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Submitted by
Boneman
a Cross Country Rider
from Gardiner, Maine USA
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | anything with dirt, roots, rocks! | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | The new, improved suspension design and the geometry. This review is for a 2007, the first model year of the "new" quad suspension design. I got a smokin deal 'cause it was a holdover from last year, and its pink! | | Weaknesses: | Sizing; being 5 10, I fit right between the medium and large, and went with the medium. They should have made the large a little smaller, and made a bigger, XL size. I believe Marin did this in the 2008 model year. | | Similar Products Used: | 2004 Marin rift zone, have demo'd trek full sus. | | Bike Setup: | Stock, except upgraded to XT shifters, Juicy 7s, thompson stem and titec carbon bar (had the parts already, stock parts really didn't need upgrading) | | Bottom Line: | THIS IS A SMOKIN' RIDE!
The new suspension design (2007) is much better and worth the upgrade over the previous (post 2007) model. The extra inch of travel allows you to handle anything a mountain trail will give you, and the new suspension design has gotten rid of just about all "brake jack", my only issue with the previous Marin suspension design. The new frame design also has a slightly slacker head angle; climbing was not effected, but it handles the descents much better.
I don't know what the others are talking about, the 2007 suspension is quite an upgrade from the previous, which I will admit was a great design (I rode it and loved it for over 3 years). However, after my first ride on the new design, I had no problem with selling my old one. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ade marko
a Weekend Warrior
from uk
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Strengths: | Great light XC - awesome on climbs and stable on descents, a good allround reponsive XC bike. 2006 model | | Weaknesses: | Had issues with standard truvativ cranks, the bolt that fastens the crank arm kept unwinding even with use of lock tight, did notice this as a criticism of the crank on other forums, so replaced with XT hollowtech II crank set, Also rear WTB hub would not hold together properly and would cause rear gears to skip, so again replaced with XT. This could have been my fault as took the bike on downdhill course for a week in Morzine, too light and diffently not made for that sort of abuse. | | Bottom Line: | great light XC, makes climbs easy and gives the control for the downhill,
Few parts wore out earlier than i would have thought but to be expected over time epecially if abuse the bike a bit. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ted Williamson
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Kirroughtree black Craig | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Fast up and down. Nimble and great feel to the bike. Good components. A blast to ride. | | Weaknesses: | Can get chips on paint work. Cable routing could be better. | | Bike Setup: | 2006 stock. | | Bottom Line: | Yes its all true .. The 2006 model is the best R.Zone that Marin have ever made. Finally got it right with good stiff rear and real climbimg ability. Fast and nimble handling make this bike great fun on the descents too. Great componentry finishes a great value package. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom Thumb
a Weekend Warrior
from Manchester U.K
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Grizedale Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Leisure Lakes | | Strengths: | Got to emphasise this is for Quad Link 2006!!!!
Fast. Light..very responsive..great handling....climbs like a gazelle. Good V.F.M. Good kit. A real blast to ride. An excellent XC and light Freeride bike. | | Weaknesses: | Slightly high BB. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike.- Got to emphasise this is fot Quad Link 2006!!!!
Very light and really responsive handling. A great all-round bike. Superb at climbing and it really flies. Controlled quick descending. Good kit and it inspires confidence. If you are less skilled, and want or need a bike to ride at things, rather than ride your way through them... then you are better getting the newer heavier 2007/8 "Freeride" type bike.|But the 2006 is a real thrill to burn around the trails and it has the lightness to feel very responsive. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith
a Cross Country Rider
from Cambridge, UK
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Coed y Brenin | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Pauls Cycles | | Strengths: | Firstly and most importantly the frame geometry is superb, a little high to get used to at first but now when I get back on my Hardtail it seems to be on the floor! The high front end gives you confidence when tackling more technical downhill sections, while the slightly higher Bottom Bracket means you may have your saddle a little higher than usual as well. The Fox F100R Forks and the Float Rear Shox are both smooth and require very little setting up (You will need a Fox Pump to set the sag). If you are looking for a full-on Downhill bike then the travel available may well be too little but this is not a downhill bike it's a X-Country bike that can handle the descents! The rear shox show very little sign of bobbing while climbing (it feels like a Hardtail) and performs extremely well on the descents. The rear triangle makes little to no noise when hitting the rough stuff and so far I have not felt any bottoming out of the shox or any inkling that it is out of its depth! The Juicy 5 brakes are the first disc brakes I’ve had (although I have ridden with discs before) once bedded in they