Submitted by
scott
a Downhiller
from Centerville, Ohio, United States
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2002
Strengths: Rides well, Frame is strong yet light which is a must for trail riding. original saddle is comfortable.
Weaknesses: Front fork just sucks, manitou makes good forks but the magnum has absolutely no dampaning. Rims come untrued alot, recommend an upgrade. Chain slips when pumping hard in some gears, especially uphill. Shifting can be kinda hard, sometimes it skips a gear when your shifting.
Bottom Line:
This bike is a great ride, especially for a beginner. Although more expierienced bikers like myself will find it fun for a just kick around bike that they can take to the trail and pretty much beat to death, it takes many many many blows and keeps going. Although i wouldn't recommend and high leeps, the bike can still do alot. In the other reviews the people have said how the OVATION cranks and hubs suck and have broken, i had no problems with the OVATION hubs when i was still riding on the original rims, and the OVATION cranks have not broken yet, although i have bent some gears, but that is easily fixable. The bike overal is a great bike and i would highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in riding, especially trails, they are happiest when on the trail, and they will treat you well.
Bike Setup: I replaced the original rims with mavic rims, I replaced the original with time atac clipless, i replaced the front fork with a marchozi bomber z-2 fork, i replaced the standard brakes with shimano xtr, both front and rear. I replaced the original saddle with a salsa saddle, upgraded both from and rear derailurs with shimano xtr, race face team sl headset.
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Submitted by
Ben Wicks
a Weekend Warrior
from Braintree, Essex, England
Date Reviewed: March 25, 2002
Strengths: Responsive Frame, accelerates well. Gives me more confidence to really ride quickley. Freewheels well, only problem I have is with the road noise.
Weaknesses: Original hubs are no good, filled up with mud in the British winters.
Bottom Line:
Great frame, fantastic platform for future upgrades. Only buy if fairly knowledgeable and serious, however.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Rockhopper Schwinn Moab Giant ATX 860
Bike Setup: Standard except for new wheels (Mavic X517 rims Hope XC disc hubs, 32 Hole), Avid Speed Dial 5 levers and Tioga Factory DH 2.1 tires
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Submitted by
Joseph Dickerson
a Weekend Warrior
from Swarthmore, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2001
Strengths: The bike is a strong climber and accelerates well. It has a great looking, quality frame. The bike is fairly lightweight, inspires confidence on the downhills, and helps on the uphills. I love riding and it makes riding all the more loveable.
Weaknesses: The bike has not been one 3 month lovefest though. The rims seem suprisingly weak, and have needed to be trued many times. The rear and front derailleurs are out of whack. I have problems with chain suck and the chain getting kicked off the cogs as the result of the FD pushing too far. The RD does not work in the smallest 4 gears. It skips and sputters constantly, but this forces me to climb in a bigger gear and go faster. It would be nice though if I could sit and spin up some of the monster hills I encounter. It may just require some LBS adjustments. The brake system is probably the point most lacking of quality on the whole bike. The levers some no name aluminum pieces of crap, that have no modulation, bend easily, and pull virtually no cable. I have to use three fingers because the levers pull all the way down to the bar. Unacceptable. Also, the seat post quick release flat out has issues. I have noticed that I will get the seat where I want it, and a couple days later I will be pedaling with my knees in my chest. It poorly hold the seat in place. Frustrating.
Bottom Line:
The bike is great. I feel like a got a great deal, and will continue to upgrade parts as I go along. While it would be great to have some of these issues worked out by Marin in the factory, it does give me a sense of accomplishment to upgrade parts, and make repairs that give me a better understanding of the bike. The frame is wonderfully stiff, and help the bike track straight and true. It is nimble on the trail, and even feels good just riding around campus (Swarthmore College is #1-literally!). It is the fuel to the new mtb club I'm starting, and will be a great comrade on the the trail for many years to come. If someone on a budget give this bike a look. It quality in relationship to the price you pay won't disappoint.
