# Has anyone seen the Diamondback splinter 24 in the wild?



## JulioBTLL (Dec 12, 2008)

After a lazy day, I was checking out 24 in bikes that were available and ran across the Diamondback splinter 24 at performance bike. Product: Diamondback Splinter 24" Kids Mountain Bike - 2016

Has anyone seen this bike or know information such as weights. My son would love a new bike to replaced his trashed hotrock 24. I like to get him an awesome hardtail, but his heart is set on a full suspension to go even faster downhill. The bike seems ok, but can't find anything substantial online.


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## blubayou (Dec 31, 2015)

Old-ish thread, but I am also wondering about this bike.

Anyone seen it in the flesh? Amazon and one other retailer list it at 24.xx lbs shipping weight, which would be impressive if true.


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## GrayJay (May 16, 2011)

Looks like it uses a 26" fork. I sort of wonder if was originally a XS 26" frame that they stuck smaller wheels on to sell as a kids bike model?


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## blubayou (Dec 31, 2015)

Amazon and others don't have accurate shipping weights, apparently. I was told by a more reputable source that the Splinter 24 is ~31.5lbs, and the Sync'r and Line are ~26.5 and ~27.5 lbs respectively.


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

Sorry for bringing this thread from the dead but... I just pulled a trigger on this bike for my 8 year old (currently on 24" Sync'r). DB is running a flash sale on its corporate website and the price they offer simply is simply unbelievable. One bad thing about it is that it's a gift for the event in ... May and it may have to remain boxed until that time. I will be sure to post pics and review once it's operational.


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## Fourstringsquire (Aug 12, 2012)

Is the flash sale still going on? Do you have a link?


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

dbcorp.diamondback.com, but it only works if your employer is part of Diamondback's corporate discount program. Sale runs through Monday.


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

*The bike is here!*

The bike is here (ordered on Friday, received on Wednesday)!

Here are some pics:

The box is huge!









Well protected inside:









First look:









Cockpit (Race Face Chester, 31.8 Bar Bore 740mm Wide):









Rear shock (X-Fusion O2 Pro Air, w/ Rebound Adjust) with air inlet exposed:









Cranks (Race Face Chester, 165mm w/ 32T Ring):









Rear Derailleur (SRAM X7 Type 2 10spd Mid Cage) and cogset (PG1030 11-36T):









Fork (X-Fusion Velvet RL 26" Air) with air inlet exposed:









Another look:









Glad to see that the specs on the bike match those posted online (Diamondback Bicycles - Splinter 24). This is 2016 for sure; just checked Performance Bicycle offering and they are showing the 2017 model with 1x11 setup (Diamondback Splinter 24 Kid's Mountain Bike - 2017).

As stated in my earlier post, the bike has to remain in hiding until ... early May so no detailed review or updates until then. Still, I will be sure to post more pics and some additional impressions after handover is official. I am considering adding the the Sunrace 11-42 cassette (10 spd) to give him the extra range. Will see how the first few rides go.

The kid will be moving on from a 2015 version of the Sync'r 24.


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## BigGuylbs (Apr 20, 2004)

I wanted to update this post as another dad who picked up a pair of these for my twin boys (age 8). My boys are also comming from 2016 24" DB Sync'rs so there are lots of familiar parts on these rigs (drivetrain/wheels) although there are some new and bloated parts as well.

Here is one of them that I just finished setting up this afternoon.


Box arrived unharmed but the front tire was loose and had scraped some paint from the rear triangle :-( Otherwise, it made it's journey much more intact than our previous DB sync'rs (which required a return/replacement as one had a big ding in the downtube and the other looked to have been ran through with a forklift!

Bike weight stock is a leg numbing 31.5 lbs. However, for a bit over $100 I was able to drop it down to an even 27lbs and can save the big 2.5" tires/tubes for visits to the downhill park. Their previous 24" DB Sync'r was about 26.5 with stock tires (no attempt at weight reduction) so the weight difference after the swap outs is minimal. The Sram drivetrain X5/X7 is identical to the 2016 Sync'r and has previously worked great. Brakes are shimano and have really nice reach adjustment for tucking the levers in nice and close for small hands.

For those interested, here are my parts swap with actual weights. There are a few super easy places to save some weight on this.

Stock Bars:
Race Face 403g
China Carbon bars ~160g (still waiting)

Seat/post Combo 350mm 606g
SDG ifly/X-beam post cut to 350mm 388g
(iFly seat is 260x128) SDG also makes the patriot which is 247x129 which would work well for kids but was not available at closeout pricing.

