# specialized hardrock disc 2013 Vs diamondback response sport 2012



## kingming (Jul 23, 2012)

I am totally new about mountain bikes. Recently I want to buy an entry-level one to start with. Now I am hesitating over two models: hardrock disc 2013 and response sport 2012. Could anyone tell me which one is better from the technical pointview?

Besides the technical points, the other comparison is:
1. hardrock disc costs $520, but with good colors (red and green); response sport costs $460, but with blue color, which is OK but not my favorite. 
2. hardrock disc is from a local store, while response sport comes with a big box. But a diamondback dealer at local is going to help me assembly it with $50 (included in $460) and a tune-up. but for the quality issue, I need to contact by myself.
3. it feels like hardrock disc is lighter than response sport, which is good for me.

Could anyone give me some suggestions? Thanks.


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## somexiridemybike (Jul 25, 2006)

I had the response comp a few years ago. It ended up getting stolen when my apartment was robbed but I loved it. Given the specs you gave however I would lean towards the specialized. The db was heavy no question bout that.


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## alexplantman (May 1, 2006)

Get the Specialized..


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## Luclin999 (Jul 9, 2012)

First off, forget about the colors (unless it is something truly vile) as a criteria.

If you are looking at two of the exact same bike with the only difference being the color then sure, pick the color you like best but otherwise ignore it.

Next, looking at the two bikes side by side:

2012 Response Sport vs 2012 Hardrock Disc

They are similar in component levels however the Response does have a ~slightly~ better fork and an eight gear cassette vs. a seven on the Hard Rock so the Response gets a slight nod but for all practical purposes they both have very similar low end components on each bike which will have roughly equal performance and durability.

Ultimately it all depends on:

~ Which bike fits you better.

~ Which dealer/LBS do you feel more comfortable building up a relationship with? The Specialized or Diamondback folks.

~ Can your still afford basic MTB gear (Helmet, gloves, multi-tool, hydration supplies) after spending the $520 on the Hard Rock? Because if not then it would be better to spend the $460 on the Response and use the remaining $60 on the gear you need to ride safely,


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## bikesordeath (Sep 17, 2011)

My wife has the 2013 HR disc sport and she loves it. I am also very impressed by the quality of the bike overall.


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## ou2mame (Apr 23, 2010)

i'd go with the specialized for a few reasons. well, if it were me i'd be buying used at that price. you'd get much more bike. but since you don't feel comfortable assembling or tuning a new bike, i think a used purchase is pretty much out of the question. that's ok, but you should really take this as a learning experience and get to know your bike and how to repair it, all the information is at your fingertips. tools are cheap off amazon/ebay. there's really no excuse, and if you actually get into trail riding and you don't know how to fix something when it breaks, you could potentially be in for a few very long walks. anyways, the specialized is going to hold its value better than the db. so when you decide to sell it and get something else, which does happen, it won't be a total loss. also, i just wouldn't upgrade a db as it broke, because of the resale factor, so buying a lower end bike with parts that will fail more frequently, you will run into the question... should i get something better. and while the answer should be yes, its kinda like throwing money away on the db. at least with the specialized if you were to snap the derailleur, and you got a replacement x7 or something, it wouldn't be a complete waste if you were to sell the bike.

other people made good points too.. if you're new to the sport, you're going to need a decent multi tool, esp a chain tool. hydration, eh. bottle cages are 3 bucks off ebay, unless i'm going for a ride longer than 20 miles i just bring 2 large bottles of water on the bike, i don't like backpacks. accessories can be scored cheaply off ebay, like a seat bag or something to hold your smokes and cellphone or what have you. frame pump, patch kit, spare tube, etc. anyways, you can save a few bucks, here and there, but if i were you, i'd start reading the repair sections, youtube how to setup derailleurs and whatnot, because you're going to need to know how to do all of this.


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## Luclin999 (Jul 9, 2012)

ou2mame said:


> anyways, the specialized is going to hold its value better than the db. so when you decide to sell it and get something else, which does happen, it won't be a total loss. also, i just wouldn't upgrade a db as it broke, because of the resale factor, so buying a lower end bike with parts that will fail more frequently, you will run into the question... should i get something better. and while the answer should be yes, its kinda like throwing money away on the db. at least with the specialized if you were to snap the derailleur, and you got a replacement x7 or something, it wouldn't be a complete waste if you were to sell the bike.


I would agree with you if these were both more expensive bikes. But the truth is that both are essentially the low level XC hardtails from their respective brands and neither of them are going to be worth a whole lot 4-5 years down the road.

Example: A five year old unmodified, well ridden, reasonably maintained Hard Rock might be worth $200-250 used while a five year old Response in the same condition might get $140-180 which frankly is the difference in price that the OP is looking to pay between them new.

