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Reviews 1 - 11 (11 Reviews Total)
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Submitted by
Pritch
a Weekend Warrior
from Bristol, UKDate Reviewed: June 5, 2004
Strengths: Still a great hardtail frame after all these years. Some good components.Weaknesses: A few weak components in standard trim, mine is quite different now and is now in its prime it seems.Bottom Line: After 5 years this bike keeps getting better. It's lasted really well, quite possibly because I appreciate that it's a light alloy XC machine NOT a jumper, something that appears to have escaped the guy below. I mean if you're really a downhiller you must have looked a right nonce on this bike!?!
I've covered thousands of miles on this thing. I was so impressed with some of the original components that I changed like for like, as with the Ritchey rims. Avid mech. disk brake has made a great difference over the last few years. RST forks seems to last forever, they're not as great as they were but you see they're elastomer/spring so require no oil change so at least I know they won't fail suddenly one day by popping a seal.
Just changed to flat Eastons after years with the risers and I'm getting more close control on the twisty stuff than ever.
I'll get to it, do you know what the best thing I can say about this bike is? That after 5 years I still can't see myself wanting to replace it for some time. With all the new tech. around, I guess that's the best compliment I can pay it.
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Purchased At: Bike, Bristol
Similar Products Used: Too many to list.
Bike Setup: original shifters, brake levers and derailleurs! STX-RC has amazed me. Nearly everything else has changed bar frame and forks.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Wayne
a Downhiller
from NottinghamDate Reviewed: November 1, 2003
Strengths: Well.....erm....... it's light. Erm..... it has a disc brake!Weaknesses: See Below.Bottom Line: Ok, I got this bike to replace my giant which I had stolen.
I got the yellow 15.5 inch nodel. The forks were the 2.5 travel model. My main use for it was commuting to work. I also used it for light downhilling, jumping and xc work.
I got the small size despite being 6ft3 cuz I like my bikes small and it was a simlar size to my giant.
As an xc bike it was amazing. Fast, responsive, stiff and light.
This is where my problems started, within the first week I had snapped the pedals, a few weeks later the bars, then the bonding from the post then the next set of bars went.
Things were going ok for a while, working in a bike shop I got loads of time to set everything up just right.
Getting more confident with the bike I started to push it a bit faster, started to ride street and trials. I folded my front wheel on a fast downhill bit. The bike was starting to look like a bit of an odd job. Then bam! at only four months old I snapped it like a twig, jumping. Ripped the head tube clean off.
BYE BYE Marin.
I guess all this mad ramblings is just to say don't buy an xc bike to loon around on.
Just for the fact it snapped and I paid so little for it I'm gonna grade it like so............
Favorite Trail: sssh, it's my little special trail
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At: Work
Similar Products Used: Giant Track, Diamond Back XR4, Revell 450R. Plus many bikes test rode.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Taylor
a Downhiller
from Mill valley CA USADate Reviewed: April 19, 2003
Strengths: nothingWeaknesses: I snapped the head tube off and then they had a recall on the biked due to frame failure. Bad fork but I still have it to this dayBottom Line: If your going to huck weith this bike get a different bike. I giving it a 1 flaming chili because I want to make the rating bar go down but I would really give it a 4 flaming chilis because it has lasted for a while and all the componets have just barely held on.
Duration Product Used: 2 Years
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At: marin
Similar Products Used: Pacif fully ridgd 25 inch mountain bike with six gears
Bike Setup: hayes prototype mechanicale disc. standard hayes rear. and WTB tires and other stuff
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dan Morris
a Cross Country Rider
from Kent, UKDate Reviewed: November 29, 2002
Strengths: strong frame, as I have ridden this bike as a street bike jumping down steps etc and it still lives. Complete misuse as its a XC bike but a testimony to Marin.Weaknesses: Crap fork and disc brake. Crap wheels. Light bars and stem though. In fact the only component which is original on it now is the frame and brake levers. She is now built up as a road/light offroad singlespeed with rigid forks and slicks.Bottom Line: Good first purchase XC bike. Strong frame. Quite adaptable. No disc mounts though. I will rate the bike as the original product
Favorite Trail: Dartford Heath
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$650.00
Similar Products Used: Orange P7, Rockhopper,
Bike Setup: Currently - Rigid forks. Deore V's. Fir232 on deore hubs. Time ATAC pedals. Single chainring 32*16
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Belf
a Cross Country Rider
from CanadaDate Reviewed: May 22, 2001
Strengths: Frame and weight .Nice Frame , very light and a great climber , a joy to ride.Weaknesses: Disc Brake , not very good , a v brake would be better ,hope to change it in the futureBottom Line: Great bike for the money only down fall is the disc brake brake.Having lots of fun with this bike .If your looking for a good bike but your not rich, this is the one for you.