Kenda Nevegal Tires 1004g each
Rocket Ron 440/428g

Kenda 2.5" tubes 296g each
1.75" tubes 136g each

Stock DBPedals 448g
DMR v6 plastic 327g

I also swapped the stock RF cranks/BB with a Sram S600 that I cut down to 150mm but I had already completed that project for their prior DB Sync'r.

Since I have twins that complain whenever things are "the same", the bits of color will help to make each one of the bikes have it's own personality.
No ride impressions yet as we have had several rainstorms down here in Socal that have all of the local trails closed. I'm hoping that we can get out later this week to try them out. Initial impressions would suggust that the X-fusion forks and rear shock should have no trouble getting soft enough for the kids to get full travel out of them and stiction does not appear to bad (boys weigh 72lb & 84lb). I'll be curious to see how these ride but with their basic single pivot design, they remind me of my old santa cruz heckler which I rocked for over 10 years 

I'll update with some post ride reports and let you know what the kids think as soon as we get some ride time.


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

Thanks for the post, BigGuylbs and all the helpful upgrade suggestions! Will keep them in mind when the rascal will actually have a chance to field test it for the very first time! Please do keep us posted regarding your first ride impressions!


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## JMSmitty (Apr 17, 2013)

Interested in hearing your ride reports! Purchased(online) a splinter today for my son. I liked the geo on the Transition Ripcord a little better and just missed out on a used model. Got a deal on the Splinter and thought why not. TBH I liked the spec/geo equally on the Splinter in comparison to the Ripcord, except my only concern is the chainstay length. 415mm seems awfully long for a bike this size? It seems to be on par with most other 24" FS bikes though. At 415mm the chainstays make up 41% of the wheelbase :/. If my personal bike had this ratio I'd be riding with 490mm chainstays! I'm not a geo geek so perhaps I'm over thinking it since its a kids bike, but something future buyers may want to consider. Transition sits at about 381, which seems more appropriate for this size of bike. On a positive note perhaps you could fit a 26" tire in the rear for the ability to keep the child in the bike longer as they grow? Probably not without getting some rub but who knows. Definitely some room back there judging by the pics. I'm making many of the same changes BigGuylbs is making. I'll be interested to see how the rocket rons hold up to our rocky AZ trails. There are a couple interesting treads at around the 650gram weight also in 24" tires that may hold up better. Since my son is on the small side, I'll also put an Answer AME 30mm stem and Sram NX 155mm cranks to make the bike a little more compatible for his size.


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## BigGuylbs (Apr 20, 2004)

JMSmitty,
It sounds like the Ripcord has a super tight rear triangle for a 24" kids bike and I'd guess it makes manualing a lot easier for a kid (something I see few kids do well). After reading your message, I measured the rear center BB to Axle of the DB Splinter and it was indeed about 415mm. I then measured the rear triangle of the DB Sync'r hardtail that we are upgrading from and it's rear triangle was 410. However, comparing front centers between the bikes the hardtail Sync'r measures roughly 22 3/4 while the splinter measures roughly 24 1/4 so it is substantially longer.

So, I guess that there are a few ways of looking at this... While I didn't convert to percentages, the splinter seems to be better proportionately than the Sync'r but both have rather long rear triangles compared to the ripcord or a trailcraft. However, the trailcraft appears to have a rather short front center (21.05" from the listed specs although it has a much steeper head tube angle) so it might fit like a smaller or mor traditional XC bike. The Ripcord is listed with a wheelbase of 1005mm which would suggest it has a front center a bit over 24.5 inches so it seems to best mimic current trends in a long front center and short stays. 

What does all of this mean?? I can't say as I still haven't had a chance to get the kids on the bikes to have them tell me what they think (the most important test). I'll keep you updated once we have some time on them and I'll be interested in your findings as well.


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## BigGuylbs (Apr 20, 2004)

Well, we went for a quick ride this afternoon and the initial impressions look very promising. One of the kids was on the splinter and the other is still on his DB Sync'r, which has the same drivetrain/gearing but is DB's 24" hardtail. The ride was a pretty mellow 8 mile loop but there were at least a few things that were notable. Specifically, my son riding the splinter easily made it over a short but steep climb that he routinely comes just short of completing (and my other son continued to just miss today). Also, on a short rocky descent, my son riding the splinter easily had more control and poise. In fact, we had my other son ride the descent on both bikes and although he chose the same terrible line both times (shooting right into a rut), he looked like he was holding onto a baby bucking bronco on his Sync'r while he looked significantly more smooth and controlled on the splinter. I recorded both descents in in slow motion on my phone and the rear wheel remained way more planted on the ground on the splinter while it was skipping up/down and right/left (a few inches in all directions) as he bounced down on the hard tail (resulting in the bronco effect). Although he doesn't want to admit it, it looks like the splinter could really help out his tendency to pick poor lines on descents and I'm sure that more aggressive rides will continue to favor the Splinter. It's supposed to rain tommorow but I'm hopeful that we can get out next week to another ride with some more technical downhills and continue to get some impressions. Overall, he gave it a double thumbs up.

