I’m excited to see a new video from you! I really appreciate the opportunity to work with you and appreciate you letting me try out my first full suspension on a trail. I had a lot of fun for sure!
Marin really impresses. My son and I both started out on the HawkHill and I don’t think we could have picked a better bike to start on! I did all of the typical upgrades, wheels, tires, dropper, fork and I could easily still be riding it instead of upgrading. Great video!
Just got a rift zone from someone on craigslist who bought the wrong size! It's my first full sus, upgrading from my hardtail and I literally cannot wait until the weekend to take the bike out again. This bike is so much fun, my first time out I had a grin from ear to ear.
I found a 2020 Rift Zone 1 for my partner back in the early summer. Her first mountain bike, and she has loved it! Very capable bike at an approachable price for newer riders with plenty of room to progress and upgrade certain components as they grow into the sport. Definitely a great value. First upgrade is sitting under the tree, a PNW dropper!
Great work dude! I love Marin's paint schemes. Everything they've been putting out lately is pretty impressive. Also love seeing Floyd Hill footage. I still think about that trail!
Recently, my youngest son's 2017 rocky mountain soul was stolen. It was not his fault at all. His older brother borrowed his bike and left it unattended in back of someone's truck. Some dirt bag grabbed it Unfortunately, the city where we live has the highest bike thefts in all of the state. So that lead to new bike purchase. He and his brother worked out a price for the replacement. Last weekend, my youngest son pitched in some more of his own money to purchase the Marin Rift Zone 1. Over the weekend, we were able to get one ride on our local trails in upper Bidwell Park. He took the lead of the pack and never looked back. His confidence, control and speed had greatly increased within the first ride. I would say getting a dropper post and going tubeless is a must. He has a oneup dropper on order for his bike. The bike is tubeless ready.
The Riffy has been the best selling full suspension in our store for 2020. It has been a kind of game changer because it features up to date geometry you wouldn’t normally get on a entry level bike. Luckily more brands have caught up for 2021 and there is now a wider range of other makes. Still the overall package on the Marin is hard to beat.
I got the Hawk Hill (aka Rift Zone) last year as my first mtb. I upgraded my tires to Maxxis tubeless and installed a dropper post right away--I must say this machine is a confidence booster right off the bat without breaking the bank. Even as a newbie, I got to go with the "expert gals" on their blue trails, and this bike kept up without any hesitations. I highly recommend this bike...and now I'm eyeing Marin's Alpine line ;)
Value videos are spot on for me. When I got back into mountain biking last summer, I was shocked to find out "budget bikes" are 2 - 3 month's salary! 😲🥴😵☠️
I bought an Alpine Trail 7, and I absolutely love and enjoy my bike. By far my favorite bike in my inventory. Continental tires, ergon saddle and grips. Made for fun...
Ithink marin is way better than giants like trek and specialized in the budget segment even though they cheap out on parts they provide upgradeability. To riders according to their progress and they are one the few people who give proper attention to the bikes in the budget segment Anyways no one starts their biking on a specialised enduro,, P.S UNLESS your dad is a dentist
@@abhinav6880 even though I own a giant and love it I completely agree. Giants and treks are mass production companies like big box bikes but with much better standards and components.
Frame geo and ride quality is more important than spec. Parts can always be upgraded or traded up, but the frame is the foundation for how you grow with a bike.
Welcome back! I'm sorry to hear about your health issues (probably), I hope all is well. Matty is a beast, and probably the most positive person I've ever seen. I'm glad to see you guys collaborating! I appreciate the review, this is one of the bikes I've been considering.
Awesome Video! I hope we get to see more bike review under 2k. I think this is the most a lot of riders wants to be spending on a full suspension bike. More power to your channel and happy to see you riding again dude
Just picked this bike up this year. Threw on a Marzocchi CR rear shock (because I love my coil), a PNW dropper, Maxxis DHR's (rear and front), and some RF pedals and locking grips and honestly, if I had the chance to buy another bike for 3k more, I'd still save the money, get this bike, and build it up the way I want. With my additions I've torn this bike up on our local slope style and DH hills and this thing plays just as hard as any other bike out there. I have no problems keeping up with the local pros on their 6k builds. This video is spot on in its review. I really can't think of anything other than the cheap rear O2 fusion it came with which surprisingly ran really well in the first few weeks. I pounded the living daylights out of it trying to blow it up and it hung right in there on some of the gnarliest double blacks we have. Now I doubt it would last with such a beating but what shock would? I also am quite surprised with the Recon Silver. I'm probably going to convert it to 150mm by taking out the spacer but this front fork performs unexpectedly well. Takes a massive beating and keeps on going. I'm eyeing other forks but for now this Rock Shox needs no introduction. It's kept me quite on any complaints thus far. The only complaint I do have is what the heck do I call this thing??? Because when I bought this gem the seller called it a Hawk Hill 1 (2021). This video calls it a Rift Zone. I have the exact same color and model. Is that whole legal thing done with the name? Do I unofficially or officially call this thing a Rift Zone now? Cause I'm still calling it the Hawk Hill!
