Big MTB brands as I remember them

[02gf74]

Various mtb brands come and then disappear but this is how I remember the really big brands, those that you saw in the shops and in adverts plastered in mtb mags (I probs should go back and look at them mags to check)

Time split into 5 year chunks.

late 90s Trek, Marin, Kona, Saracen (when they made proper bikes)
early 00s Trek, Gary Fisher
late 00s Specialized, Scott
early 10s Cube

The point I am trying to make is that you (well, me to be exact) hardly come across a Marin or Kona anymore whereas Scott, Specialized and in recent years Cube are in your face everywhere.

Not sure where Giant, Cannondale fit into this list. Brands like Klein and Pace do not feature as they are a bit too small.

Do Marin still make bikes?

 

[NAILTRAIL96]

Marin are still very much on the go, they seem to focus on high end full sus and are currently pushing the 29ers quite hard.
Not many UK distributors though.

I was just thinking the other day about starting a thread about what year previously decent names became a sticker manufacturer for the generic BSO's seen on every paper round.
I've seen the same naff frame with Claud butler, saracen, muddy fox and giant decals :roll:

I stopped riding in 99 and payed little to no attention since until 2010 so I missed most your list.

 

[biglev]

Yeah it all got segmented.

Kona were massive in full sussers in 00's. pretty much every one had one as there first susser.

Giant went all DH and have stayed popular there.

Trek found success with road bikes (cause lance rode one).

I used to see a few marin and kona commuter bikes back in london, but I think loads of brands struggle to stay fresh and new. In 1989 the only bikes i looked at were Kona, Marin then Klein. One got bought by Trek and pretty much faded, marin went off the rails with their whtye susspention. still got lvoe for kona. Things change I guess.

 

[Barneyballbags]

Seems like everyone around where I live now owns or wants a Lapierre..!

Cracking bikes mind...

 

[poweredbypies]

No GT on the list :?

 

[brocklanders023]

In the early 90's everyone round our way was riding Orange, Specialized, Marin, Alpinestars, and Saracen. Probably just what the local shops stocked tbh. GT's were talked about but you didn't see many.

Now there's still loads of Orange's (Local pride? Or the fact that they're ace ), Marin, Trek, Lapierre, Specialized and some Kona + Santa Cruz. Also quite a few of those new brands that I can't remember.

 

[jax13]

What I noticed with the bigger name brands is

I think GT's reputation took a hit in the late 90's / early 00's when someone decided to let littlewoods catalogue sell low-end outposts etc. in a pay weekly catalogue.

Marin are sold by one LBS near me, a lot of changes to the range - i think the muirwoods is now a 700c hybrid rather than an entry level 'decent' mtb

Saracen seemed to die as a reputable brand when halfords got hold of them

Trek have become more popular as time progresses & they swallow more and more small companies & suck the life out of them

spesh are seen a lot more now than they were bitd, possibly the influence of evans cycles & similar large shops cropping up but a few brands have kept a similar size & stayed away from the big corporate image of trek & co. orange are probably one of the best examples of this, they have evolved with the sport but seem to have maintained a lot of the same 'small company' values.

 

[biglev]

i Loved GT all the way up the the RTS. after that they launched and stuck with the i-drive, which moves your chainset frotn and back to keep chain streach reduced. its nuts you have a rear mech for that. no one liked it but they have kept it for more that 10 years. hence there demise.

Although the Athertons are riding them this year so may be a come back?

 

[biglev]

maybe we should make a "had it---lost it" list.

Claud butler, klein, GT etc

 

[brocklanders023]

I got a brand new i-drive GT in '99 and hated it. Put me off bikes for another 5 years. Sold it almost looking like new :evil: