Submitted by
leonskido
a Cross Country Rider
from Lancashire UK
Date Reviewed: December 4, 2010
Strengths: Brilliant up hill and as long as you've got the balls, amazing downhill
Weaknesses: frame snapped on rear mech side on swing arm after 18 months use, i'm not the lightest of users at 225lbs
Bottom Line:
this bike has had quite a tough time of it over the last 18 months, carrying my bulky self all over the uk, had to up-grade the brakes from magura julies but apart from that it's pretty much standard,, good solid bike until the rear swing arm snapped on lee quarry, Bacup, Lancs, maybe the temperature didn't help, it was -6 centigrade?????
Bike Setup: Marzocchi mx pro forks, x-fusion o2 rear shock, avid elixir 5's brakes, mavic rims and wtb wolverine tyres (awesome tyres)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Berthy
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2010
Strengths: Height of front derailleur: it is high and efficient over roots
Weaknesses: Broken the rear drailleur hanger, replaced it; then after broken the frame close to the rear derailleur hanger. Marin replaced it but with a different colour !!
Weight
Bottom Line:
Good bike. Downhill or XC.
Good value for the price.
I would recommend to spend 500 more bucks to get something lighter.
Submitted by
Ramon
a Weekend Warrior
from Puerto Rico
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2010
Strengths: Sexy & aerodynamic geometry, very fast at the singletrack, a real kamikaze on the downhill; rear suspension looks and feel very strong, Awesome steering, brakes (Juicy hydraulics)
Weaknesses: Heavy (32 lbs); I can fell it at the uphill.
Bottom Line:
This review is from Marin East Peak 2008 with Quad Xc 120mm suspension: Excellent components for the price paid (Mavic, shimano XT, Fox float R, WTB prowler XT, Juicy brakes).This bike won "Bike of the Year" two times at Europe. No 5 chilis because of the weight.
Bike Setup: Rock Shox Tora air 318 (White); shimano SPD pedals; the remainder is stock.
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Submitted by
nickbr549
a Downhiller
from Dallas, NC
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2009
Strengths: Lightweight, great climber, super tough suspension
Weaknesses: As far as the frame - NONE!!!
Bottom Line:
I have put this bike through way more that I think any XC frame should survive. I've used it on long XC trails with a few small drops but once I was familiar with the bike i took it to Brown Mountain/Wilson's Creek for some of my first downhill riding and this bike flew through everything effortlessly. I recomend it to any one.
Bike Setup: 2006 Marin East Peak bought frame only
RockShox Tora 302 130mm
Fox Float rear shock
Shimano XT Drivetrain
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Submitted by
Andielite91
a Cross Country Rider
from Klamath Falls, Oregon, usa
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2008
Strengths: Marin East Peak '07 (new frame design)
Adjustable suspension, no pedal bob, brakes work well, tires are grippy, looks cool, unbreakable frame, high ground clearance.
Weaknesses: Center of gravity is too high, rear shifter not working right, moderately high rolling resistance.
Bottom Line:
Great rear suspension, it doesn't have any pedal bob even up hills. Fork is nice and is easily adjusted, I keep mine at 120 mm travel always. Large frame seems small (i'm 5'10 140lbs, long legs) Brakes work as needed and aren't too noisy. Doesn't move too fast but it is more of an all mountain bike, probably the tires. Pedals are high off the ground which means more ground clearance but harder to get on the saddle from a stand still. The frame is a beast and will take anything and the rear shock easily adjust to riding style/terrain. Great value if you can find it for the right price. Recomended for riders wanting to buy a nice full suspension bike, but don't have a lot of money to blow. Great value for this bike.
Similar Products Used: Kona Kikapoo, kona dog, specialized xc, santa cruz superlight.
Bike Setup: East Peak
marzocchi bomber mx pro lo
juicy 3's
LX front and rear derailleurs
WTB Moto Raptors 2.14
Fox float r shock
WTB seat/post
Welgo clippless pedals
Weaknesses: pedals have plastic in them, weak components, bad brakes, terrible fork.
Bottom Line:
so i have the 2005 model and it was preaty nice, and a good deal to. i am happy to have not paid retail for it becuase i had to mod it A LOT! first it worked well, but after i got better at biking the bike got worse, the wrost thing was the fork. the fork was a 05 manatu axel super, it was adjustable but all thoes fetures did absolutly nothing on even 8 foot jumps it would bottem out, and with only two compression settinngs i couldnt dampen it, so i got a marizocchi alll mountain sl 1 to solve that problem, but to use that fork i had to upgrade my wheels. i guess i made the mistake of buying a xc bike and using it for fr, anyway with the fork it works like a dream, ii also switched the pedals becuase one of the others snapped of so i swapped the ones from my hardtail on it. basicly this is a great xc bike and a ok fr bike but when modded it can go far it can do 40 ft jumps and 10ft drops with no problems at all, the frames a bit noisy though, overall a nice bike, and realy good entry leval!
