Punching Above Its Weight Class | Value Bike Field Test: Marin Rift Zone Review

No strangers to creating idiosyncratic and unique bikes, Marin has done it again with their new update to the Rift Zone. The 130mm trail bike manages to deliver a ride feel well in excess of its numbers, and the little ripper lives up to Marin's claim that it is "made to party, whatever your jam might be."
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[@nascarisawesome5018]

Good to see PB reviewing budget bikes like Marin and Norco that is actually accessible to most riders. It's a breath of fresh air seeing these bikes.

[@quitemountainous2528]

Do you know most riders to make that kind of statement?

[@kabir52]

Didn't know Norco is considered a budget brand, I just tried the Optic C2 and it's easily the best short trail travel bike I've ridden.

[@nascarisawesome5018]

@@quitemountainous2528 Yes I would say so. I sell bikes for a living and know pretty well what people buy and don't.

[@Rico-ex3no]

Can confirm, this person rides a Santa Cruz or Yeti with pit vipers on at all times.

[@corail53]

Norco is budget?

[@Nicoya]

Just to clarify things, it's pronounced "Marin".

[@amylaila2252]

Not isn't, it is pronounced "Marin".

[@Checkitwithamagnet]

I prefer to say, "Marin". Just my opinion.

[@betoalvaradog.7064]

It will be great to see a comparison between Norco Optic and Canyon Spectral 125. Two 125 mm bikes that behave almost like Enduro Bikes

[@theamazingtacocat9270]

I have a rift zone carbon and absolutely love it. Feels so natural and fast compared to my Scott

[@rossanderson4972]

What’s the weight of the carbon build?

[@chriscowan6630]

thanks for the focus on this price point.....achievable/attainable for many of us!

[@RidesWithJake]

I've been riding the Junior 26" version for a couple of months now, and while previous bike which is a Norco Fluid FS1 is better in specs, I now enjoy riding it. It's made me ride faster in the chunks, but I needs quite a few upgrades. I agree the value on this bike is not that great, I spent quite a bit to upgrade it and it now feels amazing!

[@chrispierdominici3891]

Interesting tire choice of the Assegai on a trail bike. Beast of a tire, but overkill and sluggish to my mind for a trail bike. Rode a set on my enduro bike for awhile and found them quite delimiting unless riding a lot of loose, gnarly terrain. Minions are better for a trail bike that can play a bit in the enduro realm.

[@HeidiFegles]

Dude you haven’t ride our Oregon greasy red or grey clay, if u don’t have an asseegai on the front then be prepared to just slide and fall over and over again.

[@wd99999]

I’d swap them out for some Dissectors, lighter, faster rolling and still nice and grippy

[@slcwhere1534]

Have this bike. Love this bike.

[@Arturito2017]

I have a 2022 Marin Rift Zone 1 27.5 and love it to death. So good

[@Checkitwithamagnet]

Which Rift Zone is this? Please add to video description if you can.

[@creativechimp03]

Good review. I'm looking at the Rift range vs the Giant Trance X range. Both 27.5 variants as I'm 5ft 6, what do you think is a better bike for a mix of XC/local trails, plus bike park visits (Reds, not blacks/huge drop-offs etc).

[@montanaharkin]

Friend has the previous generation Rift he got on clearance. Easily the best money ever spent in the history of mankind. Punches way above it's class.

[@RotormanMTB]

I got my son the same, in the 2. He rides it pretty hard and hits some geniune enduro like lines with it... a Cat 5 frame at this price is unheard of.

[@Arturito2017]

I got a 2022 XL 27.5 for $800 on Facebook market. Literally brand new. Steal of the century

[@worgle123]

I reckon I'm gonna pick one up. Bikesonline has 'em for sale at $1,800 AUD off! Pretty hard to beat at that point...

[@TheNnyx]

I picked up last year's 27.5 rift, put a coil shock and swapped the z2 for the z1 and it's a tank. Rides like a slope bike on flow tracks. And mini Enduro on the north US chunk. First mid travel bike that I can just point down hill and trust it to work.