are extremely powerful and responsive. As for the rest of it; the finishing kit (Mostly FSA) / the wheelset (Mavics) and the Groupset (mostly Deore/LX) it is all high quality stuff and for the money I think Marin have kept very good attention to detail. Obviously the Frame and Forks are the most important thing but at this price it’s nice to see finishing kit that you like. So where have I tested this then? Well if you know Cambridge, UK at all well you will know its pretty flat (although I have taken the bike for a play in any chalk pit/bombhole I can find! It has also been to Cwmcarn Wales which is probably a much better test as it puts the bike through high climbs with fast and sometimes technical downhill. The only other thing to add is that the bike looks absolutely stunning is only marginally heavier than my whippet of a hardtail and all in all i'm very pleased with my purchase. | | Weaknesses: | During the couple of month’s ownership of the bike it has become extremely obvious that the paint chips extremely easily! I must admit I’ve come off it twice but both falls were silly fairly low speed falls and shouldn’t have been high damage! I have had some problems with the front brake rubbing after removal of the wheel (it seems to need adjusting every time I remove the wheel) although this might be me not being used to Disc brakes. | | Similar Products Used: | TREK 8900 (1999 Spec) Hardtail | | Bike Setup: | Stock. Both Forks and Shox are set up according to the manual and the set up is easy to deal with. | | Bottom Line: | For a go anywhere all day riding bike you can't go wrong with the 2006 Rift Zone! It climbs as well as it descends and there seems to be very little penalty for me to go from a hardtail to a full susser. If you want to ride downhill’s all day long and are not really bothered by weight etc there are other bikes for you but for the X-Country/Trail user this bike makes a lot of sense! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from Indianapolis
Date Reviewed: July 1, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Nebo Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Connection | | Strengths: | Fast, light, great full suspension bike. Great components, climbs great, descends wonderfully. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Bike Setup: | Fox front and rear, XT rear, Deore front, generally stock. 2005 model, brand new. | | Bottom Line: | Moved from Hardtail to full, and this is just as fast and light. Love the bike. I can't believe anyone would go wrong with this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mick Lucas
a Weekend Warrior
from England
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Glentress | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | ATB Sales Ltd | | Strengths: | Very fast and nimble with a solid frame that's stiff and responsive. Great components and I got a discount for the 2006 model | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized, Norco, Mountain Cycle, Turner and Ellsworth and Marin. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except changed brkes for Formula Oro. | | Bottom Line: | Again this is for the 2006 model.....and again, at the risk of being boring, I also have demoed the new shape 2007 model and was not impressed.
This 2006 model is great for fast XC and all mountain. It can handle more than just XC and is argueably the best and stiffest frame that Marin has made. There are interesting little gussets in different places and a slightly different swingarm from the earlier models, also the geometry is tweaked to give faster and more positive steering I think. The rear shock is a Fox R propedal and has a bigger air chamber than it used to have which helps to provide a more linear performance and of course propedal and 4 bar linkage makes the bike climb like a gazelle. Fast single track it will simply eat up and basically it is a great all-rounder. Component choice is carefully thought out and very good. I got this on sale as it is a 2006 model and that is fantastic value for money for so much bike. ( what a classic vintage!)I really can't say enough about it because I am so impressed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gud
a Cross Country Rider
from SoCal
Date Reviewed: June 19, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | Quick. Light. Good mix of components. responsive. Fast steering. Great at climbing. Exciting ride. Good riding position. V.Good balance and engaging | | Weaknesses: | None | | Bike Setup: | As it came. | | Bottom Line: | Again need to add my voice to the list.
This review is for the 2006 model.
I tried the 2007 model in ths rift zone and the mount vision but had too many reservations concerning weight, handling and my heels catching on the very wide stays.
This 2006 rift zone is an extremely good and very fast XC steed. Handling is fast and accurate. The component mix is very good and with a very good balanced suspension. The Pro-pedal rear shock makes climbing amazingly good for a full suspension bike and works well on the tricky descents too. basically this is a bike that I can feel a part of and it is exciting to ride and that's what it's all about! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, Or
Date Reviewed: June 14, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Dans Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | This is the 2006 Model
Super fast. Good and light. Great climbing machine. Good fast descender. Very Nimble. Nice components. V.Good rear shock. Well balanced. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | 1998 Rift Zone, 2002 Rift Zone, Spec FSR M4, Whyte J4, Trek Fuel 7, Kone Kikapu Deluxe. | | Bike Setup: | Stock. | | Bottom Line: | Fast and nimble bike that is a real blast to ride.
