Submitted by
tom parsons
a Downhiller
from bristol
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2005
Strengths: RST HI 5 forks, mavic wheels, specialized crank and the fox vanilla r
Weaknesses: the standard shock supplied, the shock had no damping so it was crap for landing jumps and for downhill
Bottom Line:
good bike to start off with unless you do not jump or do down hill riding. if purchased change standard shock to a fox vanilla r, upgrade to hydro disks eg hope and change forks to marzocchi jr t's and you will have the ultimate downhill and jump bike.
Strengths: this is good if upgraded forks recommended are Jr Ts or equalivent then freeride or down hill is good fun its practibly bomb proof i have ran in to trees eaten dirt and its still alive and well. well balanced definatly need to beef up a little shock isnt too bad but mine is gonna go soon for a nice three way or fifth element(note too self stop drooling). Not too big either so street is not out of the options good having a full sus for stair drops and general abuse but lugging round a 222 would be mental or fitness freak. Handles jumps not too bad but i will say bomb holes are great fun on this bike.
Weaknesses: need to beef up change wheels and forks first then upgrade as is dated gear. triple clamps needed for good stance and wheels for strength x222's are crap for dh.
Bottom Line:
nice all rounder good fun on trails and dh.Just needs beefing up!
Similar Products Used: kona stab,idrive and stinky five(all friends bikes but upgraded to equal of mine).
Bike Setup: JR T's hope headset hope c2 frontbrake xt rear v lx through out drive train, d521 rims every thing else is standard.
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Submitted by
Simon Ashby
a Downhiller
from Devon England
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2004
Strengths: Rides like somthing much more expesive until it breaks. Me and my mate have been through 4 frames and 4 shocks in total, but it was worth every moment. Marin warranty is great. My freind still has the last one we got off Marin- a B17 / Alpine trail hybrid with a Fox Vanilla R shock. (I've got a RM Switch ltd now). In the last few days we have been doing a 15 foot dropoff in our local woods, and its STILL in one piece.
Weaknesses: As said by others- the rear end is weak. Also the top tube aint much good either, we have broken two of each. Also the original single seal shock supplied with the original '98 version was DIRE, it lasted less than three days. New twin seal shock was better, but the Fox is the best.
Bottom Line:
Sweet bike for the price, especially if bought second hand. (My mate is currently selling his for $400 COMPLETE!) A little weak, but I rode mine for 4 years before the frame broke the first time (because I started going bigger). Will last if you are 10 stone or less........ Ideal first FR/DH bike. Learn on this bike, make it last as long as possible (especially if bought new so warranty avail) and then get somthing stronger (like a Switch) the only reason the B17 isn't as strong as others is because it so light!
Submitted by
gary
a Weekend Warrior
from Bangor, N.I
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2003
Strengths: strong as hell, if you set it up rite it'll float over your favorite trail
Weaknesses: rear shock. swinging arm could be better
Bottom Line:
this is a fantastic machine, can really take a beating, it has coped well with my poor riding in the northern ireland series, spend time setting it up and u wont regret it, especially if you can find a bargain like mine, frame for £30 i wasnt going to say no!
Submitted by
Ben Green
a Downhiller
from Nottingham
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2003
Strengths: Frame,value, funky pearlesant paint, value, lots of proper bike for your money!
Weaknesses: rear shock (blew first one up on first ride 2nd one lasted bit longer), original wheels (front wheel only lasted a week), tyres
Bottom Line:
Feels smoother down our local trials than my mates bullit with its 5th eliment shock (he was well pissed off), really chuckable and cheap as chips! (untill you start adding things to it!!!) As long as holds together i aint swapping it! If you can find one in good condition buy it! but most of them get ridden till they die! (they con you into thinking your on a top DH rig)
Similar Products Used: santa cruz super 8, santa cruz bullit, rocky mountain rm7, orange 222
Bike Setup: Stratos helix pro dh rear shock, azonic bars, planet x stem, dmr jump seat, dmr chieftain cranks with 25/7 ring, tioga 2.3" dh tyres, dmr speed guide, mavic d521 on lx hubs (36 spoke),
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Submitted by
Mekon
a Cross Country Rider
from Sussex
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2002
Strengths: do anything ability
Weaknesses: rubbish rear shock as stock
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike because I wanted a freeride bike with plenty of travel. After blowing three rear shocks (the combination of sessioning doubles - heat and lots of bottoming out seems to do it), Marin gave me a better shock (still a shockworx, but with adjustable compression and rebound, plus a stiffer spring). Since then, I've had no problems, despite riding it like it's a dirt bike most of the time. I ended up getting totally sick of not being able to do x-ups with dual crown forks, and fancied dropping some weight. Manitou X-verts proved ideal. The bike is now a zero maintanance joy. It has enough travel to give it plenty of plushness, and is fully diallable. Mine feels like I am riding on mattresses. It'll handle 50mph runs down Devils Dyke, harsh climbs (as long as you can spin smoothly), and sessions on the doubles without breaking sweat. I can't see myself replacing it, it is perfect for me.