As far as the not so good, my son had one "incident" where he rubbed the inside of his thigh against the air stem of the rear shock (ouch) and looking at rear triangle, it looks like he must be occasionally striking his heal on the drive-side swingarm (although the other side looks clean). 

I'll continue to update as we get some real ride time on the bike.


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## Steve-XtC (Feb 7, 2016)

BigGuylbs said:


> I wanted to update this post as another dad who picked up a pair of these for my twin boys (age 8). My boys are also comming from 2016 24" DB Sync'rs so there are lots of familiar parts on these rigs (drivetrain/wheels) although there are some new and bloated parts as well.
> 
> Here is one of them that I just finished setting up this afternoon.
> 
> ...


So how is the geometry ??? As someone else asked is this basically a small 26er frame they had and stuck on 24" wheels? 
From the cranks advertised (RACE FACE CHESTER, 165MM) they are sized for a small(ish) adult (or even medium on a enduro-downhill bike) rather than a 8-10yr old ??

My 7yr old has growth left in his hard-tail but looking towards his next bike and wondering if an adult XS wouldn't be easier ??? (I certainly can't see him being happy climbing with an extra 10lbs over his current hardtail)


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## JMSmitty (Apr 17, 2013)

BigGuylbs said:


> Well, we went for a quick ride this afternoon


Thanks for the update! Good to hear that the suspension seemed to work fairly well with a lighter rider. Curious what sag you were running on the front and rear? I'm thinking of starting at 25% rear and 20% front and gong up from there. Good note on the air valve. I looked at it today and could see how that would be an issue. Perhaps some electrical or self adhesive tape wrapped on it to help smooth out the edge. As for the heal strike on the swingarm, perhaps thats why most 24" FS bikes have a comparatively long swingarm is because the angle to the dropouts would be abrupt and make heal strike more common if they were shorter. Unless you manipulated the form of the chainstay as Transition looks to have done on the Ripcord to get the shorter stays. Perhaps a couple pedal washers may help??

I had some time today to begin setting up the bike while I wait the arrival of some parts. A couple observations I made of the bike are- the brake levers seem to have a lot of pull before engaging. I thought a quick bleed might help firm them up a little but may put levers to far away from the bars for my sons hands. I guess I'll find out once the bike is finished if the reach will be an issue. I also noticed on the lever where the lever adjust would be on other shimano brakes is a hex bolt/plug. I'm thinking I could possibly find the adjuster part online or buy a bolt that fits and make the levers adjustable. Also a heads up to others, the Race Face cranks require a specific crank puller to remove :/. Lastly, the Diamondback pedals that came with bike have a lot of drag. It feels like there is no lube. Like you, I'm switching them out for the DMR pedals, but other buyers may want to tear down and lube the pedals. I also recorded some more weights on a few parts while I had the bike apart-

DB Stem- 150g
Sram Cassette- 400g
Rotors- 137g
Front wheel only- 941g
Rear wheel only- 1181g (2,122g for the wheelset! Yikes)
Next project will be building a wheelset to replace the stock anchors that came with the bike. Using online specs, a wheelset with Hope hubs, Dt Swiss Comp spokes(1.8 thread), and Stans Crest 24", the wheelset would come in at around 1466g. Nearly 1.5lbs off unsprung weight! You could go a little lighter if you did 28 or 24 spoke wheels, but its not significant. I like the Hopes because I can re-use for wheel builds later on because of the cheap end caps for different rear hub spacing. The Stans rims are a little pricey but weigh 310g. Cheaper rims can be had that weigh around 420g but I forget the names at the moment.


