I've been mountain biking for 13 years now, and something I've noticed is that the price of the bike has almost no correlation with the fun factor. One of the most memorable rides I've ever gone on was taking a 1997 Trek Multitrack ($200) out on some green/blue trails with 1,000 feet of descent. Couldn't stop laughing out loud.
facts. one of the funnest days of my entire life was riding my $400 trek x-caliber at alafia near tampa, fl. my face hurt from smiling all day. stopped and got zaxbys on the way home. basically a perfect bro date.
I ride a custom SQ3 on both flow and chunky trails in UT; only my headset is factory on an SQ3. Not the easiest bike to bunny hop, but pretty stable in the rough stuff. It has handled pretty well on everything I've thrown at it (up to double black). I think it's designed for stability and bike parks, not playfulness on trails.
During this entire video my favorite part was when you said climbers have the right of way over riders going downhill. Teaching proper etiquette is always a good idea. Thanks for mentioning things when you have the opportunity to. ✌️
I own the 2021 San Quentin 1 for over a year now and it is a blast to ride It is my first real mountain bike and it helped me progress so much, so fun to ride I dont really care much about pedalling cuz i mainly do jumps and downhill w/ my bike I prolly need a full suspension bike in the future, but my hardtail's going to be a keeper!
I can ride the my sq3 15-25 miles without any real issues. It's my aerobic capacity that is the issue 😅. I swapped out the stock RS fork for a Z1. Swapped brakes for Magura 4 pot up front, 2 pot in the rear, with Magura 203/180 rotors. Upgraded tires as well. Bike is solid, struggles on the up but can ride any type of trails. 👍
I agree that Marin really had to save money where it counted, and so as a 2022 San Quentin 3 owner myself, my suggestion to potential buyers is to buy the frameset only and build the bike with your preferred parts. With smart shopping, you can have a cheaper, more capable and more comfortable bike than even the 3 model. The frame itself is actually very good. It just gets let down with subpar stock components. P.S. my local trail is a North Shore style 1500ft. vertical descent (forest teeming with boulders and roots), and I'm running tubeless DHF and DHR II tires on 28h rims for better comfort and grip that rails everything.
Great review!!! Having Ben film allowed us to see your trails and terrain with a lot less go pro effect. The elevation and off camber climbs with the rocks 👀👀!!, great detail on breaking down what the bike does and doesn’t do well but for $1500 seems pretty good 👍👍🤘🤘!!!!
I have a 2023 SQ3 and absolutely love it! The bike seems to do everything really well (for me) and it’s my go-to bike for everywhere I ride these days. My last bike was a Rocky Mountain Growler and I never really liked it. Growlers are just very large bikes, so not very playful or fun to ride (for me)
I have a 2021 SQ2, and couldn't agree with your review more. It's a lot of fun, but tough to put miles on. I live near Houston, so I probably should've gotten a XC bike, but wanted this for fun. Replaced tires quickly, but otherwise kept everything the same. I feel pretty confident going over everything and turning, but not super confident on jumps with lips. Thank for the review! Keep 'em coming!
Random question I just bought a sq2 online waiting for it to come in so stuck watching vids waiting at the moment I am brand new to mtb world come from mx.he said in another clip it comes with pedals then he updated and said they don't.i am confused do I need to buy pedals or do they come ready to ride.
Impressively comprehensive trail side review. Often it's better for people to get over the sticker shock and invest in the well spec'd bike they'll WANT to hold onto for a while.
I was close to buying the SQ 2 2022, my budget was something similar to 1500 USD, my options were SQ2, FATHOM 1 and LAUFEY H30, I did not buy the Marin because when using it in the parking lot, I felt some things that are in this review, mainly the tires and fork and because I definitely did not feel that it was a good climber. I really liked this review since it is focused on a moderate budget and after all it is the budget where most beginners start. Finally I bought the Fathom, for several reasons, the first is that in Mexico there are many distributors, so in case of having any problem with the fork, it would be moderately solvable, fortunately I have a year with the bike and I have not had any problem, the second reason is because I found it a better balanced bike and the third is because the Laufey took a year to arrive. Hopefully you have the chance to reviews more Budget bikes. Greetings from México.
