Wow, it took me an hour and half to go through every single page and pic on this thread.

That being said, here's my icebreaker post. I've seen just a handful of Marins here and none were Bobcat Trails. This is a 2005 Bobcat Trail. One step down from the Hawk Hill and another step down from the Palisades Trail. I bought this bike because of the attractive price point ($420) and the great frame with a good outlook for upgrades to the medium-level parts.

Manufacturer's image


Pic of it right after I got it from the store - removed front reflectors (top one actually fell off while on the trail) and the kickstand (it was free).


I've ridden it about a dozen times so far at Walnut Creek in Austin, TX and it's performed well. I have a feeling I'll be getting a new front fork once I hit the bigger trails. It climbs really well though.

7000 series butted Al frame
Spinner grind ac 323 w/80mm travel
shimano acera shifters
hayes mx-2 xc brakes v6 6" rotors
shimano t300 front derail
rear is an acera
hubs are shimano disc 32 hole
rims are Alex td-20 double walled
crankset is truvativ x-flow
IRC Mythos XCII tires

Huge 20" frame with 34" standover (i'm 6'2")

One thing I don't like is how low the crankset is on the frame. I hit rocks sometimes when the pedals are on the bottom. It makes some climbs difficult. Should I look into eggbeaters?

http://www.marinbikes.com/bicycles_2...cat_trail.html