{"id":70695,"date":"2019-07-29T12:58:12","date_gmt":"2019-07-29T19:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=70695"},"modified":"2024-03-05T09:38:31","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T17:38:31","slug":"first-look-riding-the-new-co-op-cycles-drt-3-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/first-look-riding-the-new-co-op-cycles-drt-3-2","title":{"rendered":"First Look: Riding the new Co-op Cycles DRT 3.2"},"content":{"rendered":"

In late 2016, REI announced a complete revamp of its cycling program, including a new flagship bike brand, Co-op Cycles. The move signaled the company\u2019s desire to up both the caliber of its cycling offerings and its credibility in the bike market. \u201cWe heard from our members that we have to make bikes and bike gear that are both high value as well as up to the high quality of everything in our stores,\u201d Paul Calandrella, REI\u2019s director of cycling strategy, said at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though it\u2019s easy to pay lip service to the idea of improvement and to create a marketing scheme to support those claims, it\u2019s not as simple to follow through. But at its inception, the co-op launched a collection of all-road, drop-bar bikes: the ARD series, which <\/span>won commendation i<\/span><\/a>n the industry. After, the company followed with a range of adventure touring machines\u2014the ADV series\u2014<\/span>proved equally as popular<\/span><\/a>. With those bikes, as well as a completely overhauled apparel and softgoods program, REI illustrated its commitment to becoming a one-stop shop for cyclists. \u201cIt\u2019s not about competing with local bike shops. We aren\u2019t trying to be a replacement for a specialty store,\u201d Calandrella says. \u201cBut we do feel like it\u2019s our responsibility to serve all of our customers\u2019 needs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But the co-op wasn\u2019t done yet. Earlier this year, REI unveiled the DRT 3 series<\/span>\u2014<\/span>the company\u2019s first line of full-suspension mountain bikes. Comprised of two models, the<\/span> DRT 3.1<\/span><\/a> ($2,199) and<\/span> DRT 3.2<\/span><\/a> ($2,799), the DRT 3s are aluminum trail bikes built with middle-of-the-road travel for all-around versatility. They use a Horst Link suspension, one of the most trusted designs in mountain biking (<\/span>also employed through the years by<\/span> Specialized, Ellsworth, Turner, Norco, Scott, Intense, and European brand Cube, among others). The idea of this rear linkage is to provide a neutral-to-firm ride that isn\u2019t affected by braking forces. <\/span>The brainchild of Austrian engineer <\/span>Horst Leitner<\/span><\/a>, the design was the culmination of decades of work in motorcycles. Once introduced to the mountain bike world in the late \u201890s, the <\/span>Horst Link<\/span><\/a> became the driving force in the widespread <\/span>development and growth<\/span><\/a> of full-suspension mountain bikes. In 2015, Leitner was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame for his contribution to the sport. The upshot, the DRT 3.2\u2019s suspension design is <\/span>time-tested and thoroughly reliable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond the dual suspension, the DRT 3\u2019s defining characteristic is its plus-size tires: The added girth of the 2.8-inch rubber provides more traction, stability and flotation than a typical (skinnier) mountain bike tire without all the heft and rolling resistance of a full fat bike. \u201cThis bike really addresses the Co-op Cycles progression story,\u201d says Ilya Brukhman, lead designer on the team. \u201cWe wanted to build a bike for people who might have been riding a hardtail before but were ready to take on more technical terrain and also anyone after a softer, cushier ride.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Engineered to fit riders from 5\u20190\u201d to 6\u20193\u201d, the largest three models of the DRT 3 have 130mm of rear travel and a 140mm fork built around 27.5-by-2.8-inch tires, while the smaller two models get 120mm of rear travel and 26-by-2.8-inch tires. It\u2019s rare to see 26-inch rims on anything other than fat bikes these days, but the size was a conscious choice to assure a size that would fit most riders. \u201cWe were committed to the large contact patch of plus-size tires for the confidence and fun ride they provide,\u201d Brukhman says. \u201cBut as we tested geometries, we felt that 27.5-plus compromised the fit and experience for smaller riders. That\u2019s why we went with the smaller rims.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

