Co-op Cycles  DRT 2.2 Bike

I was hesitant to put this much money into a CO-OP bicycle as I did not know much about them. However, this bike has turned out to be much better than I could have hoped. The SRAM NX Eagle shifting on the right hand side, both up and down is great and easy. The X-Fusion Manic dropper seat post is so handy for easily changing height when going down steep terrain. The 2.8" tires are great for trails lending good width for sand and mud. With a 31.74 lbs. weight makes for an incredible ride. REI stands behind its bikes and has great maintenance personnel.!.

It is difficult nowadays to decide what bicycle offers the best value for your money. I have had good experiences with Co-op bikes, so I decided to purchase a DRT 2.2. The bicycle meets every one of my needs--high quality, sturdy construction, and good components. During a speedy downhill run, the strong hydraulic brakes saved me from disappearing into a deep wash. I have put about 30 off-road miles on my DRT 2.2. Before the first mile, I replaced the hard grips with ergonomic grips. I added a longer stem. The seat has some play that I cannot tighten or adjust out. My first ride of 15 miles began with a three-mile climb that starts at 2% and terminates with 200 feet at 8%. The low gearing alIowed me to climb against a headwind of 15-20 mph and lots of energy robbing loose dirt. Shifting was smooth and positive. The big 2.8 tires rolled over the rough and rutted portions of the ascent. The reward of ascending is descending. Upon reaching the crest, I began a 2 mile downhill that featured animal trails, sandy washes, abrupt, short climbs, and groomed dirt roads. That was fun! The suspension fork, set at midpoint, effectively smoothed out bumps and and gave me full control of the bike. The tires rolled through soft sand without bogging down or surrendering to slides. After riding 12 miles, I had enough confidence to challenge an animal trail replete with quick and closely spaced undulations, uneven, sloping terrain, and lots of loose sand. The DRT 2.2 allowed me to zip through with aplomb. I easily steered around spike- ladened plants and cactus loaded with needle like spines. The frame does not allow for two full-sized water bottles. On this trip, I added a rack and bag which held a large insulted water bottle. I put a 14 ounce bottle in the seat tube cage. I have a 33.5 inch inseam, so I could have bought the large frame model. I picked the medium so I could "throw the bike" around a little more easily. I appreciated the lower standover height when I nearly wiped out in an unexpected trap-like pocket of loose sand. Bicycle weight with pedals and two water bottle cages: 33.05 pounds. Weight during the described trip: 43.15 pounds. Main use: Exploration. Terrain: 99% off-road.

DRT 2.2 2022 model, size medium - This is my first mountain bike in 30 years, so I cannot compare and contrast the ride to that of others currently on the market. I can however, compare it to a fully rigid older 26er mountain bike… This bike blows the old bike away; there is no comparison. I’ve ridden many of the same trails on both bikes and the DRT 2.2 is not only exponentially faster, but it is so much more comfortable to ride – apples/oranges. I have a couple hundred miles on this now, riding everything from easy fire roads to steep, semi-technical single track. It has taken everything my talent level can throw at it with ease. It downhills well and it climbs well. It handled a several day fully-loaded backcountry bikebacking tour with 1000's of feet of climbing/descents very well. I'm impressed with its capabilities. I come from a road bike background and I'm used to putting in some pretty long days in the saddle. After several hours on this bike though, while physically tired from riding, I'm not trashed or in pain because of poor geometry or getting beat up due to poor suspension. I really like the 27.5+ tires set up tubeless, coupled with the 140mm fork travel. It really smooths out the ride. I did change out the grips and saddle to ones I was comfortable with that I had on another bike. The points of contact are always a personal thing. The stock saddle seems fine, the grips weren’t my cup of tea. I also put a longer stem on it just to lengthen out the cockpit a bit. The bike's drive train and other build components are comparable to some of the 'sexy' brands costing a couple of hundred dollars more. One niggle I have is a lack of braze-on mounts to both the top of the top tube and the front of the down tube like some others in this class. That simple addition would have made the purchase decision that much quicker for me, and possibly those like me that want to use it for both a mountain bike/trail bike and a bikepacking steed. I’m exceedingly happy with this bike and would have no qualms buying it again. I highly recommend it.

I have had the DRT2.2 (2020 Edition) for about 3 months now. I was fairly new to mountain biking and this has been an amazing bike. I love the large fat tires for the sandy, rocky trails here in Arizona and the dropper post is amazing. I did a lot of research and this was an amazing bike for the money.

First, this is the 2020 version, size medium. I am 5'6" and the dropper that came with the model isn't quite right. It works to go up, but you have to force it to go down because the tube it is meant to fit in has a slight curvature that makes the dropper too long. My REI is in the process of sourcing another dropper that will work as desired. I was given the option to keep what the bike shipped with, but at the cost I declined because I know having to fiddle with it would annoy me. Now, I am willing to admit it is probably unique to my being at the low end of the height for the bike size and if you are taller this may never be an issue you run into. I also thank my REI for continuing to work to have this be the bike for me.

On a recent weekend trip with some buddies I had the chance to test out this bike on the Flow Trail in Santa Cruz, CA. I was amazed at how easy the ride was on the ascents. Shifting was a breeze, even on the technical sections of the ups and downs. It performed well on the steeps and over rough terrain. Love the drop post, and fat all-terrain tires. Overall I was impressed with how easy and fun it was to ride. I've only been on a couple of rides, one of them very rigorous, and my preliminary verdict is that you'd be hard-pressed to find a better bike for the money.

We purchased this for our 12 year old moving up from a 26" coop. He's just on the small end of the range but still fits great so hopefully he'll get a few good years on it. The fat tires are awesome, and the slack geometry is just right for modern trail bikes - overall really love this bike! Unfortunately, there was some damage to the paint on the down-tube when we received the bike. Not sure if it was a factory paint defect or shipping damage, but there are areas where the paint is rubbed off down to the metal all along the right side of the downtube...it would have been pretty hard to miss packing the bike so I'm guessing it happened in transit. Anyway, it's aluminum so I'm not worried about corrosion or rusting, and we don't live near an REI so it's really not worth returning it. I guess we'll just cover it with some DIY metal paint and add some character to what is otherwise an awesome looking bike. Hey REI - any chance you have matching paint for this frame you could send?

I upgraded from the DRT 2.1 which is basically the same bike but two pounds heavier. I feel the difference with the lighter bike; it is more agile. Whether or not the additional $500 pricetag is justified is debatable. At this price point, I could have possibly got more for my money with another brand, but I love REI's service. The service technicians are mountain bikers and provide honest information. Customer service goes out of their way to help you. You get what you pay for.

Got this bike to replace a very old Stumpjumper M2 bike. This bike is bigger and heavier than the old bike, and will take some getting used to, but it seems fine. It has a lot of new technology that my old bike did not have. The owner's manual is so generic - (covering road bikes) that it's pretty much useless. Doesn't cover the new axle type or drop seat post for example. The hydraulic brakes are new to me, and I would like some info on how to deal with them.

I have had this bike now for several months and have enjoyed it so far. I have always purchased the same brand but decided to step out of my comfort zone and give the Co-op brand a try. The components have been great to use and everything has functioned really well. The only issue I have had with it is the paint comes off super easily. If it gets even lightly scraped, the paint comes off and exposes the bare metal beneath. I suspect I'll have to have it repainted in a couple years.