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Marin Bear Valley Bike Bike 1998 or Older
Product DescriptionBear Valley SE
User Reviews
Submitted by
whitey
a Weekend Warrior Date Reviewed: December 15, 2012 Strengths: Truly beautiful, I love the finish and colour. I have the SE version and OK I'm running it with manitou minute expert suspension forks. I have many other bikes including four early orange MTBs but the BV holds a special place in my collection Weaknesses: None at all Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Favorite Trail: llandegla Duration Product Used: 8years Purchased At: ebay Similar Products Used: Orange P7, clockwork Bike Setup: standard but with suspension forks
Submitted by
Andrew Porter Date Reviewed: November 6, 2012 Strengths: Longevity Solidity Weaknesses: None I can think of Bottom Line:
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Australia Date Reviewed: October 25, 2011 Strengths: great ride, fast smooth and reliable, light Weaknesses: none Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Duration Product Used: More than 3 years Price Paid: $800.00 Purchased At: Sydney Bike Setup: origanal everything
Submitted by
vknez
a Weekend Warrior
from Zagreb, Croatia Date Reviewed: May 29, 2011 Strengths: frame! light marin components, fast on road, fast off road. Weaknesses: nothing especially, rst 381 probably... Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Duration Product Used: More than 3 years Price Paid: $900.00 Purchased At: spectral (dont exist Similar Products Used: kona cinder cone Bike Setup: recently sand blasted frame and powder coated to same colour (ral 5012). upgraded rims, brakes,deraileurs and crankset
Submitted by
joeinchi
a Weekend Warrior
from Highland Park, IL Date Reviewed: September 19, 2010 Strengths: The frame! Perfect blend of stiffness and lively feel. Mine still has the rigid, stock fork. Weaknesses: Stock seat "Marin Lite". It had too much of a duck tail--should've been flatter. Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Duration Product Used: More than 3 years Price Paid: $560.00 Purchased At: Start to Finish, San Similar Products Used: Various road, mt bikes and beach cruisers Bike Setup: Was completely stock until this year (see below)
Submitted by
the dude
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago, IL Date Reviewed: February 3, 2010 Strengths: Absolutely rock solid. I've been riding this bike for about 13 years now, and there are zero signs of giving up on life. Weaknesses: A bit heavy, but certainly within the realm of other steel mtb frames. Geometry is more like a road bike, but fits me well. Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Favorite Trail: 50 Year trail, Tucson, AZ Duration Product Used: More than 3 years Price Paid: $750.00 Purchased At: Tim's bike shop in B Similar Products Used: Nothing Bike Setup: It's been through many incarnations in it's life.. switched to a cheap Rockshox fork after a couple years, then upgraded.. Just about everything on the bike has been replaced or upgraded at one time or another but not due to poor quality, just wear & tear of 13 years of riding. Currently undergoing a "trim the fat" single speed transformation and back to a rigid fork.
Submitted by
aliensatemyhead
a Cross Country Rider
from Karmøy, Norway Date Reviewed: June 23, 2009 Strengths: This bike is rock solid. Bought it in 2002 and it's still going strong with it's original component. Only thing I've changed is typical wear and tear components like brakepads, chain and wires. I've riden this bike across and down some very steep mountain and hills and it's never dissapointed me. Weaknesses: None Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Duration Product Used: More than 3 years Price Paid: $900.00 Purchased At: a bikeshop in Newcas Similar Products Used: Can't remember their names, a Raligh MTB and a Giant......... Bike Setup: Original
Submitted by
dodgydave
a Cross Country Rider
from Manchester UK Date Reviewed: October 18, 2008 Strengths: Seems to be built to outlast me Weaknesses: Nothing really Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Favorite Trail: Peak district Duration Product Used: More than 3 years Price Paid: $950.00 Purchased At: Epping cycles Essex Bike Setup: All shimano components - same as when bought
Submitted by
Sue
a Weekend Warrior
from Sheffield, UK Date Reviewed: August 31, 2008 Strengths: Bought in 1995 and since replaced by a Trek 6700, which is fine but I still love the Bear Valley like a best friend. It now lives at our house in France, and I wish I'd taken the Trek there and kept the Marin here. Nothing has been replaced apart from the saddle. It's light, responsive and very fast. Like someone else said, it's left for months without use and just jumps into life. It's so much easier to ride than the new bike. Much faster, more sure footed. Weaknesses: Can't think of anything. Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Favorite Trail: Peak District, Kinder Duration Product Used: More than 3 years Price Paid: $900.00 Purchased At: Leisure Lakes Bike Setup: STX.
