engo

Hi all. I'm usually lurking in the C&V and Road forums, but I think this question may be one for the mountain bike crowd.

A friend of mine picked up a used Marinoni mountain bike recently, something I was surprised to see. It's Shimano Deore equipped, and is made of a Columbus aluminum alloy (can't remember specifically which one).

Can anyone tell me when Marinoni might have made mountain bikes?

Thanks!

digger

I had a Marinoni mountain bike. chromoly, rigid fork, 7 speed that I bought in 1996. Two years ago I parted it out on Ebay. It had chrome on the forks, chainstays and seat stays. Really nice frame....and I shouldn't have gotten rid of it, I'm kickin myself now.

As you already know they primarily make road frames and are now into aluminum road frames and I think they are muckin' around with carbon and titanium now.

As far as I know they don't make MTB bikes any more, just the road (touring, racing, track, etc). But I'm sure that if you put ni a request for a MTB type frame that it would be possible.....?

My road bike is a Marinoni chromoly, best bike on the planet

Some links:
https://www.marinoni.qc.ca/
https://www.marinoni.qc.ca/html/en_index.html
https://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/FBeauchemin/

engo

Thanks a lot for the info digger. Sounds like it might be similar, as this is a rigid frame as well. Well put together bike; really awful decals though...

Also, I'm liking the new Marinoni website. The old one kind of sucked. Now I'll go back to dreaming of the day I can afford to buy a custom steel Marinoni road bike.

digger

Well then as a teaser here's mine - a sport/touring bike.

The second picture is the mountain bike frame I got rid of (stupid, stupid, stupid)

engo

OK, your frame looks WAY nicer than the one my friend picked up. Her's is dirty white, with swoopy script decals. This may actually work out in her favour, as her last two bikes have been stolen. I think we're going to pick up some coloured electrical tape to cover the decals and further reduce the curb appeal.

PS. Nice roadie. Some day....

kevmetric

MARINONI splits their production into high-end and low-end bikes. The low-end
bikes, built in Taiwan or China, are not too shabby ...and are bargain priced due
to ridiculously low labor wages in that region of the planet. It's not a bad deal.

But, I prefer KONA, or FUJI or GIANT/ TREK.

digger

Marinoni are made in Quebec. Can you supply me with some info on where you have read about this? I'm curious.

Thanks!
Digger

kevmetric

Give me a break ....go into bike shop, in Quebec, and there
are Marinoni's selling in there at the same prices as the Taiwan
or China produced and assembled road and MTB bikes, such as Marin,
or similar.

By comparison, even FUJI that is also made in China or Taiwan, is a high-end
bike, because it's quality is worlds apart, higher, than what Marinoni is sticking
it's brand name on, these days. It's the time of globalization now, and sticking
your brand on a China import for bucks. All about the bucks. Even deVinci a
Canadian maker, has begun making perhaps 30% of their stuff in China, vs.
their soldering and design plant in Northern Quebec. You can't compete with US
and Euro salaries against Asian ones.

digger

I've never been into a Quebec bike store so I can't comment. What I think you're saying is that Marinoni is selling their bikes at the same price as one made in Taiwan or China? So how do you know that Marinoni is making some of their product in another country? I'm not trying to bust your chops here, I just want to have a reasonable discussion.

I purchased my bike in 1998 when I was living in Newfoundland. The bike store I dealt with, Earle Industries, helped me with its design asking me what I wanted - gearing, fender mounts, rack mounts, type of shifters, etc. They took my measurements and sent a diagram I made of a bike frame showing colours I wanted (font, lettering placement, etc.) to Marinoni in Quebec. This bike was made in Quebec.

I'm just asking HOW you know that at least some of these are made in another country?

I cannot comment on what bike frame is better than another. But any frame builder at any bike store I have taken mine into comments on the workmanship.

kevmetric

"So how do you know that Marinoni is making some of their product in another country?"

Because of the label "MADE IN CHINA" on it, and the word of the LBS owner. I think
the product you got, a custom-designed bike, is what we call, niche, high-end market.

digger

Hmmm, okey dokey. I'm gonna have to do some asking around. Ticks me off though, I have a high regard for Marinoni, but I guess they have to survive like anyone else.

mudtread

Hi, I`m new to the forum and glad to be here! Your posts bring back some good memories! I live in Québec and am a long time mountain biker. I owned a Marinoni mtb that I bought in Beauport (a suburb of Quebec city) at "Le Vélomane", in 1988 for $1195 + tx. I was in the search for my 2nd bike when I entered in the shop. The bike was waiting for me, next to the door. I stopped shopping and told Marc, the owner that this was the one. The bike is one of the best I ever got. It was made in Montréal from hi-end Columbus Cr-mo and came with a full XT gruppo, the top of the line gruppo at that time. It had also one of the most beautiful paint one could find on a bike at the time, a 3 color paint sheme of pink, violet and silver, with all four dropouts and chainstay reinforced w. real chrome. It is also one of the toughest paint I ever saw on a bike. After 3 years of abuse, it was sporting only a few tiny chips and almost invisible minor scratches. The bike also had a Tioga T-bone stem and I can`t remember what the original tires were but I switched them for Tioga Farmer Johns right away, the Kenda Nevegal of their time. The only weak point of this bike were the rims, ordinary and heavy UKAIs that I replaced after only 12 months after both of them didn`t make it through a major crash at "Le Relais" ski resort. I intalled the top rim of the time, Road Mavic rims re-rolled in 26" by Bontrager (can`t remember their exact name but they were weighing 340g/piece. Very light; even by today`s standards!). I also replaced the tires by Marin Rockstars. Complete bike weight was 28lbs. I am actually searching for this bike, so if it`s still alive and you think you may have seen it around town, please let me know. :-)

Cheers!