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## JMSmitty (Apr 17, 2013)

Steve-XtC said:


> So how is the geometry ??? As someone else asked is this basically a small 26er frame they had and stuck on 24" wheels?
> From the cranks advertised (RACE FACE CHESTER, 165MM) they are sized for a small(ish) adult (or even medium on a enduro-downhill bike) rather than a 8-10yr old ??
> 
> My 7yr old has growth left in his hard-tail but looking towards his next bike and wondering if an adult XS wouldn't be easier ??? (I certainly can't see him being happy climbing with an extra 10lbs over his current hardtail)


You'd have to probably decide for yourself if the geometry is good or not. All higher end full suspension 24" bikes have similar geo. At least the ones I researched. I found the Transition Ripcord to have the best geo. Ripcords seem to sell well so I never seen any discounted below retail. Lil' Shredder didn't have their specs online but are a little expensive for me so I didn't research them much. Of the bikes I researched, if they were each priced the same, I'd have gotten the Ripcord. But i got the Splinter on closeout at a local shop for nearly 50% off, so money talked and I went with the Splinter. I researched getting a XS 26" bike and putting 24" wheels on it about 6 months ago, but I couldn't find anything that would fit as well as the 24". That's not saying there isn't anything out there if you look hard enough. If your child is happy with his current bike, I'd just stick with that until he fits a XS 26" if he is close to being able to doing so. My son had outgrown his 20" and is on the small side for the 24", so he has room to grow on the 24". I couldn't find a 26" that had a more child friendly geo then the Splinter...

Yes the Splinter is heavy. I believe around 30lbs stock. It doesn't take much to lighten it up considerably. If your kid will be riding it uphill I'd definitely make some changes. A few posts above already have some relatively cheap ways to drop weight. If your using it for lift/shuttle type rides, I suppose it may be ok as is?


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

JMSmitty - thanks for the early report. 

Could you shed some light on the actual cost of replacing the entire wheelset? How much are we talking about to get the weight down from 2,122 to 1,466 g. Based on my very uneducated search for the new wheels (granted for a different size but still), the costs of new wheels, hubs, and tires can very easily put you in the 'OMG, this is 3/4 of the price I paid for this entire bike' territory. Yes, there are sales and deals but we are talking hundreds of dollars here, are we not? Where do we draw a line? Again, very interested to learn about your budget for the project. Thanks!


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## BigGuylbs (Apr 20, 2004)

JM,
I may have misunderstood you but I was able to adjust the lever reach by adjusting the hexbolt. I think it's just not quick adjust by hand like some of the more fancy shimano levers. If you are assembling, I would also take a look at routing the rear derailer cable on the opposite side of the headtube (the left side if sitting on the bike) following hte rear brake cable as I was having difficulty getting constent shifting until I did so. Finally, the crank puller I used was my trusty Park CWP-7 I have had for the last 15 years and it worked with no problem. However, you are correct in that there is not a self extracting head on the crank bolt.


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## BigGuylbs (Apr 20, 2004)

To add to what Smitty wrote...

I'm pretty certain the bike is made to be a 24" and is not just a X-Small 26" bike. 

If it was a XS with 24" wheels, I would expect a lower BB than the roughly 13" that I measured. In comparison, look at how low the Specialized Grom is (11.5") which reflects what happens when you take a XS woman’s bike (Specialized Safire) with 26" wheels and drop 24" wheels on it. The stays on the Splinter, even at 16.3 inches are still shorter than any of the old 26" XS and XXS models from various manufacturers that I can find. While I agree that bikes like the Pivot may have more contemporary geometry, I don’t think the splinter is significantly longer than other full suspension bikes in this class. 

I also wouldn't let the crank arm length be a guide as to the intention of this bike. I’m unsure what your son’s bike is now, but I found it extremely difficult to source reasonably short (155 or less) high quality cranks in the past. With the exception of select SRAM models (that were next to impossible to even be purchased aftermarket until this year), almost all of the short cranks on the market use older square taper BB’s. I think DB chose to use more modern cranks but unfortunately opted to spec the easiest to find models (which is what they did on their other 24” models as well) which are too long for this age group.

While building a XS 26” would certainly be feasible and easier, I have concerns about my kids learning good bike handling skills with an oversized bike. I have seen a lot of little kids on big bikes (even youth races where kids couldn’t get started on their bikes because they couldn’t lift their leg over the seat tube) and while this configuration works fine if they are only pedaling, I don’t see these kids learning and using proper bike handling technique. Have you seen 8 year olds on 26” bikes that are doing proper manuals, bunny hops, etc.? I'm sure they are out there but I haven't seen them. My goal is to have a bike my kids can feel confident on and build skills that they can continue to use into the future. I agree that an extra 10 pounds is going to be felt (and if your son is on a 24” that weighs 17 pounds I would think you did a lot of work to make it that way). However, if comparing 24” bikes in the DB lineup, you are really looking at equivalent weights for the hard tail and full suspension after a few tweaks (which I described in the other post).