Got to emphasise that we are talkin 2006 here....the 2007 is a dog. This here is very quick on the climbs and the steering is point and shoot. Goes down as fast as it goes up. Got to remember this is a fast XC/light All Mountain so its 4" of travel but thats plenty for an experienced rider. This is like they say the best yet. Real shame the frame has changed from 2007 'cos this has got the best xc suss frame Marin have ever made. Outstanding!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Colin Marsdon
a
from U.K
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Kirroughtree | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Leisure Lakes | | Strengths: | Excellent Xc bike, compliant suspension but with Excellent climbing ability. Good geometry and quick handling. Good spec, stiff and really engages you with the ride. It's an exzciting bike to ride. | | Weaknesses: | None..... this bike vintage the best QL that Marin have made | | Bike Setup: | Stock. | | Bottom Line: | This is the best XC vintage that Marin have made.
I have had to put down my feelings about this bike because Marin have really sorted out all the teething problems and come up with a cracker! The shame of it is that having finally got it totally sorted, some bright spark at Marin has decided to change the whole design for 2007....and what a disappointment that has turned out to be for anyone who wants fast cross-country! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Colin Mansley
a Cross Country Rider
from Manchester U.K
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Ae | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Leisure lakes | | Strengths: | Very light and fast. Great at climbing. Better pro-pedal rear shock and good forks (although I prefer Marzocchi). Steering is responsive and the bike has a real Zing to it. Good value. Excellent frame and life time frame and bearings warranty, which is worth a lot to me. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Marin 2007 (demoed) Rift Zone 2004 and 2001, Giant Trance, Gt I-Drive, Spec FSR, Ellsworth Truth, Turner 5 Spot. | | Bike Setup: | Stock apart from Formula Oro Bianco 180x160mm brakes. | | Bottom Line: | This 2006 model is an excellent XC racer or enduro bike that can also be used for some freeride nad general trail duties. It is fast and versatile. It is light and that makes it a blast to ride. It will climb very well, unlike many of the 5-6" Freeride carthorses, and as such leaves the rider with plenty of energy to enjoy the downhill sections. It is exhilarating on fast sweeping singletrack. This 2006 is the best XC model that Marin have made, with small attention to detail adjustments that just tweaks the performance a shade to enhance the already smooth and swish perfromance further. Very Impressed! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ming the Mercyless
a Weekend Warrior
from Oregon, U.S
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Fast, Quick responses, Superb climber, Stable descender, Completed sorted geometry and stiff rear end, exciting to ride. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Bottom Line: | Mine is also the 2006 model and I have to agree that this is the most sorted and very best of the Marin quad-link designs. Stiffer rear end and better pro-pedal shock gets the best out of the suspension and it really is one of the best full suspension cross-country rigs out there. Some clever little gussets have stiffened the frame in different places and the forks, together with the whole package for me is brilliant. Just a point...I also have tried the new shape 2007 model and it is much heavier/chunkier bike, less nimble and more a Freeriders bike than a sorted and fast XC bike like this one! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dirtdober
a Cross Country Rider
from texas
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | muleshoe bend | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | sun and ski, san antonio | | Strengths: | Good handling, quick turning with control at the same time. The suspenion seems soft but I never notice any lose of power. The propedal shock seems to work well with this design. The fox fork is very smooth and it appears to be very strong. Climbs well, turns tight, great suspenion feel, high bottom bracket, fox fork, propedal shock, wtb seat(even with the cro-mo rails), excellent grips. | | Weaknesses: | Value, shifters and derailers could be a level higher at this price. Noise, the Juicy 5's sound like I'm calling in a turkey and the racket the rear suspenion makes on a downhill is irratating. | | Similar Products Used: | Several, gary fisher, specialized, iron horse, yeti, kona. | | Bike Setup: | stock, with handlebars cut down an inch. | | Bottom Line: | This bike works very well with the local trail which is tight and twisty. The suspension works well, parts seem sturdy. Climbs and decends very well without any lose of power. The noise distracts from the peace and quiet of a trail ride. Overall I like the performance of the bike but think the part selection is below the price paid. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J.G. Dangworth
a Weekend Warrior
from N.W.England
Date Reviewed: February 26, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | The Marin | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Leisure Lakes | | Strengths: | Fast, light, responsive, great climbing ability, fast descender and superb alround full suspension bike. Lifetime warranty on the frame and all main bearings. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | The 2006 RZ is a Superb alround full suspension bike.