Hey Steve I just want to formally thank you for sharing so much STOKE about mountain biking - seriously a huge impact on my decision to get back into it. Thank you for these videos and the way you lay things out educationally but without any weird ego strings attached. Even though I ended up with a couple full-squish Rocky Mountain Elements for the girlfrand and I, your stoke has been a hugely motivating and also educational factor. Yes I'd rather be 20 years younger on old geometry than scared of crashing 24/7 at nearly 40 and on new school geometry, but alas, first few rides have been SO sick!! Cheers from San Diego. Yewwww!!
I love my san quentin but I did swap out forks to fox 36 floats 160mm travel and my brakes are magura mt5 with 203 rotors. The bike is amazing after that
Got a 22' Quentin 1 as my first and only bike and have lot of progress on my skills since. I am a 120lbs rider and i only have upgraded the grips, pedals and swap to 2.3 faster rolling trail tyres and dropper post of course. Last month i have the courage to participate in the 3Hrs 360 Graham Swamp Race in FL solo with this bike and oh my! what a ride! during that long 3 laps 19.2 miles i Iearn a lot and got a better understand of the role of those Mtb nerds like HTP and many others. I definitely need a 130mm or maybe a 140mm fork. Got a 23rd Place out 41th. So happy with the bike and results. Thanks HTP for motivational reviews and important info on every single video!!
I just picked up the 2022 San Quentin 3 on sale for just under $1600, and all the things you said about this bike are true, even though the 2022 and 2023 frames are very different. I 'm 5'11 and bought the XL frame, but still felt a bit cramped in the cockpit, most likely due to the steep seat tube angle. I already changed out the seat, pedals and Bar for comfort. The San Quentin 3 has a Revelation RC fork, which I am not thrilled with compared to the 2015 Fox 34 thats on my FS bike. It handles the bumps well enough, but does nothing for the shock that goes into your hands. Very harsh in that regard compared to the Fox. Its a good, not great bike, as I've been telling people who ask me about it. I'm riding on Long Island (highest point is 400' above sea level!) so climbing isn't that important to me, lol. Great review, keep up the good work.
Those we're Roost Ti bars. $$$ but the feel is amazing. I've got a discount code for anyone looking for a set. Still, they're 1/5 the price of this bike.
Oooh I see Title makes a chrome bar with some rise too. Those Fatbars are a good option. Of course Ti always looks sick and Im sure feels the best too.
In my opinion, a lot of people put too much emphasis on components rather than geometry. To me, geometry is the most important factor of any bike at any price range. Every other part can be swapped, but geometry can't.
I have the previous generation San Quentin 2 and love it! It is my first mountain bike in 20 years. My last one was some sort of GT Hardtail. I mostly ride single track and bike parks in the PNW and haven't been in a position yet where this thing has held me back. It's fun to jump, ride berms and downhill. I switched the tires out pretty soon, went with Maxxis Rekon for better rolling resistance on the back and a Dissector on the front. The next thing I definitely want to upgrade is the brakes, which are merely adequate. I wouldn't mind something a little more powerful. I have gone back and forth about picking up a full-sus and I just can't justify it. If the whole point is to have fun, I don't think a full suspension bike could beat it. That being said, I wouldn't mind getting a different HT that did better manuals and wheelies and was really light.
You inspired me to buy a hard tail. Your enthusiasm really gets to me. As a result I started my purchase journey and tried to source several bikes I thought I’d like that you had reviewed, but I have a hard time buying bikes without trying them. Also lead times were horrible. So, I visited Jenson and had them build a Team Marin for me and I test rode it and didn’t like it. Eventually, after several bike shops and a half dozen test rides I started to get really antsy about getting a hard tail. One day I was driving along and spotted a bike shop in Fullerton an walked in. I saw a Giant Fathom 1 and test rode it and bought it for about $1500. I didn’t want to fuss anymore and just got it. It felt good to me. Sturdy and rugged. It has turned out to be my favorite bike out of the four I own. I ride it more than my full sus bikes and find myself reliving the halcyon days of my youth on this bike. It makes me happy for som reason. No, it doesn’t crush rock gardens and that Giant Crest fork leaves a little to be desired, but it just feels like I’m really riding a bike. Picking lines and feeling the terrain. I do think you should try it and review it. I have some predictions on what your feedback is going to be an wonder if we would agree. Anyway, please review the Giant if you can. I’m curious to what you find.
