Submitted by
Marco
a Cross Country Rider
from Manila, Philippines
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2006
Strengths: Very stable and responsive, specially on rough terrain. Uphill pedaling power loss minimal (thanks to rear shox upgrade), Once your up on your rush the bike responds in kind by taking all the punishment you can muster and still live to brag about it, although I have yet to try it on hardcore downhill trails (maybe after suspension fork upgrade). For me, the perfect all aroun XC Bike! Great after sales service too!
Weaknesses: Rear chain and shocks a little on the noisy side (hence the chain tensioner), front suspension needs something more (Marzocci maybe?) Otherwise, minimal annoyances. Difficult upgrade to disc brakes (MARIN! HELP!)
Bottom Line:
It's been NINE long years since I bought and brought this bike home and I still love it. It rides great and I am always looking forward to my next bike trail trip. I am 39 and work in an airline as a crewmember. My only wish is to be able to bring my bike along with me and take it up and around its hometown in Marin County. Maybe one day. Great XC endurance bike.
Bike Setup: Upgrades: Azonic High Rise Bars and O.R.C. Stem, Cris King Headset, Chili Grips, Fox Vanilla Rear Shocks, Manitou Speed spring upgrades, Beefier swing arm w/ 2 in. Torque Tube, M515 Pedals, Bullet Bros. Chain Tensioners and Panaracer Smoke II tires, Stock parts: Manitou Pro-c Suspension Fork casing, White Industries Crank Set, Deore LX Front/Rear deraileurs and shifters, Avid V-Brakes and Brake Levers, WTB Reams, Paralax Hubs and stock Shimano bottom bracket
Strengths: Nicely balanced chassis, the harder you pedal the more grip you get at the back wheel.
Bottom Line:
I bought the bike for training for XC, all day rides and trail blasting. Beaut chassis that handles everything I can feed it, without doing any crazy freeriding jumps. Hooks up well on climbs and in loose shingle. Descends comfortably at speed, and very well balanced for when trials-riding is necessary.
Similar Products Used: Giant, other Marin, Mongoose, Wheeler.
Bike Setup: 2001 Judy XC 100mm, Avid front disc, Ritchey stem and bars.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
johnny_boy
a Weekend Warrior
from Reading, UK
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2002
Strengths: Absolutely fantastic straight out of the box, with no upgrades or tweaking. Well-balanced suspension, and impressively low weight at this price.
Weaknesses: The annoying slipping seat pin is the ONLY problem I've had. Don't grease it! (yes, really)
Bottom Line:
Normally I'm forever upgrading, tweaking and changing bits on bikes. The fact that I've done virtually nothing to the Rift Zone shows just how right Marin got it. Even 3 years on, as an all round XC bike it's pretty difficult to beat.
Submitted by
dave fearon
a Weekend Warrior
from london
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2001
Strengths: really plush ride, totoally reliable, feels a bit slow on the tarmac but really speeds up off road, great at climbing and fantatstic at downhill, nvere felt like I needed more travel and this bike is still rocking after 4 years of abuse. fantatsic
Weaknesses: original manitou pro c forks were not great, shockworks rear shock has had to be serviced twice but is always ok once its been done. Also original bars way too narrow
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks!!!! 4 years on and I can't find an excuse to buy another bike, with the marzochhi Z4 forks, a recent service on the shockworks shock and nice wide riser bars this bike does everything, climbs, descends, cross country races the lot.
Strengths: THIS BIKE IS WELL FINISHED, LOOKS GREAT AND RIDES A DREAM ALL ALLOY FINISH, CAN'T BEAT. FRIENDS WITH HARDTAILS GET VERY ENVIOUS BY THE HANDLING.
Weaknesses: THE GEAR CABLES TEND TO GET CLOGGED REALLY EASILLY IN THE BRITISH WINTER WEATHER, REQUIRE LUBING AFTER EVERY RIDE. HAS ANYONE ELSE SUFFERED THIS PROBLEM?
Bottom Line:
LOVED THIS BIKE FROM THE TIME I BORROWED ONE FOR A DAY FROM A FRIEND. RECOMMEND TO ANYONE WANTING A FULL SUS. NEW DESIGN FOR 2001 IS A NO NO FOR ME RECKON THE OLDER MODEL HAS THE LOOKS. I'M A FIT 50 YEAR OLD LIVING IN NORTH YORKSHIRE AND HAVE A SMILE ON MY FACE EVERY TIME I'M OUT ON THE BIKE. IF ANYONE IS THINKING OF A FULL SUS. AND THINK THERE IS A POWER LOSS OVER A HARD TAIL,I CAN ONLY SAY THINK AGAIN, I DON'T RECKON SO.NICE ONE MARIN.
