Recreational & Family - Any reason not to look at the Marin Muirwoods?

I am new here and to the world of biking. At least in the modern age of biking. My last bike was a Ross 10-speed when I was 15 years old and 2 Mongoose BMX bikes back in the early 80's :eek: Gas prices got me interested in looking for a bike. Mainly for in-town running around. Then I got all hyped up on the Rails to Trails thing and figured that might be something I would like to do. Anyway, I was originally looking at like Trex 7300FX and Gary Fisher Nirvana, but discovered the Marin Muirwoods. Is there any reason not to look at this bike? Anything inferior compared to the other two? I have not tried any of them out yet. And of course I will do that before jumping into anything.

I think I have spent 25 hours looking through this site in the past 3 weeks or so, and it has helped me learn a lot more than I could have in 25 hours anywhere else.

I am new here and to the world of biking. At least in the modern age of biking. My last bike was a Ross 10-speed when I was 15 years old and 2 Mongoose BMX bikes back in the early 80's :eek: Gas prices got me interested in looking for a bike. Mainly for in-town running around. Then I got all hyped up on the Rails to Trails thing and figured that might be something I would like to do. Anyway, I was originally looking at like Trex 7300FX and Gary Fisher Nirvana, but discovered the Marin Muirwoods. Is there any reason not to look at this bike? Anything inferior compared to the other two? I have not tried any of them out yet. And of course I will do that before jumping into anything.

I think I have spent 25 hours looking through this site in the past 3 weeks or so, and it has helped me learn a lot more than I could have in 25 hours anywhere else.


I have a Marin road bike (Argenta) and have been pretty pleased with it. It is heavy, so if your looking for that super cool, light as a feather kind of ride the Marin may not be the bike for you. But I found the prices to be reasonable, given the group (shifters, brakes, etc.) and the ride to be good.

I have a Marin road bike (Argenta) and have been pretty pleased with it. It is heavy, so if your looking for that super cool, light as a feather kind of ride the Marin may not be the bike for you. But I found the prices to be reasonable, given the group (shifters, brakes, etc.) and the ride to be good.

I looked at the bike, and it looks fine, generally. There are probably some deals coming up on the internet soon, as we're coming up on the end of the season in lots of locations (thoguh not yours, probably). So you could likely get a better bike for less money if you can figure out fit and buy online. AS a concept (rigid rear triangle, rigid fork) this is a good place to start. Not too many bells and whistles, keep weight down, minimize adjustment and frequency of repair.
Good luck!

There are a lot of shops in your area (google bicycle shop in Mt Dora, Fl) some of which have used bikes. You might look for a local sale.

Thanks for the replies. There are actually very few bikes shops close by. I know of one actually. Once you get out 20 to 30 miles or so in several directions there are quite a few. I emailed a couple Marin dealers and neither normally have the Muirwoods. Of course both said they can get it. That really doesn't do me any good. And the closest one is a good 45 minutes away with normal traffic. So Marin may be out.

I swear, the more I read, the more confused I am :roflmao: Maybe I should get a mountain bike with a more of a road type tire. I need to do something or I'll lose interest before I ever get anything.

I do this with everything I ever do. I built three engines for an 87 Mustang because I did not think the one I had built before was good enough. I finally went overboard and built what I wanted then decided nothing else I had was up to par. 7 years later the car looks just like it did and the engine is sitting on the engine stand :lol:

Thanks for the replies. There are actually very few bikes shops close by. I know of one actually. Once you get out 20 to 30 miles or so in several directions there are quite a few. I emailed a couple Marin dealers and neither normally have the Muirwoods. Of course both said they can get it. That really doesn't do me any good. And the closest one is a good 45 minutes away with normal traffic. So Marin may be out.

Isn't Mt Dora near Orlando? I could swear I saw 12 shops in that area, but maybe my map scale was too broad.

Anyway- If you're just checking out cycling (Not sure how serious you might be) you might try an Bbay bike purchase- there are all sorts of rides available there, and you can use an online fitting guide to get close on size ( http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm )

I bought my road bike from an Ebay retailer (the Marin earlier mentioned) and it worked out fine. If you can define what it is you're looking for (Hybrid/MTB/Comfort) then there are a lot of choices. Just don't get hung up on brands.

