New Bike Report: Diamond Back Haanjo

   I have been bouncing around between bikes for commuting to work, and finally decided to get a purpose built commuter. I settled on a Diamond Back Haanjo. Here it is, fresh out of the box:

In progress

   This is the first new bike I've had in a long time. It was nice to have all new parts, if only briefly. There were some things I wanted to change to suit my needs a little better. 

• Swapped out the Avid BB5s for BB7s with nicer levers
• Put a rack and Ortlieb Pannier bag on it
• Swapped the 680mm handlebar for a 700mm Salsa bar
• Swapped stock grips for Ergon grips with bar ends
• Half platform, half SPD pedals
• Swapped the stock seat for a Fizik
• Front and rear lights and a bell
• Frame stickers to protect from cable rub

Final build

And my initial thoughts:

   Riding with a pannier was a new experience for me, and took some getting used to. Even just moving all my shit from my backpack to another bag resulted in me getting to work and realizing my badge was buried in the bottom. Otherwise, the bike is great. Comfortable, efficient, sharp looking. 

Pros:

• Upright seating position
• Solid aluminum frame
• Fully housed cables

Cons:

• There's a little toe overlap. I'd gotten used to lots of room on a 29er with a rigid fork.
• The front brake cable routing was a hassle to set up. I ended up running it on the outside of the fork. 

   All in all I'm really happy with this bike. It is a great all-arounder and I'm looking forward to piling on the miles this summer!