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## JMSmitty (Apr 17, 2013)

Szy_szka said:


> JMSmitty - thanks for the early report.
> 
> Could you shed some light on the actual cost of replacing the entire wheelset? How much are we talking about to get the weight down from 2,122 to 1,466 g. Based on my very uneducated search for the new wheels (granted for a different size but still), the costs of new wheels, hubs, and tires can very easily put you in the 'OMG, this is 3/4 of the price I paid for this entire bike' territory. Yes, there are sales and deals but we are talking hundreds of dollars here, are we not? Where do we draw a line? Again, very interested to learn about your budget for the project. Thanks!


As far as the wheelset it wouldn't be cheap. A quick price out last night was $54(ebay) for spokes and around $150 for the Stans rims. New Hope hubs would be around $260. I build my own wheels so nothing for labor. one could re-lace to stock hubs and save money that way. This is a future project, maybe summer, so I would try to find some used Hope hubs. I don't mind paying for the Hope hubs because I will just reuse them with the next build. This is the first complete bike I have purchased in a long time. I always buy framesets and build from there. So when my son can move up a wheel size I'd just put the stock wheels/tires back on and sell the stans rims if they're still good and reuse the hope hubs on the next bike. Best place to lose the weight is the wheels but probably most costly. here is what I have paid so far on aftermarket parts.

Tires- rocket rons $18.11 per tire(bike-discount.com) Shipping from across the pond was $23 but their prices are really low and I had a bunch of other yearly maintenance stuff I had to get that made shipping a wash compared to ordering stateside.

Carbon bar-chinese ebay 18.00

DMR V6 pedals- 17.18 amazon

nx cranks 155mm ebay $95 about 200grams less than RF. Plus I needed shorter cranks as my son is undersized for the bike.

used answer stem 30mm $30 118grams DB stem is 150g

If I only changed one thing it'd be the tires/tubes. Everything else is not necessary, but either needed for bike fit reasons or it was cheap enough and weighed less to justify the price for me


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## JMSmitty (Apr 17, 2013)

Thanks for the heads up. Some slx brake levers used a plug where the bite-adjust on xt etc was. Guys were buying slx then getting the part to adjust the bite. i thought shimano did the same here with the reach adjust. Good to know about the lever adjustment.


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## BigGuylbs (Apr 20, 2004)

Since we are deal spotting, take a look at the SDG Ifly I-Beam saddle/seatpost combo from Jenson. 30.9 post and the yellow/black seat is a dead ringer for the yellow of the bike. The seat is narrow and pretty short with a weight of 388g with the post cut to 350 vs 608g for the stock seat/post. $40 to save 250g.
I picked up my rocket rons from Germany as well and since I need 2 pair (for both bikes) and I picked up some tubes, the shipping was a nothing compared to their price in the US.
BTW, I sure wish those 155 NX cranks were available last year. I ended up buying some Sram S600 cranks (for the boys previous Sync'rs) last summer since they were pretty easy to machine and then paying to have a friend ship some taps out so I could thread them after cutting them down. For $95 with a ring, I would of picked up the NX in an instant!

I'll be excited to see your final build and opinions as well.


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## JMSmitty (Apr 17, 2013)

BigGuylbs said:


> Since we are deal spotting, take a look at the SDG Ifly I-Beam saddle/seatpost combo from Jenson. 30.9 post and the yellow/black seat is a dead ringer for the yellow of the bike. The seat is narrow and pretty short with a weight of 388g with the post cut to 350 vs 608g for the stock seat/post. $40 to save 250g.ll.


Yes I was very close to buying that combo. I got a little worried because some reviews said it was pretty hard. I was a concerned about comfort on long rides. How does it compare to the DB saddle in size?


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## Steve-XtC (Feb 7, 2016)

Szy_szka said:


> JMSmitty - thanks for the early report.
> 
> Could you shed some light on the actual cost of replacing the entire wheelset? How much are we talking about to get the weight down from 2,122 to 1,466 g. Based on my very uneducated search for the new wheels (granted for a different size but still), the costs of new wheels, hubs, and tires can very easily put you in the 'OMG, this is 3/4 of the price I paid for this entire bike' territory. Yes, there are sales and deals but we are talking hundreds of dollars here, are we not? Where do we draw a line? Again, very interested to learn about your budget for the project. Thanks!


