2016 Diamondback Haanjo

I just ordered my new 2016 Haanjo Trail and I'm psyched. So, within 10 days I should have my new gravel ride. Yes!

I'm not sure I'll need internal cable routing really, since I don't plan to CX race. And thru axles would be nice, but if it winds up I'm really into it and "need" them, I can always upgrade my bike. I've been hearing more and more that carbon is over rated, plus, I'm a pretty big guy (6 ft 1 215 lbs) and will be coming from a hard charging Enduro mnt bike riding style. I might need something on the sturdier side of things, I'll see how the hopefully solid Haanjo frame stands up. Had a 2000 Trek X01 CX and thought it was fun, but not very compliant. Hopefully the newer frame, the full carbon fork, and larger volume tires will be better than that was. 

This is my first post here on ridinggravel and I'm super pumped. Can't wait to get out there and try something new.

Ultegra, baby!! 

Carbon is not overrated at all and 215 is plenty light enough to ride it. I'm 285 and have three carbon frame bikes and no issues and all ride much better than any aluminum frame bike I've owned to date.

I guess from my perspective when I factor in a similarly outfitted carbon bike is twice the price, that makes it overrated. I'm sure the ride is better, and if I'm really unimpressed I'll probably go in that direction.

FWIW I currently ride a carbon mountain bike (Ibis Mojo HD) and love the way it rides. 6 inches travel front and rear at 30.5 lbs, great dampening at speed but stiff and strong, gotta love that. Since I want to see if I really enjoy gravel riding before sinking similar $ into a gravel bike, I'd give the Haanjo a chance. Its got really nice components and I've heard really good things about the way it rides in terms of compliance. It has almost identical geometry to the 2 carbon bikes I was considering (Jamis Renegade & Ridley X-Trail), can accept wider tires, and I saved enough money to put towards a better bike if it comes to that.

It might be nice to get a healthy respect for this style of riding on a decent aluminum bike and then treat myself to a higher end bike, provided I want to go in that direction.

Welcome to the club! From the very limited volume of posts about the Diamondback Haanjo line, it seems as though there aren't many owners out there. I just bought mine last week - had it delivered to my home - and built it last night. I took a few pics of the unboxing (nothing special and didn't take a pic of the completed build):

https://goo.gl/photos/qh4rb5MHqgm9D4J2A

Interestingly, mine had a problem with the rear brake caliper right out of the box. The lever had full travel, and the caliper wouldn't move at all. This being my first hydraulic equipped bike, I lack the skills to diagnose and bleed the system, so I rode it carefully to my LBS, who was able to bleed it (he said he had to bleed it 3 times) and get it back to normal. He also checked my build and ensured everything was good.

I'll take my first full ride today and will report back, but so far, the few test rides I've taken were great. The Ultegra shifts beautifully, the riding position is comfortable, the shiny bare alloy frame is striking - just a nice bike overall. The guys at the bike shop complimented me on the bike (doubt they've ever seen one in real life as they're not dback dealers). 

Let me know if you have any questions before yours arrives!

Thanks dsutton01!
Can't wait to hear your thoughts. I'm excited, although I will be away when the bike arrives this week. They said 10 days, but now it says Tuesday (hard to complain about that). I too have an lbs right down the road, so I'll be sure to look into that rear caliper thing.

Congrats to you on your new ride. 

Took a nice 25 mile ride yesterday with the Haanjo. Loved every minute. The bike is super responsive and feels fast. Power transfer is fantastic, handling is tight. The Ultegra shifts wonderfully. The frame did shake me up a bit over the bumpiest of terrain, but not enough to bother me. Looking forward to the next ride. I think i'll put some narrower (28s ?) tires on and try a bit more road riding. 

I think you're going to love yours too!

Sounds great! Can't wait to put it together and take it out for a spin. I knew I'd be giving up a little suppleness by not going carbon frame, but I was hoping the fork would help out. It sounds like it does a decent job of it.

What kind of terrain were you on?

mostly packed gravel/dirt, some pavement. a wonderful ride. 

I too am new to Gravel Grinders-- but not to cycling. I rode my first bike race as a 15 year old junior in 1958. I've owned bikes made of steel, titanium, aluminum, and carbon. The material doesn't matter as much as the design, and quality of the material and manufacturing process. I too purchased a 2016 Haanjo -- but I opted for the less expensive Comp. model which uses the same frame but a carbon fork with an alloy steerer, 105 drivetrain and TRP Spyre mechanical disks. I was tempted by the Trail's hydraulic brakes -- but the ultegra parts and carbon steerer weren't worth the extra cost to me. Both bikes seemed like very good values -- especially for new riders. I've been riding a few times a week on my local New Hampshire dirt and gravel roads; and so far, have been delighted with the bike. It came out of the box almost ready to ride. On my first ride, the disk brakes seemed a little weak. But after the pads bedded in, they are working much better. I will probably also install a second set of inexpensive CX levers on the top of my bars for better hand leverage and comfort on trickier descents. I've used the CX levers on my tandem and found that they give me much more power and comfort. So far I'm very satisfied, but I'll probably install an IRD 11-36 11 speed cassette since the 36/32 isn't low enough for my 73 year old legs. May have to lengthen the chain -- but the long cage 105 can be tweaked to handle the 36. The stock Kenda 40 mm "Happy Mediums" are OK -- but I'll probably eventually upgrade to better quality tubeless tires which I can run at lower pressure. I'm very happy overall with the bike; and enjoying the traffic free, and stress free riding on the back roads of southern NH. Good luck with your Trail. I hope you have the same experience as me. The bike you ride isn't as important as just getting out there and riding. The dirt and gravel beckon!