Similar Products Used: Trek 4900, Fisher Tassajara, Schwinn Mesa
Bike Setup: Stock, have order new Avid 1.9 Levers, and XT brakes hopefully will solve brake problems
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Submitted by
Steve Mathews
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2001
Strengths: The frame is awesome, the brakes seemed to be powerful, solid cranks, nice colour scheme, comfy bars, nice looking seat, all up this bike is so comfortable, stable and easy to ride, without giving up speed or agility. Unbelievable value!
Weaknesses: Crappy pedals - I broke the axle on the left one easily Magnum forks - I like Manitou's XC forks but the undamped Magnum is too soft and the preload dial is dodgy Rims - I broke 4 spokes in 2 weeks on the rear rim, and when I got hit by a car going thru a stop sign I replaced it with a WTB double-wall one. Gears - they have no problem changing but they appeared to slip over the cassette when stomping in certain gears, I think this is due to having replaced the chain with one the wrong size
Bottom Line:
I would highly recommend this bike to anyone who is into a bit of singletrack/XC but on a budget. The brakes are powerful but sudden, and I have had problems with the gears but I think this is due to a mismatched chain and cassette. The frame is awesome and solid as a rock, with the perfect geometry to keep it agile without compromising stability. You can throw this bike around and stomp on the pedals so easily its funny. While the Magnum forks are a bit crap, they do the job and are easy to maintain. The next step for a bike like this would be to upgrade the forks to a Magnum R, RS Judy or a Manitou SX or Mars. Phenomenal value, the ride characteristics are just so reassuring yet competitive. If you're looking at bikes in this price range, this is by far the best value I've seen.
Similar Products Used: Various hardtails in this price range
Bike Setup: standard except for: LX rear der., WTB DW rim on rear, Oury grips, Koolstop pads, VP 131 dual purpose clipless/platform pedals, Echo bike computer, thicker stronger spokes on back wheel after rebuild
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Submitted by
Nathan Hoff
a Downhiller
from Louisville, KY
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2001
Strengths: strong aluminum frame
Weaknesses: ritchy roch rims are weak, the free hub on the ovation hubs blow out way too easy, and the crank arm threads atrip out after being removed a couple of times.
Similar Products Used: iron horse,gt i drive 2.0,marin bear valley,and spooky metal head
Bike Setup: stock
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Submitted by
Charles Jones
a Cross Country Rider
from Ft Worth
Date Reviewed: May 31, 2001
Strengths: frame made from NICE aluminum - frame is Stiff
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
Normally I ride a (16in) frame, but the marin P.S. has a (14in) frame and was purchased for my wife who rides it around on concrete in the hood.
The bike performs very well for stock - Ive had no problems with the OVATION cranks - Brakes work very well - mine does have a LX rear derailure upgrade.
Normally I ride a DECKED k2 4500 oz but when i ride VERY smooth trails - I use the marin - the 14in frame size lets me ROOST - the short wheel-base rocks in the turns.
Yea the fork is a MANITOU PIECE OF CRAP (I have an ISSUE with MANITOU.CRAP) - but actually is more PLUSH then my MOZO XMO - Mr. MOZO soaks up the BIG HITS very nicely though. Thinking about putting the xmo on the marin (I have to cut the steering tube to do it) & then getting the SID 100 for the K2 OZ. Then with the 4lb Manitou crap out front gone, hhhmmmmmm - what time is that wife getting home ?
For the price I paid - It has turned out to be a pretty good bike.In this price range ($525.00) I can think of very few bike that are compareable
Bike Setup: total stock - + TOPO SEMI SLICK KEVLAR TIRES
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Submitted by
Scut
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2001
Strengths: Frame seems good, I was very happy until the below component failures started to occur....
Weaknesses: Number one - Ovation cranks are garbage. I have broken BOTH in less than 8 months of use after ONLY normal city commuting and fire-road cruising in Marin County. I have done nothing 'extreme' that would cause such a thing to occur. I have no idea why this keeps happening, and Marin has been nice enough to replace the cranks for free both times, but sheesh, the last time I was in the middle of market street when it happened and damn near bit it in front of a taxicab.
Frankly, I think the rims are a little shoddy as well, and I replaced the rear one with a nice shimano rim after only around 8 months of regular use.
I'm about 200lbs, but I don't think that should bend a frame...
