Did you get the Marin? I recently got a T8, and liked it enough I got my son a T7. They're both bloody great. I'd like to try the Marin, but they're not as easily available where I live. We get Polygon from the local shop.
I bought it a month ago and it's one of the best mtb I've ridden. I put 4 piston brakes and a bomber air shock. The position is natural, this bike is easy and just asks to play. It remains very stable on difficult terrain and knows how to go fast. Very good purchase !
Really looking at getting the 27.5 version of this. I am currently riding an old Giant Reign 2. I started riding MTB on a Marin Nail Trail and them moved to an East Peak before going with my current Giant. I keep my bikes many years. My Reign is in amazing shape still, but I just keep thinking I need to move into a current bike due to it being hard to find 26" tires now and how much technology and geometry has changed. This is the most in depth video I have seen of this bike and answers all questions for me. Wll Done!
I’m glad they update me the stack significantly. I have a 2021 Riftzone 3 was warranty replace from braking the b-17/2 model and man they made the reach feel so long to the low stack on mine. I’ve corrected this with a 60mm rise bar 30* rise stem. And we re sprung the fork from 130 to 150. Would consider this model now I believe the XL I ride is a 634-6ish from my horrible 616. Bike looks good.
Good choice. Between the geometry, spec and knowing exactly what condition everything is on this it would be a challenge to find something in the used market as good for the $$.
You mentioned taking this on the BC bike race. Did you do that? I am looking at this bike for exactly that reason but upgrading tires, maybe rims and brakes.
Great video as always! I feel like the geometry changes made the RZ a smaller version of the Alpine Trail, especially the XR versions. They seem to be pretty identical spec wise. Could you give your thoughts on how you'd compare the 2? The big differences other than the travel? Thanks
You've given me an idea for a video. I think it would be great to discuss benefits and trade-offs of going with more or less suspension. To summarize my initial thoughts: I think the Rift Zone will be a more enjoyable bike on undulating terrain, perhaps with techy climbs. The Alpine Trail would shine in situations where climb is more something you endure so you can get to a more full-on descent (perhaps steeper and chunkier). The RZ is very balanced - trying to make climbs, flats, descents all equally fun and proficient. The Alpine trail will be a bit more challenging tighter or techier climbs but pay back with more room for error on descents.
@@BikeBrosBikeShop Thank you! I was also wondering if there was a difference in terms of "strength" between the 2 frames construction (series 3 vs series 4)? If the RZ can handle hard hits and chunky stuff, it would be a great allrounder!!!
Rad bike already have the orange and black 3. In a 27.5+ conf. But the seat angle and stack height without the 60mm riser bars I have on my 3. That’s a reliable rear shock and the pedal switch works really good. I paid my LBS to add a token to it. Great info thanks
Marin really nailed the geo, pedalling efficiency on this. Every time I look at Treks offerings compared to Marin's I notice how much further your dollar is stretched with Marin. Trek makes excellent bikes, but especially at this price point it makes sense to get as much bang for your buck as possible so Marin ( for me) is the better choice.
as a bike may seem good for the price (cdn). some areas they missed, little details they missed that could be a big deal. ex. gromets for the cables. no down tube protector. most bikes have at least a 30i wheel. these are 29 (based on their website) hear they flex alot. also the brakes i hear are a dud on these, also on the brake leaver. i mean i could be wrong, but watching alot of video's they all say the same thing. things rec replacing. brakes, wheels and brake leaver to make it decent. as for tires how wide can you go on these, will it fit a 2.6? Just to upgrade the brakes (just deores) alone u in a different bracket on bikes.
Canyon neuron 6 AL is pretty close in price, but with full-on FOX components and arguably one class better grade of Shimano drivetrain. It has more neutral or let's say xc geometry though
Has Marin mentioned anything about improving its house brand alloy wheels? I love good wheels so going with We Are Ones but would be nice if the bike came with more than a place holder.
I haven't heard anything about the wheels, whether they've been improved. I do see things differently regarding the wheels. A frustration of mine is when bikes come with "good" wheels that I know I'm paying a premium for but aren't actually high end aftermarket quality... leaves less money to afford the aftermarket wheels and makes it tougher to justify. We Are Ones are awesome and adding them and tires to this bike would be a great move for someone who decided they wanted to do big upgrades on this bike.