Bike Setup: wtb laserdisc fr's and a marizocchi all mountain sl 1 with 160mm travel. also wellgo pedals
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Submitted by
Will
a Cross Country Rider
from Anchorage, AK
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2007
Strengths: Very solid and predictable handling. Amazing at climbing, fantastic tires for wet terrain, excellent small bump absorbtion, looks cool
Weaknesses: Cheap pedals, weighs 32 lbs.
Bottom Line:
This review is for the 2006 model which I picked up at a discount for being last years model. What an amazing bike. I fell in love with it during the test ride (when I inadvertantly went over a rise and found only air on the other side) and haven't regretted the choice yet. I test rode a 2007 model and it's an entirely different bike- Much more of an all mountain rig with more travel, but less manuverability. The 2006 is perfect for single track over roots (especially wet roots thanks to WTB MotoRaptor Tires) and rough cross country. The bike isn't perfect though: Some mediocre parts like the pedals and brakes could be avoided by buying the next model up, and it isn't a light weight bike @ 32 lbs for the medium frame. However, it's rigid, tough, predictable and just plain fun to ride. If weight is very important to you I would look elsewhere. All others should take a hard look. The value rating is based on the list price, which honestly there are other bikes of equal quality in the same price range.
Similar Products Used: Test rode everything in the area that fell between $1000-$2000
Bike Setup: Tora 318 front fork, Fox RP3 rear shock, (basically totaly stock)
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
nathan
a Cross Country Rider
from manor
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2007
Strengths: OUTSTANDING climber. Sound performer on single track. Great bike for an all around rider(downhill, XC, etc).
Weaknesses: Little bit heavy but if you are as 190 + like me it will stand the abuse of a heavy rider. The 2007 Deore LX rear derailleur sucks. Changed it out already. It seems to be a trend because another guy with the same bike already changed his out to.
Similar Products Used: Other full suspension bikes, and hardtails
Bike Setup: Stock except for rear derailleur.........
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Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Mesa, AZ, USA
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2006
Strengths: Great bike for the money.
Weaknesses: Components could be better but not too bad. I have cracked the frame twice now. I don't know if its just me or if they all do that, but its a real hassle to take the bike apart, bring it to your nearest marin shop, and wait a month or so for them to send you a new one. If you loose the paper-work or buy the bike used, like i did you will pay $360 for a new one.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the money but not too shure about the frame design. Its weak. If you have a marin east peak or any other marin with the same frame and you have cracked its frame email me at scottydo92@msn.com. Please put "marin frame" as the subject. Thanx
Strengths: This review is for the 2005 Marin East Peak===The Quad Link suspension is responsive, effecient and somewhat light for the technology. Great price for an entry level full suspension. Great matte look and frame geometery. Urban assault is sweet on this bike--get a good pair of sticky gloves and you feel you can take on anything.
Weaknesses: Hayes sole hydro disc brakes are a disappointment and unreliable. They have been squeeling on and off for a year even after a couple of tune-ups. I don't feel confident dropping down major decents with this brake set-up. Cheap pedals, cheap hayes sole hydro disc. Shimano deore shifters and lx rear derailler began to ghost shift in the beginning. But has since been dialed in. A good bike mechanic is priceless. So if you find a good one--keep him happy-cause he will keep you safe on the trails. Also during rough downhills the headset feels like it's going to explode or unravel--but upon review its on and tight--just fine. Strange it must be the fork . . . ?
Bottom Line:
If you are a beginner rider--you will be stoked on this bike! For sure!!! And if you start riding more often you will end up wanting to upgrade a few componants mainly the: brakes, fork, maybe rear derailler and cranks. The frake is solid and pretty future proof.
Similar Products Used: C'dale prophet 600, 1000, Novara Method 2.0, Main Rift Zone, Specialize stompjumper
Bike Setup: All Stock but upgraded rims to mavic 717
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Submitted by
Paul Lehner
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver, CO
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2006
Strengths: Great super light frame, Great shock setup, ease of pedaling uphill, even for a beginner rider such as myself.
Weaknesses: Very cheap components. I've had to have REI replace alot of the parts in the first few months including: Front Shock, replaced with a RockShox REba, Seatpost broke, replaced with a Thomson Elite, Brake cylinder had to be replaced, front derailleur had to be replaced, basically, for the first couple of months I had the bike back at REI for repairs at least three times a month.
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the money. I think that my bike was actually a "lemon" and badly assembled by REI. After I got all the parts replaced, it has worked absolutely great.
