Marin Pine Mountain puzzle

[Hattyfatner]

Evening All,

Having checked on Bikepedia the 1997 edition of the Pine Mountain came with a combination of LX and XT and a Manitou suspension fork.

However the one I've picked up for £40 has a suspension corrected rigid fork, Shimano Alivio and the Marin downtube sticker only on one side.

Have Marin ever released cheaper versions of the same bike?

The frame's got all Marin characteristics and is really light and rides really nicely.

Any ideas?

 

[hamster]

Check the frame number, that will settle once and for all if it is a Pine Mountain.
It's not unusual that a frame gets stripped sometime in its 20 year lifetime and later rebuilt with a 'bits box' groupset.

 

[tintin40]

Any pictures?

 

[marc two tone]

Re:

It's either an imposter or a robbed out pine mountain.

Basically no. Marin didn't do a dual budget version of the same model. Pretty consistent from 1991 where pm was up there and muirwoods towards the bottom. Kind of thing

Is it the Forrest green colour with Columbus tubing? A seat tube decal will settle that.
Serial numbers changed format again by 1997 but m3 or m2 with 97 somewhere in there may help.
Pics will help us. If image hosts are not playing just take some on your phone but crop them down so to not max out the pixel allowance on here.

 

[simcfarlane]

I've got a '97 Pine Mountain with rigid forks. They are definitely the real thing (Rockstar).

Catalogue has 2 options - Chromoly or Manitou Mach 5:
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/v/M ... n.jpg.html

Maybe it was just the groupset which was changed. Mine had a mix of bits - but did have the nice White Industries cranks.

 

[Hattyfatner]

Still working on the photos, even cropped they're still to big apparently. The frame number's F76CABO57 stamped on one side of the bottom bracket shell and 60 39 stamped on the other.

It's the burnt copper colour scheme with a 'Marin Custom Triple Butted Cromo tange' sticker on the down tube....I'm getting a bit suspicious...

 

[Hattyfatner]

No White Industries cranks either

 

[hamster]

OK, decoding the frame number:
Made by Fairly
However the bad news is that yours is a Palisades from 1996 (the 76 part of the code).

It's all here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=37430

However they are great bikes to ride, I have a Palisades from 1990 that I bought in 1991 - it's been my tourer for 25 years. I have ridden it on four continents.

 

[simcfarlane]

Re:

Later frames didn't use that same code.

Mine is C77LAC005.

My '94 Palisades uses the code - but I have a '99 Eldridge which doesn't.

Just sounds like someone has stripped / replaced all the nice bits.

Does it have the Diatech heasdset? That tends to be harder to remove.

 

[Hattyfatner]

Re:

Wow! Bit of a rollercoaster yes it has a Dia Compe Aheadset