Just got on to binge watch some of your videos! Thank you sir. As a new creator I really am trying to become a part of this community and your videos have helped me get ideas. Thanks again!
The bike is a beast. I'm loving mine now that all of the quirks have been ironed out. And it came with some major ones 1)Rear triangle out of wack from the factory causing ghost shifting... Marin covered under warranty but caused me lots of hassle and I didn't have a bike after paying for it for two months. 2)Wheels are durable but make sure the bike shop that does your build checks the spokes right out of the box. I had to replace a spoke before 1yr old. 3)Vee tires that came on mine are completely worthless. I'm running Continentals now and they're great. 4)Factory rear hub died before 1yr of service. It was a cheapo. My bike shop covered it though and gave me a new better one under warranty. 5) Cracking and creaking at the pivots. I finally took completely apart myself greased. Frame is now silent. So, it is a fantastic, very consistent, very well priced bike once you get everything fixed and up to par. My beef is that you would think that a $1500+ mountain bike would give you no stress out of the box. But that wasn't the case with my Marin Rift Zone 1. Just make sure that the shop or person that does your build is thorough and checks everything, including greasing where needed and tightening where needed or you can end up being extremely frustrated with your new purchase and having no fun at all.
@@TrailFeatures This is true, I rode an old bmx for years on the trails before I had money together for a Dual SUS MTB. In Aus the starting price for a decent dual sus is $3000, unless you go the Kmart route and then you'll just straight up die on your first jump hahaha.
@@ruthnoya8424 The cheapest electric dual sus in Australia goes for about 7k and it's complete garbage. Gotta spend close to 10k to get anything decent. A basic dual sus is about 2.5k here.... trust me, I got the best deal around.
My first Mountain Bike was (and still is the only bike I own) the Marin Northside Trail A-XC. After looking for a bike to migrate too after, I went back to Marin and found the Rift Zone 1 27.5. It looks like a great bike and I hope to own it sometime next year! Amazing B-Roll by the way, the production quality on this video is amazing!
Thank you very much for this review video, Sir. Now, you made me decide to go for this bike. This will be my very first full-suspension MTB, I've been riding a hardtail Trek Marlin and Specialized Rockhopper since 2017. I really think that it's time for me to get a budget full suspension. And this one has been my choice, so again, thanks so much for this review. More power to your channel...:)
@@TrailFeatures With the direction that it's going i dont know anymore. My pivot has a 460 reach and a 67.3 degree ht angle and i love it. Most bikes nowadays are too focused on the downhills. People who are getting into bikes or are upgrading may end up getting bikes that dont work for them because most of us are all around riders. I'm not a fan of super steep seat angles eithers. I think in the next 5 years i'll be riding small frames. By the way you have some short legs man :)
What a coincidence, 2 years ago when i was choosing my hardtail bike, i bought GT avalanche comp, mainly because of your video about it, now i want to get into full suspension bike and one of few budget available bikes in my counry is this bike, so i copied name of that bike to youtube to check reviews and again, you made review of it, it has to be sign.
It looks like a very nice bike. I especially like the option to go with 142 QR or thru-axle 148 wheels. Small but very useful detail in design to keep your bike relevant and upgradable. Shimano Deore 11sp is solid and just works better than SRAM at this price point. A dropper is not necessary at this price point either. I have one, and I don't use it all that much. It's a good area to save money for the consumer and the bike company. They can spend $20 on a regular seat post or $100 on a dropper. Big price gap. Nice bike overall and nice review.
I currently own a Marin hardtail. I’m hoping to get a full suspension and I believe this may be the next bike because of performance and price range. This review is very helpful, nice job!
I love big park days and went with the alpine trail 8 this past year. My friend got the rifty 3 and it’s an amazing bike. It was so playful and poppy. I’m probably going to add a rifty to my lineup for local rides as the enduro bike is really just good for big days of descending and is way over bikes for my local trails.
I have the 2020 Marin Hawk Hill 1 (same bike but 27.5) and highly recommend it. I am an extremely aggresive and fast rider and it’s a crazy capable bike for the money
When I moved abroad, my first bike is Marin Hawk Hill... nothing special but a very solid bike for the price. Since then, I always look for Marin Brand.
I love my Marin Alpine Trail 8. It is the most capable bike I’ve ever owned. I think Marin is so underrated because they don’t have an outrageous price. I’ve been MTBing since 95 and paid twice as much for other brands and I’ve learned just because it costs more doesn’t make it better.