It will climb nearly as well as a hardtail and descend with aplomb and control. Excellent frame which is the best that Marin have made. (The new RZ is bulky, heavy and with a ponderously high centre of gravity) Can't fault any of the bike's abilities and the only time it gets flustered is hitting Downhill Black type trails and it isn't meant for that. This bike is a blast to ride!! Not expensive, worth every penny! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill Tiltman
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland.Oregon
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | The Next challenge | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Fast and light, great climber. Nice mix of components. Versatile full suspension rig. Great price and quality frame. Real blast to ride. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized, Ellsworth, Giant, G.T., Norco, Kona, Rocky Mountain, Turner...need I say more | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike and I can see all the improvements and tweaks that Marin have made to it each year. I tried a lot of bikes before deciding on this and the general performance makes it a winner. Very good price and quality, with so much attention to detail on the frame. Mine is a blast to ride, very good on climbs and fast but controlled on quick descents. There is enough travel in the bike to get me out of trouble but not too much to make it boring. It skips sometimes on tricky ground, like a light race bike should and I like the way the designers have built this excitement quality into the bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Noel Hastings
a
from Seattle
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Hardtail agility with full suspension manners.
Light and the best that Marin have produced yet. | | Weaknesses: | Slightly high bottom bracket and thus center of gravity | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This is my 4th Marin full susser. This 2006 one is the best yet with a stiffer rear, small support gussets under the quad-links and triple sealed bearings! Performance is exciting as it wangs its way down tight fast descents. The climbing is excellent with the new Fox prodeal shock. This is a bike that actually engages the rider with the ride and makes you feel that the slightest body English will turn the bike the way you want it to go! This is a well specked bike and top value for the price. If you want a fast cross country/trail full suspension bike this is the one and it can handle the gnarly stuff pretty well too. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Maynard Williams
a Weekend Warrior
from United Kackdom
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Ae | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Leisure lakes | | Strengths: | Quick, nimble and light XC bike with impecable manners. Good climber and confident descender. Good spec and the new Fox FloatR Pro-pedal makes the suspension vey effective. | | Weaknesses: | No Weaknesses | | Similar Products Used: | Previous Rift Zones, Gt I Drive, Spec 2K FSR, Whyte, and Giant Trance. | | Bike Setup: | Stock. | | Bottom Line: | Excellent fast xc bike. This bike will give you a ride not too far away from the fast performance hard-tail racer but with all of the advantages of a modern full suspension frame. For me this bike does almost everthing I want of it. I've moved away from my "6" Freerider as I think I read someone else here has. Too much weight and clunky feel. I like this "whippet" because it brings back all the fun reasons that I got into mountain biking for. Also it is superb value for money!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle,CA
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Skeggs | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Strengths: | Great frame design, good fork and shock, no bob on climbs, steers well...better than my 2003 model, Handles all but the most extreme terrain with ease. | | Weaknesses: | Still sits a bit high. Can be difficult to clean. Rear can ramp up slightly but only on really heavy duty rocky terrain. | | Bottom Line: | Great all round bike but exceptional on tight fast climbing and descending. Climbs as well, if not better than any of the seriously expensive full sussers out there. No nasty surprises on the fast gnarly downhill sections. Rear can ramp up slightly but only on really heavy duty rocky terrain and even then its O.K. It responds well to body English and allows me to lean in to fast corners. The fork and shock are well balanced giving a very good handling bike, and it's a realistic price. I get more fun from this bike than my Freerider. Oh.....did I mention the lifetime warranty on the frame and all 4 bearings!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Terry
a Weekend Warrior
from N.W.England
Date Reviewed: December 12, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Dragon's Back | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Great frame which is really good at climbing and excellent on the fast downhills. Stiff rear end and compliant rear shock. Good components. Price is very good. | | Weaknesses: | None...the changes that Marin have made year on year have created a very good bike indeed. | | Similar Products Used: | Endless | | Bike Setup: | Stock 2006 | | Bottom Line: | I can recommend this bike to anyone who wants a fast and versatile full suspension bike with very good components as well. The frame is very good with no bob on hard climbs but it can handle technical downhills well too. Unless you want mega amounts of travel go for this it does the job very very well and at a price that is affordable. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gareth Davies
a Cross Country Rider
from Edinburgh. Scotland
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Glentress | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | EBS | | Strengths: | A very good weight for a full susser. Good handling, good climbing and decending. Good components and upgrades from last year. A fast and dependable bike with full life warranties. | | Weaknesses: | The BB is an inch higher than its competitors which sometimes makes you feel a bit high off the ground but there again it gives great clearance on rocky ground. | | Bottom Line: | Excellent full suspension steed which is a great climber and can zoom down the fast single track decents. Has all the speed and fun of a high quality hardtail but with the added quality of very good rear suspension. This bike can be ridden anywhere and proves that 4" of suspension is still more than capable of taking hard hits but still making the bike rideable on long climbs and versatile on tight trails. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan Dare Pilot of the future
a Cross Country Rider
from N.Wales
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Marin | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Bonthronebikes | | Strengths: | This is the 2006 model...