How the DRT 3.2 Rides<\/b><\/h5>\n

A month ago, REI offered me the opportunity to test ride the DRT 3.2. For the past 15 years, I\u2019ve been writing independent bike reviews at <\/span>Outside <\/span><\/i>magazine, a job that has entailed riding and reporting on some 80 new bikes annually (including the<\/span> ARD 1.4<\/span><\/a> at its inception). I jumped at the offer to ride the DRT 3.2 because I was curious to see how Co-op Cycles\u2019 take on a full-suspension mountain bike stacked up.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first thing I liked about the DRT 3.2 is the clean design<\/span>\u2014<\/span>a muted, martini-olive paint job set off by a couple pimento-red rings and a simple, reflective logo. \u201cWe want the bikes to fit a variety of uses, so we purposefully pared back the color and graphics,\u201d Brukham says. \u201cIt mimics the bike concept as a whole: everything you need, nothing you don\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But that description stretches beyond the graphics. The parts are pure, quality-for-the-money selections that reflect a design team that knows what they are doing: a SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain (which gives the widest gear range possible for the least amount of complication, weight and cost), high-value RockShox fork and shocks and Shimano brakes (the most reliable on the market). To top it off, you get WTB wheels and tires, which not only work great, but make tubeless conversion an inexpensive snap (just add valve stems and sealant). While many brands and bikes go for the ultimate bling\u2014cost be damned\u2014the DRT series, and all Co-op Cycles models I\u2019ve tried, are about creating the best ride experience possible without the sticker shock so common across the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

I rode the DRT 3.2 for just over two weeks and covered over 100 miles and nearly 20,000 feet of elevation gain in New Mexico\u2019s Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains. <\/span>That included everything from wide-open rocky tundra and loamy, rooted alpine forest to loose and chundery rock gardens and fast, buffed-out desert track. We even got a freak (for the desert Southwest) full day of rain, which let me check out the bike\u2019s manners in the mud and slick. <\/span>The wide tires provided stability and solid grip, the easygoing geometry and X-Fusion dropper seat post made for confidence-inspiring descents, and the suspension felt plush and forgiving even when the rides stretched on for hours. Compared with many bikes these days<\/span>\u2014<\/span>which have grown so long, low and slack that they can be too specialized for everyday use<\/span>\u2014<\/span>the DRT 3.2 felt balanced and neutral enough to handle anything from dirt roads to technical singletrack. And though I probably pushed the bike beyond its design intent, including climbs to 12,500 feet and some incredibly chunky, rock-hewn descents, the DRT 3.2 kept up just fine.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While so many brands invest in developing featherweight carbon superbikes, it\u2019s refreshing to come across a durable, alloy bike that delivers a great ride at a sensible price. Of course I\u2019d prefer more adjustments on the suspension, burlier tires, and a lighter overall bike weight (my medium tipped the scales at 31.7 pounds), but those are tradeoffs you make for the low cost. None of those things hindered me from riding everything I wanted aboard this bike, and anyway, compared with the competition, the DRT 3.2 is both less expensive and better spec\u2019d for the money. It\u2019s a bike that will help you advance, whether that\u2019s going from bike paths to trail or from intermediate singletrack to truly technical terrain, and you won\u2019t have to take out a mortgage to improve and enjoy the experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In late 2016, REI announced a complete revamp of its cycling program, including a new flagship bike brand, Co-op Cycles. The move signaled the company\u2019s desire to up both the caliber of its cycling offerings and its credibility in the bike market. \u201cWe heard from our members that we have to make bikes and bike […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":74200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1127,1912,724,1913,2252],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-70695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cycle","tag-cycling","tag-drt-3-2","tag-gear","tag-mountain-bikes","tag-new-products-co-op-brands"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/first-look-riding-the-new-co-op-cycles-drt-3-2","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"First Look: Riding the new Co-op Cycles DRT 3.2","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/first-look-riding-the-new-co-op-cycles-drt-3-2","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/cycle\/first-look-riding-the-new-co-op-cycles-drt-3-2"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/Hero_SedonaREI-7.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/Hero_SedonaREI-7.jpg?fit=6000%2C2569"},"articleSection":"Cycle","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["cycling","drt 3.2","gear","mountain bikes","new products. co-op brands"],"dateCreated":"2019-07-29T19:58:12Z","datePublished":"2019-07-29T19:58:12Z","dateModified":"2024-03-05T17:38:31Z"},"rendered":"