I’m still riding an almost 3 year old xc hardtail and at this point I’d gladly take that rift zone. Ideally I’ll be getting a Polygon Siskiu T8 in the spring since it’s not too expensive and seems like it could handle the occasional park day.
I was eyeing the Marin Hawk Hill 3 when I ended up going v with the Diamondback Release 3. Both were great value and similar in purpose. I ended up on a used Release 3 and I’m pretty happy with it after about a year of hard use. What I have noticed after the long term is overall design quality issues that aren’t terrible but if you ever wonder what the difference is between a bike like this and a $7k Santa Cruz, it’s the fine details in the design that gives the bike greater durability as well as performance. Things like pivot bearing locations and size play a big role in how much flex is felt in the frame.
Kind of a marin fan. Was out urban on my nail trail 6 this afternoon. Excellent trail bike. I'd ride that rift zone. Wouldn't stop in the steeps, but at least would hold a steady rate of descent .
I Own a marin riftzone 1 2020 i totally agree with what say, the 2020 model has a 160 roter in the back so it has even worse Breaking prefomance. BTW love your videos👌
Fortunately I have neither dusted off my bikes and due to I just went from riding 2-3x a week to riding almost daily. I have seen and met a lot of new riders and re-born riders. I personally don’t think that you need a full suspension.The advanced Geo of hardtail’s, especially with wider rims and bigger tires, it’s stability where it counts. Hardtail’s climb better, and with tire inserts and tubeless tires plus dropper post. They definitely descend a lot better than the hardtail’s did before. I haven’t ever tried the shorter offset forks and have 51 on my 29er and it feels great. My 2 hardtail’s are a custom Seven Sola single speed with ENVE Mtn fork and a very inexpensive Esker Hayduke with a 34Fox Float that I built up for less than 2K with really nice parts.
I was going to get this bike but it was not available near where I live. So if you can’t find it near you I can totally recommend the giant stance 29 2! Very similarly equipped! Got it a couple weeks ago!
I like the point on tires! A good set would be great however they were the first thing I customized (not necessarily "upgraded") on my budget hardtail. Even for beginners (like me) it depends on the type of trails and discipline. I do XC & Trail on dry, dusty, rocky trails with plenty of roots in NorCal. So far the WTB Vigilante (front) & Trail Boss (rear) have made the trails more enjoyable. Should it rain this winter, I'll ask 🎅 for a new set of tires that are more appropriate for winter rides. Awesome review! I'd love to own a Marin especially because they are local.
Matty is a nice guy and I've recently been enjoying his videos. The fact that he played pro baseball only cements his reputation. :-p Matty, if you read this, you should do a video talking about your baseball career. Also looking forward to seeing which full suspension bicycle you choose. Cheers.
@@TrailFeatures oh dude, I totally understand. I’m sure it’s tough to have a work life, personal life, and create QUALITY content for UA-cam. As long as you create, I will be a subscriber and a fan. Thanks again and happy holidays!
Finally was able to pick up my 2021 Marin Hawk Hill 2/Rift Zone 2 27.5 last week! Love the bike and the ride so much. I popped some Crank Bros Stamp 3 Pedals on it and am not disappointed in their grip and the platform they provide for smooth pedaling. The ride on the bike is very responsive and comfortable, shifting with the Shimano Deore 12speed cassette is super smooth, and so far the brakes are stopping me on a dime. I will say though, that the stock Vee Tire Flow Snap tires are not my favorites, so they will be probably the first thing I do upgrade on the bike. The Flow Snap tires are heavy and slow rolling, and I am not a big fan of the 3 channels in the tread pattern. Right now, I am debating what tire set up I want to roll with - either Rekon/Rekon, Rekon rear/Dissector front, or Aggressor 2.3 rear/Dissector 2.4 front. Other than that, there is nothing that I immediately want to change on my Marin. Since I picked it up last week, I have already put 70+ miles of riding on it, and am extremely satisfied with the purchase.
If you go this route make sure you get the riftzone 2 or higher! 12 speeds and dropper post. Well worth it, very happy with mine! We don’t all have $4000 to spend on a bike and let me tell you that this $2000 (riftzone 2) can do everything and anything 👍 P.S. this comment comes from someone that actually owns a 2021 marin rift zone 2
Nothing wrong with sticking with the entry level brakes. I upgraded entry level M315 brakes just with larger rotors, and with reach adjust have natural feeling one finger braking. Moving the levers inboard (in fact my NX shifter is outboard of my brake lever) works really well. No need for 4 piston brakes or metal pads at all.
just bought a Cube Stereo 170 TM and i think its amazing for the Prize. basically i got nothing to upgrade it has a amazing Geometry and fits just perfectly for my needs :D
That's dope!!! What model do you have? Also...how playful does the bike feel? Easy to bunny hop and hit jumps on? Thx I'm thinking of getting one in the future
Shledder Shledd YT base 29er. It’s a 150mm 29er trail bike. It comes with 200mm rotors. I think it’s a heavy duty trail bike-like a downhillers trail bike. It’s ok to bunny hop 🐰. And great to jump. It’s not as playful as a hawk Hill, but it’s very fast and stable at speed. I ride it on our backyard trails a lot and in Rotorua on a variety of trails. I even hit a rock on the trail riding one handed-riding slowly and I didn’t even throw me off! 🤠 It just kept on rolling!
