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Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Canty NZ
Date Reviewed: July 2, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$750.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Frame, rear deore derailleur. | | Weaknesses: | Peddels (no really) - split & fell apart in the middle of nowhere, front Alivio derailleur - continuous chain suck, even when correctly adjusted. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant and other Marins. | | Bike Setup: | Presently: Reba F/shock, Maxxis Minions F/R, DMR V8's, Shimano LX hydraulic discs F/R, XT Hubs, Mavic 717 Rims. | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is that most people on here forget that you (almost always) get what you pay for. With the Hawk Hill you get a great frame with some good and some not so great componentry for little money. If you want to drive components hard, spend more money! As components fail you replace and upgrade them, but the frame is its heart and this bike has a great heart. As a start into getting off the roads and into the fields, this bike is 1st class. You will upgrade as you go on, but it'll be a while before you need to buy a new bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
geoffrey samuels
a Weekend Warrior
from new orleans
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$455.00 | | Purchased At: | sun and ski sports | | Strengths: | the frame, light weight, looks, front shock, rear derailer | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Similar Products Used: | kona | | Bike Setup: | marin hawk hill deore components | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike. I took it to the greenbelt this weekend and its handling was awesome. I felt like i was in control with this bike the whole time. I would definetely pick this bike over a trek, giant, haro. it is real good with climbing and descent. awesome buy well worth it. Afte I wear down the components (use for about a year) I am going to start upgrading the whole buy gradually. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Weekend Warrior
from GA
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$499.00 | | Purchased At: | Sun & Ski | | Strengths: | Very light and strong...Easy to control..Fork is very nice.. | | Weaknesses: | Crankset..Seat | | Similar Products Used: | Haro V3, K2 Zed 3.0 | | Bike Setup: | Original | | Bottom Line: | I like this bike very much it feels very good..specialy for the price. I would recomend Marin Bikes. Good balance of product and price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mountain Biker
a Weekend Warrior
from Costa Rica
Date Reviewed: November 29, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | On the bumpy, dirt roads that are every where | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Marin and Cannondale dealer in the Capitol city of costa rica | | Strengths: | Very light-weight, strong frame, great first gear, nice suspension. Handles bumps well. | | Weaknesses: | Tires aren't the best. The seat is not very comfortable and makes a popping noise on big bumps even though I only weigh about 100 pounds. The stem (part that holds the handlebar) is a little bit too tilted upwards for my liking but some might like it that way. Others would want to change it. I recommend getting toe clips for it. Not very good looking. Chain bangs against part of the frame. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Y-24, Trek 4500. | | Bike Setup: | stock with toe clips. | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for me. I have abused it a lot in the time that I have owned it, riding constantly over rocks and holes and many types of terrain. I couldn't say if it were good on pavement, because I have never used it on pavement. If you are tired of bikes with bad suspension that breaks or doesn't work well, then you should get this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick
a Weekend Warrior
from Iowa
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | City trails | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$450.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Tech | | Strengths: | Great frame, light, looks great, brakes... | | Weaknesses: | true "mountain biking" ability | | Similar Products Used: | Various | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for me. I deliver for Jimmy Johns on it and it serves that purpose wonderfully. However, i would say that it is indeed not the most reliable bike for true mountain biking, better for lighter riding. It has various issues that make it somewhat unsturdy, expect to spend a lot of down time fixing minor irritations if you do take it offroading. I am as well very light, and having this bike means I can manhandle it like none other which is great for my delivery job, being able to pick up your bike and carry it upstairs without any difficulty is a great thing. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Key
a Downhiller
from Fort Walton Bch., Florida
Date Reviewed: December 8, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | all of them | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$520.00 | | Purchased At: | Alpine Bikes(n-ville) | | Strengths: | Great frame design! Good stock forks from Marz. (MX Comp) Not to expensive! | | Weaknesses: | Tires are horribly small! Pedals Suck! (Already changed)Chain rubs on front Derailer when in highest gear on rear. | | Similar Products Used: | Mongoose, Gt | | Bike Setup: | Shimano components | | Bottom Line: | Has done a good job on giving me my money's worth. We have done some hard riding in the past 3 months, everything from BMX track and jumps to downhill to urban! You can deny the strength of this frame and the durability if the forks for the money!!!!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a
from Sacramento
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Sacramento-Salmon Falls | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$440.00 | | Purchased At: | Ken's Bike Shop, Davis | | Strengths: | Frame | | Weaknesses: | Shocks, components in general | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Marlin | | Bike Setup: | "NSYNC" shocks, SRAM shifting and derailleurs. | | Bottom Line: | Man I wish I hadn't gotten this bike. I'll admit that the frame is great. It's a very maneuverable, comfortable and well-balanced frame. Which is fine on city streets. But taking this thing off-road is a nightmare. None of these components appear to be meant for "real" mountain biking. I tried to take this to my favorite trails and had to give up after four tries. The Chain fell off and habitually slipped multiple gears. Shifting while climbing hills was a constant adventure. The shock isn't any more than serviceable. So if you plan on spending a significant amount of time off of city streets, stay away from this bike. Man, I wish I had bought the Gary Fisher Marlin! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff Contreras
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin, TX USA
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Barton Creek Green Belt | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$499.00 | | Purchased At: | Sun & Ski Sports | | Strengths: | Disc brakes, Value, Relatively Light Alloy Frame | | Weaknesses: | Front Derailleur, Front Suspension | | Similar Products Used: | Raleigh M80 | | Bike Setup: | Stock inc Alivio front/shifters, Deore rear, Shimano disc brakes (model?), InSync Grind front suspension | | Bottom Line: | I loved this bike when I saw the components and the price. It's a great value. It's relatively light, rear shifter is great, and disc brakes really sweeten the whole deal. I even used it in a Muddy Buddy race then 2nd time I rode it. But...
