Is this a good mountain bike (and accessories)?

[Stark]

My wife and I are shopping for new mountain bikes. She has her heart set on a fisher hardtail for around $700. I found this marin full suspension online for what seems like a great price at under $450. I figure I could get it and some upgrades for less than the fisher.

Any opinions?

edit: I think I have the bike picked out, now for the extra goodies.

 

[Fandu]

Well my personal favorite full suspension bikes are the GT i-Drive series. The only Marin bike I'm familiar with is the '00 Team. Honestly that one you linked doesn't have many decent components on it.

What type of riding are you going to be doing? Urban, Urban Assault, Trail, Trick, Air, etc. E-mail me and I'll help ya out if you want.

 

[yakko]

Seems like a decent bike.

 

[Jmman]

When in doubt, check out .....Review

Received a 4.5 average out of 5, so I would say it is pretty good.....

 

[Plantanthera]

It is hard to tell which model the Fisher is so I can't compare them, but Marin makes decent bikes, and the one you look at is fine for that money.

 

[Jmman]

Oh, one last thing about buying the bike at Overstock(formerly Gear.com). I bought a higher end Mongoose(don't give me any crap about Mongoose bikes ) and you have to assemble and adjust it yourself. It isn't too hard, but just something to think about....

 

[Stark]

the fisher is a big sur. she liked the color.

She used to have a hoo koo e koo, but it got swiped, so now she still wants a fisher.

We live pretty close to the mountains, (big bear, arrowhead, running springs, etc), so I hope to use it on some fun fire road/single track riding. Basically it's to help me burn off about 20-40 "computer chair" lbs. I used to ride road bikes, and this will be my first mtn. bike. A hard tail would probably be fine, but I figure why not go with a full supension, especially if I go up to snow summit and do any downhill.

 

[Stark]

I should be able to put the bike together. I used to overhaul my trek road bike all the time, so I'm not too worried about it. I wonder if I still have all my old park bike tools somewhere...

 

[bigshot]

i have 18 spd bike
great bike man
i boguth it 7 year sago

 

[RichieZ]

Shocks are from some no name company

ESP 5.0 is rougly equivalent to Shimano STX or Deore? I'd classify this is enthusiast, its decent. I have ESP 9.0SL's

Cromo swing arm on a alunimum bike is pretty heavy. One of my bikes is a Specialized Ground Control A1 FS, it weighs like 30lbs.

 

[snut]

That marlin looks like one of the high end Kleins, but the kleins had a a fox shox instead of the coil over...For the price,and being a full suspention bike..I dont think there would include too many higher end parts mosly LX or lower..Iam sure the fiser hardtail will come with better components then the marin...If you can try finding that marlin at a bike shop, and try riding it...Its kinda hard buying a bike online without rideing it first

 

[Plantanthera]

You will be happy with the Marin, if you like the Fisher, because they both have a medium top tube length, design for general riding/trail.

It doesn't matter which parts you are using except for the "Sears Special", because they all will last just as long as the other and the weight diff for the entire bike could be offset by 1/4 a water bottle.

 

[mechBgon]

I wouldn't get that Marin for off-roading. I used to work at a Marin dealership, and that design is prone to pogoing. It's like buying a Socket7 motherboard... no matter what you stick in there, it just doesn't stack up to a nice Coppermine or Thunderbird system. Additionally, the front and rear shocks are on the bottom of the food chain and don't offer much longevity or performance (think "Cyrix PR166&quot. Getting warranty service on no-name rear shocks that have blown their seals is a real pain, so if you're going to get a rear-suspension bicycle, get something with a major-name rear shock like RockShox or Fox, and if you're going to lug the extra weight around, make sure it's worthwhile. Like Fandu, I'd put the GT I-Drive design at the top of my list as a durable, high-performance rear-suspension design that's worth owning (used to work at a GT shop too). It's relatively heavy but very thoroughly thought-out, and it won a 5-way shootout in Mountain Bike Action this year against some big-name competition. Your local bike shop probably has that issue available, if you want to do some homework.

The 2001 Gary Fisher Big Sur (used to work at a Gary Fisher dealer also, still have my '98 Gary Fisher Paragon) looks pretty respectable, although I prefer genuine Shimano hubs over any of these private-labeled ones (darn hard to get parts for them). But overall, it looks like a winner that can handle everything up to expert-class racing.

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

I sell a lot of bikes. Some advice:

Don't buy a bike online. Go to the bikestore
Most bikes in their pricerange are all the same.
Do not buy a full suspension bike.
Only buy a front suspension if you need it.
Don't get an extended warranty.
Components are everything on a bike
All major frame manuf. offer lifetime warranty


The reason I say, get it from a bike store is, if you ever have a problem, you can take it in to the store. Ever try breaking down a bike and shipping it in a bike box? It's a pain in the ass. Plus, many stores will give you free tune-ups. I gaurantee if you buy it online and you have a problem with it (Let's say a Gary Fisher) every bike shop is gonna tell you to take it to the place you bought it from. Bikes are kind of like computers, there are 20 different companies who make up the parts for a bike. And when something goes wrong, everyone will tell you to take it to the place you purchased it from. BTW, I know all this because I've worked in 5 different shops over the years and sell a good amount of cycling stuff now!