Good wheels are fairly re-sellable ... and although good rims discounted is a challenge that does keep their resale up as wheels... or as BigGuy say's you reuse the hubs.

It's really no different to an adult bike....I paid less for my entire 9 month old XC bike that the RRP of a new front wheel..... and the rear is even more expensive.

Cost is what you make it....
Stans rims cost what they cost and the 24ers are hard to find discounted though you might get some mark II's cheap now. 
Spokes again... take your choice but easier to find deals.. I got the CX-RAY for GBP1 each x 72 but RRP is 3x that... and common discounts about half... or you can get more normal spokes 
Hubs you can get used ... decent light ones like the Novatec D771/D772 for $50-60 if you shop around.


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

The day has come and the kid has finally seen the bike and was able to try it out! After some initial excitement of having to ride a full suspension bike, I think he was surprised to find how the setup actually works and when to expect its full benefits (I think he was really expecting to be bouncing around when moving forward, even on a completely flat surface ).

While testing the bike on the pavement around the neighborhood, I played with the setup just a little bit. Shifting seemed fine after some minor adjustments but I took time to re-route the shifting cable around the left side of the headtube.

I also decided to try to upgrade the rear cassette with the Sunrace CSMS3 10 speed 11-42 setup (shutout to Trail This Bicycle Shop in Mount Horeb, WI for amazing price and super fast shipping!). Just a swap between the existing SRAM 11-36 was a no-go from the start. The existing chain was simply too short. It was also quite clear that a new, longer B-screw will be needed. Ordered a new chain (again, thanks to Trail This!) and got the screw, nut and cup (M4 - 0.7 25mm) from the local Home Depot (see pic below).









After the install and a quick spin around the neighborhood, everything appears to be working fine. I am hoping this trend will continue when the kid will be riding the bike in the wild. One thing to watch for is a chain drop when backpedaling on the largest cog. I think I read about this issue on the designated forum and as far as I recall there is no real fix (or I may need to do more research. On my Mission 1 with the identical setup, this is not an issue at all).

Few pics of the setup.

























Again, I'm looking forward to see how the bike performs on an actual trail!


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

Quick update after the shakedown trip to the local trail. Bike performed well overall and the kid did enjoy the full suspension rig.

The upgraded cassette appeared to improve the overall ease of climbing for some hills but he still chose to walk few steeper ones, which I think is understandable given the overall weight of the bike..

Unfortunately, the longer B-screw I installed slipped past the stop toward the end of the ride requiring some 'massaging' to make shifting to the largest cog usable again. There is clearly a lot of pressure working against the screw with this upgraded setup. Back home I took the new screw, installed another washer under the cap and used some Loctite to prevent things from getting loose. You can see that the screw is already bending quite a lot (pic taken with the bike upside down):









I am not 100% this setup will hold over time. Since the current derailleur (SRAM x7) is a mid-cage setup, I went ahead and ordered the long-cage equivalent (SRAM GX) which hopefully make the B-screw adjustment a little less of an issue (since long-cage rear derailleur is supposed to increase the overall capacity of the system).


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## JNKER (Feb 19, 2016)

For what its worth, there's a 10 year old kid who has this exact bike that practices in our local bike park in the Seattle area and he rips on it. This kid is tail whipping this bike 90 degrees and absolutely shredding on it. He seems to love the bike.


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## endo-boy (Jun 13, 2005)

*Great bike - some footage from angel fire over the weekend of my son on his.*



JNKER said:


> For what its worth, there's a 10 year old kid who has this exact bike that practices in our local bike park in the Seattle area and he rips on it. This kid is tail whipping this bike 90 degrees and absolutely shredding on it. He seems to love the bike.


Great bike, love it. I would like to lighten it up, but runs great.

https://www.pinkbike.com/video/472100/


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

Long cage SRAM GX installed:









With stock B-screw still being a bit too short, I placed a nut and a cup to make it a bit longer. Screw still appears 'at its limit' with a slight bend but I am hopeful it will stay and not break.

I am not seeing any obvious and immediate improvements with the new derailleur but still happy with the way upgrade turned out, despite the extra $100 out of pocket.

Update #1: unfortunately, the stock B-screw with a nut/cup combo bent again to the point of making the largest cog unusable. That was a bummer, particularly since it happened during a trail ride and the kid was ready to quit mid ride. Fortunately, I was able to bend it back a little for the GX to work again (on the largest cog, that is). At home, I went back to the after market 25mm screw from Home Depot, this time threaded in reverse and with an added nut at the base. This is a little frustrating but I will keep for a solution that works.