Bottom Line:
BAD componenets. Aside from that, it's a great bike....
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Dearborn, MI
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2001
Strengths: The frame's construction quality, quality of ride, and value are the best features of this bike. The saddle even matches the color scheme of the bike--very cool!
Weaknesses: The saddle is uncomfortable at first, but it becomes comfortable after the first two or three rides.
Bottom Line:
With just under a year with this bike and over 1500 miles, I am very impressed with its quality and durability. I was ready to purchase a Trek when I spotted the Marin at another bike shop when comparison shopping. (Marin is not very popular in the Midwest, but more shops are beginning to carry the brand.) After a short test ride, the Marin was leaps and bounds above other bikes in the same price range. I ordered it the next day, after reading the good reviews online and checking the specs on the componentry.
The Palisades Trail is nimble, light, controllable, and has good componentry. Die-hards may complain that the suspension won't handle 4 foot drops, but at 170 pounds, I've never had the suspension bottom out on me--even on the roughest of Michigan's picturesque trails.
The quality of construction is excellent (take a close look at the welds and you'll be convinced). The techs at Jerry's Bike Shop were amazed that even after 1200 miles of riding, the gears didn't even need adjusting. Just a few screws to tighten here and there and my yearly tune-up was done.
The Palisades Trail is an effortlessly fast bike. I ride it on the road more miles than on the trails, and the bike handles extremely well on both terrains. Gear shifting is smooth and responsive. Braking is very controlled. Did I mention that the bike is also effortless fast?
The grips have the word Marin molded into them (very cool). So after a long ride, I can hold up my right hand not only to tell people where I live, but what kind of bike I ride, also (it's a Michigan thing).
I have received a lot of compliments on the look of the Marin Palisades Trail from other bikers and passers-by. "Wow--what a sharp looking bike" and "Marin--fine choice" are common comments I receive when riding around town and on the trails.
Overall, the Marin Palisades Trial is a very cool looking, value-packed bike that provides an excellent ride, both on- and off-road. Thanks, Marin, for a great bike. And thanks, Jerry's Bicycle & Fitness for a great sales and service experience.
Similar Products Used: Bikes in the same price range by Giant, Trek, Specialized, GT, and Schwinn.
Bike Setup: Stock setup with Ovation bar ends.
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Submitted by
Keji Kueh
a Cross Country Rider
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2001
Strengths: - Great frame - light & responsive with good geometry. - Fairly good stock setup for the money.
Weaknesses: - Seat post clamp - Alloy frame a bit harsh on rocky downhills - Stock brakes - Magnum forks need more quality travel
Bottom Line:
The Palisades Trail is a fantastic bike for the money. It would be hard to find a better frame - neutral geometry for climbing and descending; lightweight and strong (just look at the head junction!) My only complaints are the stock brakes - they had a really weak feel to them (Marin had to skimp somewhere, I guess), and the annoying seat-post slippage. Overall this is a great play bike for beginners becoming more serious about riding, or for intermediate riders looking for an affordable wknd rig!
Submitted by
Jonathan Grela
a Cross Country Rider
from Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2001
Strengths: Fairly light, great looks, good acceleration due to stiff frame, brilliant WTB saddle, smooth shifting.
Weaknesses: Stiff frame doesn't absorb bumps too well, fork's a bit of a pogo stick (harsh rebound), horrible brake levers, stem paintwork flaked off easily.
Bottom Line:
The bike is a bargain. Lets face it, it looks the works! Rims and tyres were good at this price and the WTB saddle was extemely comfortable and practicle. The brake set felt cheap, but I guess Marin had to save some money somewhere- I recommend an upgrade to Shimano Deore which were cracking. The bars had a practicle rise but the stem was poorly finished. The Manitou Magnum's were reasonable at this price range but had a harsh rebound and felt like a pogo stick. A bike worth upgrading!
Bike Setup: upgraded to lx front and rear, avid 10 brakes
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Submitted by
Carl Smith
a Weekend Warrior
from Council Bluffs, IA
Date Reviewed: December 10, 2000
Strengths: The frame was about as good as I could find for my price rage: it looks great, the brushed aluminum of the 2000 model is pretty cool, and its pretty light. And IMHO the shock is plenty good for entry level.