Weaknesses: How long have you got?, I've busted 6 shocks, snapped 3 frames (Swingarm twice, BB shell came off), Wheels lasted me a week, And I'm not a heavy person (11 Stone) I don't ride that hard (6 ft drops) and it just falls apart everytime. It's been in bit's more than it's been together.
Bottom Line:
Avoid at all costs. Even my sister could break this bike.
Similar Products Used: Pace RC500, Super 8, San Andreas, Marin Team DH
Bike Setup: Pace RC150 Monstors, DMR Cheiftains, Hope Big'un's on D321's, MRP Chaindevice, 24/7 ring and seat, Hope M4's, Tioga stem, Azonic Bars.
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Submitted by
Martyn
a Downhiller
from Lancashire England
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2002
Strengths: It's Mega strong! takes big hits with ease, and climbs well too. Handling is very good similar to the bullit
Weaknesses: It's really hard to fit a chain device due to the swing arm but with a bit of fiddling a 42-46 dh rig goes in ok. The rear disk was a bit awkward to set up
Bottom Line:
It's a great bike! I've had a few minor problems, mainly due to the hammering it gets! The suspension buhes are easy to change and over all its easy to look after. The lifetime guarantee is a real bonus and Marin are very helpful. I've done allsorts on this bike from xc(don't laugh!) to some dh racing, dirt jumping and freeriding. Its a really good all rounder that doesn't cost the earth.
Strengths: Despite breaking this frame recently - this frame has taken a HAMMERING! It is actually suprisingly strong for what it looks like, and has stood up to DH punishmant and many crashes. Handling is nice and sharp, it makes you feel really comfortable in both technical sections and faster decents. It's light enough to pedal half way up to the top again, it's not tooo heavy pushing.
Weaknesses: The rear swingarm is of a bad design, the chain rubs on the swingarm, the swingarm cracks around the pivots (i'm not the 1st for this either, a mate of mine's did the same) the swingarm's design makes it hard to fit a chain device
Bottom Line:
Very good solid stable bike, the brakes could be better, and the rear swingarm could be stronger. if you are doing anything but really silly UK DH you'll be fine on this bike.
Bike Setup: Marzocchi Jr T, Chain Device, DH finishing kit
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Submitted by
Nielle
a Downhiller
from Allentown, PA
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2000
Strengths: great rear shock, good frame
Weaknesses: the rear disc mount is useless unless you find a machinist to fashion an adapter
Bottom Line:
After all that I have invested, I am so very pleased with my ride. Everyone who has ever ridden my bike swears it is as smooth as a Cadillac. With the huge fork up front, I have complete balance and a killer DH head angle. My bike is still lighter than those expensive monster DH bikes and retains agility in the tighter trails.
I got a steal when I bought this bike on close-out for $900. The frame and rear shock have served me well.
Now if I could just get a disc mount for the rear it would earn 5 chilis.
Similar Products Used: oh, so many bikes, so little time
Bike Setup: Since getting the '98 B17, I have put on an XMO XL-70 fork (www.XMOUSA.com), Hayes disc up front, Oddessey platform pedals, a Pazzaz 0 rise 0 reach stem, ODI Ruffian grips, a Titec Berserker DH seat, Sun Rhyno Lite rims, IRC Kujo 2.35 tires
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Geoff
a Downhiller
from Birmingham England
Date Reviewed: July 14, 1999
Strengths: Meaty bike with decent bits for just £1300
Weaknesses: long stem, crap tyres
Bottom Line:
For the money its an amazing bike. Handles downhill like a £3000 bike ( with fork spring upgrade ) yet is well enough designed to do XC to reach the DHs. Watch out for weak alu marin seat post if you fit a good saddle ( mines a Planet X DH ) as i wasted mine, and 30.0 is a pain in the ass size to get a good replacement for.
Similar Products Used: Scott Octane FSR Saracens etc.
Bike Setup: Speed spring upgraded Hi5s, Tioga dh tyres, 35mm stem
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Paul
a Downhiller
from Bear Valley, CA
Date Reviewed: June 15, 1999
Strengths: Price, Performance, Durability, Looks.
Weaknesses: Could have a better parts pick (but for the price who's complaining)
Bottom Line:
Great bike right out of the box. Definately a down hill oriented freeride bike but I ride it everywhere. With the new parts I've upgraded to I've become more and more happy with it. I won the very first downhill race I ever entered on this bike bone stock. The second race I got 4th. If you are looking for a great bike at an incredible price you just can't bet this won. The 1999 model has an even better fork and disk brakes for just a little bit more money, still a great buy.