As a guy who's considering an upgrade, once you've made up your mind(convinced your wife) you're purchasing a full suspension bike a dropper post should be standard.
I purchased the Marin Rift Zone 2, but alas, it's not in my possession yet as I'm still waiting on it. Store thinks the begging of the new year it should be in.
I’m excited to see a new video from you! I really appreciate the opportunity to work with you and appreciate you letting me try out my first full suspension on a trail. I had a lot of fun for sure!
Hi Matty! What's your height because Joseph said size L was too big for You?
Matty, you inspired me to get this bike. Keep on Rollin'
Thanks Joseph, glad to see that you had a blast on our Rift Zone 29 1!
It was a great time for sure! Thanks for sending it over!
@@TrailFeatures Anytime, Joseph!
I m from romania and I can t enter ur site.Can u pls help me?
@@stefanandrei9960 Please try again in a few hours, our site is temporarily down
@@stefanandrei9960 We had a brief outage today, but it's working now.
I love my rift zone. Such a capable bike for the value. Also the quality of this video is amazing!
Marin really impresses. My son and I both started out on the HawkHill and I don’t think we could have picked a better bike to start on! I did all of the typical upgrades, wheels, tires, dropper, fork and I could easily still be riding it instead of upgrading. Great video!
when you use cheap rubber, accidents can happen. - Trail Features
#themoreyouknow #lifelessons #parenthood
And that can be interpreted in many ways. ;)
@@rob9754 Yes, that's the joke here.
@@1AmGroot very informative
Matty is an absolute beast. He's in full-on office attire and not breaking s sweat up the climb.
Just got a rift zone from someone on craigslist who bought the wrong size! It's my first full sus, upgrading from my hardtail and I literally cannot wait until the weekend to take the bike out again. This bike is so much fun, my first time out I had a grin from ear to ear.
Just got my rift zone 1 27.5 two days ago and it's an absolute weapon, love it.
Welcome Back! When I First Saw The HeadTube I Was Like YEA MARIN!
Yay bikes!
I found a 2020 Rift Zone 1 for my partner back in the early summer. Her first mountain bike, and she has loved it! Very capable bike at an approachable price for newer riders with plenty of room to progress and upgrade certain components as they grow into the sport. Definitely a great value. First upgrade is sitting under the tree, a PNW dropper!
Great work dude! I love Marin's paint schemes. Everything they've been putting out lately is pretty impressive. Also love seeing Floyd Hill footage. I still think about that trail!
Marin has been making some impressive moves this year. If only my moves on Floyd Hill were as impressive. 😅
Recently, my youngest son's 2017 rocky mountain soul was stolen. It was not his fault at all. His older brother borrowed his bike and left it unattended in back of someone's truck. Some dirt bag grabbed it Unfortunately, the city where we live has the highest bike thefts in all of the state. So that lead to new bike purchase. He and his brother worked out a price for the replacement. Last weekend, my youngest son pitched in some more of his own money to purchase the Marin Rift Zone 1. Over the weekend, we were able to get one ride on our local trails in upper Bidwell Park. He took the lead of the pack and never looked back. His confidence, control and speed had greatly increased within the first ride. I would say getting a dropper post and going tubeless is a must. He has a oneup dropper on order for his bike. The bike is tubeless ready.
5:04 the nice thing about this lever is that the reach adjustment does not effect the actuation of the brake.
The Riffy has been the best selling full suspension in our store for 2020. It has been a kind of game changer because it features up to date geometry you wouldn’t normally get on a entry level bike. Luckily more brands have caught up for 2021 and there is now a wider range of other makes. Still the overall package on the Marin is hard to beat.
It' really cool that you've feautered Matty, great seeing you 2 guys collab 👍👊
Thus is the mountain bike equivalent of Binging with Babbish. Joseph's voice is so smooth, his videos should come with a warning for headphone users.
Bruh, your presenter skill/subscribers ratio is just insane. You are cruizing through video like a guy on 1M subs. Keep up the great work!