Weaknesses: The componentry is supposedly bad. This is my frist real bike, as I have only been riding a year, and haven't really experienced anything I couldn't contribute to rider error. The seat post QR is bunk, but I think I just got a bad one. And I agree with others who say the shock's adjustment knob does nothing.
Bottom Line:
It was my first bike... I beat a Target toy bike to death seeing if single-track was even for me, and once I did it I was hooked. I did a ton of research, and knew I had $400-$500 at best to spend up front. I wanted a bike that at my current income I could enjoy all levels of riding as well as have something worth upgrading.
To be honest, I wanted a Kona. The NuNu was incredible, and I'd HIGHLY recommend it at this price level. My only problem was that the LBS dealer of Kona were pricks. They had 1999 models at 2000 prices. They wouldn't order any 2000's and the 2 1999's they had weren't my size. The guy was a flat out prick to me.
So my second choice was Marin, and Xtreme wheels in CB, IA are fantastic to work with. I got the Marin PT, new year's model, in my size, with a pretty darn good service warranty, for $520.
The bike is sweet, and I don't look like everyone else, as Marin isn;t a huge selling brand. A husband of one of my wife's freinds also bought a PT from the same LBS I did, and has had a hoot on it as well.
If you can, save up a little longer and look into the next level of hard-tails... it is well worth it... but if you are like me and have to jump in and you are on "hamburger" money, the closest things to "steak" you can get new are the Marin PT and the Kona NuNu. If you are in the Omaha area, Xtreme Wheels is great to work with, but there are also 2 other stores who deal Marin (Bike way, which rocks, and a newer store called Bike MAsters I haven't been to). Never hurts to shop about.
Strengths: Damn nice looking frame. Ok shock for this price range. Fairly light for the price.
Weaknesses: Too many cheap components, miss shifting (may be my fault). May be look bad after the poor decal fall off. The brushed aluminum frame may be easy to scratch and hard to touch up (seems like it's clear coated).
Bottom Line:
I give it high value rating because I really like how it look. It also feels softer and slightly lighter than my Gary Fisher 2001 Marlin which I purchased for about the same price. I'm sure that PT's frame is lighter than my GF Marlin because while the cheap components that come with the PT are heavier than GF Marlin but PT total weight is noticeably less . The Ovation crank (Marin inhouse brand) look nice but the chainring isn't good. I don't sure about the crank stiffness because I don't ride hard and my weight is only 105 lbs.The front shifting problem could be better by changing only the middle chainring.Bottom line is that I like the frame and buy it for upgrade in the future. If I don't fall in love with its brushed aluminum frame w/red shock then I might not buy it. My LBS who sell me this bike is suck too.
Similar Products Used: Gary Fisher 2001 Marlin (Europe version)
Bike Setup: stock for now
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Submitted by
Scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2000
Strengths: Price, frame
Weaknesses: Rims
Bottom Line:
I was looking primarally at the Trek 6000, also at some Specialied bikes in similar price range. The Marin just felt more stable than the Trek, had comparable components a better frame, all for $30 less. The Specialized pricing just seemed out of line. I wanted alloy not Cromo so the Specialized would have been almost $100 more. Maybe Specialied technology is better, but I doubt I would feel the difference.
The stock rims are suspect, they warp easily. Plan on replacing them if you ride a lot. The Manitou fork has worked well so far, but the adjustment knob is useless as far as I can tell.
Great bike for the money, maybe the best in it's class. I could see keeping the frame and upgrading the rest as my skill level changes.
Bike Setup: Stock w/ barends and aftermarket grips
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Submitted by
Nev
a Weekend Warrior
from Emmaus, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2000
Strengths: great bike for the price, suspension takes small to medium hits without flinching, weighs only 24 lb (stock), great setup for the money
Weaknesses: rims bend quite easily (had them trued 3 times this season, and its not even half over) stock tires arent so hot
Bottom Line:
If you dont want to spend an arm and a leg for a great setup, this bike is for you. great for beginners to intermediate in stock form..... can go to advanced intermediate if you add some upgrades...
