[N54tt]

Just recently got back into mtn biking after a 20+ yr hiatus. My younger daughter a few months ago randomly wanted to ride some trails. Broke out my old Marin hardtail, needed some TLC but I got it running pretty good, other than a stretched chain and worn cassette Lol. I ended up getting bit hard by the bug, fell back in love with riding and decided I want to buy my first full suspension bike. Took some time to find a shop that had the bike I wanted in stock…but 2 months ago finally found one! It‘s worlds different than my old hardtail. Crazy how things have changed in 20yrs.

Figured getting the higher spec’d RZ3 would hold me off from modding it…who was I kidding. I already swapped out the KMC chain for a shimano XTR. I just didn’t think it shifted as smoothly as I would have expected. Did a lower fork service and installed foam rings as well since I read that the Marzocchi’s these days don’t come with foam rings anymore. I had it set up with tubes, as winter was coming and figured it would be sitting for a few months. Never went tubeless before, so I’m looking into whether that will be my next mod? While I’m not new to riding, I’m new to the intricacies. Before I didn’t think about setup…just got on my bike and hit the trails.

Anyone else with the RZ have modding suggestions? Anything to look out for? Common issues?

 

[Woodnwheels]

I have a rift zone 3 that is 3 years old. Has been solid. Be sure to service the pivot bearings end of the first season. The grease they use really dries out quickly turning to useless paste. I also had issues setting up the rear tire tubeless with a WTB tire. Maxxis set up fine. The WTB bead is so tight it pushes the tape off the edge of the rim so the offset spoke holes are exposed and leak. I'm riding a large and find the stack really low so I swapped out for higher rise bars that really helped with comfort. Otherwise a good climbing bike with adequate suspension for my style of riding - old guy that rarely gets more than 3 feet off the ground!

 

[OldMike]

Nice bike!
Curious as to why they spec'd it with such aggressive tires?
I'd of thought a lighter, more poppier offering would be a better fit.

 

[N54tt]

I have a rift zone 3 that is 3 years old. Has been solid. Be sure to service the pivot bearings end of the first season. The grease they use really dries out quickly turning to useless paste. I also had issues setting up the rear tire tubeless with a WTB tire. Maxxis set up fine. The WTB bead is so tight it pushes the tape off the edge of the rim so the offset spoke holes are exposed and leak. I'm riding a large and find the stack really low so I swapped out for higher rise bars that really helped with comfort. Otherwise a good climbing bike with adequate suspension for my style of riding - old guy that rarely gets more than 3 feet off the ground!

Thanks for the tip! I was thinking of ordering a pivot bearing set and rocker linkage/bearings from Marin to have on hand for whenever the bearings go bad.…but looks like they need to be pressed in? Guess I’ll have to order more tools 😊. When you say service the pivot bearings at the end of the first season.…did you just leave them in, remove the seals, clean and repack? Did you do all the bearings in the frame and rocker linkage?

I really like the bike and I‘ve only had it for just over 2 months.…but I‘m thinking of getting the SC 5010 if/when I ever need to replace the rift zone…am I crazy?

 

[start_sendit_stop]

super nice bike

 

[N54tt]

Nice bike!
Curious as to why they spec'd it with such aggressive tires?
I'd of thought a lighter, more poppier offering would be a better fit.

Not sure why Marin chose to go Assegai on both front and rear. But the Maxxis tires are one of the other reasons I got the 3. I’m still learning about all the new products that are out now..…but I’ve read complaints about the Vee tires that come on the 1 and 2.…and that they were the first things they would change.

 

[SlipperyToad]

You'll get all kinds of opinions on bearing maintenance, but the key is to do something regularly. Leave them in there unattended too long and problems will develop. I tend to strip my bikes down at the end of each season. For the bearings that are still smooth, I just pop the seal and pump more grease in. I'll try to flush the grease out if it's really dirty and they are still smooth, but I usually don't bother. The notchy ones get pressed out and replaced. Some people will replace them all every year - that's a great way to make sure you don't have bearing issues, but may be overkill if you're not riding in bearing killing conditions.

 

[N54tt]

You'll get all kinds of opinions on bearing maintenance, but the key is to do something regularly. Leave them in there unattended too long and problems will develop. I tend to strip my bikes down at the end of each season. For the bearings that are still smooth, I just pop the seal and pump more grease in. I'll try to flush the grease out if it's really dirty and they are still smooth, but I usually don't bother. The notchy ones get pressed out and replaced. Some people will replace them all every year - that's a great way to make sure you don't have bearing issues, but may be overkill if you're not riding in bearing killing conditions.

Thanks! I was set for brake flush, fork and shock maintenance at the end of season…but I’ll add the bearings too. I only got maybe 10-15 rides in before the snow fell. Guess I can wait to the end if this coming season to take the frame apart, inspect the bearings and go from there.

 

[Woodnwheels]

Thanks for the tip! I was thinking of ordering a pivot bearing set and rocker linkage/bearings from Marin to have on hand for whenever the bearings go bad.…but looks like they need to be pressed in? Guess I’ll have to order more tools 😊. When you say service the pivot bearings at the end of the first season.…did you just leave them in, remove the seals, clean and repack? Did you do all the bearings in the frame and rocker linkage?

I really like the bike and I‘ve only had it for just over 2 months.…but I‘m thinking of getting the SC 5010 if/when I ever need to replace the rift zone…am I crazy?

