It was with great sadness today that I bade farewell to an old buddy, my Diamondback Ascent mountain bike that’d I’d had since 1992.
My 1992 Diamondback Ascent
Recently, prompted not least by hitting my 35th birthday with waistline expansion showing no signs of slowing down, I’d dug the old ride out of storage and had built myself up to doing 20+ miles on the hilly roads around home. But when pedaling, I had noticed some grinding sounds that I figured were just the bottom bracket bearings giving up. “New drivetrain”, I sighed, thinking the years spent sitting in a damp garage had done for the components. But I was oh-so wrong.
I took the Diamondback to a local bike shop to check out the drivetrain and get new parts fitted, but their eagle-eyed mechanic spotted the (with hindsight) very obvious source of the grinding noises: the seat tube had corroded all the way through and snapped! It seems the 16 years of being left in the rain outside university and work, bounced down mountains through streams and thick mud and being washed in rivers had taken a toll on the steel frame and it had finally given way.
“No point. You need new bike. You look upstairs.”, the mechanic advised in his east-european accent, before walking off. A man of few words it seems, but all of them wise. It was indeed game over for the Diamondback.
Broken set-tube on my 1992 Diamondback Ascent. Game over man, game over.
On examination, it looked like the rest of the frame was as badly corroded inside as the seat tube. It seemed it had been held together until now by just paint and electrical tape. Blind luck made the seat tube crack first and not some other part that could have ended more … painfully. So there was nothing that could be done for the old frame but take it to the metal recyclers.
It still felt like I was leading Old Yeller round behind the barn, shotgun and shovel in hand. There there, old fella, the pain will be over soon.
I took the mechanic’s advice though and picked up a new mountain bike with a view to converting it to a hybrid/commuter machine. I managed, almost by accident, to pick up a Commencal Normal Disc 2008 for fully half price in a clearance sale in a shop I’d originally no intention of going in to, an hour before it shut on the last day of the sale.
Commencal Normal Disc 2008 mountain bike
The Commencal is a fine bike: 6061 T6 Al frame, SRAM X-5 transmission, front suspension and Avid BB5 disc brakes. Entry level perhaps, but a bargain for what I paid for it and more than adequate for the work commute and some light off-roading.
It feels fast. It’s comfortable. The transmission works. The headset doesn’t work loose and wobble. It stops in the wet. The paint job is in, at best, questionable taste.
But I’ll still miss the old Diamondback. 1992-2008, RIP.
Rest in peace old fella…
Your story hits home man! I have a 93 Diamondback Ascent that I purchased used for $100 just after high school graduation. I have taken that bike every where I’ve been. From Olympia to Issaquah, then down to San Diego for a few years (96-00), and now back in Seattle. It has gone from full rigid to Rock Shock front suspension – which in turn meant losing the cantalever breaks, which of course were integrated w/the shifters so all had to been changed. Now I have gone back to full rigid (tracked down an old Raleigh steel fork from about same era) and have given it a paintjob. Man it also had a biopace crank on it – now a deore hollowtech. Anyways, I got a nicer mid range roadie that i ride, but I just cannot seem to part w/this bike! My wife laughs at the money I throw at it. No matter, this bike is right at home w/me towing my son in the Burley trailer. I couldnt see it any other way.
I have a Diamondback Ascent that I purchased not to long ago at an antique store in Colo. Springs for $13 and its the best bike I’ve ever ridden. I added Mountain bike tires,new handgrips,and a water bottle holder.
I had the exact same bike as you from 1992 except in a smaller size. It got stolen yesterday from outside my local cinema. I am also very sad. I hope the new owner likes it….
That’s hard luck Julie, I hope you get it back!
Funnily enough, a guy stopped me outside a cinema one time when I was cycling past on the Diamondback and accused me of stealing his son’s new bike! The Ascents had such an unusual paint job, he had put two and two together but came up with five. After a quick chat I let him inspect the bike (keeping a tight grip on it of course) and it was all sorted out very quickly, as my Ascent was maybe six or seven years old at that time and it was clear that it couldn’t possibly be his son’s new bike.
