What are you all riding? This is where we find out! You send us your submissions, and then we cast our judgemental expert lustful eyes over them and bring them to the world to ooh and ahh over. We’re picking the prettiest, the most curious, and the ones with a good story for you to appraise, praise, and maybe look wistfully at. This week’s bike is a 40th birthday treat, built to Joe’s specification, it’s his Marino Ultimate 40.
Why this bike?:
I designed it for my 40th birthday – Ultimate as it has a great spec and 40 as it’s my age.
I wanted a steel hardtail for general trail stuff – I have a full suss bike for bigger days and wanted something for playing about more.
I considered the Ribble HT725 and Stanton Switchback as the closest off the peg options but they weren’t quite what I wanted. Also spoke with Curtis about a custom build but they didn’t want to do fully internal routing and were at least double the cost of Marino.
This isn’t a crazy long / slack bike like a lot of Marino’s – it’s capable but also fun for mundane stuff like Ashton Court and Leigh Woods in Bristol.
Joe’s Marino ‘Ultimate 40’ Specification
- Frame: Marino
- Fork: Rockshox Pike Ultimate RC2
- Suspension Set Up: 140mm travel fork / 3 tokens I think / I’d guess the psi is around 80 but I can’t be totally sure!
- Wheels: Erase Components hubs / DT XM421 27.5” rims
- Tyres: Maxxis DHF / Forekaster
- Tyre Inserts: Rimpact (rear)
- Chainset: Truvativ Descendant Carbon Dub
- Rear Mech: GX Eagle
- Shifters: GX Eagle
- Cassette: GX Eagle
- Brakes: SRAM Code R
- Bars & Stem: Brand X carbon / DMR Defy
- Grips: DMR Deathgrips
- Seatpost: Oneup v2 180mm
- Saddle: Fabric Scoop Elite
- Size and Weight: Medium ish / 30lbs
it rides amazingly – it’s even better than I hoped when I selected the geometry and tube lengths. With the 2.6” rear tyre it glides much better over rough ground than any other hardtail I’ve ever had / ridden. It’s playful and manuals / jumps easily, but equally it’s happy rattling down rocky / steep tech stuff.
I’m actually toying with the idea of getting Marino to build me a custom BMX frame. Probably a daft idea as I’ve never ridden a BMX but I have a newly refurbished tarmac pump track just down the road and Candy Purple Paint with a light dusting of Spectraflare would look so good. Bristol Bike Restorations who painted the Marino for me would happily oblige I’m sure.
Has Joe made good choices for his 40th birthday, or is all this talk of BMX a sign that he’s diving headlong into a midlife crisis? Or perhaps life begins at 40 and this is just the start of a beautiful new chapter in life, with lots of sparkly paint?
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Hilarious comments Hanna ;D
Bike is a beauty! I’m having a hardcore hardtail frame built as well soon – cannot wait.
Looks like a trials bike with larger wheels
The tongue in cheek knee comments aren’t actually too far from the Mark having had a few bike crashes the last few years
Geometry is 65.5 degree HA / 74 degree SA / 445mm Reach / 425mm chainstays / 390mm ST / 45mm bb drop
It’s a nice looking bike
After following the original thread I ordered a frame.. I won’t say anymore about it.. .. ..
That’s a cracking looking bike. There is no such thing as a mid life crisis, just a healthy wish to continue in your youthful ways. And, yes, I got a BMX for my 40th.
Hey Joe, any particular reason why you didn’t spec a longer seat-tube and head-tube?
Short seat tube is to allow for a long dropper. At the moment there’s a 180mmnom there but at some point I’d like a 210 Oneup. I think that’ll fit ok without fouling anything inside the seat tube.
The head tube is actually quite long already vs lots of production frames – think it’s 125mm on the equivalent of a medium frame. I just like a tall front end – hence the spacers. Plus I’m case I ever want the fork to go on something else I didn’t want to cut loads off the steerer.
Full geometry:
[url=https://postimg.cc/64cRCjmC][img]https://i.postimg.cc/PNs4s0bV/97-EE8862-9-DAC-421-C-9-E6-D-0-F5839346293.png[/img][/url]
That is a sweet, sweet ride.