Mountain Biking - Just got first full suspension bike! Stoked!

So i've been browsing craigslist to grab a mountain bike. I sold a Cannondale F5 hard tail I had a while ago and missed having one. I was set on a full suspension even if I decide only to ride on dirt paths.. :lol:

I wanted a Yeti..bad! I actually had one just jump up. A 2011 Yeti 575 Enduro for $1,750. I liked it, but didn't want to spend that much so I got this instead:

2009 Marin Mount Vision 5.7 - it is sweet!




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For what I paid I wouldn't have found any new full suspension bike near the specs of this one I think. Frame is an XL (i'm 6'), which when standing over it the lower portion of the top tube is just under my giblets. :lol: I like the larger frame actually. My old Cannondale was a medium and I felt cramped. The research I did told me it was a $2,800 bike. Shifts good, tires are decent, largest chainring replaced with a bash guard. It has scrapes and crap, but it's a mountain bike! Only two things that jumped out is the left seal is letting a bit of oil past it so it will need to be rebuilt over the winter. The front brake makes awful squealing noises when braking. Pads look OK and the disc is straight. I think the squeaking is pretty normal. Can't wait to try it out. I plan to grab a pair of platforms to get used to it. Then i'll give clipless a shot.

For being 3 years old it looks to not have been used much. A few small chips here and there, rub marks, etc. It just adds character. Guy I bought it from hurt his knee and the give in the suspension when climbing out of the saddle hurts him so he is looking for a hard tail.

Let me know what you think! Love to hear about this as I don't see too much on Marin.

Nice bike. I think the squealing is caused when the calipers/pads aren't perfectly parallel to the rotor.

Thanks, i'll pull the pads and reinstall them to see if that gets rid of the noise.

Looks like a solid ride...and clean. The quadlink seems like a pretty decent rear suspension setup - reminds me of the Commencal Meta55.

It's likely that the suspension(front and rear) has never been serviced, though a small amount of oil left on the stanchions is normal - if it's excessive, then oil seals are due for replacement. After 3 years, it's probably not a bad idea to atleast do basic service on both. The float rear shocks are very easy to do the air sleeve rebuild - here's the kit: http://www.myfoxracingshox.com/?pid=28. If the shock is not working properly, it would be time for a full rebuild, which would require sending off - you could do it yourself, but that is a bit more complicated with a Fox rear shock.

The front fork is also simple to work on. I would recommend dropping the lowers and replacing all fluids.

Fox service info: http://service.foxracingshox.com/consumers/index.htm

For the brake: the pads could be glazed over a bit and you may want to take some fine sandpaper and lightly sand down the surface. Then, like Clem referred to, you'll need to realign the caliper to the rotor. Might also want to route that front brake line on the inside of the fork leg, instead of the outside. Use some rubbing alcohol to clean up the rotor surface.

Marin is a solid name that has been around for 20+ years. That should be a great bike. Looks like a bike that was somebody's great idea and then sat in a garage for most of its life. SWEET!

If it's good enough for Shaums March, . . . .

Nice bike indeed - - congrats. What ncfisherman said about the brakes. Hayes have a tendency to howl when the pads are wonky. Dress 'em down, clean your rotors and realign your calipers & rebed the pads (follow the Hayes bed-in procedure to the letter) and you should be gold. Stroker Trails are excellent brakes when properly cared for.

Awesome! Thanks guys. When I get a chance i'll pull the pads, check everything, clean it, and reinstall. So far after wiping the bike and fork down I don't see any oil, but i'll have a better idea after my first ride and the shock gets used. What was there really wasn't much so it may have been normal. Besides some few small chips in the paint, scuffs, and some black touch up paint on the rear swingarm were there were scrapes, it really is in good shape. I'm curious to see the difference now having a rear suspension. Hope to get some use out of it soon.

I just ordered some Kendal Nevegal Stick-E 2.35" tires, tubes, and SPD Cleats from JensonUSA. Now I just need to check out some shoes at the local shop to get an idea of what I want/need.

Haha, yeah I guess I should. ;)

I grabbed a bunch of stuff today. Some tire levers, Kenda tires, Animal platform pedals, Pearl Izumi Mountain bike shoes that are also compatible with the SPD cleats, Degreaser, Chain brush, and a Giant Control Tower floor pump.

I degreased the rear cog and chain, lubed it, swapped tires and new tubes in at 40 psi. I also cleaned the brakes up, and scuffed the current pads with some sand paper. I took it outside to double check shifting. So far on the street it shifts any which way without any issues. Oh, and no more squealing from the front brake.

New shoes are super sticky and really grab the pedals.

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Looks great. Have fun with it!

Cool bike, but me thinks 40psi seems a bit too high even with tubed tires.

I got out tonight and we did about a 40 minute ride. New bike felt good. Need to rebuild the wiper seals in the fork (which I just ordered), but other than that it was fun. Saw some deer as well. The last 20 minutes were a bit hard as it was dark enough to not be able to really see where the rocks were facing, stumps, etc.

Like the poster above me said 40psi was probably too high. Before I left I brought it down to 30 psi, but I think I need to play with the tire pressure some. I felt the rear slipping on some climbs. I'm going to try 25psi next time.

Regarding tire psi...I usually run around 35-38 in my 2.35's on my mini freeride bike. If it's just general trail riding with some fun stuff to jump off, 35. If it's urban or super rocky stuff that could pinch flat me...I'll go 38psi.

I'm 204# and my bike is a 2:1 4x6.

Are those the single-ply Nevegal folders?

Congrats on your F/S! I got my first, a Santa Cruz Superlight, Nov 2011. F/S is sooo much nicer on one's body. As for tire PSI, run as low as you can w/o feeling bogged down or swappy or w/o pinch flatting. I have a Speshy Ground Control 2.3 on front and a 2.1 on rear and run 30 psi in both. 28 psi is ok but it starting to get a tad soft for me. I'm 6-1, 174.