Marin delivers a number of new mountain bikes, gravel & mixed-surface bikes, and e-bikes in their 2020 line-up. While the enduro Mount Vision we rode this spring is their biggest new mountain bike, their all-rounder Rift Zone also gets a longer travel update, while a few more affordable trail hardtails bring singletrack into reach for more riders. On the drop bar side, several new carbon, alloy & steel gravel bikes offer tons of choices, even a killer build for the daily commute…
2020 Marin Rift Zone overhaul and new MTB hardtails
The Rift Zone has been around for several seasons, but the 29er trail bike gets a subtle overhaul that in the end creates a much more trail-capable bike. The faux-bar single-pivot MultiTrac suspension remains, but the new Rift Zone gets a slight travel update along with some more modern geometry. Now with 125mm of rear wheel travel (just and extra 5mm) and 130mm forks (+10mm), the new Rift Zone gets a more aggressive attitude with a slackened 65.5° head angle and a steepened 76° seat angle. That together with a shorter fork offset makes a bike that climbs better than before, while becoming a measurably better descender, too.
The more modern trail bike gets a 6061 alloy frame and three complete bike builds from the $1600 Rift Zone 1 with a Deore 1×11, to the $2650 Rift Zone 3 with new SLX 1×12 and a Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fork.
Marin’s classic steel Pine Mountain hardtail gets a 2020 update with bigger 29 x 2.6″ tires and 120mm forks to tackle off-road adventures & mountain bikepacking. The new chromoly frame gets a modern geometry refresh with a 66.5° headtube.
The new Pine Mountain gets tons of braze-on attachments options, plus a new 50mm rise Bedroll Bar with a straight, flat top to make it easy to mount any bag or accessory you could want securely. Two complete builds are available – the $1350 Pine Mountain 1 with Deore 1×11 and the $2100 Pine Mountain 2 with SLX 1×12.
There’s even an all-new e-Pine Mountain with Shimano Steps e-bike assist. It gets a 27.5+ setup and two models at either $3360 or $4200 to extend your adventure as far as the battery will take you.
In the realm of more affordable hardtails, the all-new Bobcat Trail and Wildcat Trail deliver plenty of mountain bike value. Both entry-level butted 6061 alloy trail hardtails get 120mm forks with “long, low & slack” geometry, and 27.5 or 29″ wheels depending on size. Designed to get more riders shredding singletrack without breaking the bank.
The Wildcat versions are designed for women riders with Women’s Fit Geometry, which is the same for the X, S & M, but adds a fourth size L sticking with 27.5″ wheels (no 29ers.) The Wildcats also get a different component spec with women-specific saddles, and grips & short-reach brake levers for smaller hands.
Both are available in three specs, from $450 at the 2×8 speed baseline, up to $950 for the top spec with a Deore 1×11.
Marin’s best-selling 120/130mm travel alloy 27.5″ Hawk Hill also gets a spec update similar to the new Rift Zone and some shiny new paint schemes, with a SRAM SX Eagle 1×12 for the Hawk Hill 2 and Shimano SLX 1×12 for the top-level $2650 Hawk Hill 3.
2020 Marin gravel & commuter bikes in carbon, alloy, or steel
We actually got an early sneak peek at pretty much all of Marin’s new dropbar bikes back in April. But now that availability is just around the corner we get some updated details & pricing, too.
The highlight of the drop bar bikes is the long, low & slack full carbon Headlands gravel bike, an evolution of Marin’s alloy Gestalt. The Headlands gets clearance for up to 700x45mm or 650x50mm wide tires, dropper post routing, tons of braze-ons to mount any cages or bags or fenders. It comes in two complete builds – the $2850 Headlands 2 with a new Shimano GRX 1×11 & a dropper, or the $2400 SRAM Apex 1×11 – or a $1700 limited edition frameset.
With the same mixed road surface flexibility, the 4130 chromoly steel Nicasio+ is open for any adventure. The $900 steel bike with a steel fork is all about practicality with just enough mounting points, 650x47mm WTB Road Plus tires (and 700×40 or 650×47 max clearance), and a MicroShift Advent wide-ranging 1×9 groupset.
Built a bit longer & lower with a slightly more road-oriented horizontal top tube, but capable of mixed-surface riding spec’d with big 700x40mm tires, the aluminum Lombards get the same big tire clearance in a longer wheelbase platform designed as a do-it-all commuter bike. More budget builds make the $1550 Lombard 2 with a Shimano Tiagra 2×10 drivetrain and the $900 Lombard 1 with Sora 2×9 an easy choice for anyone looking for a fat-tire commuter bike
Taking 650b Road Plus commuting one step further, the steel Muirwoods RC is something like a cross between that alloy gravel bike and a rigid mountain bike tasked with city duty. Geometry is pretty much the same as the Lombard, but then with a more upright position thanks to the swept back riser bars. For $1030, the Muirwoods RC keeps it simple with slider dropouts to tension the chain on a 8-speed internally geared Shimano Nexus hub, plus full coverage fenders & hydraulic disc brakes.
