Another Marin “build” - Rock Springs (MY 2000)

I got this in the mail a few weeks ago, after a random eBay purchase - any help with the year would be great

Whilst it’s lovely, it doesn’t work!




Issues:
- Only rear brakes, which don’t line up with the rim and the little screw adjusters have broken off
- only one brake lever
- Headset wobbles
- chain falls off the tiny “inner” ring not designed for 1x
- stem is cracked
- bars too small
- ugly old grips
- forks seem a bit baggy and possibly no longer supported
- rear spring is rusty and well a spring, which you don’t see very often
- frame is a bit messy/scratched
- cheap road tyres!
- basic 1x7 STX gearset
- plastic pedals (the DMRs didn’t make it!)
- Seat post and saddle seem a bit crap
- No brand (Quando?) hubs and rims

Some updates!

New Funn 810mm low rise bars (might have to cut these down 20/30mm)
New short DMR defy stem
Nukeproof grips
Added some old Avid SD 2 levers
Added some spare DMR V8s




Still to do:
- Add Minion tyres (in the post)
- add hope narrow wide 38 ring (also in post) [edit: “no stock”, Amazon to the rescue]
- add avid V brakes front and rear (in post)

Turns out the character on eBay had put some naff 27” wheels on the bike, so I’ve had to repurpose some old wheels for now. Anyway I’ve got the minions on now as well as some Avid single digit vee’s.
I also put a cheap narrow wide single chainring up front - not sure about the chain line though...

Next up, cables!

Now fully built - updated build spec:
Drivetrain:
Zee shadow rear mech (10)
Zee 10 speed shifter
SLX 10 rear cassette 11-36t
KMC 10 sp chain
Jagwire pro shift cables
Newer type DMR V8 pedals
Shimano Tourney crank
Amazon special “snail” wide-narrow ring 38t

Frame:
Marin Rock Springs (2000) Ovation Aluminum
Shock Works front shocks
Fox Vanilla 185 rear with spring

Controls:
Funn 810 full on riser bars
DMR defy 50mm stem
Nukeproof lock on grips

Brakes:
Avid Single Digit 7
Avid SD 2 L levers
Jagwire green cable

Wheels:
Mismatched currently: Mavic 517 rear, Alex front
Ridgeback front hub, XT rear
Tyres: minion DHF and DHR

Saddle and post unknown

I really enjoyed doing something similar with a Shoreline trail a few years ago, thread on here somewhere.

Really enjoyed riding it too. Keep the updates coming.

Lates issue is the headset knocks around and I can’t seem to tighten it.
The issue seems to come from the fact that the clamps on he triple clamps / dual stanchions define the spacing of the lower bearing cup and hence ensure it’s all held tightly. I’ve tried listening the lower clamps and hitting with a hammer but I guess it just reverts to where it was by the time I tighten.
I’m thinking of those plastic woodworking clamps next to keep in place while I tighten it....

You loosen the 3 bolts on the top clamp of the forks, not the bottom. If you are preloading the headset with a star nut that should provide more than enough force to tighten the top clamp down without resorting to G-clamps.

Brilliant thanks! I read something similar, so that’s very reassuring.
I’ll put my hammer away next time

And I’d say she’s now 98% finished!

Added Zee mech and shifter 10 speed, new shimano cassette, new KMC 10spd chain, Jagwire yellow cables.

Took her out in the rain too, rides well (my first ever suspension bike!) and the gear range seems fine, I possibly could have gone bigger up front - say 40/42t?

I may need to cut those bars down though, a bit much