Prestige Marin Team/Team Issue - differences

[festinalente]

Am getting interested in finding one of these. What are the differences? Was it largely spec? All I can see in the catalogue is that the Team Issue may have benefited from a butted bottom bracket shell that wasn’t on the Team. Were there other differences in the frame?

 

[marc two tone]

Which year are you after?
Geometry is often the main difference.
Issue having a long top tube, racey look to it. Better, usually XTR kit.

 

[Tootyred]

Which year are you after?

Thats the key. It really depends on the year you choose. Marin seemed to swing from giving the teams brilliant tubing and xtr kit to looking rather budget compaired to the issue!

For my money the 92 team with the splatter of xtr was brilliant frame and kit.

I believe it was the only year they shared frames.......but im sure marc can answer this for sure.

 

[pw_pw_la]

Would LOVE to know more about and the differences between the 92 Team and Team Issue...

Mostly because this just got posted from Germany, and I've got a lot of waiting to do before I get my hands on it:



(Not correct or original decals, of course. Although I personally quite like the white the previous owner went with and I might even replicate a set in that colour as an option when I get new ones made)

 

[marc two tone]

I will get on the case. We really need owners/previous owners to give us a definitive comparison and pictures.
Then we can build a quick reference guide n all.

 

[marc two tone]

Ok, seems not, if any difference between issue and team for 1992. Tubing wise. I'm certain geometry is different though and maybe...yeah pedantic...the seattube decal on issue actually says 'ultra strong' where team....not sure.
Same head tube stops.
Issue were (help me) always non-painted.
Team had two colour variations in terms of layout, but the same batman purple and bright green. Same as bolinas ridge of same year.

 

[marc two tone]

Yep team also has ultra strong decal. So, they appear to be the same. Team + issue for 92.
Unless there is real subtle stuff like panniers eyelets. Aha, that's now solved with an edit...both have rack mounts.
For that year anyhow.

 

[pw_pw_la]

Wonderful info Marc!

Thanks so much.

If it helps, I already plan to take a shedload of photos when it arrives. So happy to add measurements to the list of to-do's for anyone's reference and comparison, if wanted/needed?

As well as do a little serial number digging.

Not sure if there's anything special or in particular I should be aware of, or looking out for, but happy to share any discoveries here as well as a build thread once I start it!

 

[Tootyred]

Just to confuse things a bit further, not all 91 / 92 teams and team issues had head tube stops. Other territories (USA mainly) got down tube stops along with alternative paint schemes! So be careful out there if your buying.

Also the ultrastrong version of prestige seems to have been phased in at slightly different times in different regions.

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1991-team-marin-alternate-color.296627/
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/873387-1993-team-marin.html
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/marin-team-issue-1992.21605/
https://www.mountainbike.es/noticias/marin-team-marin-1991_65711_102.html
Lots more examples out there

 

[Tootyred]

And of course the real 92 team issue had the shorst monostay rear end!