Mark Adams The Marin B17 1 is an all conditions, all day mountain exploring trail dominator. It has Marin’s 120mm travel MultiTrac suspension platform at its core for minimal ‘pedal bob’, which creates the ultimate in efficiency, grip and suspension compliance. This ensures that you float over rock gardens, roost berms with confidence and carve you style into the mountainside.
27.5″ Plus Tyres, Outstanding Grip, Traction and Rolling Speed
With a robust and lightweight aluminium frame at its foundation and it rolls on 27.5″ ‘Plus’ sized tyres for exceptional off-road performance. This mountain conqueror is equipped with 27.5″x2.8″ tyres, which makes the wheel overall diameter and rolling performance similar to the competition-proven 29″ wheel standard. Plus, these tyres deliver more grip and traction thanks to the larger contact patch while retaining outstanding rolling performance.
SRAM 1×11 Speed Drivetrain, Shimano Disc Brakes and RockShox Suspension
This mountain champion is equipped with a SRAM 1×11 Speed drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes and RockShox suspension front and rear. Meaning, you can get up to speed rapidly, climb the steepest mountains with ease, descend the most challenging routes back down with confidence and navigate the trail’s most technical sections with superb control.
All Marin bikes on Chain Reaction Cycles are covered by a 2 year warranty. Proof of purchase is necessary.
Features:
- Frame: Series 3 6061 Aluminium Frame, 27.5+” Wheels, 120mm Travel MultiTrac Suspension Platform, Seatstay Mounted Post Mount Disc Brake, 148x12mm Boost Thru-Axle
- Fork: RockShox Recon Gold RL 27.5+, 130mm Travel, Compression and Rebound Adjustment, Solo Air Spring, 110x15mm Boost Spacing, Maxle Stealth, 51mm Offset
- Rear Shock: RockShox Monarch R Debonair
- Rear Derailleur: SRAM NX 1×11 speed
- Wheelset: Hubs: Formula; Rims: Marin Double Wall Aluminium
- Crankset: Marin Forged Alloy 1×11, Hollow Spindle, Steel Narrow-Wide 32T Chainring, 76mm BCD
- Cassette: SunRace 11-Speed, 11-42T
- Brakes: Shimano BR-M315 Hydraulic Disc, 180/160mm Rotors
- Handlebars: Marin Mini-Riser, 6061 Double Butted Aluminium, 15mm Rise, 780mm Width, 4-degree Up, 9-degree Back
- Grips: Marin Single Clamp Locking
- Stem: Marin 3D Forged Alloy, 45mm
- Seat Post: TranzX Dropper Post, YSP15 w/ 1x Remote, Size S 100mm Travel, All Other Sizes: 120mm Travel
- Saddle: Marin Speed Concept
- Tyres: Vee Tire, Crown Gem 27.5×2.8″, Dual Control Compound, Folding Bead, Tubeless Compatible
Marin B17 Review:
Frame:
Marin has given the B17 a Series 3 6061 aluminium frame with minimal pivots to keep the weight down and stiffening up the bike. At the back, you get a Single Pivot suspension system. The top 3 inches of the rear triangle is the only moving part, although you do have the seatstay mounted post-mount disc brake affected by the movement.
The 6061 aluminium has gone through a process of being triple butted to keep the weight down. The frame also comes with a replaceable derailleur hanger and a self-aligning and removable rear shock bushing.
The frame at the front is well thought out. Disc duties are handled by a dedicated post mount, attached to the seatstay giving you plenty of caliper clearance and keeping the weight on the back of the bike low.
Suspension:
The B17 comes with a 120mm travel MultiTrac suspension platform at its core. This suspension system can be found on the range-topping C17. It alters the kinematics to suit the rider’s body weight. Marin claim that by adjusting the kinematics as you ride, it gives you the best possible performance, no matter how heavy you are or what the conditions are.
Cable actuated with a TwinLoc remote lever on the bars. There’s a climb mode, which slackens the head angle by 1.5 degrees, raises the bar height by 10mm, reduces the air pressure in the fork by 20 PSI and lowers the fork by 10mm. Then there’s the trail mode which slackens the head angle by 1.5 degrees and raises the bar height by 40mm. The shock gets ramped up to 70% open and the fork gets ramped up to 40%. Finally, there’s the descend mode which slackens the head angle by 1.5 degrees, slackens the fork and shock to full open and raises the bar by 7mm. The rear shock also has a climb switch (with independant lockout) giving you a 50% reduction to the shock. The rear shock also gets a bottom out bumper and a charge port to use with the charge pro pump. The front end has been equipped with high-speed compression and rebound.
Drivetrain:
The B17 has been fitted with a SRAM NX 1×11 speed drivetrain which, in my opinion, has been the best performing 1x drivetrain I’ve ridden (the old Race Face Cinch stuff). You get a 32 tooth narrow-wide chainring, matched to an 11-42 cassette which gives you a staggering 10 gears under 50mph. The biggest gripe about SRAM frames is the lack of room for the over-sized bash guard due to the chainring. This could be rectified by SRAM, if they produced a 38 tooth chainring or gave you the option to go with a bash guard.
Wheels:
Marin has gone for a set of Formula hubs and Marin’s own Exalith 2 rims. With a 2.8 inch Maxxis Rekon on the front and a 2.6 inch Ardent on the back, the wheel is built for all day off-road excursions. At just over 2 and a half kilos, it’s an extremely light wheelset. Unfortunately, I can’t supply a review as the wheels are the heaviest component on the B17, giving it a lot of weight in the hope that the wheels will stay true longer.
Braking:
The B17 has been equipped with Shimano BR-M315 hydraulic disc brakes which have delivered powerful and consistent braking throughout the review period. You’ll find 180mm rotors at the front and 160mm rotors at the rear which give you enough braking power when needed.
Price:
The B17 costs £2199.99 and comes with a dropper post and a Marin branded saddle. There’s options to upgrade the wheelset for lighter or heavier terrain and the brakes for something more powerful. You can also swap the rear shock for a Monarch R or a FOX Float X, as well as having the option of an upgrade to a different paint job.
