MARIN NEWS & REVIEWS

FRAME

MARIN 9 | GIANT 8 | CONDOR 8 | STEPPENWOLF 7 The Point Reyes is built around a super-light, triple butted 7005 aluminium frame. In fact, it’s almost exactly the same as the ones used in their top end hardtail aluminium series. It uses the same solid geometry with a trail proven heritage, albeit with slightly thicker tubing for load carrying. The triangular tubing is designed to stiffen the frame, teamed with double butted seat and chainstays. Engineering benefits aside, there’s no doubt the tubing’s aesthetic lines are a factor in Marin’s choice too – in matt silver and understated logos, the bike is a looker. The frame is disc-specific and finish is spotless too, with neat penny-to-penny welds. There are two fork options. The top end Pace RC-31 pushes the budget up by £149 but shaves some weight, adds comfort and (not that we’re vain) looks simply fantastic. In their push for style, Marin have sacrificed the practicality of mudguards – but it’s good to see there are eyelets for easy retro fitting, while the aluminium forks have eyelets too. Rack mounts on both the frame and the aluminium forks keep touring as an option – a really nice touch. More »

Well, three months in and here we are; still in one piece, still turning the cranks with a smile. Me and the lad started well with some of my initial anti-susser reservations being pushed aside right from the first whistle. Further down the line, we have had our ups and downs (what relationship doesn’t?) but we are still together, managing to live under the same roof, sharing good times and bad. More »

Light and smooth mile eater with perfect trail kit

Marin’s Mount Vision has been a classic point-to-point bike wearing benchmark XT kit ever since it was first introduced. Quad linkage suspension and up-to-the-minute kit spec keeps it right up front for ‘04. The frame doesn’t differ much from last year except for tweaked geometry to take a 100mm fork and the one-piece linkage sections that were introduced as a running change last year anyway. More »

Pine Fresh Mountain Machine

Tucked away in one corner of the Marin website is an absolute gem of a frame with no award winning linkages, cunning adjustable travel or anything else you might normally associate with the brand. Instead it has handbuilt steel ‘Thron Mega’ tubing from Italian pipe maestros Columbus, The kite section tubed mainframe is top and tailed with a slim seat tube and neatly ring reinforced head tube, while out back stretch twin tapered multiply butted disc specific chain and seatstays. The result is a beautifully sleek, but totally modern take on Marin’s classic steel hardtails of old, and that’s exactly how it rides. More »