Marin has added an “Electric Light” option to their Rift Zone e-mountain bike lineup, offering a sleek alloy frame and mid-powered Bosch motor for a bike that feels like a mountain bike should – Fun.
The Rift Zone EL has a new, highly formed Series 4 aluminum front triangle sandwiching a Bosch Performance Line SX motor with 55Nm torque.
The downtube hides a 400Ah CompactTube battery, good for 15-55 miles of riding depending on your enthusiasm. It’s compatible with their external 250Wh booster battery if you’re feeling extra, but you’ll have to give up the single water bottle location to hold it.
There’s room to use a Wolf Tooth B-RAD bottle relocation kit to move the bottle cage a little lower and fit a taller bottle…at least on this XL frame, anyway.
The wireless controller helps keep the cockpit a little cleaner, and top models come with SRAM AXS for even less clutter.
The bike uses their well-balanced Multi-Trac suspension, has 140mm rear travel, 150mm forks, and rolls on 29″ wheels front and rear.
Shaped forgings and full internal routing keep the frame in shape and looking good, as does a custom composite bash plate under the motor block. Rubberized chainstay and seatstay protectors keep the chain from scratching things up.
The head angle is adjustable with an included +/- 0.75º upper bearing cup for a bit of fine-tuning. Their housebrand cockpit and grips are well designed and have nice little touches like these alignment guides to make initial setup easy.
The bikes ship with 29×2.5″ tires. Three models will be available this fall, prices and specs at bottom of post, but first, here’s my…
Ride Review & Actual Weight
I brought the Rifty on my road trip from NC to Portland for the MADE Bike Show and hit Mt. Nebo (Monument Trails) in Arkansas and Oakridge in OR. Between the two, I hit dry rocky hardpack and loamy, rooty PNW goodness, giving the bike plenty to think about.
I’ve always appreciated Marin’s take on the four-bar linkage, and this bike’s no different. It pedals well and descends with grace, and it’s easy to dial in with the available adjustments. Note that lower trim levels lose some of those external shock and fork adjustments, though.
Handling is solid. We dove in blind on some very steep trails, where the brakes did all the could to keep speeds in check without surfing across the ground.
I kept the head angle set in the stock position and had no problem getting back far enough, but it’s nice to have the option to push it out a bit more if descending is your go-to activity. But our riding in AR was mostly flowing singletrack with chunky rock gardens, mild uphills, and those select (but very steep and technical) descents. And the Rift Zone handled it all just fine.
Once in the PNW, the climbs got longer and steeper. We had to earn the turns, and this is where the “low power” motor definitely keeps the bike feeling more like a regular mountain bike.
If you’ve ridden a full-power (~80Nm) eMTB and rocketed up the mountain, then you’re in for a different experience. Mid-powered bikes (~50-55Nm) take more work. Yes, the Bosch motor has a boost mode that’ll make short rips more tolerable, but the smaller batteries require judicious use of it. On a 2.5 hour ride, I almost drained the entire battery spending most of my time in the middle “Trail” mode and turning assist off on the descents.
For anything bigger than 2.5 hours, I’d absolutely want the auxiliary battery supply.
One upside to the lower output is that it’s less likely to spin out on delicate maneuvers, like super steep and tight switchbacks. This is also where Marin’s geometry shines, making it easy to handle the techy uphills as well as the downhills.
Another upside (for the e-curious purists, anyway) is that a lower output makes you work more. I’ll be honest, there are some epic trails that I just don’t want to ride on an analog bike anymore, but I still want to put the work in to earn the descents. Modern lightweight/mid-power eMTBs are just the ticket for that, and this Marin is a solid option thanks to its durable alloy frame and smart component selection.
When it’s time to get rowdy, the motor doesn’t matter. I’d argue that the extra weight helps keep an eMTB planted, but my riding partner was on a full-size, full-power bike that weighed 15lbs more and would argue that it’s a bit much. That other bike wore him out to the point where he was making mistakes toward the end that cost him his phone (it smashed between his hip and a rock).
So, if you’re the type of rider that prefers something more nimble but still wants the assist, I’d argue that the Rift Zone EL is a good middle ground. We ripped down 30+ minutes of epic forest singletrack, some steep, some techy, and some wide open and full gas, and I never felt out of control. That’s more impressive considering I’d never ridden any of these trails before, so I was trusting the bike as much as I was my skills.
I tested the top model in size XL. It weighed in at 46lb 11oz (21.0kg) with a tubeless setup. Spec list below, and it had alloy wheels. There are some easy ways to cut weight on this (carbon bar and wheels, then carbon cranks), but it’s a good starting point that doesn’t need any immediate upgrades to enjoy
If you’re a fan of alloy and want a solid, upgrade-worthy platform for long-term use, the new Marin Rift Zone EL is worth a look.
Models & Pricing
Rift Zone EL XR
• Fox 36 Performance Elite 150mm fork, Float X Performance Elite shock w/ custom tune
• SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type 12-speed drivetrain
• Magura MT-7 4-piston brakes w/ 203mm rotors
• MSRP $6999 (US), 7699€ (EU), £6699(UK), $9399(CAN)
Rift Zone EL 2
• Fox 36 Performance 150mm fork, Float X Performance Elite shock w/ custom tune
• SRAM GX Eagle Lunar 12-speed drivetrain
• SRAM Code Bronze 4-piston brakes w/ 200mm HS2 rotors
• MSRP $5999 (US), 6499€ (EU), £5699 (UK), $7999 (CAN)
Rift Zone EL 1
• Marzocchi Bomber Z1 150mm fork/Bomber Air Inline shock w/ custom tune
• Shimano CUES 10-speed drivetrain
• TRP Slate EVO hydraulic disc brakes w/ 203mm rotors
• MSRP $4799 (US), 5399€ (EU), £4699 (UK), $6499 (CAN)