@@BikeBrosBikeShop I get that as well. I guess it’s all balance. I’m on the east coast but having your videos certainly helped push me to the Alpine Trail XR. I guess even with those wheels the bikes bang for buck is pretty incredible. I’d love to see a slightly more durable house brand rim, but that’s gonna add cost.
Any noticeable differences between the 27.5 and the 29er outside of the tyre size? Looking at picking one up (be size XL) but spilt in tyre size. Current bike is a XC hard tail so leaning towards 27.5 for just something that’s very different to my current ride.
@@BikeBrosBikeShop yeah I look and it’s very similar. Think the 29er has a slightly longer reach. I went 27.5, keen to see how it differs from my 29er XC bike.
r am on the market for this bike but I am worried about the cables entering the frame without any gromets... Wouldn't that be an issue in the long run? Wouldn't cable housing rub against the frame entry without a gromet?
I'm actually a big fan of the cable ports and we haven't seen any signs of issues. If anything, I think these ports are better for the cables housing/hoses
3 issues, yea was not thrilled with a KMC/Sunrace chain and cassette. Would rather have linkglide for durability which is negligibly expensive compared to the latter. Also was not happy with a 150mm dropper post for size smalls. I have very short inseam at 27in and you that was a problem should be 125mm max.
To be fair to Marin, I think Linkglide is still available only in limited amounts and Marin wanted to be sure they could keep up with demand... but I agree, the Linkglide stuff is really good. That is a shame about the dropper, we try to replace droppers in this sort of instance at very minimal cost.
If they were the same price I'd probably lean towards the Giant to get the Fox rear shock and tubeless set up Maxxis tires. That would be a really tough decision as they're both great bikes and values. The Marin may feel a bit more playful, the Giant a bit more planted too so a test ride might be the best way to decide.
I’m 14 years old and about 164 cm. I looked at a size chart for this bike and it says I should get an s size, but it’s still quite close to medium and I would like to have this bike at least 2 years. Which size should I get?
Probably the best way to make a Rift Zone into a mullet would be starting with a 27.5" wheeled version then switching the fork to a 130mm travel 29er fork and getting a 29" front wheel. It will maintain proper geometry compared to putting a 27.5 rear wheel on a 29er version ( which would drop the bb and make pedal strikes more likely).
Weird how no one complains about how bad the brakes are. Had to put some metallic pads on them otherwise I would eventually crash against a tree or something. Eventually I'll replace the decorative shimano levers with brakes.
From customer feedback it seems about 80 to 90% are happy with the brakes (speaking of previous year's similar bikes with these brakes) - the 10 to 20% who aren't happy with the brakes tend to be younger/aggressive riders who often realize at the time of purchase that brakes is one component that they would consider upgrading in the future. Bike companies are trying to cater to that 80% and know those customers tend not to be aggressive enough to justify raising the price of the bike for brake quality alone.
They are on the weaker side for sure, but for someone like me (75kg), they are more than enough for every terrain and descent. I can imagine the brakes, for someone over 90kgs going max speed downhill, being not efficient enough in some situations. You have 600 usd fork tho, can’t have everything of that tier in this price range. But yeah, I would rather pay 50-100 more for this bike and have better stock brakes.
The sophisticated part is the finishing and practical details but It's the same common suspension design as a let's say a Giant stance etc, that's not very sophisticated...
A Stance is a flex pivot. That said, half of the XC race bikes being used in World Cup are Flex Pivot so that isn't necessarily a knock.This is a linkage driven single pivot, same as Kona and Commencal. With proper pivot placement, I believe a single Pivot design like this is capable of keeping up with just about any suspension design as long as pivot location & shock driver links results in suitable antisquat, antirise and progressivity.
Among brands that bike shops sell, this is a standout value for the quality of components and execution. We've probably sold about 100 and not seen a warranty claim on a frame for what you describe. Did you make a warranty claim? Maybe it was a legitimate warranty where there was a problem with materials or workmanship? We heard of one on the previous frame design and there were extenuating circumstances. I would be very interested in seeing what you're talking about if you post a video, please let me know so I can learn from your experiences.