Quick and agile with better geometry for faster steering. The swingarm has been tweeked to stiffen it. Pro-Pedal Fox rear Shock is superb for climbing and still plush on descents. Lifetime Frame and all bearings Warranty! | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Endless from Specialized, Cannondale, GT, Giant and Kona. | | Bike Setup: | Standard | | Bottom Line: | This is the 2006 model...
Excellent XC full suspension bike. Agile and quick both for climbing and descents. Light weight too and able enough to take bigger hits but nimble enough to avoid them. The swingarm has been tweeked to stiffen it. Pro-Pedal Fox rear Shock is superb for climbing and still plush on descents. Lifetime Frame and all bearings Warranty! Not a stupid price...Very good value for money
Nuff said! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Thaung
a Weekend Warrior
from Pleasanton
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | El Corte Madera | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Built Bike up | | Strengths: | Great Suspension Geometry, Good Climber,light,Excellent handling, can handle the rough stuff. | | Weaknesses: | It needs a bigger shock im 150 lbs and i need to leave the shock at like 180psi so it doesn bottom out when im going off curbs. The ride is very very stiff at 180 psi so it feels a little overwhelmed | | Similar Products Used: | Trance, Coil Ex (modified) | | Bike Setup: | 19" frame Manitou Minute :1 fork xt derailleur forte stems lx front deraileur, xt cog, Five D cranks, BB5's, WTb rims. | | Bottom Line: | If you can fit a bigger shock on this the bike would probably feel perfect, right now it feels overwhelmed when going over bumps, it doesnt ride too well but its a very efficient climber and handles very good (even on crap tires). Its also really light so its oober responsive and easy to accelerate on. I would say get the wolf ridge if you going from full suspension to full suspension cuz this doesnt feel like a proper Xc bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mag Nificent
a Cross Country Rider
from U.K
Date Reviewed: November 20, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Coed-y-Brenin | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | 2006 model.
Light weight, agile frame with good geometry, excellent suspension system delivering no bob climbing performance. Responsive steering and lively feel. | | Weaknesses: | Just the usual slightly high centre of gravity. | | Similar Products Used: | Marin Rift Zone 1999 and 2002, Specialized FSR, Giant NRS plus endless hardtails. | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi Marathon SL 105mm. Old Hope Mini's (the good ones). | | Bottom Line: | This is for the 2006 model.
I am always suspicious of the hype surrounding any products in the MTB game, except perhaps Marzocchi Forks. But this quad link system really does climb very well....added to that the Fox Float R Pro-Pedal rear shock... it is very stable yet capable of good hit performance at speed, giving the bike great stability on all but the very roughest of terrain. It is considerably more capable than its single pivot predecessor and much, much better at climbing, rivaling my hardtail in that department! The geometry has improved too....the previous incarnation was ponderous when turning, especially at slow speeds, whereas this is very capable and will respond to body english when leaning into tight corners. Altogether an excellent alround fast XC Full suspension bike, capable of Freeride too. It represents very good value for money at a time when the MTB world and its magazines seem preoccupied with making us believe that nothing costing under £($)3-4K can be any good. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James
a
from Bay area, CA
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Skeggs Point | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Efficient suspension design, no bob!