Had my eye on this bike for a while now, especially the sq3. I'm coming from a 2010 era xc bike so I can't wait to try this one out when there's a store that sells it locally (netherlands)
I was thinking this would ride like a dirt jumper, but I didn't really notice how long the chainstays were. This is so great to see a less expensive bike and what you get for the money.
Great review as always. Still glad I went with the Canyon Stoic 2 over this for my kid. Hopefully someday you get your hands on a Stoic for review. All the Stoic 2 needs are new grips and a dropper. I have tons of spare parts so I swapped those out immediately.
Apperently Marin specs these different in EU vs US. My 22 San Quentin came with a Rock Shox Recon Silver RL Solo air fork, and the new 23 San Quentin is speced the same way in EU. But when I switch to US it is sold with the Recon FS... So in EU you can get it with an air fork, just to let you, and possible buyers from EU that watch this know :)
I ride a 2021 Fathom 1 - bought in the pandemic when demand was sky high. Previous bikes - $500 specialized from 2000, then an "upgrade" with a $200 diamondback 29er off craigslist, and finally the Fathom 1. As you can imagine, the Fathom 1 is the best MTB I ever owned, and though I've ridden many other high end MTB's when friends let me, I'm totally content with the do-it-all nature of the Fathom 1. After doing black diamond runs, and jumping at the bike park, I'm now loading it up for 2 weeks of bikepacking.
The only things I've heard negative about the Fathom is the Giant branded Crest fork is very unreliable and the back end is QR not thru-axle (not sure if they went to thru-Axle on the 2021+ Fathom).
got the SQ3 at a tent sale at Sabino Cycle for 25% off the MSRP. Got about 50 millimeter rise between the handlebar and Stem upgrade. Put some Shimano Wheels on. That helped with the drag of the thing. It’s heavy but so am I. Think it’s 2021. Put 2.6 Rekon dissector tubeless tires. I like it. I’ll send you a picture from my hospital bed after I take it down Bug Springs!
@@hardtailparty That's a shame. I decided not to buy a Dartmoor simply because I was unable to find reviews that convinced me it was the bike for me while with other brands I could get solid opinions that helped me out. Keep up the great work, Steve. It is appreciated.
Great review, I like how you pointed out the problems and issues, which seems to be indentical to the sq2 2022. I always wondered why it is so hard for me to pull a manual, glad to see that I am not the only one to struggle. The 2022 is a very sturdy bike but I have yet to find the "fun" side.
great review video as usual. I really despise those old-style rebound knobs from RS, I've lost several of them in the past. can't believe they're still out there today, lol keep those in your pocket (better safe than sorry)
They use that knob all the way up to the RS 35 Gold, not sure if the Revelation or Yari also use it. That knob has a habit of adjusting itself too. The Giant Trance I used to have had a RS 35 with that knob and the rebound had worked itself all the way closed on a bike park day, felt like riding a brick until I checked it and realized it had closed itself.
@@hardtailparty I definitely appreciate you comparing for your consulting practice, but more than anything would love to hear your overall take on the 29” versus the 27.5”. Love the content!
@@hardtailparty I’ve seen the general videos or comparisons like with the Timberjack. I meant more specifically on how it changes the feel of the San Quentin. I know you said you would still take the Roscoe 7 over the SQ3 and was curious if the SQ with 29s would change your opinion on the bike feel. Appreciate the response!
I've been eyeing up one of these for a while. All the MTB nerds are saying "oh that's such a bad spec" and saying I should get a Ragley instead, or even go to a 29er, but I'm 5'7 and like 125lbs and there's a Marin dealer 15 minutes from me lol. Besides, I want something decent out of the box I can upgrade instead of something marginally better that's going to cost more out of the box and improve less with upgrades.
