Review Of Co-Op Cycles DRT 1.1W

Co-op Cycles DRT 1.1W is a fantastic women’s entry-level mountain bike with an attractive price and an even better value for the money.

If you’re looking to get an easy-going an upright trail bike to ride on smooth singletracks and dirt roads, then DRT 1.1W will fit your wallet and all of your requirements.

Keep reading to find out why this is the perfect bike to get your foot in the door of the MTB world.

Quick Overview

Nowadays, it is easier than ever to make baby steps in mountain biking. Co-op Cycles DRT 1.1W is one of the bikes that allows this. It is a women’s hardtail mountain bike built on an aluminum frame platform, with front suspension that makes the ride smooth on moderate and tame terrain.

This Co-op model is made to fit women. Because of that, it has a shorter top tube, shorter stem, women-specific saddle, and narrower handlebars.

It’s available in one color only — beautiful Aquarius blue.

If you’re looking for an affordable and easy-to-look-after bike with front suspension and wide tires, you’ll find the DRT 1.1W to be to your liking.

If you look at the grand picture, you’ll find this attractive bike to be a great deal. If you come closer you’ll see why. You’ll also find some downsides that inevitably come with a $500 price tag.

Let’s check them all out.

Aluminum Frame and Suspension Fork

Entry-level SR Suntour XCT fork with 100 mm of travel.

Co-op Cycles has decided to build the DRT 1.1W around their proprietary 6061 aluminum frame. This is a relatively lightweight frame for the money, with a geometry that is suitable for female riders. Its construction is definitely strong and durable, as there have been no reports of any problems from long-time owners.

The fork is an SR Suntour XCT, suitable for 27.5″ wheels and with 100 mm of travel. For the average rider taking her first off-road steps, this fork will more than do the job.

However, more experienced riders would know that it is the weakest link on the bike. It has a coil spring, which means it has almost no adjustability compared to air forks. Moreover, the bike’s headtube is not tapered, which means it will take a bit more effort to find a replacement for this fork in the future.

Entry-Level Shimano Components

If we take a step toward the rear end of the bike, we will see quite decent Shimano entry-level components. In the case of Co-op Cycles DRT 1.1W, we’re talking about Shimano Altus & Acera. These are beginner groupsets, but they get the job done without whining too much unless you get rowdy and aggressive with them.

One of the positives is that the entire drivetrain is supplied by Shimano. That includes the crankset and the cassette. In total, DRT 1.1W has 24 gears on a 3×8 drivetrain. The cassette has a range of 11-34T, which gives you quite a bit of choice for reasonable hills.

Powerful Hydraulic Disc Brakes

Reliable Tektro hydraulic brakes on the DRT 1.1W

We’ve mentioned this DRT’s weakest link, let’s talk about the strongest as well — hydraulic disc brakes. They are basically a unicorn in this price range, considering how rarely they are seen on $500 bikes. However, DRT 1.1W has them.

Even though these are entry-level hydraulic discs, they are still several levels above mechanical discs and V-brakes in terms of precision and braking power output. The best thing about them is that there is almost zero-adjustment necessary to get them to work perfectly and not brush against the rotors.

Wide Tires for Comfort & Stability

Co-op Cycles DRT 1.1W comes with 2.1″ wide tires that will give you a feeling of confidence when riding on loose terrain. However, they are not too wide — many trail bikes nowadays have 2.35″ tires and above. The result is that this bicycle is equally fast on harder surfaces as well, such as hard-packed gravel and even asphalt.

Co-op Cycles opted for 27.5″ wheels on this bike, which is the most common diameter seen on women’s mountain bikes. The rims are double-walled, which means they are strong enough to last for years unless you do some big jumps, in which case they might get out of true.

All in all, nothing too flashy to see here, but definitely plenty of value for your hard-earned money.

Who Is the Co-op Cycles DRT 1.1W For?

The type of people the DRT 1.1W will make happy the most are beginner women riders. If you are a lady who has seen some awesome YouTube videos or got inspired by talking to some experienced mountain bikers, this is a great bike to see if trail riding is a hobby you should take up.

This bike and the parts on it will easily last you during the first couple of years while you are still learning the ropes. Later on, you can swap them and upgrade the bike with better ones, or you can consider one of the more advanced DRT models below.

Other Co-op Cycles DRT Models to Consider

If you like the idea behind the DRT line but you don’t think the 1.1W model meets all of your requirements, here are some other models to consider, including the kids’ models. We’ve ranked them from cheapest to most expensive.

• REV DRT Kids’ Bike — This is a kids’ bike with 24″ wheels, 8 speeds, and 2.8″ tires. It costs $459.
• DRT 1.1 (Men’s) — This model is the same as the women’s model, in terms of components. The only difference is in the geometry and parts such as the stem and saddle. It costs $499.
• DRT 1.0 — If you go for this model, you will get 21 gears, Shimano Tourney components, and hydraulic disc brakes. Its price is $549.
• DRT 1.2W — By paying $949, you can get the 1.2W with 18 gears, SR Suntour XCR suspension with 120 mm of travel, and 2.4″ wide tires.
  DRT 2.1 — This model is a big step up from the previous ones. It has a 1×12 SRAM SX Eagle drivetrain, air fork, more travel, and 2.8″ tires. It costs $1,299.
• DRT 2.2 — If you want more serious RockShox Recon RL suspension, you can buy this model for $1,799.
• DRT 3.1 — A full-suspension model that costs $2,199. It offers RockShox suspension front and back, Shimano Deore Shadow + drivetrain and 10 gears.
• DRT 3.2 — The most expensive model — costs $2,799. This is an FS bike with RockShox suspension and a SRAM NX Eagle 1×12 groupset.

Check Out All The Models

Bicycle Guider’s Verdict

Our impressions of the Co-op Cycles DRT 1.1W are highly positive. For $500, you get a bike that combines budget, value, comfort, and reliability. It’s hard to check all of those boxes at this price range.

Of course, considering the low price, there are some flaws that you can eliminate with future upgrades, but they’re nothing beginner riders should worry too much about.

If this is the bike that you want to use to kick-start your mountain biking career, we say go for it!

Co-Op Cycles DRT 1.1W

$500

9.1

Quality

9.0/10

Weight

9.0/10

Durability

9.5/10

Components

9.0/10

Pros

• Lightweight
• Great value
• CHEAP!
• Nice looking

Cons

• Only one color

See on REI.com

Men\'s Version

About The Author

Jeff Balton

Jeff’s been riding and racing road and mountain bikes for most of his life. It all started when he was seven years old and received his first mountain bike. It was a Japanese Nishiki with 21 speeds. Jeff studied printing engineering in university, which still comes in handy for him. He likes to write about bicycle-related stuff, help organize events for the community, and he dreams that one day there will be more free time for everyone. You can often find Jeff riding with his kids. At the moment, they’re either in the child bike seat, or he’s running next (read: far behind) their balance bikes