Favorite Trail: Hardwood hills
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At: A bike show
Similar Products Used: Norco bush pilot
Bike Setup: Standard
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
Pritch
a Weekend Warrior
from BristolDate Reviewed: April 6, 2000
Strengths: It looks great, has in Marin an excellent street cred, is light and stiff and make you feel fitter than you really are!Weaknesses: I don't like Marin's standard grips, the second pair of bosses are too low down in my opinion. That's about it though...Bottom Line: I got this bike for under £500, which is fantastic value. If your DiaTech disc brake isn't working properly, then THE FAULT IS WITH YOU> They work fine as long as you carefully bed them in. sure, they're no Hopes, but a mate of mine who's a serious downhiller got it working much better than I did. The front fork has a good build quality, and doesn't take as long as Manitous to get plush. Having said that I think 2.5 inches just isn't enough travel. As for the frame, perfect. The geometry is so good the bike has a great feel, as do all Marins I've riden, they sort of... ride themselves, or help you to get there if you know what I mean. The wheels and IRC tyres are brilliant quality and you can trust STX-RC and good old Alivio shifters: good components that won't let you down. The bike may seem a bit pricy, because you can get FRS bikes for the price, but you're better off with a bike that's a made by a trusty name and won't ever let you down: that's the Nail Trail. In the price range, nothing bar nothing beats it. A great bike for the beginner looking to expand as there are many upgrade possibilities. One of the best hardtails out there!
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Similar Products Used: Marin Palisades Trail '98
Bike Setup: Standard.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Julius
a Cross-Country Rider
from Hannover, GermanyDate Reviewed: June 3, 1999
Strengths:
Very good frame, nice forkWeaknesses:
Diatech Disc brakeBottom Line: The 1999 Nail Trail is a very good bike. The fork's travel (2.5 version = 64mm) is enough for cross-country riding, for touring you should buy the (in my opinion ugly)yellow version, because the fork on this bike is the 3.5 version with 89mm travel. The Disc brake is not very good (a V-Brake is better) so I changed it, and now I am the proud owner of a Nail Trail with Magura's HS55 Louise front Disc brake. The other components are also okay! Yes, the bike is one of the best allround-bikes in 1999: you can ride cross-country, but it has enough comfort for long tours. U can ride your downhills very safely, because the front wheel isn't nervous. And, of course, uphills are very effective!I love this bike!
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Bike Setup:
RST Mozo Pro 2.5
Magura HS55 Louise
Avid 1.0
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Fernando
a Weekend Warrior
from GonzalezDate Reviewed: May 9, 1999
Bottom Line: it´s a nice bike, everyone thinks it looks great, and I do to. The disk brake is OK when there is mud. The only problem is that the disk brake is kind of hard, so yourr left hand gets tired. The paint job could be better.
It´s a great bike made for the beautiful moutains around Cuenca, Ecuador.
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from EnglandDate Reviewed: April 7, 1999
Strengths:
Good frame and forks, good spec.Weaknesses:
Disk brakeBottom Line: I do all sorts of riding, and the Nail Trail copes with them all. If you buy one, make sure you buy the yellow one with the Mozo Pro 3.5's and the dark anodised Ritchey rims and not the one with the polished frame and the Mozo Pro 2.5's, as they don't have enough travel. The major downfall of this bike is the disk brake. It's worse than a V-brake, and tricky to set up, as they don't come with any instructions. If yours really doesn't work in the wet then take it back to the shop and get them to put some new, softer compound pads in, which are green. They're better but not great. The riser bar is also too narrow. That said however, I do like the bike, but the brake lets it down.
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brad
a weekend warrior
from Southern UtahDate Reviewed: February 15, 1999
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike for the price. Had this bike for
about two months and I am a proud owner. Its a great bike
and rides good too. The front brake does not stop as well
as a v-break or at least mine doesn't.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Alex Kennedy
a weekend warrior
from EnglandDate Reviewed: January 21, 1999
Bottom Line:
This bike is brilliant. For all those people looking for a hardtail out there, the Marin Nail Trail MUST be considered. The Mozo Pros are very plush and work better than any other suspension I've tried on a similarly priced bike. The riser bars and nice and narrow which is how I like them, but those who like their bars wide would want a different bar. One of the best things is that it can tackle the wet and muddy conditions brilliantly with a front Dia Comp Disc Brake, giving you far more control compared to a V-brake. The Avid 1.0 brake levers work as well as you can expect them to and this is deffinately a bike which can handle muddy conditions.Overall: A brilliant bike enharnced even more with the front disc brake
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Reviews 1 - 11 (11 Reviews Total)
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