Diamondback may be better known for their mountain bikes, but the company has also offered a line of road bikes for some time. While the top level Podium seems to get all of the press, Diamondback has bikes for non-racers too. Remastered by Diamondback is the Century and Airén, their men’s and women’s endurance road bikes. Upgraded in these new iterations include geometry, design, and frame capabilities.
Roll past the break to see what’s fresh…
From top to bottom, both the Century (above) and Airén (below) have gone through complete makeovers. Both models are available in two carbon and three aluminum options. The carbon versions of the Century, and Airén, are composed of a 2 piece, monocoque composite layout. This means there are fewer tubes being affixed to one another creating a stronger overall build.
The four carbon editions feature 100 x 12mm front and 142 x 12 rear thru axles, allowing for stiffer connections between the wheel and frame. Not to mention, aiding in the process of lining up the rotor with the front, and rear, flat-mount brake calipers. Additional frame features include a tapered 1.5″ head tube, threaded bottom bracket, and a 27.2mm seat post.
The carbon design also allows for internal cable routing, whether mechanical or electronic. The flagship edition of both bikes are available with Shimano’s Ultegra drivetrain, and hydraulic brake system. Furthermore, they’re rolling on a pair of HED Flanders 2+ Disc wheels with sealed cartridge bearing hubs.
Notably, the Century offers a longer wheelbase seen in similar endurance bikes, which provides stability. A taller head tube and shorter toptube provides a more upright seating position, while the geometry offers stable handling when at speed.
The front fork takes advantage of two thinly shaped legs that provide more vibration damping than previous years. The seat and chain stays are also shaped to offer a smoother ride when compared to previous editions. Both the fork and the frame feature Diamondback’s continuous fiber technology, this incorporates continuous strands of carbon filament from the top of the construction all the way to the bottom. This method creates a uniformly strong build, and fewer junction points in the fiber.
Rather than simply painting a bike pink, and marketing it as “women’s”, the Airén offers a women’s specific geometry. Though it offers a lot of the same frame build benefits, differences can be seen with the slightly longer stack, head tube, and seat post lengths (but with a shorter seat tube). Lastly the head and seat tube angles get a slight increase when compared to their male counterparts.
The Century is available in sizes ranging from XS – XXL and priced from $800 – $3,200, with the Century 4 starting at $2,500 and the 5 bumping up to $3,200. The Airén is running from XXS – XL and will also be priced from $800 – $3,200, with the same prices as the Century for the top two models.