I got the Hawk Hill (aka Rift Zone) last year as my first mtb. I upgraded my tires to Maxxis tubeless and installed a dropper post right away--I must say this machine is a confidence booster right off the bat without breaking the bank. Even as a newbie, I got to go with the "expert gals" on their blue trails, and this bike kept up without any hesitations. I highly recommend this bike...and now I'm eyeing Marin's Alpine line ;)
Marin has been really knocking it out of the park the past couple years. Glad you’ve been having fun!
Wow! You really stepped up your youtube game! I'll definitely mention you to all my friends, you deserve MANY more followers
Value videos are spot on for me. When I got back into mountain biking last summer, I was shocked to find out "budget bikes" are 2 - 3 month's salary! 😲🥴😵☠️
I’m going to say one of my favourite looking bikes is the Marin rift zone c1
Bikes are jewels, don’t let him deceive you!
I'm secretly just trying to convince people to let their bikes get scuffed up so my used bike have better resale value. 🙃
@@TrailFeatures the true motive
Exactly! In a world gone mad, they absolutely ARE jewels!
love the video man... thanks... its absolutely great that these days the beginner's bikes come this good!!! I always loved marin bikes..!
I bought an Alpine Trail 7, and I absolutely love and enjoy my bike. By far my favorite bike in my inventory. Continental tires, ergon saddle and grips. Made for fun...
I’ve always like Marin’s bikes. I don’t like where they cheap out on their builds, but your average new rider won’t notice.
Ithink marin is way better than giants like trek and specialized in the budget segment even though they cheap out on parts they provide upgradeability. To riders according to their progress and they are one the few people who give proper attention to the bikes in the budget segment
Anyways no one starts their biking on a specialised enduro,,
P.S UNLESS your dad is a dentist
@@abhinav6880 even though I own a giant and love it I completely agree. Giants and treks are mass production companies like big box bikes but with much better standards and components.
Keep in mind Marin Is from Marin county which is home of mountain biking so I'm sure they got a lot of knowledge compared to most bike companies.
@@dannyboydeluxfromthebigitybay and that is what marin does best understand the customer needs and we goatta give it to them
Frame geo and ride quality is more important than spec. Parts can always be upgraded or traded up, but the frame is the foundation for how you grow with a bike.
I rode a Marin Hawk HIll last year and was amazed at how great a bike it was for the price! The Rift Zone looks cool too! Great review
just pulled the trigger on this bike . Cant wait
Have you received it yet?
I'm waiting on the Rift Zone 1 extra small 27.5. This video has me so stoked. I can't wait to get out there on it.
Keep up the awesome work mate.
Love your honest objectivity in your reviews.
Cheers from Australia 🍻
Welcome back! I'm sorry to hear about your health issues (probably), I hope all is well. Matty is a beast, and probably the most positive person I've ever seen. I'm glad to see you guys collaborating! I appreciate the review, this is one of the bikes I've been considering.
Awesome Video! I hope we get to see more bike review under 2k. I think this is the most a lot of riders wants to be spending on a full suspension bike. More power to your channel and happy to see you riding again dude
Just picked this bike up this year. Threw on a Marzocchi CR rear shock (because I love my coil), a PNW dropper, Maxxis DHR's (rear and front), and some RF pedals and locking grips and honestly, if I had the chance to buy another bike for 3k more, I'd still save the money, get this bike, and build it up the way I want. With my additions I've torn this bike up on our local slope style and DH hills and this thing plays just as hard as any other bike out there. I have no problems keeping up with the local pros on their 6k builds. This video is spot on in its review. I really can't think of anything other than the cheap rear O2 fusion it came with which surprisingly ran really well in the first few weeks. I pounded the living daylights out of it trying to blow it up and it hung right in there on some of the gnarliest double blacks we have. Now I doubt it would last with such a beating but what shock would? I also am quite surprised with the Recon Silver. I'm probably going to convert it to 150mm by taking out the spacer but this front fork performs unexpectedly well. Takes a massive beating and keeps on going. I'm eyeing other forks but for now this Rock Shox needs no introduction. It's kept me quite on any complaints thus far.
The only complaint I do have is what the heck do I call this thing??? Because when I bought this gem the seller called it a Hawk Hill 1 (2021). This video calls it a Rift Zone. I have the exact same color and model. Is that whole legal thing done with the name? Do I unofficially or officially call this thing a Rift Zone now? Cause I'm still calling it the Hawk Hill!
Immediately recognized Floyd Hill, such a great set of trails!
Just got on to binge watch some of your videos! Thank you sir. As a new creator I really am trying to become a part of this community and your videos have helped me get ideas. Thanks again!
I absolutely love my 20 Marin Hawk Hill 3. It is so solid, great components, and can definitely take a beating!