Similar Products Used: MY OTHER BIKE IS A SCOTT COMP RACING, GREAT BIKE BUT MORE FOR RACING THAN SERIOUS CROSS COUNTRY
Bike Setup: BIKE SET UP WITH PACE EVO2 FORK, BRILLIANT.SCOTT TEAM ISSUE SADDLE, MARIN SADDLE FAR TO HARD. SHORTER MARIN STEM FOR INCREASED COMFORT. REST OF BIKE STANDARD RUNNING GEAR
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
richard grimes
a Cross Country Rider
from telluride,co
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2000
Strengths: light, agile, plush on descent, stiff on climbs, simple suspension setup
Weaknesses: some upgrade over stock needed (shock)
Bottom Line:
In the 1998 riding season I tested every full suspension setup our local shops had to offer. I found nothing sweeter than the Rift Zone, a perfect blend of full suspension ride with hardtail climbing qualities. The added bonus was that my local shop could not order a frame in the fall and did the custom setup of my frame for a very good price. I've ridden the bike hard on technical singletrack, slime & muck, to Moab slickrock. The bike has performed well and without problems in all cases. There was an annoying frame squeek in the first two months of riding. The source of this could not be tracked by the technicians, and the squeek went away as the bike became broken in. I up-graded from a 12 year old Jamis hardtail, and the leap was quantum. I gained full suspension and lost 6 pounds. I would recommend this bike for anyone looking for full suspension cross country performance. The bike handle very well and feels like an appendage out on the trail.
Bike Setup: rift zone frame with full xt setup, xtr rear derailleur, fox air shock, manitous sxr fork
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross-Country Rider
from Melbourne/Australia
Date Reviewed: November 16, 1999
Strengths: basically it looks awesome. and is as plush as even more expensive bikes i have test ridden. stops as hard as you want it too and climbs with the best of them.
Weaknesses: it is a little heavy but it is full suspension so... i have this thing about bar ends for hill climbing and well the thing just does not have them. (ok so it is a petty little thing)
Bottom Line:
the bottom line is this.in Oz it is hard to get a good deal on all bikes so i made my own deal. the bike was nice to ride as is but once i started to play it got to the point of not stopping. the bike is really only a marin riftzone by frame. it has new shocks front and back. a race face cold forged crankset and bottom bracket.xt quickshifters and i removed the disc brakes for avid's. i have a kona downhill bar with azonic neck and headset. i have rhyno lite rims with lx back hub and richie sealed front hub. kona seat and sdg saddle. sorry for taking up so much time but i am real happy with it and with the metal finish it looks as awesome as it rides .
Similar Products Used: i rode a hardtail gt for years and this is my first fs but i test rode a new cannondale and a giant with manitou xverts and a fox vanilla rear shock and that was an upgrade so... i went and put the fox on mine and voila...AWWWEsome!
Bike Setup: the 99 marin comes with manitous and i am not sure about the rear but basically i wanted to upgrade to the fox vanilla and did so. it has 4 inches of travel and so i also upgraded to the marzocchi zbams for the front. once i tested it then it was a true joy to ride sticks to the trails well.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross-Country Rider
from Sussex Coast, U.K.
Date Reviewed: September 10, 1999
Strengths: It works.
Weaknesses: Original Sockworks shock Headset
Bottom Line:
I`ve already posted a review a few months ago, but I`ve made a few changes since then which have completely changed the bike. The first was to fit Middleburn RS7 cranks. I had an LX Mega-nine crank I had fitted just before the last review, that meant i had to remove the adjusting screws on the front mech to get enough room for the 44 tooth chainring. For some reason the Middleburn 44 tooth ring is slightly smaller in diameter and I`ve been able to fit the screws back in (all be it filed down a bit) Excellent lightweight crank by the way. The other change was the rear shock. My Shockworks (x2) always clunked over over certain terrain, and several months ago it started wailing at me (again). Not wanting to get another Shockworks pile of crap I searched the rear shock reviews on MTB Review and opted for the Cane Creek AD10. It took 2 months to get (actually got direct from the States in the end cos their UK distributor does not push them) but it was well worth the wait. Any one running with a Shockworks should really consider changing to an AD10. Mine cost £150, miles cheaper than other air shocks, and the transformation is unbelievable. 0.75lb lighter, plush, so much more responsive, and with compression and rebound damping. If any one in the U.K. wants one and has trouble getting one, e-mail me and i`ll get one for you. These changes, along with a few others have given me what i think is getting close to the ultimate `British` trail bike. (I`m not overly patriotic or anything, like i said the AD10 is the best, but its nice to have British parts, - forks, hubs, BB, cranks, designed for our less than perfect conditions on what we all know is really a Brit designed bike despite what the frame badge says!)The weight on our digital scales is now a sensible 25.1lbs and I won`t be changing the bike for a good few years yet.
Great bike for $1500 range. Extremely swift and handles like a dream. Absorb all the rough bumps and rides like silk yet climb hill without the pogoing.