Awesome climber
Great on square edge hits | | Weaknesses: | Monocoque frame makes a racket on the trail
Rear suspension ramps up very quickly
Some of the components could be better
Higher price in 06 makes this less of a bargain
Long stem (120mm) makes steering feel slow | | Bike Setup: | Fox F100RLT, PUSH'd Float RL, XTR derailleur, XTR crankset, carbon bar, Whyte shock bushings, AM classic 350 wheels, XT cassette, IRC Mibro, Thomson everything, WTB stealth Ti. | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow up to my previous review on the rift zone. I've had this bike for a few months now and did quite a few upgrades. Since I got the bike so cheap initially, I built it up to near Mt Vision Pro specs for a fraction of the cost. The weight is somewhere around 24-25 lbs. Even with 4" of travel front and back, this feels more like a race bike. Particularly the rear suspension which ramps up so quickly that it feels like a short travel race bike. I was getting an annoying clunking sound from within my Float RL when it was brand new. It felt like stiction which was being echo'd in the monocoque frame. The noise was so bad it sounded like marbles were inside the frame over washboard bumps. I sent the rear shock to PUSH and they made a definate improvement in plushness and damping. Also the noise is all but gone now.
I also scrapped the Skareb in favor of a Fox F100RLT which made a huge improvement in front stiffness, but I'm not getting the full travel on that either, unless I run pressures way low in the 50psi range.
Anyway, in terms of overall ability of the Rift Zone, I would say its a near perfect race bike. It's relatively lightweight and short travel efficient quad link design make it a perfect companion for racing on relatively smooth trails. When the going gets real rough and fast it tends to feel overwhelmed, which is expected. If your riding style is more aggressive I would check out the TARA frames from Marin instead.
Couple of things I would change in the beginning?
1. The stem is wayy to long for me. I felt like I was leaning too far forward and putting too much weight over the front tire. This is good for racing, but not for day long rides. A shorter 100mm stem made a huge improvement in steering quickness and agility. This also allowed me to move the saddle slightly rearward which seemed to help with weight distribution.
2. The stock WTB pedals are a joke. Swap them out for some egg beaters or mallets.
3. The rear Fox float shock isn't the best setup for this frame. I noticed the higher models now use a RP3 with 15% bigger air volume, which should help make the rear suspension more linear. One good thing about the quad-link however is how efficient it is. There's virtually NO BOB even when hammering out of the saddle. Amazing!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe Dirte'
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | bear creek | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Light weight for this price point. WTB Laser Lite hubs w/317's,smart blend of FSA, WTB, Avid etc. Juicy 5's are GREEEAAATTTT!! Frame is built in a way that provides a low standover height.Fox's Propedal tech now
| | Weaknesses: | finicky set-up (my 1st FS bike) Getting the correct amount of air in both ends takes time but will reward you afterwards.
| | Similar Products Used: | Intense Uzzi SL, SC Superlight, | | Bike Setup: | I stripped it and added a full XTR group sans the shifter/brake.C King/DT 410D wheelset. Didn't change the brakes. Thomson stem & post. Carbn Easton bars, Hutchinson Python/Lites. Old school XTR pods and Ti cassette. Fox Float R 100 and Fox R rear shock | | Bottom Line: | 1st ride today was appr 16 miles. This bike is great and definitely inspires confidence. Climbs MUCH better than I'd expected-thought I'd have to relearn my climbing technique on a full s ride. I was way faster on the descents also. The bike isn't up to it's potential w/Pythons. Should be a completely different bike with the appropiate tires The bike weighs much less than I thought it would after the buildup | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James Yun
a Weekend Warrior
from Bay Area, CA
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Joaquin Miller Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | ebay | | Strengths: | Great frame technology; same frame as the higher model Mount Vision and MV-Pro. Whytte and Marin are an unbeatable combination. Good components, lightweight, great fork. Great Value. | | Weaknesses: | Drivetrain should be XT level. The steering tube was already cut to the max which didn't allow me to raise the stem. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | stock, except truvativ carbon riser bar. | | Bottom Line: | This is my first FS bike and 2nd Marin. Once I setup the fork correctly, it FLIES down the mountain with incredible ease. This can be downright dangerous because the bike makes it seem so easy, which causes the rider to become confident, and sometimes reckless :). I can't explain the quad-link to my buddies, but I know it works. The back end just rolls over bumps and glides over roots and rocks. I'm no longer picking the smooth route over my favorite trails.
I got a screamin deal on this 04 from ebay, $1000 brand new. The 04 comes with the Manitou Scareb Super 100mm, instead of the Fox on 05 models. At first I was put off, but this fork totally rocks. It's one of the best kept secrets in the XC world. It's super plush, absorbs bumps like nobody's business. The lockout is great too. Plus its feather light!
All in all a solid bike. Because it's a Marin I know the quality is there. I also have a Hawk Hill hardtail from Marin which has been rock solid.
Ready to get into the 21st century of mountain biking? Well the Rift Zone is it! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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$ 1799.99
