My Marin Hawk Hill's - 1999 and 2003

[Canopy]

Hi Everyone!

Just signed up here.. Here are my two bikes with a few details

This is my Marin Hawk Hill, which I bought from new in 1999/2000 ish. I thought I paid around 399 or something, but I've seen claims online that put the value up to 1000.. I'm sure it was no more than 600.
17" frame, pretty much original apart from grips, pedals (tioga surefoot) a new rear cassette, chain and all new cables, blocks.

The only qualm I have with this bike is the lack of disks, other than that its great for me.

So, when idly looking for a donor frame wth disk fitment I picked a second Hawk Hill up for £30 two days ago. (Couldn't resist) It has shimano mechanical disks, what it needs are new wheels (26s as someone had put 24s on), a new chain, some new cables and a really top to bottom clean, lube serving. I'm going to try make every single addition to this bike black.. "murdered out" as the kid would say. and use it as a muddy/soggy winters day bike which gives me approx 3 months to find the bits, not a big ask really!

Seat posts off as i'm off to get a replacement black one from this place later http://on-your-bike.org/home/about/

15" frame, but tube lengths etc appear to match the other bike!

I'm calling them Summer & Winter for now with a view to using the one I bought new as a light trail / some tarmac bike and the other for more inclement conditions and rougher rides!

I'm working on a really tight budget for now. But down the line I hope to trade on up from the parts piecemeal into something greater, one step at a time though!

I'm in my late 30s, local to Somerset, I was born and grew up in Taunton and used to cycle up to the Quantocks (and blackdowns!) as a kid / teen. I live in BoS, not far from Taunton now (still work there) , and am just getting into riding again in both meeting Taunton based friends in the Quantocks and nearby and with some friends and in my own area solo style, or with visitors.

 

[JeRkY]

Re: Marin Hawk Hill's - 1999/2000 and 2003

You cant go wrong with £30 for that, but the Hawk Hill was the bottom of the Marin range if I recall correctly and even your valuation of £399 for the original purchase price may have been a little on the high side... wont of been that far off though.

My first real mountain bike was a marin, and the top tubes always seemed on the long side

 

[Canopy]

Re: Marin Hawk Hill's - 1999/2000 and 2003

Yeah it was the lower end of their hard tail alu framed bikes I think above one other model possibly the first with the Ovation frame.. they still appear to bring the model back from time to time sporadically.

I've always liked marin's and know they're out of vogue now, but times change.

I'm 5'7, so these smaller frames are great. Knowing I got the first one sized in a proper shop (Ralph Colman's) helps me me really happy about the size. I used to commute cross-town on it, til I could drive of course.. !

Ideally I want a similar era high-end marin with XT spec, hardtail or full suss. But it depends if I, and my main riding partner stick this out long enough to justify that! (Indian Fire Trail or Nail Trail)

Get this one going, upgrade what needs doing, find a frame/project with the better frame, build from that.. onwards and upwards!

 

[Canopy]

Re: Marin Hawk Hill's - 1999/2000 and 2003

I found a bunch of info on the 2003 range via waybackmachine (http://web.archive.org/web/200212051250 ... intro.html)

In 2003 the full hard tail range went from low spec to high..

Bolinas Ridge -> Bobcat Trail -> Hawk Hill -> Palisades Trail -> Nail Trail -> Rocky Ridge -> Indian Fire Trail



From a drop down on an old site from 2000 the range went, so my memory was correct about there being a lower model.

Bobcat Trail -> Hawk Hill -> Palisades Trail -> Nail Trail -> Rocky Ridge -> Indian Fire Trail

I also found on the US site that the Hawk Hill didn't change/exist for 2000 (http://web.archive.org/web/200003041257 ... index.html)

 

[Canopy]

Re: Marin Hawk Hill's - 1999/2000 and 2003

You cant go wrong with £30 for that, but the Hawk Hill was the bottom of the Marin range if I recall correctly and even your valuation of £399 for the original purchase price may have been a little on the high side... wont of been that far off though.)

Found my receipt yesterday, I ordered it 31st Oct with a tenner deposit and paid the £385 on the 1st Nov 1999 when I collected it. (Guess they needed a day to set it up!)

So it was £395.

 

[Canopy]

Found a Deore LX rear mech amongst stuff at my parents so upgraded the mech on the 1999 (silver) with that. (Probably from a few old bikes I stripped the best bits off then scrapped)

Had a good ride on the quantocks sunday, the only niggle to iron out is that the pedals need a regrease.


With the other project, I have had a bit of a 'mare finding a seat post for the other one. Turns out both use a 27.0 post. After a bit of patience I've just scored a black one for 50p

So the biggie really finding some wheels for the '03 one.

 

[Canopy]

'03 is coming along nicely, have all the parts now in hand apart from the seat post clamp and the rear wheel which is out for repair. have picked up lots of bits new, at carboots and on ebay.. pics when its done

build cost so far..

£30 frame including handle bars and disc calipers
£10 set of 26" wheels with discs (car boot!) (came with no tyres or tubes)

£10 new set of all handle grips (cycle surgery)
£10 2x inner tubes (plus got one spare free) (cycle surgery)
£10 new chain and all new cables (ebay for chain, cables LBS and asda!)
£15 nearly new WTB seat (ebay)
£10 various missing bits like cable guides & clamps, seat post (which was 50p!) (local bike charity for post, cycle surgery and ebay for rest)
£6 pair of almost new tyres (car boot)
free - set of old stx rc shifters that look amost new i found amongst stuff at my parents (couldnt find the brand new, unused titanium flite seat i had though )



total cost so far roughly £100

plus £25 (estimated) cost to remove freewheel i couldnt get off, and fit new axle+rebuild hub

 

[Canopy]

Re:

and its finished!

have used some black hammerite on the chipped paint on the rear rim now too. I think the next modification to it will probably be some forks as I'm not able to service these properly

front mech needs setting up a little better, but apart from that its great, not been on a full ride yet.

 

[fat jack at the back]

Re:

Proper budget blaster, very nice

 

[MarinMartin]

Re:

can't beat a budget marin. Same as my Nail trail. bought the frame and forks for 25quid (long story) and built it up using whatever bits I could find cheap or had lying about (but don't worry, I'm going to change the crappy bars for better ones). I call it a thrasharound bike as I don't show it any mercy, but even after jumps and all she's not let me down yet. All in she owes me a whoppin 45 quid

apologies for rubbish pics.