Prestige Marin Team/Team Issue - differences

[raidan73]

I received another reply from Marin Tech today

"Hello Adrian and thanks for your reply. Thanks for the pics, you have an awesome and truly rare frame! Very cool snap-shot of Marin-TET history and a worthy restore for sure. 15" 1990. Thanks again and please feel free to email back with any more questions, Gravy"

 

[pw_pw_la]

I hope this thread and their very nice emails lead to a build thread soon...

That bike deserves all the attention I'm sure you're going to give it!

: )

 

[raidan73]

I hope this thread and their very nice emails lead to a build thread soon...

That bike deserves all the attention I'm sure you're going to give it!

: )

I'll get to it, eventually. There's a bit of a back log at the moment

 

[pw_pw_la]

Not related to the title but related to Marin's in general...

Can anyone tell me anything about a Bear Valley in black with splatter paint?

I'm asking here because this is where the experts are!

A quick look online leans towards this paint job dating the bike to approx. 1990? Am I correct there?

(We've already discussed the lack of pre-1991 catalogs available on the site).

Would this be something worth getting? I know BV's are a midrange bike, but the date and paint are tempting...

1990 Marin Bear Valley Frameset (Rare-Splatter Paint) For Sale

1990 Marin Bear Valley Frameset (Rare-Splatter Paint) For sale on Pinkbike buysell

www.pinkbike.com

 

[Tootyred]

Yes 1990 sound right. Its not got marins cast rear dropout, but it has got the single diameter stays....so yes 1990 would be it. Splatter was a non uk option i believe.

Frame number will tell you all!

Bit steep price wise! In my humble opinion......would have thought 25% of that!,,, but hey.....what do i know!

 

[pw_pw_la]

That's not the one I found! I should have clarified.

The one I found is $10 in a storage locker somewhere!

Tempting just to rack it up and build a camping bike!

 

[madjh]

O have a Team Issue from 1996. It is suppose to be one step up from Team but mine comes that year full XT. Nice frame, very good weight. Now near standar, weights 10.7kg with all equipment. Without accessories and a XT pedals instead 520, it weights 10.5kg with a manitou Match 5 and less with a rock star.

 

[pw_pw_la]

Okay, so frame and forks arrived.

Team Issue from 92.

According to the seller, and the very faded neon yellow turned white decals (via the 92 catalog in the archive on here)!

Serial is as follows: FJ2LA0005

(I'm going to take that LA as a nice little sign that I was supposed to have this bike!)

It's also stamped 20 15 (with the space between the two sets of digits) on the BB shell.

And there's also a little B3 on one of the dropouts.

Photos below.

Anything anyone can tell me about this?

Assuming its not a repro model from 2015!

 

[marc two tone]

For me it's a genuine 1992 issue.
See the 'ribbing' to tubing?

I can only distance assume the B3 is just an assembly related thing..

I/we are still a Good way from 1992 definitive guides but the serial seem to fit ok. No idea what the J means but the ribbing could be a clue...maybe.

Cheers for posting this.

 

[pw_pw_la]

Thanks Mark.

Is there any rhyme or reason to the serial, aside from the mystery "J"? Does the rest of it denote anything in particular?

And what about the 20 15? Any ideas about that?

Frame definitely has the ribbing!