First Look: 2009 Diamondback Mission 3

A BMX legend's shot at all-mountain glory

Words by Ed Snyder.
Date: 2008-12-07

Have you ever fallen in love when you were least expecting it? Of course you have. You met someone and didn't think much of it. Then you hung out a little bit and slowly realized there was a lot more in store than you expected. That is exactly how it's been between me and Diamondback's new Mission 3 for the past few weeks.

Mission side view

A very clean-looking Mission 3, sporting a non-stock front tansmission. The bike would not stay that clean for very long. || photo: Ed Snyder

It all started innocently enough. I got a chance to ride with Diamondback's Marketing Coordinator, Trevor, after we met in Vegas. As it turns out we live just a few miles from each other and so we set up a ride and headed out. He brought along the Mission 3 that I had seen at Interbike. After a 2 hour session on the trails I was in serious "like" with the bike and a bit confused by it. Trevor graciously offered to let me take the bike home for a few weeks to try and sort it all out. He knew what he was doing. It was like offering diamonds to a jewel thief; there was no possible way for me to resist.

Mission Knuckle Box Susupension

A closer look at the proprietary "Knuckle Box" rear suspension linkage that drives a Fox Float RRP23 shock to create 6 inches of very plush rear travel. || photo: Ed Snyder

The Mission is Diamondback's all-mountain 6 inch travel rig. It uses their "Knuckle Box" rear suspension to drive a Fox Float RP23 air shock. The front end bump-eating duties are handled by Fox's Talas RL fork. My confusion stemmed from the way the bike rode, especially the rear end. Even with just the most basic shock adjustment the back end was incredibly smooth. The Knuckle Box system does not use a Horst link pivot on the chainstay. Its pivots are above the rear axle on the seatstay. I have ridden the Float RP23 on a wide variety of frames and and I have ridden plenty of bikes with pivots on the seatstays; so I thought I had a pretty good idea of how the bike would perform. I was dead wrong.

Somehow the Diamondback designers seemed to have squeezed out a bit of the impossible, a bike that feels greater than the sum of its parts. The rear suspension is very plush. Run in the open setting (with the Propedal turned off) it feels absolutely buttery and bottomless. On steeper lines and quick drops I would almost swear it has just as much travel as my DH rig (8 inches).

A key point about the Mission; suspension setup out back is critical. If you leave the Propedal off (or have it set wrong) the bike will wallow going uphill and feel a bit sluggish in the flats. Once you find the correct air settings and Propedal stiffness, all those problems disappear and the bike is a flat-out gas to ride; up, down or sideways.

Mission toptube

The top tube has a fairly radically shaped profile. When paired with the S-shaped downtube it creates a long welding surface that makes the front end very solid. || photo: Ed Snyder

With the rear suspension taken care of the front of the bike really comes in to focus. The frame sports a "Hooded Hydroformed Top Tube" which is pretty unique. The upper piece of the top tub overhangs the sides slightly. While it may look a little different, it creates a platform that keeps the front of the bike pointed in the right direction even at the worst of times. The Talas fork features the new 15mm thru-axle design with a traditional-functioning quick release lever. Topped off with carbon bars the bike steers very well and provides nicely damped feedback to the rider's hands.

Combined with the low weight (my size large Mission tipped the scales at a hair under 34 pounds) you have a machine that can take on about 80% of the riding you might find and perform very well while doing all of it.

Mission on a wallride

Riding a bike this smooth on a wall this big is fun every single time. Maybe I should give those NASCAR guys a break... nah. || photo: Beck Snyder

The sign of a good bike is when you take every chance to go out and ride it. The sign of a fun bike is when you go out of your way to make chances to go and ride it. The Mission has driven me to use/create more excuses to go riding than any other bike in recent memory. In the first 2 weeks I had the bike I went for 9 rides. I have spent most of the time on pedally loops with lots of roots, rocks and short technical uphills. Once I had the suspension dialed in the bike was a pleasure on all of it. It has a tall and slightly wide, stable layout that encourages you to go faster over the rough stuff, because the results are almost always good.

Mission dropping off a ramp This was my first big wooden drop since breaking my leg on one this summer... and the Mission made it very easy on me. Actually it made just about everything I tried pretty easy on me; except giving it back. || photo: Beck Snyder

Once I got the Mission to our local bike park the fun just kept on coming. I just turned off the Propedal and pinned it. It handled the jumps, berms and drops with equal aplomb. I even took it for a spin on the pump track, just because I could. The bike always responds the same way; no complaining, no bad habits. It just keep making you grin and tempts you to pedal it just a little bit further.

Mission with a smiling rider If you see a rider on Mission they will likely be grinning just like this. The tongue hanging out behind the helmet is commonplace too, a side effect of not wanting to get off the bike. || photo: Beck Snyder

The parts kit on the Mission 3 is worth celebrating. The Elixir brakes are fantastic and hands down the easiest brake to adjust on the market. I also really like the feel of the Easton Carbon bars. End to end the Mission 3 is decked out in top rate gear.... and it still rides better than the the sum of its decidedly swanky parts group.

One disappointing note is that although the Mission 3 will come equipped with the Hammerschmidt front transmission for 2009, the copy I got my hands on was without it. Apparently SRAM wanted to take a look at the systems after they had their introduction at the Interbike Dirt Demo. So the Mission I'm on is clad in a nice, but comparatively plain, Truvativ Stylo crankset and front derailleur setup.

Mission rolling over a ramp A decently high bottom bracket can come in mighty handy. The Mission does a nice job concentrating the weight down low in the frame and still keeping the crankarms off the ground. || photo: Beck Snyder

Like many too-good-to-be-true relationships this one will come to a fairly sudden end. The Mission is heading off to school (or in this case a nation-wide demo tour). We will part ways soon and I will be left with just the memory of her easy handling, smooth curves and fun-loving attitude. At least I'll still have all those pictures of us getting dirty together to remember her by.


The Diamondback Mission is available in three trim levels. The high-end Mission 3 that I rode has a U.S. MSRP of $3750.

Ed Snyder

Ever fall in love with bike in just a few weeks? Faster? Ever start hating one just as quick? Chronicle bikes loved and lost right here.