[Closed] Why would you buy a Marin?

I'd have an Attack Trail or Mount Vision. Seem like great bikes.

Get a Trek. Simples.

My attack trail and now wolf ridge are the best I've ever ownwed. The geometry on them is so good that I can't find anything else to have instead. They're not light but for the way the ride I don't care.

I'm hugely impressed with my Wolf Ridge, it's an absolute hoot to ride.

The only thing that counts against it is the staid image of the brand, something I couldn't give a rats about when hanging off the back of the thing.

Got a 2010 Rocky Ridge HT, made a few mods but its great...

I have a B17 at my folks'. It should really be at mine, truth be told. One of the best bikes ever ridden.

I've got an 09 Rock Ridge, great bike to ride, p!ss poor paint durability though

Got a 5 year old Mt Vision. Well thought out suspension design, good welds, great build / alignment. Slightly over engineered for the travel but takes everything in its stride. High BB and long head tube not visible if I grow the beard bushy enough.

PS Generous end of season discount helped the purchasing decision.

I didn't realise they still made them.

I think they were a bit marmite re: riding position (previous mount vision owner) but I think my frame was a tad too small. The new ones look good and slacker HT angles and ride lower so I think I would be tempted if buying another FS 🙂 My mate has a [s]Marin[/s] Whyte E120 and loves it 😉

I've owned a Marin before, and loved it. Would buy one again in a heartbeat. The whole image thing people go on about, IMO, has no grounding in reality. Maybe in the early 90's it was an issue, but I see them as being a pretty vibrant name

Had an 06 Attack Trail, excellent bike, ovalised the head tube and got a warranty frame last year(09 wolf ridge was the nearest compatible one in stock). Love that too, also got a Quake for silly stuff and it's an absolute hoot, though a 20 mile XC ride on it nearly broke me.

Love my Rocky Ridge too

p!ss poor paint durability though

Yep. It's shockingly bad and you can see through it in places.

I've still got a 1998 Rift Zone in the garage and if I were looking for a FS again I'd be tempted by the new one.

06 marin alpine trail 4-6" adjustable travel - loved the way it reacted on square edge hits. Very flexy. Found crack in frame after using it for what I'd call mini DH in the FoD.

08 marin quake - used it for trail riding as Hansrey above does and apart from the whole 7" sofa style travel thing it was really good. Pedalled well and obviously descending was great. Loved the way it reacted to square edge hits. Did a whole week of riding the northern scottish trail centres and then finished the week by doing the fort william enduro dh. Whether it was the drops at the end of the fort william track or using it for morzine DH I found cracks in the frame.
Got a warranty replacement and used that for DH only and of course soon found cracks in the frame again. in the same place.

09 marin 140 - received this as warranty replacement for the quake and will be using it as my trail bike. Yet to be built up but i'm wondering how long it'll last. Can't wait to thrash it - trail centres and "mini DH" at FoD, leckhampton hill etc. /edit now built and ridden, enjoying it so far, no real complaints just need to spend more time getting suspension set up right.

I'm 11 stone run my shocks at 30% sag with bottom out ramped right up high. I've currently got an 07 giant trance which has been put through a lot for a 100mm xc frame and it has been superb. Spesh demo for DH has had a week in morzine and the drops and jumps I was doing on it were far far beyond what the quake rode and it's performed brilliantly.

TL;DR - had several marin full sus bikes. Suspension action has felt great but they seem to blow through travel too quick and are weak when they hit the end of the travel.

copy pasted my reply from here: http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/marin if certain parts make no sense

I used to have a 1998 East Peak...with RST 381s...

+1 on the paint durability.
My Nail Trail had a nice chuck come off the seatstay where a stone hit it. Still good fun to ride rigid.

go marin! 20mile ride on a quake today. Took bamford clough and mam tor in its stride; the bike could've gone faster if it had a better rider

I'm loving my mount vision...really pleased with how it rides...

cant say ive noticed a problem with the paint..and ive come off mine enought times to test it !

I have two.
04 Mount Vision which is a fantastic bike for long days in the saddle, big climbs & back country adventure stuff. Lovely & light at 26lb in a small size, very responsive as well. What was even better was that when i managed to strip the BB shell threads the importers sold me a Mount Vision Pro front triangle for £120 🙂

Also have an 09 Wolf Ridge. A bit on the heavy side but i can live with that for the stupidly confidence-inspiring ride it gives, way more bike than i really need but brilliant to ride. Actually rides 'lighter' than it feels for some reason. Put that down to a very well designed suspension system that simply does what it says on the tin.
I can climb all the hills that i can climb on the MV, just not as fast - still beaten people on lightweight XC-style full sussers up the climb from the car park at Lee Quarry though!

Both very different bikes, with different geometry & 'feel' but both make me feel instantly at home when sitting astride them.

So what if they're not fashionable?

My first real mountain bike was a 1993 Marin Muirwoods. I thought it was the nuts.

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Spec'ed pretty much like this one except I had Onza bar-ends.

There's still a warm place in my heart for them.

why...long warranties that they honour, unlike some 'boutique brands' who offer 12 months and then try to wriggle out of claims.

High BB and long head tube not visible if I grow the beard bushy enough.

...long warranties that they honour, unlike some 'boutique brands' who offer 12 months and then try to wriggle out of claims.

FWIW, I had an 'Alpine Trail' single pivot FS, an '03 or '04 I think. FWIR, it was the base model of the FS range. Over time I upgraded the wheels, cranks and forks - and it I really liked the way it rode. However, like a bl***ing idiot, I dobbed it in for a first generation 'quad link' Wolf Ridge - because I thought the quad link would be better. Not sure what they'd done with the geom & BB height, but the Wolf Ridge was horrible.

iv,e got an 08 wolfridge and have loved riding it.
as PJM1974 said there a hoot to ride.
have now stripped it and built a spicy 516.not going to sell the frame just yet,i,ll see how i get on with the spicy first.any problems and the wolfridge is back out 😉

Always loved 'em, fisrt ever mtb was a 91 Eldridge, followed by an immaculate second hand 95 Eldridge, foolishly sold to buy an uninspiring Jamis. Gone the kona route in recent years but picked up a very tidy 95 Pine Mtn for commuting and racing duties. Skinny tubes, perfect fit for me in and nice n light compared to Fatty McCoiler.