Descending

I first heard about the Release from Diamondback's Eric Porter, who has competed in just about every mountain bike venue. Porter said it was his perfect bike, because he could enjoy it anywhere — hit the dirt jumps with his friends, bust out an all-day trail ride, or play at the bike park. I'd have to agree. I had the same experience riding the carbon-framed Release 5C , and the good news is that the aluminum version is no less fun. There is a snappiness to the bike. You can push through the suspension and get a sense of where the ground is. Any substantial rock or bump in the trail becomes a launch ramp. No trail is boring. The Release keeps you searching for bonus lines that can become step-ups, mini wall rides and hucks to flat.The steering isn't so slack that I had to precede every tight corner with a sweeping counter-steer. It's reaction time is quicker, and that makes it easier to carry speed down unfamiliar trails. That said, there is enough straight-line stability to keep the rubber side down should you botch a steep chute or rock roll. What the Release doesn't do is lure you to the threshold of its handling and then leave you hanging after you make a mistake. There always seems to be a little handling in reserve to ease you out of a risky situation. You'll run out of suspension long before you'll run out of confidence.Saving the best for last, I think the most rewarding attribute of the Release, and the better new-school mid-travel trail bikes in this class, is how solidly they turn corners. Less suspension translates to greater stability, because the chassis loads up evenly front-to-back and stays that way. Long-travel bikes squat and nose dive, which alters their geometry and weight distribution unless care is taken to set the bike up for the corner. By contrast, as long as you are somewhere near the middle of the Diamondback, it will rail turns like a boss... well almost. Unless you like drifting or live in Santa Cruz, California, where just about any tire will grip, you'll need to ditch the Hans Dampf tires for something with proper edging blocks.