1997 Marin Palisades Trail dog

[wiggviv]

Fancied an aluminium Marin ......
Convince me I have not totally lost it - last nights Ebay purchase £70.
Picked up today long drive down A1 why do I never find them local?
Quick look over straight and dent free, pitting worse than pics suggest most bits well shot.
Thoughts please ..... still thinking my options.
Will be a back burner after 1991 Bear Valley.

 

[marc two tone]

My thoughts.
This was one year that marin got right for day to day function vs cost.
For me, some better tyres, saddle and the usual consumables such as grips and brake blocks.
Get it running without spending too much cash, incase you just dont like it.
A full strip down and assess as you go. The clear finish may respond to a micro cloth and gt85 etc...

But as for rock shox reba+
700mm risers+
1 x 11 gears
= narrr.

 

[wiggviv]

My thoughts.
This was one year that marin got right for day to day function vs cost.
For me, some better tyres, saddle and the usual consumables such as grips and brake blocks.
Get it running without spending too much cash, incase you just dont like it.
A full strip down and assess as you go. The clear finish may respond to a micro cloth and gt85 etc...

But as for rock shox reba+
700mm risers+
1 x 11 gears
= narrr.

Full strip and clean will be keeping the Rockstars for sure - only had steel Marins before so see how it comes together with bits I've got....not over excited ATM.

 

[CassidyAce]

I've got a '96 Palisades, which was the first of the alloy ones. For its price point BITD, and especially the meagre sum I paid for it, it's a cracking bike and exceeded my expectations. Cheap, but definitely cheerful. A workhorse with a smile on its face. I got it as a commuter but I've used it on longer rides sometimes, too, just because I like it. However, if you haven't got a specific use for it (like commuting) and it's competing with the BV for your riding time, I can't really see the point.

 

[Daddy Giraffe]

I really like some of the 1997 range, and you can pick up some real bargains with great spec. Ive had a Pine, IFT and Mount Vision which all ride really well, the only fault I can think of is corrosion under the lacquer on the ally pair. I never had a 97 Palisades, but like CassidyAce I picked up a couple of 96s last year, first ally Pali’s. One was quickly stolen, and the other turned out to have cracks in seat tube/binder area and also in the bottom of the head tube, so a hard life presumably. Didn’t love the feel or finish of them.

 

[Rotorhead]

Good bike in my opinion. Got mine from a bike charity project three years ago. It’s my go-to about town bike. currently sporting silver SKS mudguards in winter trim but here it is a couple of summers ago. Not the lightest or fastest, whatever I pimp it with, but gets the job done and the lacquer corrosion becomes patina when it’s all cleaned up.

 

[wiggviv]

All yellowed up love the look with black wheelset. I have a long way to go to get anywhere near yours. Bought cheap to see how it compares to my steel Marins. I will build up and ride see how I goes needs full lacquer strip to polish later on. Fancied an aluminium for a while now also have a Kona Muni_Mula planning dirt drop tourer on this one will go 1x11 and Project 2 with Midge bars.