As per usual if you can afford the better spec it's way worth it. Just the fork alone is worth going with the SQ3. I wish Marin would do a better job spec'ing tires, though. I had the Vee Flow Snaps on my Hawk Hill 3 and they sucked other than maybe climbing grip. They felt like boat anchors. And on the SQ3 they go too aggressive with the Assegais front and rear...also kind of unfortunate they cheap out with the SunRace cassette on the SQ3 which means if you want to upgrade to a Shimano cassette you have to get a new MicroSpline hub as well (which I suppose isn't so bad if you want to get a higher engagement hub anyway). Anyway, great review as usual bringing us all the details that we need to know.
@@hardtailparty I'm a Shimano guy and after waiting for two years while they evolve from the previous SRAM model to the recently launched Shimano one, today I finally pulled the trigger on the new 2023 Stoic 4. Same price as the previous model ($1750) but full Shimano Deore groupset + 4-pot brakes (instead of SRAM NX), DT Swiss wheels with 370 Ratchet LN hubs, same Pike Select fork and the Canyon 170mm Iridium dropper. I believe it's a good deal for that money. Hope you get one soon to review. It's a fantastic hardtail!
Steve, are you wearing Jorts, I noticed your shorts are cutoff - if so, do you like them? I just ordered a pair, even though I'm way past their target age - old guy trying to be hip. Honest review as always, for me the best bike reviews on RU-vid.
That bike was a lot of firsts for me… Ti hardtail, mech discs, SS. Altogether it as a super special bike. The trail was pretty mellow which seemed to suit the bike perfectly. It would make a great match for riding on my family rides, but my legs definitely aren’t ready for it on my typical trail ride in Moab
I have a 2021 SQ2. I got it for a good deal online around $1100 as it was scratch and dent/display bike deal. Looked brand new. Im 5’10, frame is a L and I I feel too big for it, def cramped feeling. Mine came with the rockshox recon rl air fork, that thing is kinda meh. Not sure what to do. Modify it? Or take a loss and sell it? I’m not that great at figuring out what parts fit and what parts to buy and my local bike shop sells higher end stuff and always acts annoyed/snobby/talks crap out loud if you bring in lesser quality brand bikes.
I had one of those bikes last summer, and sold it 2 months later, For me it was like trying to ride a piece of rail road track it was that harsh, and beat me up pretty bad, and yes those tires are terrible, how ever, I tried the vee tire crown gems on another bike, and found those tires to be fantastic, just my opinion
Great reviews always! Do you have a list posted anywhere for people to see all the bikes that you've reviewed in the past? 80+ bikes is a good personal database!
Do you think the new 29” Marin San Quentin 3 for $1800 is good? I actually get a 15% military discount and will be able to get the 29” San Quentin 3 so it’ll be around $1530 or should I spend a bit more for the Roscoe 8 or a lot bit more for the Roscoe 9? Thank you 🙏
As far as the Giant Fathom, I have a friend who owns one and even talked with a beginner rider with one. It's more of a general trail/xc oriented bike from what they described. Another friend has a RM Growler that works great for more flowy, bermed, and jump oriented lines, but doesn't do as well in slow speed tech with tight switch backs. Just shows how important geo numbers are when buying a bike for your type of riding. Great insight and knowledge as always from Steve.
Fathom definitely seems more XCish than rowdy (66 HTA, 75 STA, 435 chainstay). I know they're popular with NICA racers and actually had a NICA kid on a Fathom hold my wheel for like a mile in an XC race last year, though as soon as the trail got techy I dropped him pretty quickly (he was probably pretty new as I was on a 35lb Ibis Ripmo with enduro tires and I'm well over 200lbs, not a recipe for fast climbing)
How does the San Quentin compare to a Nukeproof Scout 275 V3 on paper? In terms of their intended use, they are pretty similar. Great video, the San Quentin was on my list for building up 27,5 hardtail.
