# Marin Bear Valley SE Hardtail - can you help identify the year??



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

I recently became the new owner of a Marin Bear Valley SE hardtail. Hey free bikes are great right!?

It is several years old and I was hoping someone could help pinpoint the year for me from these photos.

I don't think the fork is original, but it sports a Mag 21 up front now. Was it originally a rigid bike?





































Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Mark


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

97/98 maybe.

Fork is def. too old for the bike.


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Many of the Shimano stuff is STX labled.

So the Mag 21 - what year would that be from? It still holds air just fine and the guy who gave me the bike had the original shock pump too.


----------



## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Its a 1995. Stock drivetrain that year was STX with gripshift SRT-600 shifters. Came stock with a rigid fork. Would have had the Marin low-profile cantilever brakes and levers also originally (which sucked).


----------



## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Rumpfy said:


> 97/98 maybe.
> 
> Fork is def. too old for the bike.


Its not, the brakes were an upgraded item, most everything else is original year stuff and the fork is a replacement most did for the rigid fork spec'ed on the model. Need to look at more than just the fact it has V-brakes in identifying model years.


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

The bike is a 94 or the Mag 21??

I'm guessing you meant the frame/bike right?


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

so this is a 1" threaded headset yes - so if I were to look for a rigid fork for it (road duty) I'd need a 1" threaded steerer tube?

Correct?


----------



## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Its a 1 1/8 steerer / headset / stem.


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

so in actuallity I could swap out that threaded stem, and replace it with a different headset and stem combo is this accurate?


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

DeeEight said:


> Its not, the brakes were an upgraded item, most everything else is original year stuff and the fork is a replacement most did for the rigid fork spec'ed on the model. Need to look at more than just the fact it has V-brakes in identifying model years.


My bad.


----------



## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

Rumpfy said:


> 97/98 maybe.
> 
> Fork is def. too old for the bike.


ooops.. nevermind.


----------



## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

colker1 said:


> ooops.. nevermind.


I was guessing based on bike graphics, riser bars, and v-brakes.

Doesn't look to be 1"...I don't recall Marin's to be 1" bikes, but obviously I don't know squat about them.


----------



## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

Rumpfy said:


> I was guessing based on bike graphics, riser bars, and v-brakes.
> 
> Doesn't look to be 1"...I don't recall Marin's to be 1" bikes, but obviously I don't know squat about them.


i thought i was a 1in HS at first. this thread makes me think about the 1 x 11/8 dispute. as early as 1990 there was marin, trek, GT and many others already doing the oversize HS. specialized stayed 1in till when? khs kept 1in till 97. 
high end shops like fat city, bontrager and ritchey kept the 1in headtube till late 90s.


----------



## SLIMBOY (Oct 16, 2005)

head tube badge says 95


----------



## Zanetti (Sep 18, 2005)

The dead giveaway that the frame is a 1995 model or before is the rear center pull cantilever cable housing stop. Once V-brakes appeared on the scene (1996), those stops were never to be seen again. 

The Mag looks like a 1994 model configured with short travel (48mm).

And I'm always amazed that people don't remember that 1 1/8" threaded fork steerers were very common from 1990-1995.


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

Zanetti said:


> The dead giveaway that the frame is a 1995 model or before is the rear center pull cantilever cable housing stop. Once V-brakes appeared on the scene (1996), those stops were never to be seen again.
> 
> The Mag looks like a 1994 model configured with short travel (48mm).
> 
> And I'm always amazed that people don't remember that 1 1/8" threaded fork steerers were very common from 1990-1995.


My son is about to outgrow his 14" Kona Hahanna. Quick Question - could I take his Sid fork from the Kona and move it over to this Marin if I were to remove the original headset and install a WTB Momentum headset that I have in the parts bin? The Sid is a 68mm travel version I believe so it wouldn't screw up the geometry too much.

What do you think?

Thanks.

Mark


----------



## SLIMBOY (Oct 16, 2005)

the 95 range was suspension corrected , the catalogue lists ,
manitou 4 , comp and sport 
and for rockshox the quadra ( i think ) mag 21 and the judy xc
as the available upgrades


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

SLIMBOY said:


> the 95 range was suspension corrected , the catalogue lists ,
> manitou 4 , comp and sport
> and for rockshox the quadra ( i think ) mag 21 and the judy xc
> as the available upgrades


So that's a yes vote that I could do the headset and fork swap?


----------



## SLIMBOY (Oct 16, 2005)

forgot to add , listed parts

gripshift srt 600 , dia compe pc7 , and STX groupset


----------



## Zanetti (Sep 18, 2005)

MMcG said:


> So that's a yes vote that I could do the headset and fork swap?


Yep, changing to a threadless fork/headset and stem should be no problem at all.


----------



## gfr77 (Apr 3, 2007)

Hello i've got a Bear Valley SE and i want to change my fork
What kind of fork with Ahead system can i put on it 1'' or 1''1/8 ?

Thanks a lot


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

what year is it?


----------



## gfr77 (Apr 3, 2007)

hi,
i think the year is 1996.
What can i do ?
Thanks


----------



## MMcG (Jul 7, 2003)

you should be fine and should be able to run a 1 1/8 aheadset style headset and a newer fork. But maybe double check with your local bike shop.


----------

