fleslider 

Post the 86 Specs or Catalog if you have it.

you can find what little of the 87 Catalog i can find here

MOMBAT: Diamond Back Bicycles History

Bikedued

I loved this bike! Sold it though, like many other bikes through the years.,,,,BD

Master TG... This thing would ride for miles one handed. Not so much as a twitch.

jjames1452 

This beauty is still in the queue. CIOCC Designer, Trek 620, Schwinn Prologue, Trek 610, and '73 World Voyageur are ahead of it.
And now my wife wants a steel mixte built.

It will come. And, like fine wine, will only get sweeter with age!!

Santuri32

I just have the specs sheet for 1986, here's the MTB models due size constrictions

fleslider 

Thanks, i can now see what is not original on my Ascent. Most of it looks like period upgrades except the tires and seatpost.

CannedPakes

That's a pretty cool fork.

fleslider 

Looks like a Manitou Answer Fork.

thinktubes 

I had an Interval TG, which was pretty much the same frame, but with RX parts. I do recall how smooth and stable it was.

DMC707

OK DAMMIT !!! --- I am now in the vintage Diamondback club solelly because of this thread --- the pic of the chrome Ascent piqued my interest .
I posted some pics of my Centurions here, but that night i cruised CL and punched in DiamondBack ---- then promptly posted a thread in the appraisals section asking if i was insane or not knowing full well that there is no right answer for a c-note bicycle -- some will say worthless at any price while others will say rock-on
I rocked on -- while at the seller's home, i noted a large stash of tires and a couple of bike boxes and asked if he had any others for sale --- he said, "Yep, this bike's red brother"

I gave the man $200 and got back home -----

I spend my days looking at a heart rate monitor and checking my average speed while riding my 29'er or my carbon road bike ---- the grin on my face when i took this old slow poke from mountain biking's infancy on a test ride was probably priceless !

I like 'em and want to get my wife out with me on one soon !

I will need to wear some OP corduroy shorty shorts, an oxford cloth button down shirt rolled up to the elbows, and top siders with a Detroit Tigers ballcap so i resemble Thomas Magnum !!-- I will instruct the wife to do her hair up like she is in an 80's rock video and wear some retro Oakleys

Darth Lefty 

Reading the specs, it looks like the Master was a far lighter and racier frame, with butted tubes and a chromoly fork, whereas the Interval had a straight gauge triangle and hi-ten stays and fork.

My BIL has an Expert (in between) but I haven't read all of its stickers.

fleslider 

Your Welcome ?!?

I had the same response when i rode that Chrome Ascent it was fun and brought me back to the mid 80's. No SLR, no SIS, No disc Brakes or suspension just classic MTB character!

Those Fleetstreaks look brand new, Nice score. seems to be around a 1986 model also.

Clang

1986 Diamondback Ascent in Porsche Red.

The original craigslist ad said it was an 18 speed, but it only has 15. I like all the allusions to its (admittedly hefty) weight: "Heavy Duty bicycle" and "A ton of bike for the money."

I replaced the rotted-sidewall original tires with 26x2.0 Continental Retro-Rides. This is my commuter bike. One of the nice things about this having nutted axles is less worry about wheel theft (not that I'm in a theft-prone area).

I'm considering a drop bar conversion. Do I have to wait to find some bar-cons, or does anyone run thumb shifters on the tops of the bars?

DMC707

--- I am staking out the red one for myself unless my SO convinces me otherwise --- I hope the type of cycling i plan to do with these is up her alley and she will latch on and start enjoying as well - basically coffee chop cruises, lake trails and the occasional off road jaunt ---

I know the Fleet Streak is more of the hybrid oriented bike in the line, but i have sourced out some old BMX inspired comp 3 tires and found out that Nitto makes a modern re-creation of the old Mongoose KOS cruiser bar . At some point, most of the major BMX manufacturers tried to cash in on the early MTB scene

So mine is up for a minor , era correct re-style -- although i'm not going to go too crazy, as i cant help but notice the forks on the Ascents are a heavier unicrown style while these are more touring or hybrid inspired----

- Its funny, as i peruse my garage and storage unit and look at my collection of old Cannondales, Centurions, -plus my old race bikes i never sold -- and now these Diamond Backs --- I realize that i could have procured 2 or 3 vintage Italian racers for that cash instead

--- Its all fun though

mstateglfr 

Typically, thumb shifters won't fit around a drop bar as the drop bar is a wider diameter than a mtb bar.

Wildwood 

You can't let this one go. -- it has that iconic splatter paint job!!!

fleslider 

Its got a cool look the white tires and red frame really work. its a one of a kind

DMC707

Re-visiting my recent Fleetstreak acquisitions i posted pics of earlier in the thread -- the blue one underwent a mild cosmetic re-hab in the style of a vintage BMX inspired cruiser type bike --- Added some blue 26x1.75 Comp 3 tires, Mongoose KOS cruiser bars, some re-pop blue beartrap pedals and a set of pads and its a neat little bike for cruising the pits at the motocross/BMX races (or wherever one chooses) - or just riding down the bike path

--- There's nothing wrong with the "before" pic either, - its a smart looking early generation ATB, - but my cosmetic fluff n buff gave it a little more pop in my eyes






I picked up a red Fleetstreak with this one as a package deal --- i have the tires and KOS bars for it as well, but havent made a ton of headway on swapping that mess out yet . The intentions for the blue one are for my non cycling wife to use it, and she seems to dig it so far, -- while i will take the red one

fleslider 

BMX inspired .. cool look to it, it Looks like it would be comfy to ride.

Where did you get the BMX Pads?

fleslider 

This just rolled into the shop needing some attention.

1991 Apex





Sporting Shimano Deore DX components.

mstateglfr 

I saw this up on CL for a good many weeks. I kept promising myself that if I happened to be within 100mi of Madison for work, I would look into picking it up.
Glad to see its been removed, hopefully you have been able to find or have started the search for a more appropriate bike.

NormanF

Diamondback nowadays is the value brand division of Raleigh USA.

They make bikes for the mass market.

A good if underrated brand.

DMC707

All the BMX'y stuff came from a company that markets re-pop stuff called Porkchop BMX -- exception being the bars, those are from Al's Rapid Transit -- I have found there is a big market for repro bmx stuff, - i guess from guys' my age re-building their childhood dream bikes .
Due to the abuse such parts get from kids, original bits n pieces for those things are quite pricey now

aluminummonster

It was a beauty and a smooth rider, for sure, but I found a 531 Carlton on Craigslist, so this one had to go to.

EricAr

I only have before pics. $40 on Fort Smith CL. My Interval TG



After pic: Ready for the road!

fleslider 

Nice, Whats the grouppo Shimano 105?

Guessing its a 1991 Model given the Diamond Back Down tube logo