As far as type of bike goes, of the five grown-up bikes in our garage I ride my 1991 Trek MTB, fitted with slicks and fenders, the most, as it's my commuter bike. I pull a trailer with it to haul my kids, don't have to worry too much about it being stolen, and have had it so long now that it feels like home. Bike weight is no issue, as I'm riding it to work my body, not give it a vacation. :)

Thanks again. And yeah, Mt. Dora is not that far from Orlando or the bicycle shops over in Seminole county mileage-wise, but the traffic makes all of them a 45+ minute one-way drive. This area has turned into a traffic nightmare. They have one area along US 441 that they began widening like 4 years ago. This was an area that was maybe 4 miles in length. While they finished the part closest to Tavares, the area toward Leesburg is not finished. Now they are widening north and south along US 441. The road construction, repaving US441 at one end of Mt. Dora and ending right at Eustis started the whole thing in the spring of 2001. I would be shocked if the widening will be finished by 2008. Afterall, they are still working on a four mile stretch here almost 4 years later. That is a long time for less than 20 miles. And all it has done has made traffic and the driving surface horrible.

My bike purchase last year was the result of a thought process similar to yours, I wasn't sure what I wanted, or what I would end up doing with it. I bought a "comfort bike", kind of a rails to trails thing with front suspension. I rode it through local parks, some trails, and several months later, started commuting to work on it. As I got more familiar with riding, I realized the bikes limitations, though I still love it and ride it regularly. I bought a mountain bike 1 year later, and dream of a road bike. I suggest buying something simple and nice, that you can afford to grow out of. Then you'll know what you need next time. Even used bikes can get you started. Good luck, and enjoy!

I bought a Marin Novato about a month ago. It has a 9 speed cassette vs the 8 speed on the 7300FX. The Marin also has 26" wheels while I believe the 7300FX has 700c wheels.

I would likely have been happy with either.. but really wanted the 9 speed cassette. I was interested in a number of other bikes but was unable to locate any to test (Jamis Coda series, Kona Dew Deluxe, etc.) Hope you have better luck that I did finding bikes to check out. There's only so much you can do online!\

Overall, I am pleased with the Novato and level of components for the price.

I went through this thing a while back. Had a hard time deciding between a Marin city bike (Larkspur) and a 7300FX. I finally bought the latter since I liked its ride a little better. If you go to an LBS and take a spin, you may find that it makes your decision a little bit easier. Good luck.

I swear, the more I read, the more confused I am :roflmao: Maybe I should get a mountain bike with a more of a road type tire. I need to do something or I'll lose interest before I ever get anything.

I do this with everything I ever do. I built three engines for an 87 Mustang because I did not think the one I had built before was good enough. I finally went overboard and built what I wanted then decided nothing else I had was up to par. 7 years later the car looks just like it did and the engine is sitting on the engine stand :lol:

Yeah, I have been to a few and they seem downright low on inventory. I have resorted to emailing some just to see what they have before I go burn a lot of gas for nothing. So far it seems they all are a little lean this time of year. I will definitely take a test ride before I buy anything new though.

The specs of the Trek and the Marin appear very similar . The 7300FX has 700c wheels and the Muirwoods has 26" wheels... if that matters to you. Otherwise, a quick glance at the component list appears to show similar components.

Ride 'em for a while and see what you like best.

For the kind of riding you describe, i.e., mainly urban, a hybrid bike with 700C tires may be a good choice (e.g., the 7300FX). A mountain bike with a front-suspension would probably be overkill. If you choose a wider set of tires on the hybrid, say 35-38mm, you will get a bike with fairly comfortable ride that should be able to handle most of the urban hazards you throw at it. The component level on similarly-priced bikes should be fairly close, so you will not be making a huge mistake if you pick the Marin vs. something else. If you want to look at hybrids with 700C tires, the following may be a good place to start:

Marin Larkspur
Trek 7300FX
Gary Fisher Nirvana

Marin Muirwoods is steel and has MTB tires (26") compared to the ones above that are aluminum and have 700C tires.

I swear, the more I read, the more confused I am :roflmao: Maybe I should get a mountain bike with a more of a road type tire. I need to do something or I'll lose interest before I ever get anything.

:


That's just about where I was a year ago - torn between a Marin Muirwoods and the Trek 7300FX. Went into my LBS which happens to be a Marin dealer but when I saw the Specialized Sirrus (http://specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=5997) it was love at first ride.

Since it was the end of the season my LBS offered $100 off the list price which brought it down the price of the Trek and certainly better than buying it used. Quite honestly, unless you want something vintage or find a $25 garage special, or get a good percentage off a high-end bike, there isn't much point in buying used.

EDIT: Wanted to add that the Sirrus has 700C 28 tires which makes it more of a road bike than most hybrids although it still has flat bars like a mountain bike. Weight is about 22 lbs without accessories.

Well, I have since been to a couple more shops and it seems like what I am looking for is pretty scarce. I looked at a few mountain bikes, saw a few that interested me. Nice bikes...but why am I buying front suspension that I do not need?