Julie, I just found an ascent … near a movie house … so if you could narrow down the odds by naming your city, since you could be be from anywhere in the world … tell me what colour it was and if coincidences add up … its yours again
Yep Dude..
92 ascent ..out riding the other day and something wasn’t quite right…had a look and the old girl had snapped just above the bottom bracket…game over ..I miss mine too..boo hoo..
It’s curious how we become attached to these inanimate objects, isn’t it? We spend time with them, get to know how they work and each one’s particular idiosyncrasies, making them almost true individuals to us. Then, when they go, we have to re-learn these quirks for a new bike and we soon miss the familiarity of our old companions.
I just picked up a DB Ascent from the local Salvation Army last night. The 1st thing I checked for was major frame damage. Paid…50% off…ahmmm….$44.50. Not bad. Has the yellow frame w/ black forks. Like the 3 piece cranks, and the unique placement of rear brake. I am 34, and this was one of those dream bikes back when I was in high school. I has opted for the Schwinn Mesa Runner back in the late 80′s – early 90′s (can’t remember). RIP – keep those old bikes indoors!
I just wanted to say I just picked up a DB ascent at the good will, if anyone has any questions about their missing bike email. I’ll check the serial numbers and the info you guys might give me. I know how much these bikes mean to people and if anyone comes up with the correct info I would gladly return it and expect nothing in return. Thanks
Javy
Also has the white DB Ascent with the scribbling effect on the frame.
Used it regularly for XC in the UK. Didn’t need suspension as the fat tyres soaked up the the potholes, roots etc.
Wish I hadn’t got rid of it now!
Bouncing down XC trails is mostly how my DB Ascent spent its days too Tony!
Top Bikes. My 1994/5 Ascent has been up all the big mountains in Wales and done lots of other stuff and is still going strong.
Aside from the frame the, er, STX Cranks are original and so are the, um, I know! the seatpin and the plastic tubes for the cables along the top tube!
I still have my 94 DB Ascent. I converted it into a trekking bike by adding rear rack, fenders and, with some braze on lugs, a front lowrider rack. I put a Brooks 17 saddle on, for comfort, and it’s covered some very long distances. One major tour started in northern Spain and ended in Athens, Greece over a 4 month period carrying full kit.
The best frame I’ve ever had.
I have been experiencing a crisis of late – I too possess a miraculously tidy 1992 Diamondback Ascent which has transitioned steadily and gracefully over the last 18 years from the envy of school chums to the laughingstock of the carpark at work! The quandry was whether to finally detach myself emotionally from this scruffy but seemingly indestructable machine, and invest in a new, shiny bike, or to re-invest in the DB and breathe new life into the old girl. Well friends, you have inspired me and delivered me from my predicament. As the DB’s frame is in good shape, it now seems it would be shameful for me to simply discard it – no, I shall dedicate myself to it’s renovation. It shall be done in a tasteful and faithful manner, but the old girl will once again glide in silence through the 19mph barrier instead of waking dosing pensioners and alarming small animals with it’s grinding, whining and screaching! Thank you for your inspiration!!!
I bought a white framed ascent in 91 (it was the previous years model) and promptly snapped the downtube ollieing off the curb. I got a new blue frame with scribbles as a warranty item. It’s now in its third rebuild and I still take it out for rides at lunchtime. It’s still a lovely bike if not a bit dated and limited in what front suspension it can run. I have a nasty habit of buying retro frames on E bay, rebuilding them and then selling them onto friends at less than cost – trying to save these brilliant bikes we’ve all forgotten about.
Funny I was looking into a Motobecane Mirage w/shimano goodies I had back in the mid 70′s untill purchaseing a Diamondback Ascent in ’87 for a ton of monies 700-800 with tax and access. though being a Bering Sea crab fishermen (deadliest catch) 700-800 did not seem like a lot at the time. Now I rode the piss out of the Mirage but for some reason had/have about 100-200 miles on the ascent, after reading this diddy I will dig it out of storage (indoor all its life) and check it for any damage but I think its still “like New” I even have the blue touch up paint that came with. Woodinville wa. -J-