We reported on the news earlier this week that Marin is busy developing an all-new Team DH bike which has got off to a flying start winning two races in Canada, where it’s currently being tested.
Actual information about the new bike was a little vague, but an email from one of the testers riding the Marin Team DH in Canada has given us a little more information to share with you.
The new frame is based on the popular Quake platform and uses a redesigned version of the Quad Link setup, with longer links and a modified swingarm to provide 220mm of travel. The frame currently wears a head angle of between 65° and 66°, though we’re told it’ll be slackened a smidge for production. The bottom bracket height is currently 14.2in but plans are to drop it to 14in. The wheelbase is 46.3in.
Patrick Thompson, our man in Canada and who has been testing a Marin Team DH for a few weeks tell us: “It’s just plain amazing. It is super stable at high speed whether you’re ploughing through rock gardens or in wide open ski slopes. It soaks up major hits wonderfully maintaining its momentum over rough terrain and begging the rider to push more.
“The harder you push the bike to the limit the better it holds up its lines. The Quad Link suspension design is very ‘small bump’ compliant because it’s rising later in its travel. So its super active early in the travel tracking the ground amazingly and when the going gets rough it handles big hits with a ‘roll-over’ feeling instead of the typical ‘slowing down’ feeling. Like I said the bike holds up its momentum very well and it is mainly due to the Quad Link design and it helps a lot to save rider’s energy over the long race weekends since the rider don’t have to ‘fight’ the bike to hold on to the line’s choices.
”I first thought technical courses would be a hard thing to do with such a long bike but surprisingly it went really good. Having the Quad Link so active in its first part of its travel helps the rider to move the bike around like a breeze of air. Plans are to shorten it’s wheelbase a bit for production though.
”All in all, it’s a thing of magic. I’ve stepped my game up a couple of notches since the three weeks I’ve been riding this bike! It really helps the rider focus on the race course rather then focusing if whether or not the bike will hold up on that gnarly line you just found out! It just blends to the rider and makes itself forget it’s there. Bottoming is rarely an issue; sure you do once or twice a run since you really want to make use of that 220mm of travel but it never screams hard when it’s pushed to the limits!”
Sounds like a good endorsement to us. Patrick is riding a small Team DH specced with Fox 40 RC2 forks, and Elka Stage 5 shock, Syncros wheels, Truvativ Holzfeller OCT cranks, SRAM X.O shifters and Avid Juicy 7 brakes, with Syncros carbon bars and Vsixty pedals. That little lots comes to combined weight of 40.68lbs.
More soon…
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