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

PS: Always get rapid fire shifting, SRAM and (old Grip-Shift) suck and everyone knows it. Nothing beats Shimano XTR.

 

[C'DaleRider]

In bikes, the FRAME is everything....the rest of the components are just that...components that can be changed at will. Fortunately, the quality of the components usually gives a clue as to the quality of the frame used.

So...let's critically examine the frame and components. A steel swingarm is HEAVY!!! No two ways about it...the frame will be burdened with extra poundage that no upgrading will compensate for....which is why you'll usually find alu. alloy frames and swingarms on decent full suspension bikes.

Second...do you really need the extra weight and complexity of a full-susp. bike? The pivot points are going to give you extra wear points on the frame....points that will have to be worked with down the road, especially if the Marin uses bushings instead of bearings in their pivots....which at $450 I'd say is being done here.

The front shock....you'll be lucky to get an inch and a half of travel out of it...more like an inch. The front shock is just barely better than the toy shocks seen on the Huffy/Murray/Roadmaster/Mongoose toys from department stores. Better to get a bike with a little better shock, like from RockShox or Manitou or Marzocchi. (Benefits: lighter weight, more travel, more durable, more adjustable, and access to repair parts...the InSync isn't or doesn't have any of these. Go check out a Trek 820...the same shock comes on it, as does the Schwinn Mesa...both shocks work, but just barely.)

ShockWorks rear coil-over shock. Another Taiwanese no-name brand...heavy, little travel despite what is claimed (5 inches my foot...). Again, for a cheap price, you're giving up the same stuff as in the front fork.

No-name crankset.....I really prefer Shimano, even in the cheapest incarnations. Shimano chainrings and cassettes are known to be the best shifting gears out there.

The shifters...personal preference. SRAM is not junk, despite what some may bray. Honestly, if they were such junk, I wonder why the line continues to expand and be used by the majority of racers out there. Interestingly, Shimano, the push-button king, has been forced into developing twist-grip shifters of their own. Twist-grip shifting is easy, especially for beginners, probably much more durable (3 parts vs. the 25 or so in Shimmy's RapidFire), harder to break parts off it. But in the end, you'll develop your own personal preference in shifters, and will undoubtedly make silly comments about the other shifting system....like SRAM sucks, or Shimano is dirt. Funny, both work and work well.

With the shifters out of the way, I do prefer Shimano derailleurs over SRAM....SRAM just uses too much danged plastic in their rear ders for my tastes.....but just my preference. Also, some of their cable clamps on the rear ders. seem to slip a bit. Design problem? Don't know, but we've seen quite a few have their cables slip repeatedly.

No-name hubs......cheap, poorly sealed bearings, heavy.


I'd almost recommend getting a nice hardtail with your bucks (like a Trek 4500, Schwinn Mesa GS, etc.....there are lots of good bikes from lots of companies) from a local shop....it'll be properly assembled, fit, and you'll have quick access to warranty repairs, instead of having to box it back up and return it to Marin in CA.....if they will take it back.

Just make sure you get a decent front susp. fork from a real fork manufacturer....and don't listen to those that say don't get front suspension. Off-road, you'll almost instantly regret it if you don't..it'll help you last longer on rides and may even lengthen the life of your front-end components....something is there to lessen the impact of hits. A trip to any local bike shop will show that rigid bikes, those without any suspension, are now only the cheapest ones or beach cruisers. Don't saddle yourself with a mtn. bike without a susp. fork.

As far as components......most any of them will work for the casual rider off-road. XTR, as bandied about here, is VERY expensive and directed towards the racer with no budget. For the casual rider, XTR is nice to look at, heck to pay for.....especially when the LX and Deore component lines work about as well for 1/4 the price. Even the Alivio line will do for casual riders...have seen that stuff last for years.

So don't get caught up in having to have the latest/greatest/best stuff out there......it usually isn't very cost effective for the vast majority of riders around.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I do not recommend buying full-suspension at this price range. You will end up with a bike that is pounds heavier than a hardtail, and likely no more off-roadable. While I concur with previous posters that it is foolish to buy a bike without test-riding, I am aware there are some great deals at Supergo, which would likely be a safe buy as long as you test-ride them in a local store to determine size.

 

[Stark]

This is the place for some good advice.

 

[mechBgon]

Stark, just to re-emphasize this: the Marin rear-suspension design in general is not very compotent. High-end, low-end, they use the same frame design. And what Hamburgerpimp said is the truth... dealers don't support stuff that you buy over the Internet, so make sure you won't need any support before you go that route. One leaky rear shock can open your eyes to how nice it is to have a dealer to back you up.

