Marin Bobcat 5 or Salsa Rangefinder?
09-13-23, 10:08 AM
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Marin Bobcat 5 or Salsa Rangefinder?
These two bikes are on sale at a couple of local delaers and I cannot decide between the two bikes, the bobcat has shimnao deore 1x 11 the salsa has microsfit advent x 1x10. any opions on these bikes would be great. I am a green level trail rider and live in the midwest where we have gravel and dirt roads and , i currently have a trek marlin 4 and am looking to upgrade.
09-13-23, 07:20 PM
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Clark W. Griswold
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Probably neither. Yes they are going to be a slight upgrade from the Marlin but that isn't hard. Look for something with an air fork at the front. Deore is a fine stuff but the air fork is the key and where you should be looking. Coil forks are either super cheap and pretty crap or they are high end forks not generally spec'd on new bikes and more of an after market set up. The fork quality is the important thing more than drivetrain and such but it just so happens when you upgrade to the right fork the other parts tend to be a lot better.
If I was picking from those models I would go for the Rangefinder Deore 11 which has an air shock or if I was focused on brands than the Marin Pine Mountain would be my top choice in hardtails but I like steel and I love bikes that can carry stuff.
I got a Salsa Timberjack Ti frame for that reason I can mountain bike on it but also do some bike packing if I wanted but that is an expensive option considering I got it as a frame so I bought everything else for it which is generally more expensive then buying a complete bike but I got what I wanted on it (or what I thought I wanted at the time I want a 130mm fork instead of the 100mm SID XX that I have on there but that SID was on a closeout)
If I was picking from those models I would go for the Rangefinder Deore 11 which has an air shock or if I was focused on brands than the Marin Pine Mountain would be my top choice in hardtails but I like steel and I love bikes that can carry stuff.
I got a Salsa Timberjack Ti frame for that reason I can mountain bike on it but also do some bike packing if I wanted but that is an expensive option considering I got it as a frame so I bought everything else for it which is generally more expensive then buying a complete bike but I got what I wanted on it (or what I thought I wanted at the time I want a 130mm fork instead of the 100mm SID XX that I have on there but that SID was on a closeout)
