New Wolf Ridge coming my way. Stem/bar suggestions?
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Let us know how it rides.
Stem bar combo. Shortish and wide[ 710mm] works best on my Wolf Ridge. Got too many bikes on the go at the moment otherwise I'd be on for a 2011 MV myself. IMO 140 trail bike is a good all rounder. Wheelbase is still short enough to single track . Slack head angle short stem wide bar combo allows you to carve single track and great for the downhills . !50mm bikes are really all mountain and don't do single track well and suspension dives and bobs too much.
I've got a couple of 29ers as well and they can't touch WR as a trail steed.
Stem bar combo. Shortish and wide[ 710mm] works best on my Wolf Ridge. Got too many bikes on the go at the moment otherwise I'd be on for a 2011 MV myself. IMO 140 trail bike is a good all rounder. Wheelbase is still short enough to single track . Slack head angle short stem wide bar combo allows you to carve single track and great for the downhills . !50mm bikes are really all mountain and don't do single track well and suspension dives and bobs too much.
I've got a couple of 29ers as well and they can't touch WR as a trail steed.
Let us know how it rides.
Stem bar combo. Shortish and wide[ 710mm] works best on my Wolf Ridge. Got too many bikes on the go at the moment otherwise I'd be on for a 2011 MV myself. IMO 140 trail bike is a good all rounder. Wheelbase is still short enough to single track . Slack head angle short stem wide bar combo allows you to carve single track and great for the downhills . !50mm bikes are really all mountain and don't do single track well and suspension dives and bobs too much.
I've got a couple of 29ers as well and they can't touch WR as a trail steed.
Stem bar combo. Shortish and wide[ 710mm] works best on my Wolf Ridge. Got too many bikes on the go at the moment otherwise I'd be on for a 2011 MV myself. IMO 140 trail bike is a good all rounder. Wheelbase is still short enough to single track . Slack head angle short stem wide bar combo allows you to carve single track and great for the downhills . !50mm bikes are really all mountain and don't do single track well and suspension dives and bobs too much.
I've got a couple of 29ers as well and they can't touch WR as a trail steed.
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I anticipate that the 2011 MV will be an outstanding bike due to its combination of features. It should be the one bike that pretty much does it all.
I have both 2009 MV 5.7 and a 2010 AT 6.8. While the MV is more of a carver, my experience indicates that the AT does single track just as well as the MV overall. Yes, there's more suspension dive on the AT as one would expect, but pedal bob is a wash on each. GPS data on the exact same trails demonstrate that each bike is moving just as fast overall, just faster in different places.
What the AT gives up on climbs, the MV gives up on descents. Speed through the twisty sections is similar, with the AT actually doing better on some of them. On the flat they seem to be about the same although there's less effort on the MV.
A big part of it is the difference in tires.
The AT is fast becoming my go-to bike for AZ style riding but I'd probably pick the MV for an all day ride that mostly consisted of moderate single track withi climbing.
I think the 2011 MV would be a great go-to bike also.
I have both 2009 MV 5.7 and a 2010 AT 6.8. While the MV is more of a carver, my experience indicates that the AT does single track just as well as the MV overall. Yes, there's more suspension dive on the AT as one would expect, but pedal bob is a wash on each. GPS data on the exact same trails demonstrate that each bike is moving just as fast overall, just faster in different places.
What the AT gives up on climbs, the MV gives up on descents. Speed through the twisty sections is similar, with the AT actually doing better on some of them. On the flat they seem to be about the same although there's less effort on the MV.
A big part of it is the difference in tires.
The AT is fast becoming my go-to bike for AZ style riding but I'd probably pick the MV for an all day ride that mostly consisted of moderate single track withi climbing.
I think the 2011 MV would be a great go-to bike also.
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The AT came with 2.35 plain old Nevegals. They are a nice size and have a confidence inspiring transition from upright to cornering. They grip well enough, but roll really slowly compared to the WTB Motoraptor Race tires on the MV.
I wanted to try out a Maxxis combo that seems to work well in AZ aggressive conditions. Flatting at speed sucks! I also wanted something that rolled better than the Nevegals. So I put a Maxxis Minion DHF 2.50 up front and a High Roller 2.35 on the rear. Both are non-UST because I wanted to run Stan's which seems to be incompatible with Maxxis UST tires.
This combination deifnitely rolls very well. They are tough and grippy on hardpack, rocks, and loose terrain. I do not like the mid-transition characteristics of these Maxxis though. Traction straight up and rolled over is great. There's a spot mid-transition that induces a washout if there is any loose material on hardpack, or just deep loose material, so you (by which I meana me) have to pay attention. The WTBs handle this situation better but the steep HA of the MV lends itself to turning under anyway so I am sort of used to it, still unnerving.
I supose thse are afterall a DH tire, but they'd be near perfect for my needs, I think, if they had some alternating knobs in that dead space mid-transition.
The tires seem to run really small. The 2.50 seems to be close to the same size and perhaps even smaller than the 2.35 Nevegal. The 2.35 is close to the size of the 2.25 on the MV. I really wanted a tire with more volume for the rock strewn gnarly descents and faster DH with drops.
AZ can be tough on tires so you may have a different experience.
I wanted to try out a Maxxis combo that seems to work well in AZ aggressive conditions. Flatting at speed sucks! I also wanted something that rolled better than the Nevegals. So I put a Maxxis Minion DHF 2.50 up front and a High Roller 2.35 on the rear. Both are non-UST because I wanted to run Stan's which seems to be incompatible with Maxxis UST tires.
