I caught up with Eric Porter at this year’s Impact media camp in Sun Valley, Idaho, and he just happened to be riding a new bike he’s been developing with Diamondback. The Sync’r Carbon is a slick-looking hardtail that’s designed to be fun and versatile.
A slack head tube angle, 140mm fork and the ability to run 27.5+ or 29” wheels makes for a bike that could be comfortable and capable on a wide range of terrain. Porter’s bike, set up on 29” wheels, seemed like a great choice for Sun Valley’s meandering trails- He sounded pretty happy with it after just finishing a lengthy ride, and was kind enough to give me the scoop on the bike.
Diamondback has had a Sync’r hardtail in their lineup for a few years, but the new version steps into the high-performance realm by jumping from aluminum to carbon, and offering a longer fork with a slacker steering angle. The slim rear end on the Sync’r was designed to provide a small degree of suppleness, but this is no softtail.
The Sync’r carbon is a 1x specific bike with no front derailleur mount. There are ISCG05 mounts for those running chain guides, and the biggest front chainring it will fit is a 32t. Diamondback stuck with the old faithful threaded BB shell, and the Boost-spaced 148mm rear end has a replaceable derailleur hanger (it’s actually the same hanger used on Diamondback’s Release bikes). The carbon frame also gets an integrated chainstay guard.
The Sync’r carbon can carry two water bottles, but you’ll notice the down tube has three bolt bosses on it. The extra one was added to provide two mounting positions, so you can stuff your bottle down low to accommodate frame storage bags or run it in the middle for easier access if you’re riding light.
Cable routing is a mix of internal and external- The rear brake is routed externally under the top tube, but the derailleur cable and dropper post cable are both internal.
It’s hard not to notice the frame also offers generous tire clearance. Officially, the frame will fit up to 27.5×2.8” or 29×2.3” treads, but that’s just a safe estimate since some brands fit differently… Porter has already ridden with wider 27.5” and 29” tires with no issues (pictured above is his bike with 29×2.6″ Kenda Nevegal 2’s).
Check out the chart below for geometry on frame sizes S-XL:
The Sync’r carbon will be sold as a complete bike, and we can tell you what the key components will be; Up front is a 140mm Fox 34 Float Performance fork, and down below the bike rolls on Diamondback’s Blanchard 32 wheels wrapped with Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR 27.5×2.8” treads. Sram supplies their 12-speed GX Eagle shifter and derailleur, plus a Descendant 6K crank. Stopping is handled by Shimano’s Deore MT-500 brakes, and an X-Fusion Manic dropper post will come stock.
The complete bike’s price tag will be around $2400 USD, which is pretty impressive for a carbon frame set up with a solid fork, a 12-speed drivetrain, mid-fat tires and a dropper post. The Sync’r carbon will be available sometime this fall. Keep an eye on Diamondback’s website for updates.