The bike is a beast. I'm loving mine now that all of the quirks have been ironed out. And it came with some major ones 1)Rear triangle out of wack from the factory causing ghost shifting... Marin covered under warranty but caused me lots of hassle and I didn't have a bike after paying for it for two months. 2)Wheels are durable but make sure the bike shop that does your build checks the spokes right out of the box. I had to replace a spoke before 1yr old. 3)Vee tires that came on mine are completely worthless. I'm running Continentals now and they're great. 4)Factory rear hub died before 1yr of service. It was a cheapo. My bike shop covered it though and gave me a new better one under warranty. 5) Cracking and creaking at the pivots. I finally took completely apart myself greased. Frame is now silent. So, it is a fantastic, very consistent, very well priced bike once you get everything fixed and up to par. My beef is that you would think that a $1500+ mountain bike would give you no stress out of the box. But that wasn't the case with my Marin Rift Zone 1. Just make sure that the shop or person that does your build is thorough and checks everything, including greasing where needed and tightening where needed or you can end up being extremely frustrated with your new purchase and having no fun at all.
I bought my first MTB this year & though I did spend $4000 on it, I feel it was the best value for money. Buy Once, Cry Once. :D
If you have the means, a nice bike is nice to have, but not required. 👍
@@TrailFeatures This is true, I rode an old bmx for years on the trails before I had money together for a Dual SUS MTB. In Aus the starting price for a decent dual sus is $3000, unless you go the Kmart route and then you'll just straight up die on your first jump hahaha.
@@TrailFeatures it might not be required as long you don’t mind the trade offs.
Hope you got an ebike for that price. No way I could spend $4k and not be electrified nowadays.
@@ruthnoya8424 The cheapest electric dual sus in Australia goes for about 7k and it's complete garbage. Gotta spend close to 10k to get anything decent. A basic dual sus is about 2.5k here.... trust me, I got the best deal around.
I tested a 4k bike on Thursday and RZ1 on Friday. It was a no brainer, the Marin RZ1 just felt better and def. more fun.....awesome bike.
My first Mountain Bike was (and still is the only bike I own) the Marin Northside Trail A-XC. After looking for a bike to migrate too after, I went back to Marin and found the Rift Zone 1 27.5. It looks like a great bike and I hope to own it sometime next year! Amazing B-Roll by the way, the production quality on this video is amazing!
Got my rift zone 2 29er last week! I have to say I'm in love. Great video it seems to be point on from what I'm experiencing so far.
The RZ 2 would be the build I’d get if it was buying one tomorrow. 👍
Thank you very much for this review video, Sir. Now, you made me decide to go for this bike. This will be my very first full-suspension MTB, I've been riding a hardtail Trek Marlin and Specialized Rockhopper since 2017. I really think that it's time for me to get a budget full suspension. And this one has been my choice, so again, thanks so much for this review. More power to your channel...:)
I like how you did a quick note on reach in relation to your torso.
A lot of great bikes that I don't fit because of my proportions.
@@TrailFeatures Im opposite. I have a short torso so i prefer a shorter reach. Anywhere from 440-460 im good with
Does it feel like you’re limited on your bike options? I personally feel like there are more bikes that would fit your proportions than mine.
@@TrailFeatures With the direction that it's going i dont know anymore. My pivot has a 460 reach and a 67.3 degree ht angle and i love it. Most bikes nowadays are too focused on the downhills. People who are getting into bikes or are upgrading may end up getting bikes that dont work for them because most of us are all around riders. I'm not a fan of super steep seat angles eithers. I think in the next 5 years i'll be riding small frames. By the way you have some short legs man :)
What a coincidence, 2 years ago when i was choosing my hardtail bike, i bought GT avalanche comp, mainly because of your video about it, now i want to get into full suspension bike and one of few budget available bikes in my counry is this bike, so i copied name of that bike to youtube to check reviews and again, you made review of it, it has to be sign.
Denver dogs I road back in NC growing up and have been dreaming of getting back into this. Matty is an inspo
It looks like a very nice bike. I especially like the option to go with 142 QR or thru-axle 148 wheels. Small but very useful detail in design to keep your bike relevant and upgradable. Shimano Deore 11sp is solid and just works better than SRAM at this price point. A dropper is not necessary at this price point either. I have one, and I don't use it all that much. It's a good area to save money for the consumer and the bike company. They can spend $20 on a regular seat post or $100 on a dropper. Big price gap. Nice bike overall and nice review.
I currently own a Marin hardtail. I’m hoping to get a full suspension and I believe this may be the next bike because of performance and price range. This review is very helpful, nice job!
its allright, i am more of a downhill ebike kind of guy but I have tried bikes like these and they are a ton of fun
I love big park days and went with the alpine trail 8 this past year. My friend got the rifty 3 and it’s an amazing bike. It was so playful and poppy. I’m probably going to add a rifty to my lineup for local rides as the enduro bike is really just good for big days of descending and is way over bikes for my local trails.
I have the 2020 Marin Hawk Hill 1 (same bike but 27.5) and highly recommend it. I am an extremely aggresive and fast rider and it’s a crazy capable bike for the money
I’ve just bought a second hand like brand new rift zone 1 and bloody love it! Thanks Marin 😍
When I moved abroad, my first bike is Marin Hawk Hill... nothing special but a very solid bike for the price. Since then, I always look for Marin Brand.
I love my Marin Alpine Trail 8. It is the most capable bike I’ve ever owned. I think Marin is so underrated because they don’t have an outrageous price. I’ve been MTBing since 95 and paid twice as much for other brands and I’ve learned just because it costs more doesn’t make it better.
amen! I'm going to pick up a Marin over the overpriced Treks or Giants! thanks
@@comdrive3865 enjoy your under speced bike.
@@MichaelRei99 you still enjoy your under spec skills?
I must be out of touch because I thought $2,000 was outrageous
I’m still riding an almost 3 year old xc hardtail and at this point I’d gladly take that rift zone. Ideally I’ll be getting a Polygon Siskiu T8 in the spring since it’s not too expensive and seems like it could handle the occasional park day.
Great video!!
Thanks, Jeff!
I got the marin alpine trail 8...and i love it...dropper post is so nice..and the fox suspension
I’ve got the old 2pot Deores on my Bossnut, beefed up with slx 203/180 & sintered pads and they are like a big on off switch!
I just got this and put it together love it and yes my first fs bike.
Bikes are so fun. Also, fun to make a cameo in the video, get some XLs sometime and we’ll party!
My GF and I both have Marins. I got her hers for Xmas last year. She knew it was a massive upgrade over her first hardtail after one short ride.
Thank you sr. That's the bike I have!! It is a great entry level bike. I love it!
I was eyeing the Marin Hawk Hill 3 when I ended up going v with the Diamondback Release 3. Both were great value and similar in purpose.
I ended up on a used Release 3 and I’m pretty happy with it after about a year of hard use.
What I have noticed after the long term is overall design quality issues that aren’t terrible but if you ever wonder what the difference is between a bike like this and a $7k Santa Cruz, it’s the fine details in the design that gives the bike greater durability as well as performance. Things like pivot bearing locations and size play a big role in how much flex is felt in the frame.
Kind of a marin fan. Was out urban on my nail trail 6 this afternoon. Excellent trail bike. I'd ride that rift zone. Wouldn't stop in the steeps, but at least would hold a steady rate of descent .
What a great review video. Thank you
I Own a marin riftzone 1 2020 i totally agree with what say, the 2020 model has a 160 roter in the back so it has even worse Breaking prefomance. BTW love your videos👌
Fortunately I have neither dusted off my bikes and due to I just went from riding 2-3x a week to riding almost daily. I have seen and met a lot of new riders and re-born riders. I personally don’t think that you need a full suspension.The advanced Geo of hardtail’s, especially with wider rims and bigger tires, it’s stability where it counts. Hardtail’s climb better, and with tire inserts and tubeless tires plus dropper post. They definitely descend a lot better than the hardtail’s did before. I haven’t ever tried the shorter offset forks and have 51 on my 29er and it feels great. My 2 hardtail’s are a custom Seven Sola single speed with ENVE Mtn fork and a very inexpensive Esker Hayduke with a 34Fox Float that I built up for less than 2K with really nice parts.
Ask your friend Chris to lend you the Alpine Trail, so you can take that beauty for a ride and tell us all about it!
I was going to get this bike but it was not available near where I live. So if you can’t find it near you I can totally recommend the giant stance 29 2! Very similarly equipped! Got it a couple weeks ago!
I like the point on tires! A good set would be great however they were the first thing I customized (not necessarily "upgraded") on my budget hardtail. Even for beginners (like me) it depends on the type of trails and discipline. I do XC & Trail on dry, dusty, rocky trails with plenty of roots in NorCal. So far the WTB Vigilante (front) & Trail Boss (rear) have made the trails more enjoyable. Should it rain this winter, I'll ask 🎅 for a new set of tires that are more appropriate for winter rides. Awesome review! I'd love to own a Marin especially because they are local.
I own the Marin Hawkhill 1 2020, it lives up to its name. Im having alot of fun on it. Marin makes the best bikes... #madeforfun
That “rubber” reference cracked me up 👍
5:50 it took me a second to realize what you meant 😂
Don't tell the kids. 😅
@@TrailFeatures 😂😂😂
Matty is a nice guy and I've recently been enjoying his videos. The fact that he played pro baseball only cements his reputation. :-p Matty, if you read this, you should do a video talking about your baseball career. Also looking forward to seeing which full suspension bicycle you choose. Cheers.
