Marin DH FRS (B17)

[coomber]

So I sold this today. Just not my type of bike. Hardtails for me from now on!

 

[coomber]

Excuse crap pics.

Has manitou x vert forks which seem really smooth. Never used them before (manitou) quite happy with them for now.

 

[FST4RD]

Mate had a B17, blue and white one. Had terrible pedal feedback, but point it down a hill and it more then made up for that downfall!
Like a big sponge!

 

[Rumble]

This is the bike that me and my biking mates all wanted at school, well the B17 was anyway. It wasn't the fantasy lottery-win bike, but was just about aheivable for some. Someone got one eventually, with RST Hi5 forks (which, if memory serves, were utterly hopeless), then we realised that we didn't really ride DH. Was still very cool though!

 

[Bob]

Welcome to the B17 club, it's very comfy on a little bimble and good fun down the hills, when I first got a mine I found that I just kept looking for harder things to ride over/up/down, I kind of encourages you to

 

[FST4RD]

They do seem like they have endless travel on the rear end!
Maybe a set of Dorados, triple clamp X-verts, Manitou seem to suit them (well they did in the old days )

 

[coomber]

Thanks guys.

Never owned a set of triple clamps. First thing is to see how I get on with the rear shock as I read that these shockworks ones are a bit naff. Then upgrade the forks, might go a bit modern with some 120mm bombers or toras perhaps. We'll see. Rather just ride it for now.

Im really pleased with the rest of it though. Has some nice kit on it like the Tomac maguras, and complete XT groupset (M739).

 

[Bob]

Go for long travel single crown forks! whilst the tubes of the B17 are'nt particulary thin there's no gussets strengthening the head tube area, twin crowns have in the past eaten a fair few of these frames, a friend of mine had the orignal B17 with Hi 5's (they worked quite well but he paid the extra to get the internals changed when new, can't remember what the conversion was) and broke 2 frames before swapping to a long travel bomber

EDIT: Mine has the Fox Vanilla RX and is just splendid

 

[coomber]

Thanks again for more tips Bob.

I have my eye on a few shocks. Thought it would be hard as an odd size but seems theres a fair few 200 x 57 shocks around.

 

[chriscl]

Lovely looking Marin.

I like late 90s Marins (99 East Peak here).

If I remember correctly, that one you have has the beefier Swingarm as well, (was an update from earlier ones).

Looks in very good nick as well.