This one is close to what your lookin at.

http://tinyurl.com/a5ra2

Steve

This one is close to what your lookin at.

http://tinyurl.com/a5ra2

Steve

I can vouch for that bike. I have the 2003 version and ride it every day as my commuter as well as my family time bike and my shopping bike. Great bike. Here is mine outfitted with a rear rack, panniers, fenders and upgraded wheels. I paid $468 shipped off of eBay for it.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeej440/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/dscn3488.jpg

Find a way to keep your interest up for another week or so. I know our local shops are short on inventory right now, but that's because the 2005's are not being restocked after they are sold, and the 2006's haven't all come in yet. Don't fret too much about the exact model you want now. Get an idea of the type of bike you want, go test ride some and your bike will choose you.

I tried contacting Marin about what dealers may have the bike in the area, but they never responded. The other day when I was at a shop I mentioned I looked at a couple mountain bikes that I liked. One of them was the Cannondale F400 and the other was the F600. The F600 is really just out of my price range, and the front suspension seems like a waste for the riding I will end up doing. I looked at Cannondale site the other night and ran across the Bad Boy. That has got to be the most plain looking bike I have ever seen...it's beautiful! :D I emailed Cannondale and they gave me the names of a couple dealers that probably have them, so at least maybe I can see and try out the bike.

I tried contacting Marin about what dealers may have the bike in the area, but they never responded.

The marinbikes.com website has a list of dealers organized by zip code--did you take a look at that? I just got a new '05 Marin Larkspur a week ago at a nice reduced price ($330, the '06 is going for $420), and I love it. Beautiful bike, and a joy to ride.

One of the things that appealed to me about it--similar to your comment about the plain looks of the Cannondale BadBoy--is the clean, simple design and uncluttered look of the Marin bikes. They are rather "plain" compared to some other bikes, and to my surprise I found I loved that about them.

I hope you can find a dealer and take a look/ride before you make your final decision.

01gtb, I cannot say enough good things about my 2 Marin's..mt. bike and a city/urban bike, the Larkspur. They both have a "soft" ride, especially for an aluminum frame, and my Larkspur has the cro-moly fork and also the suspension seat post. I have taken it on charity rides of 50-75 miles and it's way more comfortable than my old Yakota roadie. Example of GREAT customer service: I bought my Hawk Hill (mtb) on vacation and rode it for 2 weeks, then took it home on plane. It had a creak/click sound coming from front steering area so I called Marin and inquired about service as my dealer was 2000 miles away...I get immediately connected to a tech who walked me through some procedures. I called a week later, still a problem...tech said take it to dealer in my area, they will fix at no charge. He then offered to service bike at their headquarters as I lived only an hour away from Novato (Ca). I took bike to them, they replaced entire front end: wheel, bar, head set, shifters, fork, etc...at no charge. They said if I have any more problems, they will just give me a new one!!
I have never experienced that level of service! Good luck with whatever you choose, but I'm sold on Marin.

chech this out: www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/asp/base_no.66853/dept_id./est./qx/product.htm
they frequently have a 20% off their lowest marked price which would really make this a sweet deal! Good luck and let us know what you get.

Not that I have any intention right now of doing that, but how involved is putting a bike together that you order online? Is it a box full of parts or what? :)

More and more riders are buying "on-line" as choices and availability are much greater than what some local bike shops offer. However, many new riders are not comfortable with ordering out for a bike...the right frame size could be a problem if not researched. To assemble, you just need a few basic tools and 15 minutes of time to put the stem/handlebar in headset, pedals on, seat/post in place, reflectors, check skewers for tightness...thats about it. I have bought 3 boxed bikes over the years and have never had to adjust derailers, shifters, or brakes. If you are not the fix-it type, a local bike shop can do it in the $25. range.
Ride safe.

01GTB,
Count me in as another vote for the Marin.
I'm on my second Marin.
First one was an '04 Larkspur (700c wheels)
- great bike for the price
- stolen after 10 months
Relplace it with the Novato (26" wheels)
- basically a mountain bike without the front suspension, but with higher gearing like a hybrid and slick tires rather than knobbies
- I love this bike! The reason I went with it rather than another Larkspur is mainly because I wanted a better selection of studded tires to choose from for winter riding, plus wanted to be able to add disc brakes in the future.
- I've done two metric centuries on this bike & it's quite comfortable.

If you are not the fix-it type, a local bike shop can do it in the $25. range.
Ride safe.


Oh, I'm the fix-it type :) Years ago, whether because of being broke or because of incompetent auto mechanics, I began doing pretty much all my own work on cars...no matter what it is.