.) a more-normal 54cm test frame would have revealed a much lighter bike (probably in the 22-pound range). 3.) Bike seems like it would have been better-off in the $500.00 range.
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01-26-24, 05:24 PM
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01-26-24, 08:13 PM
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I think that the Bicycle Guide staff were just a bunch of tall dudes. And, also, they may have just preferred bigger frames than is now popular. 1990 was before the "the smallest bike that you can make fit on the trainer in the shop" philosophy of bike fitting. And before the popularity of the compact road frame. (Not before the invention of it... everybody seems to forget the Bicycling Magazine / Merlin Metalworks ~15 pound Ti-bike from, I think, 1989. If SpeedofLite has that article, it'd make for a pretty interesting bit of history.)
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01-27-24, 04:34 PM
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Very intersting and thanks for sharing
01-27-24, 08:23 PM
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Had one of these for a bit. On what was supposed to be it's first long ride, got hit by a car after going an entire block and broke a spoke in the rear wheel. After fixing it back up, wasn't too impressed with how stiff and heavy it was, and sold it. Probably a great ride for big strong people though.