Submitted by
Crichto
a Weekend Warrior
from United Kingdom Date Reviewed: July 23, 2008 Strengths: Bought it new for £550 in 1995 mostly because I wanted a steel frame (don't like aluminium bikes) and this one could take a child carrier on the seat down tube... It has been bullet proof. I do next to no maintenance on it and just about everything is original, even the tyres. The only thing I can think of that has gone wrong is the rear brake cable which went rusty and needed replacing this week. I have done about 3000 miles on everything from roads, gnarly downhill and with a huge childseat attached and nothing has come off or broken. Biggest thing for me though is that you can leave it for ages (the best part of a year), get it down off the wall and it will just work. The other really nice thing is that it has some spring, or life, in the frame and is not "dead" like a lot of aluminium bikes. You don't feel like any of your effort is wasted. It is also light compared to others even after 13 years. Some other post said that the cable routing under the bottom bracket had to kept clean. Never touched mine!... Shame that they have not kept the name. Weaknesses: The seat was replaced because it was uncomfortable. I would agree that on some downhills it can feel a bit like you are about to go over the bars. I think that is down to the fact it is a big frame even with the seat as far down as it will go. Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Favorite Trail: Pendle Hill Duration Product Used: More than 3 years Price Paid: $750.00 Purchased At: Leisure Lakes in the Similar Products Used: Klein Pulse Race. Bike Setup: Mostly road use. Shimano STX gear all round. Dia Compe brakes.
Submitted by
Christo
a Cross Country Rider
from Zaragoza, Spain Date Reviewed: February 5, 2008 Strengths: Very very very very durable (frame) and reasonably light for it's time. Middle class components made this bike a bargain compared to other offerings in mid 90's. Bought in 1994, maybe the 1993 model? Weaknesses: Most of the original components aren't up to the task of heavy riding and racing. The original geometry is a bit too nimble for my taste, swaping a suspension fork relaxed the angles a bit for some stability at speed. Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Duration Product Used: More than 3 years Price Paid: $1200.00 Purchased At: Bicicletas Sprint Zaragoza Similar Products Used: 2005 GT Avalanche Bike Setup: At the moment of writing: Mixed XT and LX 9-speed components, XT V-brakes, Flite Ti saddle, Bontrager titec handlebar, Marzocchi Bomber Z2, mavic 231 rims, sachs sealed front hub, LX parallax rear hub. ritchey ahead stem, '07 spd pedals, and original marin barends!
Submitted by
gavin
a Weekend Warrior
from Bristol UK Date Reviewed: October 24, 2006 Strengths: Brilliant, just love it Weaknesses: none Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month Similar Products Used: none Bike Setup: original 1990/1991 bear valley
Submitted by
Marco Savoie
from Moncton, NB, Canada Date Reviewed: April 23, 2006 Strengths: Everything , I bought the bike in 1995 and only last year did it break down on me. Weaknesses: Absoluteley none. The only thing that broke on the bike was the frame above the rear hanger on the deraileur side.(I guess riding this thing downhill for so long with friends who have full susp. finally caught up with me. Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Favorite Trail: Dexter's Land Duration Product Used: More than 3 years Price Paid: $700.00 Purchased At: Mikes Bike Shop Similar Products Used: Trek 4900 Bike Setup: All original had to replace rear deraileur because of my stupid riding(and if thet tree hadn't been in the way it would have never broken)
Submitted by
radenko romanovic
from zagreb, croatia Date Reviewed: January 3, 2006 Strengths: made for loving it, not just best buy or money vallue, great bike in any possible way that you can think of Weaknesses: none Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Duration Product Used: More than 3 years Price Paid: $800.00 Purchased At: spectral, zagreb, croatia Similar Products Used: scott, cannondale (price category) Bike Setup: rapid fire shifters, stx/stx rc + standard equipment
Submitted by
Jerry Neuburger
a Weekend Warrior
from Lodi, CA Date Reviewed: December 19, 2005 Strengths: Still all in one piece and rock solid after 10 years. Weaknesses: Rubber finish on Shimano twist grips worn. Bottom Line: Expand full review >>Favorite Trail: country roads Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month Price Paid: $1.00 Purchased At: police bike auction Similar Products Used: Various road bikes, closest in design is a Specialized Sirrus Expert. Bike Setup: All original STX drive train, Terry Cita Y saddle, multipurpose tires, Cateye cyclocomputer, Bor Yueh rack.
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