Kudos to Diamondback for producing an affordable five-inch trail bike. “One of the better balanced rides of the day,” said one tester. “It corners smoothly, it's a nimble climber, and it descends like a free-ride bike.” Granted, you have to lock out the rear shock to hang with lighter bikes on the climbs, but for all-day trail roughnecking and high-speed descents, the Sortie outperformed bikes twice the price. “I was amazed such a big-travel bike could handle so well,” said another tester. Surprisingly, Diamondback managed to keep costs down without skimping on quality; the Sortie is loaded with such trailworthy parts as a Fox 32 Float RL fork, Avid Juicy 5 hydraulic brakes, and Mavic rims. 30.4 lbs, medium;