As for this advice: <<While I concur with previous posters that it is foolish to buy a bike without test-riding, I am aware there are some great deals at Supergo, which would likely be a safe buy as long as you test-ride them in a local store to determine size >> ...that is a very low-life thing to do. :| If you're going to test-ride our stuff, spend your money with us. As for our markup, it's usually about 35% on bicycles. Sounds grand, until you realize our overhead costs are ~35% too. We make more on the sale of accessories than we do on bicycles.

 

[Stark]

ok, you guys win. I'll head down to supergo on tomorrow. mechBgone, is your shop in socal?

 

[mechBgon]

Nope, Washington here. Good hunting!

 

[Stark]

Ok, we went down to supergo tonight and tested a bunch of bikes (full-suspension, hard tail, schwinn, specialized, fisher, rode trek on thursday).

After riding them all, my favorite was the fisher big sur for $699 ($100 less than the nearest fisher dealer).

The specs are:
Color: Chad Silver and Speed Blue
Frame: Gold Series 6061 T6 aluminum | Genesis Geometry
Fork: Marzocchi Z.5 Air | 80mm travel
Headset: Dia-Compe STR | Aheadset
Bottom Bracket: Shimano BB-LP27
Crank: Bontrager Comp | 44/32/22
Pedals: Alloy ATB | clipless adaptable (to be replaced with nashbar clipless ATB)
Front Defailleur: Shimano Deore
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore LX SGS (if it breaks, I'll get xt for $50)
Shifters: Shimano Deore
Cassette: SRAM 7.0 | 9 speed | 11-32
Chain: SRAM PC-59
front hub/rim/spokes: Bontrager Superstock Wheelsystem | 24 hole
rear hub/rim/spokes: Bontrager Superstock ASYM | 28 hole Wheelsystem
front tire: WTB VelociRaptor | 2.1
rear tire: WTB VelociRaptor | 1.95
front brake: Shimano 420, V-Brake
rear brake: Shimano 420, V-Brake
brake levers: Alloy linear pull (I'll buy avid's if they break)
handlebar: Bontrager Crowbar Sport DB
stem: Bontrager Comp AHS
grips: WTB Dual Compound
saddle: WTB SSTX
seatpost: Bontrager Sport
etc: Replaceable derailleur hanger | 3 waterbottle mounts

Extras/accessories I'm thinking about include:

Pedals: Nashbar Clipless ATB Pedal @ $32.95

Shoes: Answer Speeder @ $70
or Sidi Dominator 2 @ 179
or Specialized Sport MTB @ 69.99

Helmet: Giro Gila @ 69.94

Rack: One of the following:
Graber T-Rax Ball Mount 2 Bike Hitch 109.99
Draftmaster Hitch Rack 299-315
Quarter Roc 139
Roc 2 159

computers: either
cateye enduro 2 @ 29.95
cateye mity 3 @ 26.95

pump: blackburn shorty smp-1 @ 24.99

Anyone have any alternates or substitutions to the list? I'll be going back down to the store around noon to spend a bunch of money, and any extra advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

<<As for this advice: <<While I concur with previous posters that it is foolish to buy a bike without test-riding, I am aware there are some great deals at Supergo, which would likely be a safe buy as long as you test-ride them in a local store to determine size >> ...that is a very low-life thing to do.>>

In the abstract I don't disagree at all. I have worked in a few bike stores, though, and from what I have seen in those shops and elsewhere, bike store owners are nearly all pond scum who monopolize whatever admittedly small profits there are in the sales. Every owner I have ever seen was monomaniacal about the bottom line and treated his employees like cattle. At least one of them paid his assemblers minimum wage and made no effort to verify the integrity of the built bikes whatsoever.

I built both of my bikes myself after buying the framesets secondhand, so no business would likely have gone to an LBS anyway (I understand that many LBSs are themselves paying more for parts at wholesale than Performance or Colorado Cyclist charge at retail, but that does not mean I am willing to pay, say, $100 for an XT cassette - the price charged by the last LBS I worked at, 6 years ago). Frankly, though, I am not going to lose any sleep over cutting an LBS out of a sale if they are not adding any value to the transaction in terms of service, and many cannot or will not provide knowledgeable sales staff and qualified, experienced service personnel.

 

[Mr.Diggler]

C'DaleRider...please email or pm me. Thanks.

Bump for an interesting thread.

 

[Stark]

Update:

I ended up with a 2001 Fisher Big Sur @ $699. Gary Fisher was at Supergo that day for an appearance and signed my frame (kind of cool).

So far I've been riding in Loma Linda and Riverside (Sycamore Canyon) and I'm lovin' my new bike. I can't wait until daylight savings kicks in and there's more sunlight after work.