Eric Porter’s Diamondback Release bike check
Eric Porter was one of the primary athletes that Diamondback worked with during the testing and development phase of their new Level Link equipped Release (click to enlarge).
When Diamondback sat down three years ago to begin development of their new product line, one of the main influencers was professional rider Eric Porter. Best known for his skills as a freerider, he now travels the globe documenting adventures in places less traveled.
The bike they would eventually create is called the Release, which has enduro oriented geometry, 130mm of rear suspension, and short chainstays. The shorter travel and an efficient new suspension platform make it a capable climber on all day pursuits, yet the slack geometry and 150mm fork allows it to still handle bigger terrain.
At a press camp recently held in Santa Barbara, Mtbr has the opportunity to test ride the new Release, as well as a take closer look at Eric’s personal rig.
Eric is running a 45mm stem and 780mm carbon bar from Answer Components (click to enlarge).
Despite being a taller guy at 6’3, Eric prefers to run smaller frames due to his background dirt jumping. He’s currently riding a size large with a 45mm stem.
Suspension duties up front are handled by the Manitou Mattoc (click to enlarge).
If you caught our first look at the Release, you’ll notice this bike is spec’d very differently. Rather than the Rockshox suspension and Guide brakes, Eric is running Manitou components and Hayes stoppers.
While the Diamondback team recommends setting the Release up with 15% front and 30% sag, Eric Porter run 30% sag front and rear (click to enlarge).
His bike is setup with 30% front and rear sag as prefers to keep both ends of the bike balanced. He also use the hydraulic bottom out feature of the Mattoc to help prevent harsh bottom outs.
While Eric normally runs a larger chainring, he drops down to a 32 if he knows there will be a lot of climbing, like on his forthcoming trip to Ecuador.
The Release can be spec’d with a 2x drivetrain, but with the range that 11 speed 1x drivetrains, Eric said he can never imagine running 2x again.
For more information on the Release, catch our first ride impressions here or visit www.diamondback.com.
The post Eric Porter’s Diamondback Release bike check appeared first on Mountain Bike Review.