Very cool. I thought about the Comp, as I had considered a pair of CX brakes too. That won't be possible with the hydraulic brakes, but I think I'll be ok with that. I agree, a bike that fits just right makes all the difference. I live quite close to you, I'm on the North Shore of Boston (Danvers). I have a friend that pretty much rides stuff most others can't ride at a local haven of super technical trails known as Lynn Woods. He's on a 12 yr old all aluminum 35 pound Yeti ASX. It's kind of funny watching guys on 6K carbon bikes walk up stuff he cruises right up. 

I'm really psyched to get out there. I'll give an update once I hit the road/trail/path/whatever.

I think that the hydraulic brakes are a better choice -- especially if you are planning on lots of miles. As a long time roadie, I was leary of disk brakes in general, and hydraulics specifically. In dry conditions, rim brakes -- especially canti's work better and are lighter. In fact many top Euro pro CX racers still use canti's. But to run fatter tires, most recent GG models use discs -- so that's what I bought. I found adjusting the TRP Spyr's very easy. In fact easier than adjusting some low cost V brakes that I've used in the past. Good Youtube on the TRP web site. I suppose that hydraulics also aren't rocket science; and I may eventually upgrade to them on my Comp. But ... probably will upgrade the the wheels and tires first. I've always found that you get the best bang for your buck upgrading wheels and tires.

Also my first post here. Congrats! I bought a Haanjo (the regular flatbar model) back in January and have absolutely loved it. I had a groupset from a previous gravel bike, so I ended up overhauling the whole bike, along with a thru-axle in the front.



You won't regret your purchase. It's got enough clearance to throw a tire big enough to handle some rather technical trails, and the slightly more relaxed geo compared to a CX bike makes it a lot more predictable in single track.

Good to see another out there. Did you notice a big difference with the thru axle on the front? What kind of fork did you go with? How do you like it?

Tons of good info on the Haanjo here - so glad I found this forum. Really agonizing over this upcoming purchase. My son races for Diamondback so when you factor in the team discount there is a few hundred dollar difference between the Haanjo Comp and the Haanjo Trail. Should I spend the extra money to get the Trail? The coach of the team is advising me to get the Comp. I am leaning towards the Trail. I am the type of person that buys the best quality I can stretch to and then hold on to it forever (my first car I owned for 14 years & close to 400,000 miles.) Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

My Haanjo was delivered today and I put it together. The bike looks pretty cool, I really like the raw AL and black thing. I really just have 2 things I'm not sure about;

1. The cranks seem to not spin fluidly. I've never quite experienced the sensation of the cranks having a little give to them. It's definitely not right. Not sure what to make of it.

2. The front brake hydro cable is not properly retained by the provided clip. It simply won't hold, it keeps popping loose from the force of the housing wanting to bend in a different direction. I guess it could be kept in place with the addition of a zip tie, but it seems like it was meant to work without it. Admittedly, there are a couple zip ties provided, but the assembly directions don't really specify where they should be used, along with 2 other cable securing type devices. In fact the assembly instructions are humorously general, and mention everything from canti brakes to training wheels. I like that it came with a couple extra spokes, that's pretty cool.

So, I'm not sure I should ride it yet until I figure out what is up with the cranks. Anyone else come across these issues?

 

 

Interesting issues with yours, very different than mine. 

Did you figure out what that small yellow plastic piece with multiple holes was? 

I faced the same decision and bought the Comp. instead of the trail. I purchased through Amazon. Both were discounted  from MSRP. MSRP's are just BS though. I ride this bike mostly on hardpack dirt roads and a few unpaved bike trails. Most of my rides are under 30 miles. My longer rides are on paved roads on a good road bike. If you plan only light use like me, then the Comp. will get the job done and save you about $800. OTOH if you plan to put in some big miles on some more challenging trails and back roads, then the hydraulic disks, full carbon fork, and better brifters are a good deal for the extra $7-800. If you aren't sure, buy the Comp. You can upgrade later.

I did not figure out what that yellow thing is. My guess is it has something to do with the brakes. I was able to get the front disc on fairly easily. After checking the rear brake, I found it was not lined up correctly, and it took my quite a while to get it aligned, but I did finally work it out.

I'm going to contact DB today about the cranks. 

What are you all paying for the Trail? I can get a good deal...I think it's a good deal. Just wanted to compare. Not sure what I'm going to do yet. I just sold (pending) my SuperX so I'm looking and trying to decide what I want to do next. I was looking really hard at the Salsa Warbird but unavailable. The GT Grade looks pretty good but missed a couple boxes and the one I would have wanted isn't available in my size. The Raliegh Roker looks great but seems a little overpriced for the spec level and...not available in my size. Niner RLT...not sure about that one yet. Great reviews...seems that everyone that has one really likes it. Need to check availability and what it would cost through my shop. Finally, the Trek Boone 7 disc which isn't a gravel bike but seems well specced for the price I can get it for and checks off a couple more boxes than the SuperX did. Still not what I'd call an end all gravel bike for myself...but since it seems that most are out of stock and I don't want to wait until late summer or fall for the new stuff...looks like I'm pretty limited.