bikefsf

Hey everyone,

I am wanting to get into cross country biking in SF and am looking at bikes at the moment. I’m looking at Marin bikes and wanted to get some opinions by any riders that have used them and have some good feedback on why they are not as popular as other brands. I heard that they are decent bikes and made well but for some reason they just don’t have the same popularity as Trek or Giant and I am wondering why this is. Is it the welding, or the disc brakes or are do they just plain suck? .. or are they awesome but not marketed well.

Thank you for any opinions.

- James

1speeder

Hi, Trek is a huge bike manufacture, Giant is too, Marin is on a smaller scale so that is why you don't see as many around. Best thing to do, is to do a search on the Marin bike you are interested in and read the reviews. I do own a Marin Team carbon 29er and been very happy with it, their component selection was great.

Good luck,
Mike

Wanderer

I own Marin Stinson which I bought in 2001. It is a quality bike, and I'd have to say it is HD.

My Grandson absconded with it in about 2007, and he hasn't been able to kill it yet. He's 18 now, and rode it a lot.

He's taller than me, so never had a problem with size.

bikefsf

Thanks 1speeder and wanderer. That makes sense. Maybe they don't manufacture as many and sponsor/market/advertise as much. I'll try to find a demo somewhere too. Thanks again.

Daspydyr 

Marin is celebrated by some as the birthplace of mountain biking with Gary Fisher. Its a mountain town in California. The name used to be highly competitive. I "think" for the last decade it is another name that runs with the pack for parts and frames. Nothing outstanding, but nothing bad, a good bike.

Rooster09

I have a 2002 Marin that was a fantastic bike for me for many years and my brother is still riding. However, they were made in a different facility back then, so things may have changed, though in all reality most frames are made in a relatively small number of facilities in Taiwan. Test ride a few, they look like very decent bikes, in line with Trek and Giant.

deerfly

Have you checked out the Marins on EBay? There are some really sweet deals. If this dang snow ever melts I'll get to try out my new Rock Springs and the wife can try out her new Bear Valley. I bought both from Ebay a couple of months ago.