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Submitted by
Colin
a Cross Country Rider
from Dryden, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 29, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Ghost Lake single track | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Life Sports Winnipeg | | Strengths: | Very Light
Fast Gearing
Fork is soft with plenty of travel
Brakes feel strong
Lifetime frame warranty | | Weaknesses: | Frame looks a bit weak
Chain slips on gears after a while
Bronze colour paint. | | Similar Products Used: | Only my old norco scrambler (not at all comparable) | | Bike Setup: | All stock | | Bottom Line: | This was the first serious mountain bike of mine. I've had it for about a year and it has held up well.
The frame size I bought was huge, something like 21 inches, and it makes it look like the tubes are really small, but they feel pretty strong. I do worry about dropping it more than about a foot because I weigh lots and it is a trail bike after all.
The Dukes soak up anything up to about 10" smoothly but they bottom out if you jump or drop it.
The brakes provide strong and smooth stopping power even in wet conditions. They bring all of my 210 lbs to a stop from 35 km/h in uder 20 feet without skidding.
I was surprised to get deore XT and hayes hydraulic disks for about $1300 cnd.
After about a year of use, the chain started slipping if I put a lot of torque on the pedals, but this probably wouldn't happen with lighter riders.
The total weight of the bike as I weighed it is just under 30 lbs and everyone who picks it up is amazed at just how light it is because it is so huge.
The combination of light weight and good strength makes it great for rough trails where you go uphill and downhill over big rocks or roots.
If you're into big drops, dirt jumping or heavy downhill, don't buy this bike, you'll just break it (and the warranty is void if you are getting any sort of air.)
If you like going fast through trails, this bike is great. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marin Hater
a Weekend Warrior
from Marathon, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 18, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Your Mom | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Purchased At: | Petrie's sells em' | | Strengths: | NONE!!! Marin bikes are a step up from Canadian Tire bikes...they suck so much and look horrible. the names of the frames suck too | | Weaknesses: | UI hope the Marin owner reads this cuz hes rpobabaly GAY! You pay too much money for a cheap litle bike. They preformance like S H I T. | | Similar Products Used: | K mart bikes, Mongoose & Supercycle | | Bike Setup: | HAHA! | | Bottom Line: | MARIN makes horrible* bikes. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Minnesota
Date Reviewed: March 17, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Strengths: | Light weight. Very well equiped compared to most bikes in the price range. | | Weaknesses: | I've found that the frame flexes a fair amount in the area of the bottom bracket when standing. Also, the WTB pedals that came with this bike are worthless, and they could've done better then the TruVativ cranks. Due to this, I knocked off one chili on the overall rating. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 4300, '95 Giant Boulder 500 | | Bike Setup: | Stock except Time Pedals | | Bottom Line: | This bike came very well equiped for the price. Plan on replacing the stock WTB clipless pedals. The one major thing I don't like about this bike is the frame flex. I weigh 190lbs and can make it flex a fair amount. Light-weight riders probably won't have a problem with the flex. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Leigh
a Weekend Warrior
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | anything in Queenstown | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1250.00 | | Purchased At: | Christchurch | | Strengths: | Good fork, strong brakes, nice colour and styling. | | Weaknesses: | Sometimes slips when cranking hard on the pedals | | Similar Products Used: | Marin Bobcat Trail | | Bike Setup: | Duke XC U-turn, XT shifters and derailuer, Hayes HX-9 Hydrualic disc brakes | | Bottom Line: | Having only ridden Marin bikes before, the Bobcat Trail, this is a step up in all directions. The kit is better, the suspension fork has movable travel which is great for the varied terrain I use (low travel for uphill grinds and high travel for the downhill sections). Also I have never used disc brakes before and they do the business in all weather types and are highly recommended. The frame appears quit stiff and can handle the force i exert on the bike (being 110 kg's this is a major plus). I found the bike appears to force you into a more racing position than my old Bobcat Trail which is taking some getting used to, bu tthat i believe is a personal thing and not the bikes fault. I can't recommend this bike over other bikes as I haven't ridden any others but as a relatively new biker with poor technical skills, then I can say that this bike gives me greater confidence that my last bike, which is all I can really ask for. Big thumbs up. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew K
a Cross Country Rider
from England
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | North York Moors | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | York Cycleworks | | Strengths: | Top frame
Top forks
Top brakes | | Weaknesses: | slightly dodgy seat post, keeps slipping | | Similar Products Used: | First bike with any sort of suspension. | | Bike Setup: | As original spec | | Bottom Line: | After the first 100 miles I am genuinely happy with the bike, As I said, this is the first bike I've owned with any sort of suspension and I can certainly feel the difference from my last all rigid MTB. I can't really compare other forks but the Dukes on this bike feel very positive although I tend to set them to the least amount of travel.
I would reccommend this bike to anyone with a cross country bias. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill
a Downhiller
from kerman, ca, 93636
Date Reviewed: May 1, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Wild and Ruff | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | It rocked | | Weaknesses: | It did not rock | | Similar Products Used: | Nothing- Can't ride a bike | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Good stuff | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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