Update #2: the screw reversal did not help; the screw continued to bend with the screw's head continuing to 'slide' past the designated stop. Somehow discouraged, I did search the forums and was very fortunate to find the following post by XJaredX: http://forums.mtbr.com/drivetrain-s...-oneup-b-screw-keeps-bending-help-981915.html. It quickly became clear that the setup suggested by folks at his LBS chose the screw reversal method but went with a specific screw type, namely *flat-head*. It appears that when choosing to reverse the B-screw position, the flat-head screw positions itself securely against the stop and stays there for good. Since my initial B-screw replacement included only a *pan-head* style, I went ahead and purchased flat-head screw (M4 - 0.7), this time only 20 mm long, plus the washer and a nylon locking nut in order to hopefully replicate the successful setup suggested by XJaredX.









I like what I am seeing; particularly the much more solid looking point of contact between the screw's head and the stop. Will update this thread again after another few miles on the bike, both around the neighborhood and the trail.


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

Quick video review finally shot and uploaded:


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## backinmysaddle (Jul 27, 2011)

Anyone done a comparison of the 2016 vs 2017? It looks like a about a $250 difference right now on the DB corporate site. I have a lightweight set of tubeless 28h wheels and a GX 1x11 drivetrain on an existing 24" hardtail that I could swap over. Looks like the NX cranks on the 2017 model would be a plus (assuming they are 155mm). But otherwise I am looking at $250 price difference and wondering what other than cranks I will care about? I suspect I will move my GX drivetrain and wheels over as well as bars/stem/seat post. I can get some NX or equivalent short cranks for $100-150 so not clear I get any real value in the +$250 on the 2017 model... Any thoughts?


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

Just noticed the bike is no longer listed on the DB website  Discontinued for 2018 (hope not!) or all 2017 are gone and the 2018 not available yet?


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## endo-boy (Jun 13, 2005)

*They are gone, I know they will have 2018s available in the spring*

Great bike, keep an eye out, its not going to be discontinued. Also you may find some through their online retailers.

Eye candy...



Szy_szka said:


> Just noticed the bike is no longer listed on the DB website  Discontinued for 2018 (hope not!) or all 2017 are gone and the 2018 not available yet?


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

Great shots! Not currently shopping for one; simply commenting as a current, very satisfied dad-owner


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## H3NDRIX951 (Jun 15, 2010)

if you dont mind me asking, what did you pay for it on the flash sale?


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

H3NDRIX951 said:


> if you dont mind me asking, what did you pay for it on the flash sale?


I'm assuming you're directing this question at me: I paid $800 delivered (back in February). I don't think I applied any of the common DB coupon codes at that time (SAVE5 or TAKE10) to try to bring it down even lower.


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

I don't see the Splinter 24 on the DB site any longer, which is a shame. This spring I'm going to make the following changes for my 10 y.o. son:

1) replace the Chester 165mm cranks with Trailcraft 140mm & start with a 26T ring (also ordered 28 & 30. I already replaced the cassette, shifter, and RD with Shimano _ WT 42, Zee shifter & SLX 10sp clutch RD)

2) Relegate the current DB wheels as a tubed setup for the DH Bike park with Schwalbe Big Betty tires or the stock Nevegal wire bead anchors

3) Try the Spawn 24" wheelset w/ 27mm inner rims and their tubeless ready 24x2.3 Maxtion tires. I will also get a set of Minion DHF 24x2.4 tires for him just in case


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## johnpark (Jul 9, 2009)

Hey guys, 

FYI - I have the Splinter 24 and just tried installing my old 26" wheels and they fit! Clearance with some 2.3 tires look good too. Even the stock fork is ok.

I think I can now get a couple of more years of use for my son. Stoked because I was thinking about building him up a XS 26" but now I don't have too!


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

Good to know, thanks! I’ll have to keep any eye out for a 26” wheelset in 15x100 F & 10x135R now


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

johnpark said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> FYI - I have the Splinter 24 and just tried installing my old 26" wheels and they fit! Clearance with some 2.3 tires look good too. Even the stock fork is ok.
> 
> I think I can now get a couple of more years of use for my son. Stoked because I was thinking about building him up a XS 26" but now I don't have too!


Great info, thanks for posting! I meant to try this myself at some point this year (good friend still has a 26" Trek). Any chance you could post some pics?


