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Submitted by
markatshermanbranch
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlotte, NC
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Sherman Branch | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$529.00 | | Purchased At: | REI.com | | Strengths: | Price: Where else are you going to find a brand new, name brand 29er for this little dough?
Frame: Everyone that sees it thinks it looks great.
Brakes: They work very well, even with a 230 pound rider on board. They don't make any screeching noises yet. | | Weaknesses: | RockShox Fork: as many people know, some of these forks leak oil, sometimes before they've even been used the first time. Mine leaked, causing the lockout to stop working, plus the ride felt bad with the messed up fork. I've been without a bike for 3 weeks now, waiting on a replacement to arrive at REI.
Weight: The bike is a solid 33 pounds. It does take some time and effort to bring the bike up to speed.
Gearing: I wish the rear end had a 34T cog. There are times it would come in very handy. | | Similar Products Used: | This is my first 29er. I don't want to compare apples to oranges. | | Bike Setup: | Completely stock. | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is that this good-looking bike is an incredible value. It's really not Marin's fault that RockShox made a bad batch of forks.
I think throwing an additional $200-$300 into better, lighter parts will really make this a top-performing bike. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this bike (or this brand) to a friend.
I'd love to give this 5 flamin' chilis across the board, but I just can't quite do it with the fork situation. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
CK Dallas
a Weekend Warrior
from Dallas, TX
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Grapevine, North Shore | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$625.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Kick ass looks, 29er tires a huge plus, will outperform other bikes in and above it's price range, great bike and bike size for a bigger guy | | Weaknesses: | Lower end components, 29er tires may take some getting used to (especially in the tights) | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Stock, added egg beaters, computer, lock-grips, will upgrade components as the stock versions wear out. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is sweet - I consistently outperform my buddies on more expensive Treks and Specialized. The uphill capabilities of the 29er are almost like cheating, as they can role over almost anything. I am 6' 225lb and this bike takes a massive beating from me, but seems to handle it. I was nervous about the lower end components, but again, they seem to be holding up (for now) vs. the competition. Only problem from me was the stock grips kept coming off, so I had to upgrade to lock-ons. I love the frame (beautiful), so I plan to add upgraded components as things wear out. If you are a big guy (6'+ and/or 200+lbs) I cannot express how much happier you'll be on a 29er - everything else feels/looks like a child’s bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
russell
a Weekend Warrior
from houston/wash.dc
Date Reviewed: July 15, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | old crescent/rock creek | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$675.00 | | Purchased At: | sun and ski houston | | Strengths: | love the 29in tires, strong frame, great handling | | Weaknesses: | front disk rubbed at first | | Similar Products Used: | trek | | Bottom Line: | Love the bike. Ride it like crazy to work, road and trails. Changed the knobby tires to vulpine road because i ride with road bikers a lot. Have had very minor problems, nothing that a tweak here or there couldn't fix. Very satisfied overall | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
phope1
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$685.00 | | Bottom Line: | Pretty much the "ultimate bike" for under $700. You get the disc brakes, the rock shox dart3 fork, indestructible frame and of course the main event: 29" wheels. I'm 6'4 and am used to road biking. I was going through a tire a week riding my road bike to work, so I went for a mountain bike that can handle the commute. Turns out, I'm doing way more mountain biking now simply because of this bike. Its just fun to ride. I recommend the 29" wheels for confident riders as they can be harder to manage if you're used to 24" to 26" size wheels.
It is on the heavy side of things, so I will be swapping some components with lighter ones (i.e. tires, tubes, seat post, handlebars) once the stock parts begin to wear - or when the lighter parts are on sale - which ever comes first.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
mother-tucker
a Weekend Warrior
from Covington Ga
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Yellow River/ 96 Olympic trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$672.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Geometry, 29 inch wheels, price | | Weaknesses: | original groupo | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Super v,Iron Horse, Cannondale Tandem, Kona trials bike | | Bike Setup: | WTB Speeed V, not the one that came with the bike deeper channel and longer, 11-32 cassette, lock-on grips | | Bottom Line: | This bike will amaze you. I have several bikes that are over 3000K and for the money this bike will impress you. The Dart 3 shock will eat the bumps up. Change to the things I have mentioned in the setup. I have order 2.3 Wierwolves from WTB to give more air cushion to the rear. This bike is a pure momentum bike. Great Geometry and unlike other 29ers the front tire will come off the ground without major effort. If you are looking for a way into the 29er world this is definitely it. All the things that make 29ers hard to ride are eliminated with this bike. Yes it really is 33lbs but after you get used to the way it rides it won't matter. I can bridge cravesses better, pull hills better and all of that seated if I want. I have tried all brands and this is the one that is the best. Get the bike and add $100 in parts to the bike and you will have a great hardtail that will continually amaze you. Frankly, I will look into getting rid of all 26 inch stuff.
I ride observed trials and this bike is very balanced and it doesn't ride like a 29er.
Steve | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
chuck
a Weekend Warrior
from yucaipa, ca, san bernardino
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$675.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycletek, Yucaipa | | Strengths: | Good frame, decent fork. Brushed silver finish resists scratches. Best buy I found for a entry level 29" | | Weaknesses: | Shifting not precise, but was expected with the components it came with. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Stock (so far) | | Bottom Line: | Coming from road riding, bought it to do some trails and fire roads. Shopped around between a few different brands, and this was the best buy for a 29". My bike shop raved about the frame, and said it should last forever. Components are decent, but will upgrade in a bit. The 29" takes a little getting used to, but I'm pretty tall. Once it gets going, it moves pretty well for a big bike (XL size).
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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