@@memyself2458 The shop where you purchased your bike are the people who will handle the warranty. Like all bike brands that aren't online direct brands, you should be dealing with the shop where you purchased the bike directly - then they deal with the warranty department. This is meant to make the warranty process easier and more efficient for the customer and hearing stories about some of the direct to consumer brands, their warranty is a nightmare of being ghosted, taking many months. I urge you: reach out to your local Marin dealer.
Yea I wasn’t very happy about the colour, but bought one nevertheless. It doesn’t look that bad with red pedals and red accessories, but maybe I will get it repainted in the future.
Why is a white bike a woman's bike? I personally love this colour, because it sticks out from all the rainbow colours currently getting around. Throw some tan walls on, and it would be mint. Not everyone wants to look like a power ranger with bright colours when riding.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Love all the details you go into. Go as long as you need too
I have a 2020 riftzone 2 , bought from Bike Bros. It's been a great bike. bang for your buck, you can't beat this.
What a great detailed walkthrough 👍 was tossing up between this or the siskiu d7 se, but I'm absolutely sold on Marin after watching this. Cheers 🍻
Did you get the Marin? I recently got a T8, and liked it enough I got my son a T7. They're both bloody great. I'd like to try the Marin, but they're not as easily available where I live. We get Polygon from the local shop.
I bought it a month ago and it's one of the best mtb I've ridden. I put 4 piston brakes and a bomber air shock. The position is natural, this bike is easy and just asks to play. It remains very stable on difficult terrain and knows how to go fast. Very good purchase !
Awesome feedback! thanks.
Love the colourway! 😍
Just got the rift zone for 2050$! Anyone debating, this thing is amazing.
27.5 or 29er?
I got a 2022 Marin Riftzone 3 27.5” it’s a nice bike
It is ,,,thill the frame brokes from upper tube aluminum,safety hazard,never again thanks
@@memyself2458 how and why did you frame break did you use a angle headset or use forks with more than 130mm front travel ?
No sir all original L large aluminum
I’m just waiting for mine 😊
Really looking at getting the 27.5 version of this. I am currently riding an old Giant Reign 2. I started riding MTB on a Marin Nail Trail and them moved to an East Peak before going with my current Giant. I keep my bikes many years. My Reign is in amazing shape still, but I just keep thinking I need to move into a current bike due to it being hard to find 26" tires now and how much technology and geometry has changed. This is the most in depth video I have seen of this bike and answers all questions for me. Wll Done!
Thank you. Let us know how you like the bike if you buy one
I’m glad they update me the stack significantly. I have a 2021 Riftzone 3 was warranty replace from braking the b-17/2 model and man they made the reach feel so long to the low stack on mine. I’ve corrected this with a 60mm rise bar 30* rise stem. And we re sprung the fork from 130 to 150.
Would consider this model now I believe the XL I ride is a 634-6ish from my horrible 616. Bike looks good.
Good points. I find many bikes have too low of a stack measurement on bigger sizes but very correct on the previous Rift Zone/B17 frame
Just got a RZ 29 2 for 1700. Super excited.
Great looking bike.
Great review!
I've got one on order. I'm super excited about it. I really wanted to get something from the used market but I really couldn't match this
Good choice. Between the geometry, spec and knowing exactly what condition everything is on this it would be a challenge to find something in the used market as good for the $$.
You mentioned taking this on the BC bike race. Did you do that? I am looking at this bike for exactly that reason but upgrading tires, maybe rims and brakes.
Great video as always!
I feel like the geometry changes made the RZ a smaller version of the Alpine Trail, especially the XR versions. They seem to be pretty identical spec wise. Could you give your thoughts on how you'd compare the 2? The big differences other than the travel?
Thanks
You've given me an idea for a video. I think it would be great to discuss benefits and trade-offs of going with more or less suspension. To summarize my initial thoughts: I think the Rift Zone will be a more enjoyable bike on undulating terrain, perhaps with techy climbs. The Alpine Trail would shine in situations where climb is more something you endure so you can get to a more full-on descent (perhaps steeper and chunkier). The RZ is very balanced - trying to make climbs, flats, descents all equally fun and proficient. The Alpine trail will be a bit more challenging tighter or techier climbs but pay back with more room for error on descents.