Steve, I'm 5'5" - 5'6" rider. 2020 SQ 3 Small frame just not working and finally getting to me. Zero standover clearance yet i have 710mm inseam. 2020 Marin geometry specs didn't make sense at all. Finally hit breaking point with straddling bike and after some "tough" falls. I know you reviewed a 2023 and likely different geometry than 2020 but you mentioned you rode a M frame. Was there any standover clearance?
I ride a fathon for 2 years i change the fork but i have no issues whit the fork, i can tell you that is the best frame you can buy for cheap it comes whit maxxis tires 2.5 dropper post and the geometry is spot right now i have the santa cruz chameleon the new one and i can tell you that the fathom is better at climbing the chameleon is more confident in the downhills and wheight more and cost much more at the end i think the fathom frame is better to go the way you want to build it it can go Xc whit light tires or more trail and the chameleon just can't go Xc way the frame is in my opinion over build and heavy 2 kgs 800 grams for Just the frame but is great anyway thats my opinion
Not bike related, rather trail etiquette...I have never been able to decide and no one can seem to set things straight. Uphill has the right away as it should be (except on gravity trails) but is this based on the overall trail or just the grade at the moment you meet another rider? From BC but will be riding red rock next weekend!
All watercraft, trail, and road ettiquette yeilds to the person with the least power. Sailboats have the right of way over power boats, hikers over motorized users, etc. It's based on the grade the moment you meet the rider. (the only exception is equestrians because horses get spooked). It has to do with the point you're at, not the average grade of the entire trail. If you're at a point of the trail where oncoming traffic is climbing, they have the right of way. They have less power and less ability to get out of the way vs someone coming downhill.
@@hardtailparty It makes sense if it was based on grade at time of meeting...now how to get this info out for all to know? With the amount of new riders out everywhere with no clue on trail etiquette there must be a way!
I know numbers aren't everything of course, but on Marin's site, the chainstay is listed as 425mm. If that is a long chainstay for you, what would you consider a short chainstay? I'm a 29er kinda guy so 435mm is doing really well in my eyes. I'm thinking of getting a 27.5 for the first time this summer, but I know absolutely nothing about 27.5 geo
You should get a 27.5 bike. I've always ridden 27.5 and have never had any issues or felt like I was at a disadvantage in any situation. They're really agile, easy to maneuver and handle, and they do a decent job at rolling over rough sections of trail. I encourage you to try it out.
Hi, you said you are 5’6” with 27.5” leg, I’m a bit taller at 5’7” but my inseam is 31” what would you say is more important when buying a frame the recommended height or inseam length?
Those Vee tires must be really bad on off camber if the Specialized Eliminators on the Binary are gripping better on off camber (in my personal experience the Eliminator isn't great off camber either, but that was the prior gen not sure if the 2021+ version is better on off camber).
I would recommend the Ragley Marley 1.0 over this bike - the Marley is on sale regularly and has a much better mix of components without costing much more.
Great video, fantastic to see some cheaper bikes been reviewed. However I’m wondering why that bike was so hard to wheelie, as it has a short chainstay “425” so what else is making it hard?? Reach? Stack?
Vee tires are not very good across the line. They also do not last very long before you start seeing cords coming thru the sidewall. I've seen bikes come thru the shop that are only a few months old and the Vee tires look like they've been on the bike for years.
I just ordered an SQ2 and before I go digging around online I have a question bout the brakes, near the end of the video you mentioned the brake pads couldn’t be easily changed out due to rotor material. I’m a car guy and one thing need to change if going to use daily driver for track days are the brake pads - is it common practice for mtb to change pads fairly often depending on what kind of riding doing or do most people rarely change pads? Thanks for great video and for any info/help!
@@hardtailparty okay, thanks a lot for the info, curious how mine will feel after hearing your comments and hopefully its a far future upgrade. Btw, looks very similar to car brake systems but bikes have infinitely adjustable bias 😎
Not sure how a coil 35 is cheaper than an air 35. When the air would be so much more common in production. Seems the whole fork and damper is a cheap out.
