# 2008 Diamondback Insight



## trek7100

IAnyone own one of these? I was at the LBS Diamondback/Raleigh dealer. The new bike for 2008 is the Diamondback Insight 1, 2 and 3. The Insight 1 is priced at $349.99. Its labeled as a Performance Hybrid. Looks like a very nice bike for the price.


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## Snopro440

You know, I was looking at one the other day and I thought the same thing!!!! I got to ride the 2 before it snowed and it rode nicely. I would consider buying one for sure!!!


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## trek7100

I wondered how it rode. Thanks for the info. Looks like a very nice commuter/fitness bike - plus the price.


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## enolan

i am deciding currently between the 1.0 and 2.0


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## larken45

*Insight 3*

Just ordered mine today. Will follow up in a couple of weeks. Generally get 40-50 miles/week on my 12yr old Schwinn Frontier mtb. Tired of pushing it down the road.


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## enolan

i ended up buying one a month ago. i coach baseball, so i haven't had too much time to ride it. when i have been on it, it is light and moves very well. i have an old velocipede that i have been riding, so this is very slick for me.


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## commuterdude

I bought the Insight 1 about 5 weeks ago from Joe's for $280 (I had a 20% off coupon). I've put about 400 miles on it so far from commuting to work so here's the breakdown: 

Things that rock: The riding position is perfect for city streets. Upright enough for visibility, aggresive enough for speed. This bike is pretty fast. I pass a lot of guys on road bikes (provided its a nice sunny day, otherwise I don't see too many road bikers). The seat took a bit to get used to but after a few weeks I'm really starting to like it. Off road capability. It's no full-suspension mtn bike but it can handle mild trails much better than I'd originally expected, mainly due to the quality and versatility of the tires. Also, fenders and racks are very easy to add onto the Insight.

Things that suck: The brakes. They are noisy to the point of embarrasment and they simple don't have the stopping power needed when competing for space with cars. I would imagine that the brakes on the 2 and 3 models have to be better. The front drop outs are too narrow to be mounted on my Yakima roof racks and I'm a little nervous about hanging the bike on my trunk rack because the cables are strung underneath the top tube. Luckily for me I primarily bought the thing for commuting so I don't really need to haul it around much.

Things that neither rock nor suck: The drivetrain is pretty good but by no means great. This is another aspect that I expect would be better on the 2's and 3's. I took it in to Joe's for the free tune up and they told me it would be ready in two weeks (imagine if you took your car in for an oil change and they told you it would be two weeks!?) so I've been tuning it myself. 

Overall opinion: I really like the Insight 1. Sure the brakes and drivetrain could be better but I paid $280 and I feel I got more than I paid for. It gets me to work fast and comfortably; two things that don't generally go hand in hand on a bike. If and when I upgrade I will seriously consider the 2 and 3 models because the Insight 1 has impressed me a lot so far.

So if you're looking for a solid bike to haul ass around town on, I recommend you give the Insight line a long look.


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## larken45

*Diamondback Insight 3*

The verdict is in and I love my bike! Paid $650.00 otd, put over 500 miles and it is a blast to ride. Usually ride 75 miles/week on paved bike paths. Longest ride was 43 miles. Added a Brooks aged flyer seat. No issues. It is fast on a 40 mile ride I average 15 mph including 2 or 3 stops along the way. Top speed has been 32 according to the cat eye. Buy this bike.


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## enolan

my insight 2 is great. i did the great ohio bicycle adventure (260 miles) a couple of weeks ago and it was light and easy to ride. great investment ($500) and i try to ride it 100-125 miles a week. i am aiming to commute 10 miles to my teaching job starting in the fall.


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## Markman3

I bought the Insight 2 about a month ago on sale for $475. I have a Trek road bike but wanted something to 'mess around' on, like going to the store, ride to work a few days etc...
Since I don't ride trails the first thing I did was replace the tires with some 700X28 kevlar road slicks..... much better. The riding posistion is nice and the bike fits me well.
The drivetrain, all Alivo, is not the best, I know, but has performed with out a hitch.
the carbon fork and Cane Creek head set are nice additions. I also added some spd pedals, and now the bike is set up nicely and is a little faster. So far I have put 120 miles on it and the only bad thing is the brakes, they howl like cat being run over by a tractor. I am almost constantly having to adjust them. I am going to switch pads this weekend and see if that helps. All in all it's a good bike.

Changed out the pads this weekend. After the initail adjusment they are working great after a 25 mile ride which included some hard downhill braking. Problem solved.
I forgot to mention it is a decent climber also. If you buy this bike replace the tires right away, it vastly improves the performance.
The more I ride it, The more I like it.


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## Rick T.

My first roadbike was a DBR Podium 1.0 w/ full Shimano RX100 component group (105 equivalent w/ polished finish, STI shifters, 8spd rear cassette), Araya (Made in Japan) semi-aero wheels and a kickass "acid blue" finish. I loved the absolutely, wickedl & precise feel of the 7005 double-butted aluminum frame. It lunged forward viciously with each stroke. And it was BOMB Proof!! I actually sold her the other month thinking I didn't need such an "old" bike when I have this new, full carbon, up-to-date rig I just bought - I was wrong. I miss her dearly...

Diamondbacks are simply cool.


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## Markman3

To Rick T.,

I did the same thing years ago, I sold my old Centurion Elite that I had replaced, even called the guy up I sold it to a few months later and offered to buy it back for $75 more. I miss that bike and am looking for another. If I relpace what I am riding now I am keeping it.
War Department (Wife) be damned.


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## CouchCougar

*Diamondback Insight 1*



trek7100 said:


> IAnyone own one of these? I was at the LBS Diamondback/Raleigh dealer. The new bike for 2008 is the Diamondback Insight 1, 2 and 3. The Insight 1 is priced at $349.99. Its labeled as a Performance Hybrid. Looks like a very nice bike for the price.


I started out looking to buy a mountain bike and changing the wheels to 32 spoke 700Cs for use in bicycle safety training classes. Parking lot drills were raising havoc with my carbon road bike and 18 spoke rims. After looking at Trek, Specialized, Jamis, higher priced Schwinns, even Wal-Mart cheapies, I wound-up buying a Diamondback Insight 1 from a local shop. Not a whole lot of difference in quality compared to bikes priced $100 to $300 more. Pros- Has 700-23 rims with Presta valves. Road/commuter bike ride & handling characteristics. Good value bike. Cons- components are only fair, but what do you expect for $350? At $350 I'm not going to lose any sleep if I dump or wreck it.


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## DeerParkRider

*Diamondback Insight 3*

Just last night I bought the Insight 3, and immediately took it for an hour's ride, some hills, a few close curves, around the lake. Great ride!, easy handling. 

I'm a small female, and the 15" frame fits very nicely. 

I wanted a bike with road-bike qualities, and had looked at comparable Marin and Trek. One ride later, I am happy, so far, I chose the Insight 3. 

I'm thinking of switching out the 32" tires for 27" though.


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## votoms888

I just got the 2011 Insight 3 in 17". Already done some upgrades. I will post pictures soon.


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## 768Q

I know old thread but, I bought a absolute like new 2009 Insight 1 off of CL a few weeks ago for $150! Great bike! I am riding 12+ miles every night and 22-25 miles on weekends. Gonna hopefully go from 215 lbs (already lost about 8, to around 185 is the goal then this will be my back up bike for a bit faster roadie.


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