@@BikeBrosBikeShop Thank you!
I was also wondering if there was a difference in terms of "strength" between the 2 frames construction (series 3 vs series 4)?
If the RZ can handle hard hits and chunky stuff, it would be a great allrounder!!!
Rad bike already have the orange and black 3. In a 27.5+ conf.
But the seat angle and stack height without the 60mm riser bars I have on my 3. That’s a reliable rear shock and the pedal switch works really good.
I paid my LBS to add a token to it. Great info thanks
Does this bike suit a mixture of trail / street riding more than the alpine trail ?
Yes, I think so
Great video! Any comparison with Trek Fuel EX 8 Gen 6 AL? I think is the closest bike, but I have to say I really like the specs of the Rift Zone
Marin really nailed the geo, pedalling efficiency on this. Every time I look at Treks offerings compared to Marin's I notice how much further your dollar is stretched with Marin. Trek makes excellent bikes, but especially at this price point it makes sense to get as much bang for your buck as possible so Marin ( for me) is the better choice.
as a bike may seem good for the price (cdn). some areas they missed, little details they missed that could be a big deal. ex. gromets for the cables. no down tube protector. most bikes have at least a 30i wheel. these are 29 (based on their website) hear they flex alot. also the brakes i hear are a dud on these, also on the brake leaver. i mean i could be wrong, but watching alot of video's they all say the same thing. things rec replacing. brakes, wheels and brake leaver to make it decent. as for tires how wide can you go on these, will it fit a 2.6? Just to upgrade the brakes (just deores) alone u in a different bracket on bikes.
Canyon neuron 6 AL is pretty close in price, but with full-on FOX components and arguably one class better grade of Shimano drivetrain. It has more neutral or let's say xc geometry though
Siskiu T8would be a contender at that price range.
Agreed. Polygon really hasn't penatrated the Canadian market much but they look good
Has Marin mentioned anything about improving its house brand alloy wheels?
I love good wheels so going with We Are Ones but would be nice if the bike came with more than a place holder.
I haven't heard anything about the wheels, whether they've been improved. I do see things differently regarding the wheels. A frustration of mine is when bikes come with "good" wheels that I know I'm paying a premium for but aren't actually high end aftermarket quality... leaves less money to afford the aftermarket wheels and makes it tougher to justify. We Are Ones are awesome and adding them and tires to this bike would be a great move for someone who decided they wanted to do big upgrades on this bike.
@@BikeBrosBikeShop I get that as well. I guess it’s all balance.
I’m on the east coast but having your videos certainly helped push me to the Alpine Trail XR.
I guess even with those wheels the bikes bang for buck is pretty incredible.
I’d love to see a slightly more durable house brand rim, but that’s gonna add cost.
I weight 270lbs, Will it be able to handle my weight?
Any noticeable differences between the 27.5 and the 29er outside of the tyre size?
Looking at picking one up (be size XL) but spilt in tyre size. Current bike is a XC hard tail so leaning towards 27.5 for just something that’s very different to my current ride.
This is a rare bike. With the 2 different wheel size versions the geometry and specifications are the same
@@BikeBrosBikeShop yeah I look and it’s very similar. Think the 29er has a slightly longer reach.
I went 27.5, keen to see how it differs from my 29er XC bike.
Where is the Rift Zone XR review?
The XR seemed to have a fair amount of media attention so I didn't think I needed to.
r am on the market for this bike but I am worried about the cables entering the frame without any gromets... Wouldn't that be an issue in the long run? Wouldn't cable housing rub against the frame entry without a gromet?
I'm actually a big fan of the cable ports and we haven't seen any signs of issues. If anything, I think these ports are better for the cables housing/hoses
3 issues, yea was not thrilled with a KMC/Sunrace chain and cassette. Would rather have linkglide for durability which is negligibly expensive compared to the latter. Also was not happy with a 150mm dropper post for size smalls. I have very short inseam at 27in and you that was a problem should be 125mm max.
To be fair to Marin, I think Linkglide is still available only in limited amounts and Marin wanted to be sure they could keep up with demand... but I agree, the Linkglide stuff is really good. That is a shame about the dropper, we try to replace droppers in this sort of instance at very minimal cost.
