The 10 Best Bikes From MarinMarin has been at the forefront of mountain bike development for over 30 years, but it has also makes some great commuter, hybrids, and gravel bikes.By The Bicycling EditorsJul 3, 2019Marin has been making and selling bikes for more than 30 years. And while it's recently been an under-the-radar brand, a slew of exciting new bike launches have lifted the brand's profile. And across its line, from road to city to mountain bikes, you'll find some exciting, cool, and attractive options.A Brand Rooted in Mountain Biking's HistoryThe genesis of Marin is entwined with the early history of mountain biking. The company is named after, and headquartered near, Marin County, CA, the beautiful piece of earth that's home to Mount Tamalpais, which is where competitive mountain biking was born. In 1986, Bob Buckley founded the Marin bicycle company in response to the growing off-road-cycling interest in Northern California. By 1988, Marin was staking its claim as an industry leader with mass production of its Marin Team Titanium, a revolutionary bike at the time that offered an affordable titanium frame that was widely available.Marin's product development continued during the early 90s when it produced its first hybrid and road bikes, and its first successful full-suspension mountain bikes. The most well known of the latter was the 1993 Marin Titanium FRS (an acronym for Front/Rear Suspension) that used a Manitou suspension fork as the bike's seatstays.As is often the case in competitive cycling, the gear professionals use influences what and how regular cyclists ride. This model worked in favor of Marin in 1993 when Jurgen Beneke, a then unknown German who had only been mountain biking for one year, rode a Marin Titanium FRS to win the inaugural UCI Downhill World Cup. This race-day success secured Marin in the minds of many as a serious contributor to the development of mountain bike technology and culture.Indeed, Marin bikes continue to be unabashedly authentic and rooted in the Northern California culture that's been so long a part of their brand identity. Whether you ride to shred or to chill, Marin has a bike that is ready to handle your needs. These are 10 of our favorites.What's new for 2019Marin's latest mountain bike innovation started in 2017 with the launch of the Wolf Ridge, a 160mm 29er bike that featured a very unique suspension design, and equally unique performance. For 2109 the Naild suspension design options have expanded with this year's launch of the Mount Vision line of highly capable 150mm 27.5 trail bikes. And, like almost all bike brands, you'll find a growing range of e-bikes from Marin.But Marin's products have expanded way beyond mountain bike. It produces some of our favorite city bikes (you have to check out the gorgeous Nicasio) as well as top gravel, adventure, and hybrid bikes, including new city and mountain eBike options, as well as a growing line of adventure, touring and beyond road" bikes like the Gestalt X11. All of these new offerings fit comfortably within the brand's lengthy heritage of riding on dirt roads and trails.Gestalt X11 - "If you seek simplicity and adventure, the Marin Gestalt X11 could be your ticket to two-wheeled bliss."Presidio 1 - "Makes urban errands safer and more fun."Muirwoods - "Like a good friend, this steel-framed bike is ready to go through anything with you."Alpine Trail 8 - "The Alpine Trail is a good option for someone looking to get into enduro riding with a well-rounded bike at an attainable price."Hawk Hill 2 - "The Hawk Hill 2 is, simply, the best budget full-suspension bike we've tried."Hawk Hill Jr - "A near perfect bike to introduce kids to mountain biking."Gestalt 2 - "Fun, affordable gravel bike"Nicasio RC - "This bike is perfect for college students on a budget, commuters looking for something new, and greenway riders that like to show gravel some love."Wolf Ridge Pro XX1 - "One of the best pedaling long-travel bikes we've tested"
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The 10 Best Bikes From MarinMarin has been at the forefront of mountain bike development for over 30 years, but it has also makes some great commuter, hybrids, and gravel bikes.By The Bicycling EditorsJul 3, 2019Marin has been making and selling bikes for more than 30 years. And while it's recently been an under-the-radar brand, a slew of exciting new bike launches have lifted the brand's profile. And across its line, from road to city to mountain bikes, you'll find some exciting, cool, and attractive options.A Brand Rooted in Mountain Biking's HistoryThe genesis of Marin is entwined with the early history of mountain biking. The company is named after, and headquartered near, Marin County, CA, the beautiful piece of earth that's home to Mount Tamalpais, which is where competitive mountain biking was born. In 1986, Bob Buckley founded the Marin bicycle company in response to the growing off-road-cycling interest in Northern California. By 1988, Marin was staking its claim as an industry leader with mass production of its Marin Team Titanium, a revolutionary bike at the time that offered an affordable titanium frame that was widely available.Marin's product development continued during the early 90s when it produced its first hybrid and road bikes, and its first successful full-suspension mountain bikes. The most well known of the latter was the 1993 Marin Titanium FRS (an acronym for Front/Rear Suspension) that used a Manitou suspension fork as the bike's seatstays.As is often the case in competitive cycling, the gear professionals use influences what and how regular cyclists ride. This model worked in favor of Marin in 1993 when Jurgen Beneke, a then unknown German who had only been mountain biking for one year, rode a Marin Titanium FRS to win the inaugural UCI Downhill World Cup. This race-day success secured Marin in the minds of many as a serious contributor to the development of mountain bike technology and culture.Indeed, Marin bikes continue to be unabashedly authentic and rooted in the Northern California culture that's been so long a part of their brand identity. Whether you ride to shred or to chill, Marin has a bike that is ready to handle your needs. These are 10 of our favorites.What's new for 2019Marin's latest mountain bike innovation started in 2017 with the launch of the Wolf Ridge, a 160mm 29er bike that featured a very unique suspension design, and equally unique performance. For 2109 the Naild suspension design options have expanded with this year's launch of the Mount Vision line of highly capable 150mm 27.5 trail bikes. And, like almost all bike brands, you'll find a growing range of e-bikes from Marin.But Marin's products have expanded way beyond mountain bike. It produces some of our favorite city bikes (you have to check out the gorgeous Nicasio) as well as top gravel, adventure, and hybrid bikes, including new city and mountain eBike options, as well as a growing line of adventure, touring and beyond road" bikes like the Gestalt X11. All of these new offerings fit comfortably within the brand's lengthy heritage of riding on dirt roads and trails.Gestalt X11 - "If you seek simplicity and adventure, the Marin Gestalt X11 could be your ticket to two-wheeled bliss."Presidio 1 - "Makes urban errands safer and more fun."Muirwoods - "Like a good friend, this steel-framed bike is ready to go through anything with you."Alpine Trail 8 - "The Alpine Trail is a good option for someone looking to get into enduro riding with a well-rounded bike at an attainable price."Hawk Hill 2 - "The Hawk Hill 2 is, simply, the best budget full-suspension bike we've tried."Hawk Hill Jr - "A near perfect bike to introduce kids to mountain biking."Gestalt 2 - "Fun, affordable gravel bike"Nicasio RC - "This bike is perfect for college students on a budget, commuters looking for something new, and greenway riders that like to show gravel some love."Wolf Ridge Pro XX1 - "One of the best pedaling long-travel bikes we've tested"
