Help with Marin frame numbers please!

Let's not forget that the range was smaller on earlier bikes.
Hence why some of feel your bike has lifted itself up the family tree.

The coding is more or less the same for every year of production, but the range I quoted above was the 1994 line up. 1989 had half that.

i need help

i have a old frame but i dont know what it is please could someone help me all i have is the frame numbers and they are as follows SA50641018

Re: i need help

stu69er":h9aoajgh said:

i have a old frame but i dont know what it is please could someone help me all i have is the frame numbers and they are as follows SA50641018

Click to expand...

Pictures help a lot as well.

But at 10 characters is does not fall in to the Marin's we are talking about in this thread.


though I have seen the SA code pop up before.

EDIT since a picture has been added. PM sent about creating your own topic.

It's a modern BMX with large wheels, that's as much as I know.

Hi, all. Just joined the forum - I came across it because I've been looking at getting an old (but classy) MTB to use as an around town, multi-purpose stealth bike and google did what it does best ...

Last night I picked up an old Marin. Looks in pretty good shape - no decals but otherwise very solid. The plan is just to tidy it up a bit - but I know what I'm like and will probably start to get obsessive about making it authentic.

The frame number is M21ME0059 - and that first 0 is definitely a 0 not a B or a D - the frame number is pretty clear. Which, according to this thread, means it was built at the Marvel factory (wherever that is) in 1991 - but doesn't help with the size (although I got my tape measure out and it seems to be 17.5 inch c-c). And it seems to be a Team Marin model, although I can't verify that as there are no decals on it. Which is where I was hoping you guys might be able to help with your encyclopaedic knowledge of such things.

The distinguishing feature is a bright orange quill stem (with a Marin decal on it) and a bright orange bottle cage (with a Mt Zekal logo on it - I don't think Mt Zekal is quite right - but I'm sure you know the company I mean). The bike itself is a dark grey - possibly a respray as it isn't as smooth or glossy as I might expect from a factory paint job but the guy I bought it from said it was original, although he hadn't had it from new. The guy said there was information/photos on the web about these bikes with orange stems - though I haven't managed to find it so far. Does the bright orange stem mean anything to anyone out there? I don't think it's aftermarket.

Any other comments about the bike? I'm very new to retro MTBs so I don't even have any idea whether the Team Marin is a budget model or a decent model.

I'll post a pic at the weekend (when I get some chance during daylight hours to take a photo of it). Pics always help!

Cheers!

Oh, yeah - unfortunately it's a bit too big for me. It was advertised as a 17 inch frame, but it's actually a 19 inch - from a bit of research it seems I've been caught out by Marin measuring their bikes c-c rather than c-t. It's still rideable for a 5 ft 9 inch tall person like me - although there isn't as much space as I would like between my sensitive areas and the top tube when my feet are on the ground. I'll give it a go and see how I get on.

Team Marin is top end.

If you go to Galley & Archive link above (under the site logo)
and here http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/gallery2.php
go down through manufacturers and you'll get to marin, thier catalouge should be in there.
The 'matt' surface you mention is a circa '90 feature.

Not convinced it is a Team Marin. It has Deore DX on it which, from the 1991 catalogue, is more of a Pine Mountain than a Team Marin (which had Deore XT on it). I think I'll have to keep digging.

Here's the photo from the listing:

I would spin out your own topic as it's getting crowded in here and the Marin ID guru's may pick up on this easier.

Using this catalouge
http://www.mtb-kataloge.de/Bikekataloge ... 1991-2.pdf
as it has the Zolatone colours without the lug highlighting.

Neon Orange would be Pine Mountain as you've already noticed.

Now here is my explanation as to why it is a Pine Mountain.

The number codes where given for about '93/'94 iirc of this thread and worked from the top model down.
In 1991, there was not Team Issue* so Team Marin would = 1, Pine Mountain = 2, ... etc...


* ignoring the other catalouge, but it looks like a special build frame, not a standard production frame.
http://www.mtb-kataloge.de/Bikekataloge ... n/1991.pdf

Thanks for your help. Last night was a bit of a post-pub post and I was conscious this mornng I was getting dangerously close to thread hijack.

I'll do a little more digging, take some photos and then start a thread to see if some Marin gurus can help me identify it. The notes in this thread on frame numbering have been helpful, but I think there is more to be uncovered.

Cheers

Identity unknown

I have salvaged a MARIN Alloy MTB. Frame numbers FM8LSD038 and separately under the cable guides 9840PE. Can anyone identify it for me please?
It's an Old-School American MTB and now excellent again.

7000 Alloy frame I have hand polished all over taking out the scratches, 6061 handle-bars and Shimano 7 x 3 lever sets, clusters and V-brakes repolished, the cracked MTB tyres replaced with Michelin Pilot City 1.95"s onto repolished and trued-up alloy rims. Frame large decals are white centres, yellow inner rim, black outer rim - all decals are a bit battered but retained as original. There is a "7000 Series Alloy" decal and a "USA" shield on the down-tube and a headset frame badge in the same colours as the large decals - it reads "Marin County" above and "California" below around the rim of a 6-pointed star, and MARIN across the centre.

Front suspension forks are MANITOU Magnums in black with terrible decals
the saddle and its alloy stem are ETC Sport items.
It rides beautifully and is very lightweight indeed.

the 'FM8'

Part would signify it's modern (by retrobike standards) and a 1998 or 1999 model.

The M I may be able to work ou but would take some time searching, so best bit is to grab their catalouges for the two years and have a look.

or click through these
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/Bike ... rand=Marin
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/Bike ... rand=Marin