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.