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

Staktup said:


> I don't see the Splinter 24 on the DB site any longer, which is a shame. This spring I'm going to make the following changes for my 10 y.o. son:
> 
> 1) replace the Chester 165mm cranks with Trailcraft 140mm & start with a 26T ring (also ordered 28 & 30. I already replaced the cassette, shifter, and RD with Shimano _ WT 42, Zee shifter & SLX 10sp clutch RD)
> 
> ...


Well, I did these 3 things listed above: replaced the RF Chester 165mm cranks and BB wih the Trailcraft 140mm cranks w/ 26T chain ring, swapped the rear Sunrace 11-40T cassette with a shimano 11-36T + Wolftooth 42T GC, mounted the Spawn wheelset tubeless with 2oz. of Stan's and a Minion DHF 24x2.4 up front and Spawn Maxtion 24 x2.4 in the rear.

The bike now weighs 27lbs, which is a half-pound lighter than his Raleigh Tokul 24 bike (albeit I added a kickstand to that one since that will be relegated to gravel roads and bike paths).


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

Staktup said:


> Good to know, thanks! I'll have to keep any eye out for a 26" wheelset in 15x100 F & 10x135R now


Just found this front wheel on CRC for $59: Alex FR30 Custom Front DB MTB Wheel (Alex FR30 Custom Front DB MTB Wheel | Chain Reaction Cycles).

For the rear, I was thinking BD's Vuelta ZeroLite Comp Aluminum Wheelset for $89 (FREE SHIP 48 STATES* MTB Wheelset PROMO SALE Vuelta ZeroLite Comp Aluminum Wheelset, Alloy Hub MTB Disc Brake Wheelsets).

So it's $150 for a set of 26" wheel with one to spare. Good price overall (for what I know are entry level wheels)?


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

Thanks Szy, I found a set if Easton wheels on ebay for $250. Right now they have a Magic Mary front and Nobby Nic on the rear to test out. 

Incidentally, when I swapped the Sunrace 11-40 to a 11-42, we experienced poor shifting in the middle gearing, so I changed it back to the 11-40 with the 26T ring. The 26x2.35 wheels clear the stays
and fork.


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## Szy_szka (Oct 29, 2015)

Finally took a plunge and upgraded to the 26" wheelset! Alex FR30 in the front (from Chain Reaction Cycles); Vuelta Starlite in the rear (from Bike Nashbar); both fitted with Schwalbe Black Jack 2.25" (Chain Reaction Cycles). Also added Brand-X Ascend II Dropper Seatpost (125mm, 30.9mm; Chain Reaction Cycles). Kid (10 years old but on the taller side) seems to like it (tested around the neighborhood for now due to unfavorable riding conditions on the trails). True test will most likely come in the spring.


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

nice


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## Delatorre805 (Mar 14, 2018)

Anyone thinking of selling their Splinter any time soon? Looking for one for my daughter.


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

Delatorre805 said:


> Anyone thinking of selling their Splinter any time soon? Looking for one for my daughter.


Probably in September as my son outgrew it; the one is Post #43 above...


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

https://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/bik/d/putnam-valley-2017-diamondback-splinter/6973053182.html

Contact me if interested


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## yetirich (Jan 12, 2004)

I was wondering if anyone had taken the original wheels and tried to make them tubeless?
I was able to pick up a demo 2017 model, full Sram NX kit over the weekend for my 8YO. Already swapped out the RF bars for some carbon risers and saved at least a 1/2 pound. 
This one came with a Kenda Nevagal up front and a Maxxis Minion DHR out back. These tires are brand new and will be perfect for desert trail season shortly. But will get some lighter weight Schwalbe for regular trail riding.


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

yetirich said:


> I was wondering if anyone had taken the original wheels and tried to make them tubeless?
> I was able to pick up a demo 2017 model, full Sram NX kit over the weekend for my 8YO. Already swapped out the RF bars for some carbon risers and saved at least a 1/2 pound.
> This one came with a Kenda Nevagal up front and a Maxxis Minion DHR out back. These tires are brand new and will be perfect for desert trail season shortly. But will get some lighter weight Schwalbe for regular trail riding.


I had trouble converting the Nevegals on the stock rims but I didn't try hard enough. I think the DHR will be easier- maybe get a Nobby Nic or DHF for the front. I hope your kid enjoys his bike. A different, more tubeless friendly 24" wheelset worked well for him, as did a set of 26" XC wheels as he got bigger. He liked the reverse mullet set up too (26F & 24R). My son misses his bike already.


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## Staktup (Jan 21, 2016)

My son's bike:

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2652686/


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