It rode great for the first 4 outings, but on the 5th, the rear hub loosened up completely. Had to tighten with a multi-tool just to get home. Took it back to Sun & Ski, and they replaced the hub and the rear rotor. I'm not sure if this was a factory problem, new bike set up problem, or long-term quality problem. It's obviously a big issue, but other than that the bike rides great and I'm happy. I think this could happen with anything you buy (although infrequently), so I'm still giving the bike a good review. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stefan Install
a Weekend Warrior
from Bristol, UK
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Paradise Bottom (really!) in Bristol | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$711.00 | | Purchased At: | Red-Kite cycles, UK (we pay more for stuff here..) | | Strengths: | Light, agile, awesome brakes. | | Weaknesses: | None found so far | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 4500 which it beat hands-down | | Bike Setup: | Shortened the handlebar stem and added a horizontal bar (who needs a rise?). | | Bottom Line: | I only weigh 120lbs and I love the fact that this bike is light and agile, I can actually make this beast *move* which can't be said about some of the more 'substantial' bikes around.
If you want to have some serious fun throwing a bike around some rough trails, this will do nicely! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tucker McKnight
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: September 20, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | the one behind the U. of Utah | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$600.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Performance is incredible. Disk brakes, 24 speed Shimano gears, and just a solid feel to it make it a great bike. It just feels really strong, because it is. And light, too. Very light. | | Weaknesses: | The seat. OUCH! I bought a gel padded one, and since the handlebars aren't adjustable, I bought a handlebar support that has a little bit higher angle. It looks pretty boring, too. | | Bottom Line: | All in all, it's a great bike. The performance outruns the boring look anyday. It doesn't really look that boring, though. When you're sitting on it, you feel really in control. I know I've said this a million times, but it's true! I looked at a bunch of bikes, including Gary Fischer, Trek, Rockhopper, and Giant. I'd say Gary Fischer came in second, Giant in third, and Trek just slightly behind Giant. Rockhopper was very dissappointing, especially because it was $800. But now I'm getting of track. So, if you do get one, fiddle with it for a while, make some adjustments, and then you'll be all set. I highly recommend it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
A Biker
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Burke Gillman | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$499.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Looks decent | | Weaknesses: | Everything. Had the bike for 4 hours before I returned it. Started making noises 30 minutes into riding and got worse. REI support was even worse. Don't know if my problems were the bike or the idiots that put it together.. | | Similar Products Used: | Still shopping... | | Bike Setup: | 18.5" | | Bottom Line: | Don't buy from REI. I am sure the bike is fine but if you're going to buy a nike, buy it from a bike shop.. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a
from Brooklyn, New York
Date Reviewed: June 26, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | overstock.com | | Strengths: | I loved this bike. It was great, road well, and looked sharp. I got it for only $300 and then someone stole it. I hope he rots in hell. | | Bottom Line: | Lock your bike! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dean
a Weekend Warrior
from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Island Cycle - BC | | Strengths: | Lightweight Frame, disc brakes, saddle. | | Weaknesses: | Shifters, front deraileur. | | Bike Setup: | Answer carbon straight bar, titec carbon 100, Deore shifters, deraileurs, rear cassette | | Bottom Line: | Excellent value. I swapped my shifters, rear cassette and deraileurs for Deore components when I bought it. Lightweight and strong frame. Excellent beginners bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BUTTER
a
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$430.00 | | Purchased At: | velo | | Strengths: | brakes, frame | | Weaknesses: | none yet | | Similar Products Used: | trek 4500, nishiki ?, giant iguana, others | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | for what you get, great price. Brakes are awesome, I'm at home on this bike. frame geometry is truly perfect.
great quality at a great price | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob Paugh
a Cross Country Rider
from Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$430.00 | | Purchased At: | Alfred E. Bike | | Strengths: | Appearance, disc brakes and that's about it! | | Weaknesses: | EVERYTHING, THis bike is a complete letdown. I've had it for 2 months and it's been serviced THREE times for various issues. 1.) Overhauled the rear hub and cassette (defective components) 2.) Clunking in the lower bracket. 3.) Chain rubbed on front derailer and had a difficult time switching gear to gear. 4.)Negotiating on returning this bike for a more comparable model. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 4500 >> Giant Rincon >> Giant Yukon (hopefully getting one of these this week after returning this piece of $hit!) | | Bottom Line: | I was COMPLETELY let down by this bike. I've never heard of Marin but when I saw this bike at the store, I had to have it. It's a great design and it seemed the components were well equipped too! I've lost all faith in the "Marin" nameplate. In my opinon, it's a waste of your hard earned CHEESE! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex Thompson
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | various | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$850.00 | | Purchased At: | Mountain Masters | | Strengths: | Well made--a good bike to build on. I added Shimano clippless peddals before taking it home, and will make changes over the next couple seasons... | | Weaknesses: | Based on personal preferences, the first changes I will make are the stem (currently has a 25 degree rise which I don't like) and the tires. The bike comes with a set of IRC Mythos. I have not riden these tires before, but thus far I am not a big fan. The back tire lets me down continually on soft climbs. | | Similar Products Used: | Various stock hardtail | | Bottom Line: | While shopping around for a new x-country bike, I found that the majority of 'big name' hard tails were way over priced for what they were offering (nothing new I know). Accepting that I wasn't going to get top-end componentry for the amount I was spending, the price/perfomance ratio of the components Marin selected is quite good. I added clipless peddals at the store, and will likely change the stem and tires before the next season.
This bike has thus far gone through the paces of often times punishing x-country riding and performed very well. The disc brakes are a treat for someone who has never riden them before. All in all, a good value bike. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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