Co-op Cycles  DRT 1.1 Mountain Bike

I got this bike for my wife, who likes to ride on easy mountain bike and dirt trails. The XS was just barely big enough for her at 5'3, though her seat was set to the highest recommended setting. Like the sizing says, anyone 5'4 or taller would probably want the S size. The bike rode really well, especially at this price point. The front suspension was cushy and could be adjusted (though the preload knob was a little hard to adjust), and the shifting was fluid and easy, even while going uphill. The seat was also comfortable enough. The internal brake cabling is a nice touch for this entry-level bike too. The thing I'd recommend when taking this bike on slightly tougher trails would be to get slightly nicer tires. It probably won't be long before we upgrade to a dropper post as well, but for this price, the features are hard to beat. It's a nice looking bike too, with nice sharp/straight lines (it looks better than the old version of the DRT 1.1) and we had the "Meyer Lemon" color which also looks pretty sharp.

This is our second set of Co-op bikes. Both sets were purchased for our children age 11 and 10. The first set was great, took a licking and continued to work great. These new DRT 1.1 bikes are not the same. We had a derailer that got tangled in the spokes when my son went to the lowest gear. Took it in and REI said it was our fault because the derailer was bent. Said there is an aluminum part made to bend to save the frame. Not sure what it was saving the frame from, but there was one small mark on the derailer. REI said that caused the derailer to get bent and destroyed everything when it went into the spokes. I was like fine take my $125 to repair it. But now the second bike is doing the same thing! This is not the quality I would expect from REI. These bikes are going back.

Great bike for anyone new to mountain biking or trail riding. Mechanical disc brakes means mud won’t gum up your brakes so you can stop safely. High visibility shifter to see what gear you are riding in as you learn. Comfortable seat. Front suspension can be adjusted to your liking and makes for a smooth ride. 27.5” wheels to easily go over rocks and terrain but not too big so the bike can fit in your vehicle if you don’t have a bike rack. Nice matte finish too, not glossy paint which looks really stealth. The Co-op decal is also highly reflective if you are night riding home from a friends house. The pedals are also metal and not plastic, so they work great as is. Awesome bike!

If this is all you can afford, this bike will make you happy. Bottom line: I think this bike is good but there is better out there, for a similar price or not much more money, especially since they increased the price by $50. If you plan to do any upgrades to this, I would recommend something else. A trek marlin would be a good choice or even a Polygon Xtrada. I found myself adding a dropper post and converting to 1X. With the money that I've sunk in with the upgrades I could've had something better equipped from the factory. If you plan to keep this bike as is, I wholly recommend it. But if you are already planning to upgrade, look elsewhere.

The DRT 1.1 is a solid, versatile mountain bike for moderate riders. I'm no pro, but this bike was well-suited for all the terrain I have been interested in using it for including mud, rocks, dirt, logs, hills, gravel, and streets. The wide tires and sturdy frame held up well when going fast downhill on off-road terrain. It's also light and easy to transport and the wide handle bars helped me feel in control when I was navigating tricky spots. I'm used to a 27-speed bike and with this 16-speed I felt like it was a little harder for me to get up hills in the dirt than I was expecting. It's possible I was just doing a "this goes up to 11" thing in my head, and the issue was really the rider and not the bike, but I did end up walking up hills a few times when I expected to be able to ride all the way. For street riding, it didn't feel any more difficult to get up hills than my other bike which is closer to a hybrid. Overall it's fun to ride and felt solid. If you are trying to train for the X games, you'll probably wan't something more advanced, but I doubt you'll be able to find it in the DRT 1.1's price range.

I bought this bike three days ago. My primary objective was to get a mountain bike for a reasonable price that would allow me to ride the gravel trails in Highlands Ranch AND with a gear ratio enabling me to ride steeper hills. I won't use this bike to traverse any rugged mountain terrain--I'll use it to burn calories. I need to lose at least 80 pounds and want to better utilize the trails throughout the Denver metro as part of that process. I have a Trek FX4 and love it for pavement. After two rides this weekend on the DRT 1.2, I can say that I'm extremely happy with the value provided by this Co-op bike. I'm actually quite surprised.

I don't know what the other reviewers are talking about. I have more then enough grip ripping downhills or technical slow uphill climbs,even in the rain. The co op drt is a tank. The suspension has been getting beat to a pulp with my fat 200lbs dadbod on it. Its like making it go 10 rounds with Tyson everytime I get on it. Absolutely no complaints. No noises other then me gasping for air. People are way too picky! The bike was $480 on sale last week and I just so had an extra $480 laying around. Awsome bike for price point!!!

Once again this REI Bike Shop team raises the bar. Danny and Jake are the best, and take care of me and my family every time we are in. Jake assembled his DRT 1.1 for my daughter, so I know it's bulletproof. When she wanted a quick release clasp installed on the seat tube, he had it on in less than a minute. I took it for a spin in the parking lot and can confirm that this bike will shred. This bike is great for a beginner biker that wants to start pushing the limits a bit. I love that it is also upgradeable, so down the road upgrades to the fork, addition of a dropper post, are all easy upgrades to make as you progress. REI nailed it again, and Jake and Danny will keep me coming back to REI for all of my future bike shop needs

There are going to be compromises in a mountain bike <$500 but I would say REI made the right ones for this hard tail. An aluminum frame is the best choice for durability. I can throw this in the back of a SUV and not worry about holes in a delicate carbon fiber frame yet the total bike weight is probably less than most full suspension machines! Components, while entry level, are reputable manufacturers with Shimano drivetrain, Tektro brakes, and Suntour shock. The brakes are not the quickest stop, the rear gears are only 7 speed, and the shock may need replacement if the bike is taken on anything other than flow trails but, hey, it's less than $500 and far better than a bike from a big box store! I miss a dropper seatpost but an external routed post could be easily added for a few hundred $. One thing that really caught my attention is that there appears to be inserts in holes in locations where a bike rack might mount - some near the rear gear cassette and some near the seatpost. If these are indeed brazed and threaded inserts than this might be the ideal machine for a bike packing adventure!

I have waited to write a review as I wanted to get some decent seat time and cover the bad and the good. I have done just over 1400 miles on this bike. First thing worth noting is I personally didn't like the stock handle bar as it didn't have enough rise or rake for me, that was a simple thing to replace. As far as issues, about 500 miles into use the bottom bracket developed a creaking sound. REI took it apart, regreased it and tightened it back up and the noise was gone at no cost. It did develop the same noise again in the last 50 miles and they did the same thing as no cost and all is good. The Kenda tires that come on the bike are actually quite decent. I did just replace them with Maxxis Dissector, and those are definitely a step up. I have been pushing this bike hard on fairly decent trails. I did just have to replace the chain and rear cassette (normal wear item) and it cost less than a Benjamin. I also just replaced the stock pedals (spikes had gone smooth and starting to wear out the bearings) with wolf tooth waveform. All that said, the bike has been a brilliant buy and I would definitely recommend it to anyone from beginner to intermediate. It's sturdy, rides really well and inspires confidence. At this price point, I feel like you get a lot of bike for the money. It feels and seems well built and designed. I've not had a chain come off, nothing has broken and customer service at the store has been beyond my expectations. Buy one as see for yourself.