Marin Bear Valley, horrible to ride?

[Rampage]

yep, well travelled are marins.

maybe a tyre pressure thing or stem length issue. i'm sure you will tame it though.

check out this local on a palisades. somewhere on the karakoram highway.

What does the cut-off writing at the top say?

 

[spike3]

Hmm, my riding style is retro freindly, my main bike is the rigid 1992 M-trax, I don't think I will tame it because I actually liked it as a commuter with slicks just hated it off road, so it's back to the slicks and paniers for the Bear Valley.

Oh and a new set of Deore lx wheels as the freehub completly blew on the stx jobs today.

 

[hamster]

You can replace the freehub body very easily.

I do agree on the road thing though - my tourer is based on a 1990 Palisades. It's rock steady at 40mph with 4 panniers and a barbag.

 

[1997BlackC5]

Here's my Bear Valley, can't really comment on how she rides as I got given the bike by a friend who didn't want it anymore. As soon as I got it I stripped it down with the aim of a gloss black powder coat & a redbuild as a backup commuter....I think she is a 1988 - exage mountain parts & u-brake!

 

[marc two tone]

yep, well travelled are marins.

maybe a tyre pressure thing or stem length issue. i'm sure you will tame it though.

check out this local on a palisades. somewhere on the karakoram highway.

What does the cut-off writing at the top say?

Anyone anywhere can enjoy the pleasure a mountain bike brings.

 

[Rampage]

Thought it might be something humorous!

 

[Reluctant]

I still own an old 1990ish Marin, might be a Palisades, and I've also ridden enough 90s Marins to have a general idea. (worked in a dealership from 96 to 2002). I think of the steel framed bikes as being pretty good, springy, compliant, smooth to ride. The Rockstar fork is pretty damn good at smoothing things out. Having said that, my old Marin is only doing commuting/utility chores these days, I wouldn't want to hammer it off road.
As other have said though, have a play around with tyres - big volume, low pressure tyres make such a difference.

 

[mikee]

not ridden a bear valley ( :? )
but had a few eldridge's ,love them nice steel is real frames ride well
might be the same frame , all pre-94 ones tho

re-adjust your attitude and ride with more finesse next time

 

[Neil]

not ridden a bear valley ( :? )
but had a few eldridge's ,love them nice steel is real frames ride well
might be the same frame , all pre-94 ones tho

re-adjust your attitude and ride with more finesse next time

I rode (rode, not owned - borrowed for the odd ride) a couple of Marin's in the turn of / early 90s - one a Bear Valley, the other an Eldridge Grade, and have to say they always seem just fine - the Eldrige was probably a year or two newer than the Bear Valley, at the time, seemed a fair bit lighter.

 

[mooster]

I've always like the ride from early Marins, riding a 19" the bikes are quite long and I'd find they'd understeer slightly but it's just something to get used to. I'd sometimes fit a wider front tyre to give more grip and also if it was bumpy terrain a few less psi to help soak them up. A hard front tyre on a marin can cause the front to skit about a bit, so maybe try a fatter front and see if it helps