Pro tip, I did the exact same thing that clip does with a zip tie ;-)
True! But it’s always nice to see little attention to details on a bike.
You should review the Granite Peak Roadmaster
Finally some new content!
5:49 good one
I'm with ya on the "Tools not jewels"
My only complaint about your channel is that you don’t post often enough. Good stuff. Thank you!
Work/life balance is a tricky thing.
@@TrailFeatures oh dude, I totally understand. I’m sure it’s tough to have a work life, personal life, and create QUALITY content for UA-cam. As long as you create, I will be a subscriber and a fan. Thanks again and happy holidays!
i got this in 27.5, this bike has great value, i liked it more than a fuel ex 7 actually
Finally was able to pick up my 2021 Marin Hawk Hill 2/Rift Zone 2 27.5 last week! Love the bike and the ride so much. I popped some Crank Bros Stamp 3 Pedals on it and am not disappointed in their grip and the platform they provide for smooth pedaling. The ride on the bike is very responsive and comfortable, shifting with the Shimano Deore 12speed cassette is super smooth, and so far the brakes are stopping me on a dime. I will say though, that the stock Vee Tire Flow Snap tires are not my favorites, so they will be probably the first thing I do upgrade on the bike. The Flow Snap tires are heavy and slow rolling, and I am not a big fan of the 3 channels in the tread pattern. Right now, I am debating what tire set up I want to roll with - either Rekon/Rekon, Rekon rear/Dissector front, or Aggressor 2.3 rear/Dissector 2.4 front. Other than that, there is nothing that I immediately want to change on my Marin. Since I picked it up last week, I have already put 70+ miles of riding on it, and am extremely satisfied with the purchase.
just waiting for a new upload
If you go this route make sure you get the riftzone 2 or higher! 12 speeds and dropper post. Well worth it, very happy with mine!
We don’t all have $4000 to spend on a bike and let me tell you that this $2000 (riftzone 2) can do everything and anything 👍
P.S. this comment comes from someone that actually owns a 2021 marin rift zone 2
Dope. You got Matty on there! 👍🏾
Ay he’s back!!!!
Ay!
And will go away for the next four months...
@@hunterwright386 Good things come to those who wait. 😉
Nothing wrong with sticking with the entry level brakes. I upgraded entry level M315 brakes just with larger rotors, and with reach adjust have natural feeling one finger braking. Moving the levers inboard (in fact my NX shifter is outboard of my brake lever) works really well. No need for 4 piston brakes or metal pads at all.
just bought a Cube Stereo 170 TM and i think its amazing for the Prize. basically i got nothing to upgrade it has a amazing Geometry and fits just perfectly for my needs :D
Great video Joseph
The intro was litt af!
"When you use cheap rubber, ACCIDENTS CAN HAPPEN!"🚵🚵♀️🤙🚴🚵♂️😂🤣😅
Marin bikes are jewels , not only tools .
Me ayudo mucho ver este video. Ahora tengo una mejor opción de compra. Thanks a lot!
Greetings from peru 🇵🇪!
Sick edit!!, you convinced me
Dude, I definitely thought I was going to see a GT logo on the bike when the beat dropped. :-)
Gotta keep things fresh.
The 27.5 isn’t that much different other that the tires correct? Like the geometry change isn’t that different? I’m now interested
Sweet bike I have a Yt Jeffsy but definitely recommending this one and hawk hill to my friends as they are good value and in stock! 👊🇳🇿🎉🎄🍺🚲🚂
That's dope!!! What model do you have? Also...how playful does the bike feel? Easy to bunny hop and hit jumps on? Thx I'm thinking of getting one in the future
Shledder Shledd YT base 29er. It’s a 150mm 29er trail bike. It comes with 200mm rotors. I think it’s a heavy duty trail bike-like a downhillers trail bike. It’s ok to bunny hop 🐰. And great to jump. It’s not as playful as a hawk Hill, but it’s very fast and stable at speed. I ride it on our backyard trails a lot and in Rotorua on a variety of trails. I even hit a rock on the trail riding one handed-riding slowly and I didn’t even throw me off! 🤠 It just kept on rolling!
As a guy who's considering an upgrade, once you've made up your mind(convinced your wife) you're purchasing a full suspension bike a dropper post should be standard.
I purchased the Marin Rift Zone 2, but alas, it's not in my possession yet as I'm still waiting on it. Store thinks the begging of the new year it should be in.
You deserve more subs
That intro felt like a Top gear car introduction
I would really really try to stretch up to a model that includes a dropper post. You absolutely want a dropper post.