This combination deifnitely rolls very well. They are tough and grippy on hardpack, rocks, and loose terrain. I do not like the mid-transition characteristics of these Maxxis though. Traction straight up and rolled over is great. There's a spot mid-transition that induces a washout if there is any loose material on hardpack, or just deep loose material, so you (by which I meana me) have to pay attention. The WTBs handle this situation better but the steep HA of the MV lends itself to turning under anyway so I am sort of used to it, still unnerving.
I supose thse are afterall a DH tire, but they'd be near perfect for my needs, I think, if they had some alternating knobs in that dead space mid-transition.
The tires seem to run really small. The 2.50 seems to be close to the same size and perhaps even smaller than the 2.35 Nevegal. The 2.35 is close to the size of the 2.25 on the MV. I really wanted a tire with more volume for the rock strewn gnarly descents and faster DH with drops.
AZ can be tough on tires so you may have a different experience.
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Cool. Which model?pulpwoody said:
Curious to know the rationale behind your decision and what swayed you one way or the other.
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Not sure which model, it's white, and it's just the frame. The shock from the MV will swap over no problem, and I would have to wait a long time for the new MV. I didn't have to wait for the AT, so that was the main factor, plus, I was wanting a bigger bike anyway, so this fits the bill pretty well.
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I think the AT will work well. Sure liking mine. The confidence on the descents and the sketchy stuff is amazing. The MV will handle it, just with a bit more feedback if you will whereas the AT just soaks it all up. It is not as nimble nor as good a climber than the MV, but makes up for it in many other ways. Plus, it climbs nearly as well at the end of the day with some style adjustments. It certainly pedals more heavily than the MV even though it is not that much heavier.pulpwoody said:
Again, I think the 2011 MV would be a fine machine, but so too will be the 2010 AT. Seems like a lot of people overlook these bikes, but they are very good and compared to bikes with which they easily compete or surpass, quite a bargain.
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I looked at various Reign models too. Not sure about other markets, but here, the Reign comes in so many flavors, a cheap Reign is cheap and an expensive Reign is not. Point for point, the Marin models kept coming out on top especially with how they perform. That's why I now own two of them. Having ridden Pivot and Knolly for comparison, they are comparable to offerings from those manufacturers which are a lot more coin.
I think Marin is expensive here and Giant is cheap.
The 2010 6.7 AT were priced at USD 3500 and the 2011 Reign 1 is priced at USD 2600. The 2011 Reign 1 is way over the spec of a 2010 6.7 AT. Reign x is pricey though. Seems to be a big premium on a bike as soon as you bolt a 36mm fork on it.
The 2010 6.7 AT were priced at USD 3500 and the 2011 Reign 1 is priced at USD 2600. The 2011 Reign 1 is way over the spec of a 2010 6.7 AT. Reign x is pricey though. Seems to be a big premium on a bike as soon as you bolt a 36mm fork on it.
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Wow. A 2010 AT 6.8 can be had here for ~$1.900 USD if you look in the right place.gvs_nz said:
The 2010 Reign 2 can be had for a little less than that, by the looks of it, maybe around $1,700 or less.
The 36mm fork does seem to add a lot, yes. So far the Revelation Dual Air with 20mm Maxle is working okay with a few minor issues, butI'd rather have some incarnation of the Fox 36 Float.
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Well, the frame arrived! Not huge fan of the green paint splashes, but whatever. Thing is stout at 7.2 pounds, without the shock!!!!!
The TT length is perfect for me, and the 66 degree head tube is going to take some getting used to for sure, but I CAN"T WAIT to point this ***** down hill!!!!!
I ordered a Revelation 150, dual air, so that should be a good match for this set up.
Again, I just want to say how cool Marin has been through this whole thing, and what a solid company they have been for me. The MV was the second Marin I broke, and they stepped up big time.
I'll post some pics once it's built...hopefully by the weekend.
The TT length is perfect for me, and the 66 degree head tube is going to take some getting used to for sure, but I CAN"T WAIT to point this ***** down hill!!!!!
I ordered a Revelation 150, dual air, so that should be a good match for this set up.
Again, I just want to say how cool Marin has been through this whole thing, and what a solid company they have been for me. The MV was the second Marin I broke, and they stepped up big time.
I'll post some pics once it's built...hopefully by the weekend.
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The slacker head angle is a treta after the 2009 MV. It makes some obstacles just too easy compared to the MV. You can feel that the AT is just not daunted by some stuff. Very confidence inspiring. The bike is fast on descents.
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Attack Trail's are MONEY!!!
step down, little brother of the Quake series.
slightly different frame wise from the Wolf Ridge (aka a smidge more travel).
feels a bit nicer to ride compared to the Wolf Ridge -- we demo'd two of them for a day.
Personally, l still like the Quake better simply because it has more travel.
more travel = fun factor goes to 11 man.
You're gonna love the Attack Trail.
step down, little brother of the Quake series.
slightly different frame wise from the Wolf Ridge (aka a smidge more travel).
feels a bit nicer to ride compared to the Wolf Ridge -- we demo'd two of them for a day.
Personally, l still like the Quake better simply because it has more travel.
more travel = fun factor goes to 11 man.
You're gonna love the Attack Trail.
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Great input guys. I've gotten soooo used to the MV and the way it handles, well, anything, I hope the AT trail is as good, or close to as good as the MV in the slow technical stuff. Man, the fork and headset can't get here fast enough!!!!!
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