Long story short, I am getting back into mountain biking and needed a new bike. I wanted new for various reasons and am not interested in the used market. Although I have always been a fan of Specialized I had a lot of trouble finding that brand in my area. I ended up buying a 2023 REI DRT 1.3 (link below) that I picked up for 10% off ($1260). From a neutral viewpoint I think the bike looks like a good deal (frame maufactured by Giant, 29×2.6″ Maxxis tubeless rires, rockshocks, 1×12 Shimano, dropper post, etc). Still, I feel a bit ashamed blazing the trails with a Co-op bike.
Do I have reason to feel like this bike is a ripoff/sub par or am I falling victim to marketing and hype. I wanted a pretty good bike I could upgrade and ride for at least 5 years before buying a new one. I am also fairly rough on a bike. Nothing crazy but I do hit minor jumps, brake hard, and hit the chunk fast. Will this bike hold up? Thanks for any input.
[REI DRT 1.3](https://www.rei.com/product/198727/co-op-cycles-drt-13-mountain-bike?sku=1987270004&store=33&CAWELAID=120217890016728318&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=113279934153&CATCI=pla-297455113653&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_1987270004%7C92700058217368285%7CBA%7C71700000074726922&gclid=CjwKCAjw1t2pBhAFEiwA_-A-NO1u9KdaRQxy7lfhk6xuAM9jd7XSrBjfXa8NJoSv1ysXxHOyM3rHFxoChDwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
by Artaxe
4 Comments
The bike will hold up, sure. Would I sink any extra money into upgrades? Probably not much more than tyres (stem/bar too if needed) and grips.
I wouldn’t say it’s “sub par” as a whole. Its a solid bike to thrash around on, learn on and have fun on.
Wouldbt say you’ve been ripped off. It’s an entry level bike with entry-level kit at a reasonable price. Have fun with it!
Nothing wrong with it, those are decent components. You can change stuff just like anyone else if you choose
Seems to be a decent hardtail, it has a level entry fork and wheels with a pretty steep head tube angle so donc expect anything crazy in the chunky stuff.
This looks like a really solid deal actually – modern geometry and no parts that seem particularly low end. A thoughtful high quality and durable spec for the money. Who cares what it says on the down tube – no matter the brand most of these frames come from the same factories anyways