And any "upgraded" parts invested into either of them will only raise the base value up by a relatively small amount.

Realistically if his plan is to just ride it for a couple of years and then sell it and upgrade to a higher quality bike then any damaged parts on the entry level bike he purchases should be replaced with something relatively equivalent to the OEM part or perhaps a one up in quality from what it came with stock.

After all, when it comes to major upgrades over stock parts it is almost always a better deal to simply buy a higher level bike than to sink the same money dollar for dollar into an entry level machine.

From a financial standpoint the only reason to invest more than 30% of the original value back into the bike in replacements/upgrades is if he is planning to keep it for the long haul and if that is the case then resale value considerations are somewhat irrelevant.


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## Lateralus1082 (Jun 28, 2012)

I have a 2012 Hardrock disc and I love the freaking thing. No doubt that it was worth the money. I'm not in the other people's boat as far as selling the bike later to buy a better one. I believe that the Hardrock has a real decent frame and I'll be upgrading the hell out of the bike for the next few years with top end parts.


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## kingming (Jul 23, 2012)

Thank you all, guys. Nery incisive and helpful suggestions. I think I will probably go for hard rock disc.


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## ou2mame (Apr 23, 2010)

i agree, its a tough call. i'd much rather buy a bike a few years old for this reason, you can get a hardrock a few years older (i like the older style frames anyways), for like 250, or you can spend the 500 on something that is much better. thats the problem with buying low end new now, these bikes are pretty much throw aways when it comes to component sets. its hard for me to even have this conversation because everything in me is screaming save 300 dollars and buy it used!! but i get it, if you don't know much about the hardware aspect, its too much of a risk to get ripped off. so with that in mind, i still say hardrock, because i owned one, and i liked it. i haven't had a diamondback since my bmx days... 91 reptile. i loved that bike, but i have seen newer ones at dicks and whatnot, and just wasn't impressed with the feel, but it was probably setup like crap.


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## Luclin999 (Jul 9, 2012)

ou2mame said:


> i haven't had a diamondback since my bmx days... 91 reptile. i loved that bike, but i have seen newer ones at dicks and whatnot, and just wasn't impressed with the feel, but it was probably setup like crap.


That was exactly my experience.

I went to a local Sports Authority (basically the same type of store as Dick's here in Texas) and tried out a couple of Diamondbacks there (Topanga and Overdrive) and they just felt bad. Parts were loose or misaligned and in one case the wrong chain was actually on one of the bikes (too short).

Then I went to a Performance store and tried an Overdrive and loved the solid feel of the bike (which had been assembled and tuned correctly).

I know that Diamondback gets more exposure by selling through stores like REI, Dicks and Sports Academy but the flip side is that many people end up with a poor impression of the label's quality due to the terrible assemblers and completely ignorant (at least about bicycles) salespeople which are commonly employed in the big chain sporting goods stores.

Performance Cycle may also be a chain but at least they are a chain of ~bicycle~ stores and generally give their staff enough training on the product to know how to assemble and adjust the bikes properly.

And as to the "quality" of the Diamondback brand vs. Specialized; BikeRadar did a review of the:

best-mountain-bikes-under-1000

And the Diamondback Overdrive Comp came in fourth beating out the Specialized Rockhopper Comp 29 and six other brands in their review. Which only shows that DB can play well with the other "bike shop" labels out there.


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## ou2mame (Apr 23, 2010)

from specs, the bikes are very similar. i just find that sram lower end stuff is a tiny bit better than shimano, plus the specialized name will hold its value longer, but like another poster said, that would be offset by its higher price. so either way, it really depends. i would at least assemble the bike myself and save the 50 bucks, because while you may be only saving 50 dollars, the amount you will learn is invaluable on the trail when something needs an adjustment or breaks.


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## Luclin999 (Jul 9, 2012)

ou2mame said:


> from specs, the bikes are very similar. i just find that sram lower end stuff is a tiny bit better than shimano, plus the specialized name will hold its value longer, but like another poster said, that would be offset by its higher price. so either way, it really depends. i would at least assemble the bike myself and save the 50 bucks,* because while you may be only saving 50 dollars, the amount you will learn is invaluable on the trail when something needs an adjustment or breaks.*


I have to agree with that as well. Knowing how to re-align a derailleur or straighten out a rotor enough to get going again is invaluable knowledge to have when miles away from the trailhead.


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## ou2mame (Apr 23, 2010)

i just got one of my friends into trail riding.. we're out in the woods, i hop a kid, and a few miles later my chain breaks. he's like oh ****, i guess we're done. so i pull out my chain break and teach him how to fix it. 2 minutes later we're riding again. had him buy a multi tool to carry with him. at least thats one thing he can fix if he has to. you never know whats gonna happen. snag a cable and throw your **** out of alignment, headset becomes loose, brakes are rubbing badly, etc...


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