Bike Setup: Marin East Pike, with Rock Shox Reba front suspension, Thomson Seatpost
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Submitted by
Peter
a Cross Country Rider
from Warsaw
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2006
Strengths: Light, strong never had a problem
Weaknesses: its a little bit hard to clean quad system
Bottom Line:
i have ridden marin for 14 months now and now i can see how good bike i had bought. Marin’s Quad system adjusts the pivot point to accommodate changing terrain. during pedaling the suspension did not work but all stones, roots it takes and do not know if you are riding on asphalt or on forest trail!
Weaknesses: Noisy frame, components don't hold up to aggressive riding style, high maintenance.
Bottom Line:
I guess I may have expected too much from this bike as my first mountain bike. I have been riding road for 20+ years and have never had bike problems like on this Marin. This bike has taken mucho time and patience to dial in...and it's still not predictable. I'm 150lbs, so I can't blame my weight on the fact that either the rear shock is bottoming out or it is kicking me in the butt over small obstacles. There doesn't seem to be a happy medium no matter how I set the shock. This has made tire pressure critical. At a medium pace on tight twisty trails the steering has a nervous feel and is easily upset by rocks or roots in the trail. Again, front fork settings don't seem to help much in stabilizing this twitchiness. The change to Panaracer rubber did however give me a better sense of grip in sharp, quick turns. Both tubes split at the seams my first week of riding. Turns out the tubes were undersized by two sizes. The second week of riding, the front brake blew fluid all over my hand. This prompted the 8" disc upgrade to improve front brake power and feel. The 117 Mavic rims need truing every 5 or 6 rides. The suspension creeks like an old door. The bottom bracket flexes when pushing hard in the top gears, and the derailleurs require constant fiddling to maintain crisp shifting. A switch to the SRAM 970 chain helped clean up the shifting a little. Overall I am disappointed in the performance of the bike and the time required to keep it in a good state of tune. The East Peak may be good for a beginner, but if you ride aggressively, or on rough terrain, I suggest looking elsewhere to put your money.
Bike Setup: Stock w/the following upgrades: 8" Hayes Sole front brake, Bontrager tubes, Performance Bike "Stomp" platform pedals, SRAM 970 chain, Ori grips, Panaracer Smoke & Dart tires.
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Submitted by
Steve Cabelus
a Cross Country Rider
from Southington, CT
Date Reviewed: October 21, 2005
Strengths: Frame, excellent design, great bike/components for the price range. (LX/XT) The Manitou "Black" front shock is light and very adjustable. The lockout feature is good for the flats/flat climbs. The Fox Float rear shock is almost completely stiff in the "no rebound mode." It does not affect climbing, no forward momentum is lost. I am 6'2" 215 lbs, and I'm riding the 19" size. It's a little compact but allows for quick manuvering and steering response on single tracks. I don't feel cramped at all on the flats either. The bike is incredibley versitle... I can bunny hop 4-6" with little effort due to the weight being evenly distributed from front to rear. This can easily be tested by lifting up the seat and then the stem. The Hayes hydraulic brakes provide smooth and reliable braking, even through water. The blue matte finish has taken several small rocks and hasn't dented or chipped at all. The two cage locations are accessible and out of the way.
Weaknesses: The stock seat... WTB.. it's narrow and heavy, but I guess its a matter of personal preference. The components are middle of the road, and are heavier than the upgrades available
Bottom Line:
Great all around full suspension mtn bike. Very light, stiff frame, good components for the price range. I would highly recommend it to anyone doing XC, singletrack, double track riding!!! See you on the trails!!!
Similar Products Used: Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, Giant Sedona Hardtail
Bike Setup: Stock, w/ egg beater pedals and bar ends.
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Submitted by
Ben Weaver
a Cross Country Rider
from Lancaster, PA
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2005
Strengths: Braking ability! Just point it wherever you want it down that scary, muddy hill, that suspension won't quit even under high speed extreme braking. Rides great. Climbs superbly, stand up if you want that rear tire will be locked to ground, as long as you're pedaling the tire will more than likely grip the terrain.
Weaknesses: For the money, none.
Bottom Line:
I am 6' and 230 with a 32"inseam and ride a 19" frame, I thought the stock stem was a bit long, kinda felt like I was playing air hockey all leaned over. After that was resolved it now fits perfect. The stock Rock Shox Pilot sl fork would probably be a good entry level fork for someone half of my chunkage. So that had to go. I love this bike and get excited every time I click in and head out the trail! By the way, all the additions I have made have been great, would highly recomend any of them.
Similar Products Used: Giant NRS, Trek Fuel, Jamis Dakar XLT
Bike Setup: upgraded to xt and xtr componets, magura hydraulic discs, carbon crap in various places, wtb rocket-v titanium seat, crank bros. egg beaters.