2022 Giant Trance 29 2 or 2023 Marin Rift Zone 29 2?
If they were the same price I'd probably lean towards the Giant to get the Fox rear shock and tubeless set up Maxxis tires. That would be a really tough decision as they're both great bikes and values. The Marin may feel a bit more playful, the Giant a bit more planted too so a test ride might be the best way to decide.
YT Jefssy No. 1
I’m 14 years old and about 164 cm. I looked at a size chart for this bike and it says I should get an s size, but it’s still quite close to medium and I would like to have this bike at least 2 years. Which size should I get?
You can probably get away with sizing up to a medium.
thanks
I don’t know why they used a spacer they should of made the frame native to a 180*
Can it b mullet ?
Probably the best way to make a Rift Zone into a mullet would be starting with a 27.5" wheeled version then switching the fork to a 130mm travel 29er fork and getting a 29" front wheel. It will maintain proper geometry compared to putting a 27.5 rear wheel on a 29er version ( which would drop the bb and make pedal strikes more likely).
Weird how no one complains about how bad the brakes are. Had to put some metallic pads on them otherwise I would eventually crash against a tree or something. Eventually I'll replace the decorative shimano levers with brakes.
From customer feedback it seems about 80 to 90% are happy with the brakes (speaking of previous year's similar bikes with these brakes) - the 10 to 20% who aren't happy with the brakes tend to be younger/aggressive riders who often realize at the time of purchase that brakes is one component that they would consider upgrading in the future. Bike companies are trying to cater to that 80% and know those customers tend not to be aggressive enough to justify raising the price of the bike for brake quality alone.
They are on the weaker side for sure, but for someone like me (75kg), they are more than enough for every terrain and descent. I can imagine the brakes, for someone over 90kgs going max speed downhill, being not efficient enough in some situations. You have 600 usd fork tho, can’t have everything of that tier in this price range. But yeah, I would rather pay 50-100 more for this bike and have better stock brakes.
Geometry I thought shows a change in stack. For me that’s a big deal. Beautiful bike be great for my wife.
The sophisticated part is the finishing and practical details but It's the same common suspension design as a let's say a Giant stance etc, that's not very sophisticated...
A Stance is a flex pivot. That said, half of the XC race bikes being used in World Cup are Flex Pivot so that isn't necessarily a knock.This is a linkage driven single pivot, same as Kona and Commencal. With proper pivot placement, I believe a single Pivot design like this is capable of keeping up with just about any suspension design as long as pivot location & shock driver links results in suitable antisquat, antirise and progressivity.
Expensive for what it is ,it brakes the frame from upper tube aluminum after 1 year of light use ,safety hazard.
Among brands that bike shops sell, this is a standout value for the quality of components and execution. We've probably sold about 100 and not seen a warranty claim on a frame for what you describe. Did you make a warranty claim? Maybe it was a legitimate warranty where there was a problem with materials or workmanship? We heard of one on the previous frame design and there were extenuating circumstances. I would be very interested in seeing what you're talking about if you post a video, please let me know so I can learn from your experiences.
@@BikeBrosBikeShop warranty doesn't respond so the five years for the frame is a joke, either tan that the bike was good
@@memyself2458 The shop where you purchased your bike are the people who will handle the warranty. Like all bike brands that aren't online direct brands, you should be dealing with the shop where you purchased the bike directly - then they deal with the warranty department. This is meant to make the warranty process easier and more efficient for the customer and hearing stories about some of the direct to consumer brands, their warranty is a nightmare of being ghosted, taking many months. I urge you: reach out to your local Marin dealer.
All good but a white bike?? Omg is it women's model... what happened Marin? And you guys omg..
Yea I wasn’t very happy about the colour, but bought one nevertheless. It doesn’t look that bad with red pedals and red accessories, but maybe I will get it repainted in the future.
Why is a white bike a woman's bike? I personally love this colour, because it sticks out from all the rainbow colours currently getting around. Throw some tan walls on, and it would be mint. Not everyone wants to look like a power ranger with bright colours when riding.
This guy is probably one of those that loves purple and teal bikes and calls them "classy".