I've had my eye on this as well. Walked into a shop we like last night for something else, and boom they're a new Marin dealer now and had to a L one of these on display. I checked it out and may buy one for our local trails which have VERY long climbs. It could have used a knock block type feature. The controls will better clear the top tube if you angle your levers up and/or add a higher rise bars, which, I just happen to have a Deity Skywire bar still in package. I also have a Kona Honzo alu customized with Fox Stepcast 34 and carbon hoops on DT350 Hubs from brand Light Bicycle, which togethet dropped a lot of weight from the stock Honzo. So I may end up with a ripping climbing HT and a trail HT.
Came down to this / niner air 9 for me. Went with niner since I got a deal, & been really happy. Love this Marin bike though, & definitely have it on my wish list.
In my former life, I worked in the industry at a well known internet shop. With over 25 years in the industry total, I foreshadowed the demise of ultra boutique brands. People are realizing you don’t need to spend the equivalent of a good used car every year to ride. Marin is filling the void between performance and value. These bikes are capable of performing up there with The top names, plus it has a Punk Rock appeal, because you don’t see them often. People are creatures of habit and comfort. Marin’s price point will allow you to add multiple bikes to your stable, versus one overhyped rig from the 8k plus price point. Bicycles that are extremely expensive and light typically break and are marketed as “Race Day Only”. I think we are going to see brands go belly up from their greed during Covid shortages and price gouging. If you are on the fence, buy a Marin and keep some money in the bank.
I was debating on buying this but instead I got a 2021 Santa Cruz Chameleon R+ for a good price. Geo is similar but the Chameleon is a bit beefier and the plus tires make it feel like a full suspension. Maybe down the road as I would like a great light weight XC bike with trail bike geo. How's the Team Marin 2 on rowdy stuff?
Hi Mike, great content! Which bike would you recommend between the Team Marin 2 & Polygon Syncline? My main interesst would be xc trails and xc races and ocassonally a marathon race. Would you recommend the Syncline because of the carbon frame in this case?
Apart from the flat mount issue which even a flat mount to post mount adaptor needed to be modified to fit my xt 4pots.. the quality of the clear coat of the bike leaves alot to be desired..when removing the oraguard ppf after 5.mins to realign the film, the clear coat came off..
@@RileyHoban mine was last Sept. . That design was meant to give a little flex but its a weak point . So lucky it didnt happened on the fast downhill with curves [cliffs] we have here in NorCal.