I removed the bearing seals and repacked, probably should have replaced since they are common 6901. I don't have a bearing puller, just used a socket and tapped them out over a drilled wooden block. Reverse process to install. The stock bearings are of questionable quality. I have had higher end bikes and the Rift Zone works fine. Half the cost and 90% of the performance.

 

[HuckingKiwi]

The Rift zone 27.5 is one of my favorite bike from Marin (Used to be called the Hawk Hill). When it originally got released in 2017 I had the chance to try it at a demo day along with other more expensive bikes. It was the one I liked the most since it can provide so much fun for the price (The entry level model was 1500USD in 2017). I have a friend that rides one pretty aggressively and only needed to replace the bearings once since 2018. The only issue he had was that his chainstay cracked 3 times at the lug behind the chainring.

But Marin has been awesome with it and they provided a replacement within 1 week even during all the shortages. I have only heard of cases like this with the 2017-2018 frames. Marin did a revision of the frame for 2019 to accommodate metric shocks and I believe they changed the design of that part slightly. We sold a bunch of the newer Hawk Hill/Rift zone at the shop I work at and none of them came back for a cracked chainstay so I am confident the issue is mostly gone.

 

[Skeeno]

Honestly a great spec'd bike. I had the 3 version of the 29er. The one thing I would suggest is swapping to the brake levers. The one finger levers feel so much better and its pretty cheap, like $25 per lever.

Tested: Shimano BL-MT501/BR-MT520 | BIKE Magazine

Last year, Shimano quietly released the BL-MT501/BR-MT520. Why the stealth? Well, they made have made an inexpensive brake a bit too good for its own good.

www.bikemag.com

 

[richulr]

That's a great looking bike.

 

[N54tt]

What can I say…I’m a sucker for exposed CF 😊 . Anyone ever have issues with dropped chains? Wondering if I should have gone with a chain guide/bash guard combo.

 

[Skeeno]

I had my RZ for 18 months and never dropped a chain. Actually, I haven't dropped a chain since going to a 1x.

 

[N54tt]

Anyone know what size rim tape works best? Marin website specs for the rim says 29mm inner. I presume I need at least 30mm wide rim tape?

 

[HuckingKiwi]

Anyone know what size rim tape works best? Marin website specs for the rim says 29mm inner. I presume I need at least 30mm wide rim tape?

Yes its always best to go 1mm over the internal rim width ( 2mm over if you have a really deep rim well).

 

[N54tt]

Just can’t seem to stop modding. Local shop happen to have an Enve AM30 wheel set in stock, so I picked it up. I had them set it up tubeless with Assegai in the front and Minion DHR II in the rear. I’m going with XTR rotors and XT cassette. Got to weigh everything. The stock wheel set is heavy! With tubes, rotors and cassette they come in at 11.8lbs. The Enve AM30 tubeless, rotors and cassette come in at 10 lbs. Frame and everything else, minus the wheels, weighed 21.2 Lbs. Dropped from total of 33lbs to 31.2 lbs. The wheels come with i9 1/1 hubs. They’re not the hydra but on the stand the engagement is pretty noticeable compared to the stock hubs. Can‘t wait to test it out.
I know it’s $$ but figured if/when I upgrade to the 5010, I can run these too…instead of going with the Reserve 30..which these wheels are comparable to.

 

[Skeeno]

That's a nice upgrade. I really wanted a 27.5 Rift Zone, but they didn't offer it as a frame set. I ended up getting the Giant Trance Advanced which is really similar. It's carbon frame and comes with carbon wheels.

 

[N54tt]

I removed the bearing seals and repacked, probably should have replaced since they are common 6901. I don't have a bearing puller, just used a socket and tapped them out over a drilled wooden block. Reverse process to install. The stock bearings are of questionable quality. I have had higher end bikes and the Rift Zone works fine. Half the cost and 90% of the performance.

I had ordered an extra rocker linkage from Marin which comes with the bearings installed. I gotta agree that the stock bearings are of questionable quality. One of the 4, brand new already didn’t spin very smooth. I cleaned it out and re-greased it, which made it slightly better but still not great. I see some people think Enduro bearings aren’t great or worth it. But I figured they have to be better than the stock ones and will give them a try. I ended up ordering bearing tools from Real World Cycling and a set of Enduro bearings that I’ll swap out to at the end of this season. RWC shipping was super fast and the bearing tools seem like nice quality. Wouldn’t hesitate ordering from them again.

That's a nice upgrade. I really wanted a 27.5 Rift Zone, but they didn't offer it as a frame set. I ended up getting the Giant Trance Advanced which is really similar. It's carbon frame and comes with carbon wheels.

Looks like a nice bike!! It didn’t come up in my search when I was looking for 27.5 bikes that were in stock. How much does your bike weigh?

 

[Skeeno]

I had ordered an extra rocker linkage from Marin which comes with the bearings installed. I gotta agree that the stock bearings are of questionable quality. One of the 4, brand new already didn’t spin very smooth. I cleaned it out and re-greased it, which made it slightly better but still not great. I see some people think Enduro bearings aren’t great or worth it. But I figured they have to be better than the stock ones and will give them a try. I ended up ordering bearing tools from Real World Cycling and a set of Enduro bearings that I’ll swap out to at the end of this season. RWC shipping was super fast and the bearing tools seem like nice quality. Wouldn’t hesitate ordering from them again.

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Looks like a nice bike!! It didn’t come up in my search when I was looking for 27.5 bikes that were in stock. How much does your bike weigh?

29.5 lbs with pedals.