1991 Marin Pine Mountain survivor.....it's a G*TE! :)

Picked this up recently from Claw (cheers Clint - nice to meet you).

Bought it for it's originality and it's gate-like qualities. Being a bit on the lanky side I tend to end up riding bikes that are a size too small.....I already have a 1991 Pine in the fleet in 19" which I'll be passing on once this one is sorted and trail-ready.

Apart from the front mech (XT) this is spot on catalogue spec, and completely original, right down to the saddle (knackered) and the Rockstar tyres (borderline knackered). Love finding a survivor as the basis for a project.

On the whole the Zolatone is in great shape and the forks/stem are non-faded and very bright - obviously been hidden away from the sunlight for much of it's life.

Plans: General all round service, replace 4x busted spokes on rear wheel, remove stuck seatpost, new decals, re-cover the saddle, swap out the XT mech for DX and ride!


As bought


DX hubs


Araya RM17 rims


Rockstars....


Seat binder detail


Short cage DX


DeoreDX cranks


DX hubs


Fluro-tastic


Saddle knackeredness


Left-overs


First clean, new chain, de-cluttered

Re: 1991 Marin Pine Mountain survivor.....it's a GATE!

Nice bike !
I wish folk wouldn't use the term gate for a big bike, it seems derogatory. It almost feels as if the "normal" average size folk are calling us big framed bike riders freaks.
I had a 25" framed Schwinn mtb once, fitted me perfectly.

Re: 1991 Marin Pine Mountain survivor.....it's a GATE!

I hear what you're saying.....it just seems that when bikes go over a certain frame size they seem to lose a bit of proportion. Larger bikes are not quite as aesthetically pleasing as their smaller counterparts (Marins especially....)

A bike fitting perfectly is exactly what this build is about......finally! Be interesting to see how well it fits

Re: 1991 Marin Pine Mountain survivor.....it's a GATE!

Like it. I have a 90 in similar condition that needs some attention.

Re:

Cool looking Marin. Its a good find especially not faded. My bike gets the whole gate thing. The Clydesdale thing gets me a bit too.... Why so many labels for stuff?

Anyway, I enjoy looking at all these builds no matter what size they are.

Re: 1991 Marin Pine Mountain survivor.....it's a GATE!

I like gates. They're far more exclusive. We are special.

We should start a gate thread - WhattaGate! Embrace it.

Re: 1991 Marin Pine Mountain survivor.....it's a GATE!

Good to see the neon still makes the eyes water after all this time. Any plans for a matching orange handlebar?

Re: 1991 Marin Pine Mountain survivor.....it's a GATE!

JonTom":1nwxr47i said:

Good to see the neon still makes the eyes water after all this time. Any plans for a matching orange handlebar?

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Yep - forgot to add that to the "to-do" list. I've got a spare Marin alu handlebar paint stripped and ready to be painted neon orange. Hopefully this weekend. Going to replace the DX shifters with XT thumbies too I think....

The History Man":1nwxr47i said:

I like gates. They're far more exclusive. We are special.

We should start a gate thread - WhattaGate! Embrace it.

Click to expand...

Yep - I agree. Great idea

bignick":1nwxr47i said:

Cool looking Marin. Its a good find especially not faded. My bike gets the whole gate thing. The Clydesdale thing gets me a bit too.... Why so many labels for stuff?

Anyway, I enjoy looking at all these builds no matter what size they are.

Click to expand...

Not heard the "Clydesdale" reference before (somehow missed it). I understand it refers to the larger gentleman cyclist......but where's the reference come from?

brocklanders023":1nwxr47i said:

Like it. I have a 90 in similar condition that needs some attention.

Click to expand...

Yes - seen your thread on it and love it - was quite envious that you'd found one in such good nick!

Re: 1991 Marin Pine Mountain survivor.....it's a GATE!

Excellent find. I'd be temped to leave that saddle in it's current state and swap out with your favorite rider as needed. So cool to see stock saddles in my opinion especially when they are OEM'd by the bike mfg. Rubber is a different story!

Re: 1991 Marin Pine Mountain survivor.....it's a GATE!

Smithjss70":3ebrwor0 said:

Excellent find. I'd be temped to leave that saddle in it's current state and swap out with your favorite rider as needed. So cool to see stock saddles in my opinion especially when they are OEM'd by the bike mfg. Rubber is a different story!

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I have an identical Marin saddle in excellent condition on my 19" Pine Mountain so I'll be swapping that across. When I recover this saddle I'll be looking to make up a replica sticker/pad print of the "Marin bikes" branding so it'll end up looking stock. I agree - one of the nicest things about completing a build is having all those hard to find/brand specific features - especially those bits which wear out (saddles/grips/tyres etc).