Submitted by
Chad Perkins
a Cross-Country Rider
from Wilmington
Date Reviewed: May 1, 1999
Strengths: design
Weaknesses: need to add a few colors on the paint job
Bottom Line:
I have had my 97 Rift ZOne for 2 years now and have never had a problem. I ride 30-50 miles a week on some of the hardest and roughest trails in the tri state area. I fully compress the front and rear suspentio (usually at the same time when jumping) at least twice in a ride. The only anoying thing that I have found is the loud clank fron the rear shock and the front shock slamming back out after I have fully compressed it. The travel on the suspention of the rift zone is just enough. This is in a time now when more is better. In breaking this is a major issue for me. I usually dont use breakes until the botom of the hill. I like to see how fast i can stop. WHen i lock up the front and rear tire at the same time it always fully compresses the front shock. With this abuse I have never had a problem. The only maintance I have done is to tighten up the rear swing arm. Recently the front derailer would not shift at all. So while i was fiddleing with it i noticed a little sway. I tightend the arm up and it handles a little beter and no more shifting problems. The bottom lime is that this bike is a little heavy on the up hill but dwon hill it is awsome. I have even reached speeds of 40-45 on rough trails. This is un presidented on another bike on the same price range.
Submitted by
Matti Remonen
a Cross-Country Rider
from Finland
Date Reviewed: April 29, 1999
Strengths: Smooth riding, extremely good handling
Weaknesses: Paint job is not very good. Too little clearance for rear brake booster.
Bottom Line:
Very good riding and handling. When I bought it I was very much attracted to its simple design (only one pivot point) and it has proven to be very reliable. Its very stable and rigid. Only drawback is the paintjob: paint peels of too easily but since the base paint is also very dark it is hard to see where you have nicked the frame. Also rear brake booster tends to contact with frame when rear suspension is bottomed. About the groupset: when I first bought the bike I stripped it off of the original parts and replaced everything except seatpost and BB.
Bike Setup: RiftZone -97, XTR-shifters & derailleurs, XT crankset, RockShox SL fork & RockShox rear shock, Magura RaceLine D brakes, Mavic rims w. Hugi hubs & DT double butted spokes.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Stu Harvie
a weekend warrior
from Manchester England
Date Reviewed: January 30, 1999
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike just over 2 years ago and I am still amazed by it.A few weeks ago I went into a bike store in Manchester whom I knew to be a marin dealer to see the new Shoreline trail(thinking of getting one for my wife)and they said they were no longer selling marins cos they wereunreliable and a crap company to deal with...er not true as i pointed out to shop man.they all break he said.Strange,2 years,4 FREE services and No Problems,just LOADS OF FUN!This bike,and the dealer (BICYCLE DOCTOR RUSHOLME MANCHESTER..plug)have given me the sort of moments where you laugh out loud just cos youre having so much fun. Its fun,comfy,goes like shit off a shovel cos you can keep the hammer down evrn on the worst tracks,and simple.The single pivot and lifetime frame and pivot warranty are one of the reasons I bought it.I test rode a Cannondale,Pro Flex and a GT.This Bike kiched them in the proverbials. It's ace. 5 chillies
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin
a cross-country rider
from Sussex Coast, U.K.
Date Reviewed: January 12, 1999
Bottom Line:
I bought my Rift Zone back in `97, so it`s been well and truly tested by now. Overall it`s been excellent. There have been one or two niggles; the rear shock went after about nine months (replaced under warranty) the new one sometimes still has that annoying top out clunk and the Diatech headset broke. Pretty much everything has now been upgraded (but the other bits are still going strong on my `hack` bike) The handling is excellent and I can`t say I`ve ever noticed the weight (It`s just under 27lbs in its current state.) One word of caution; I changed my cranks recently as the old ones had seen better days. Wanting something with a bigger gear I went for the 99 LX Mega nine (44 tooth outer). If you have an early/MK1 Marin FRS the swing arm is not designed to handle anything bigger than a 42 tooth chainset. I managed to get mine fitted ok eventually but I had to remove the adjusting screws from the front mech to get the height on the seat tube so that the mech did not foul the big ring or catch on the under side of the swingarm.. I have also had to make a small dent in the swing arm as the chain rubbed against it in one gear, although you could just about live with it. Having said that, the extra two teeth make a significant difference to the gearing. Much better for downhill/fireroad bashing. Overall an excellent bike I shall be riding for a good few years yet.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jamie Forsythe
a weekend warrior
from Vancouver Canada
Date Reviewed: December 29, 1998
Bottom Line:
I love my new rift zone but within 5-6 rides the rear shock has failed and the dealer I bought it from no longer sells them so what can I do? Riding now makes me feel sick as there is no dampening and the bike must sit until I hear from you people. Jamie Forsythe ph#604-945-8444 Vancouver Canada Email forsythe@intergate.bc.ca