[@karlovracaric9219]

I put a 150 ml lyrik on the front of my rift zone 29, love it

[@peterronzoni9264]

What happened to Mike Leavy!!??

[@endianAphones]

I really like my 27.5 Marin. It's just fun to ride. Hard to fault it for the price. Wouldn't mind trying a similar sized 29 er to see how it feels like.

[@waldowsxxghostxx8577]

Aside from the 2023 models having UDH how much improved is the new Riftzone compared to the previous 2022 models?

[@Alaakso]

Also one amazing thing about that float x performance, ypu can add the lsc knob yourself and make it black version of factory version.

[@griffmtb]

Say it with me... MUH-rin

[@SudoChuckwalla]

every time henry says mare-inn I die inside

[@francisdee9955]

Loving the reviews! Good job guys

[@ratpatrol69]

Just got one and it’s great 😊

[@SilverbackOrangutan71]

Marin are the best bikes out! I can’t wait for the dh bike they are working on

[@ChunkyWalnutX]

I did not know about the option of switching the cassette. I know this video is 1 year old, but how would one be able to contact Marin to do that?

[@alexanderjones1739]

Did Levy get abducted? Was he too close to the truth?

[@whispering_pines]

He’s training for a seat on a SpaceX Starlink launch.. 🚀 🎉

[@tomd1826]

If it's the same cable routing as the Alpine Trail then yeah, it's an absolute nightmare to work especially through the BB

[@McSchwabl]

Does anyone know where Mike Levi is?

[@nite760]

Picked one up on clearance for $2299 couldnt pass that up! Yeee

[@AaronAshear]

If my older bling bike breaks or gets stolen, I’m going budget next time. The law of diminishing returns has never been more present.

[@petedog9581]

At 35 lbs. and 130mm of travel, I'd have to say this bike didn't make weight for the fight... not punching above its weight class. My alloy Stumpy 150/130 is 30 lbs. packed w a full 15 oz. water bottle.

[@therealmeachy71]

I just got a brand new 2022 Rift Zone 1 27.5 for $1099 on clearance. Good bike, but it was never worth anywhere near $3500, even for a 29er. That's crazy. MAYBE $1899 at the most.

[@AdventureRich]

I had the option of this bike vs the Vitus Mythique that was cheaper with the same fork up front. I went with the Mythique and I'm LOVING IT!

[@d3l1a2704]

Do this bike support 300lb?

[@zodshells]

Nice bike 🎉

[@hktcss]

How’s this bike compared to the Polygon Colosous N9 ?

[@stefromfortworth]

The N9 is an Emduro bike with way more travel. A better comparison would be the Siskiu T8

[@hktcss]

@@stefromfortworth okay, thanks for that, might just seal the deal on the N9 today then, hard choice but I believe the N9 would suit me most. Cheers again love the vids 👍

[@vrwgq3q]

is this a Norco Fluid beater?

[@benjy288]

You'll probably be splitting hairs between them, I own the 2019 norco fluid, and I rode the new fluid around a car park and I actually preferred the 2019 model, the new model just felt like my old enduro bike, and there's plenty of those kind of bikes around, but the 2019 model feels like a cross between a fun, nimble, poppy xc bike and an enduro bike, fun to ride on both xc tracks and steep gnarly bike park tracks too.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

It's pronounced Marin....... not Marin. 😆

[@jeffrogers2180]

Where are bikes going that a 140 / 130 bike is called short travel?

[@Wieva919]

😂 agreed!

[@laurynasjagelo5075]

DH tracks & natural gnar. Where else would you go?

[@benjy288]

That's the mountain bike industry, they need something new in order to entice people into buying new bikes, with motorcycles they might give it more horsepower, or new electronics, but mountain bikes don't have that, so instead they change the geometry and add more travel, and they convince people that slacker bikes with more travel are better so you need to upgrade, but in reality that's not really the case, otherwise why stop at 130/140? or 140/150? why not just make all bike downhill bikes?

[@jeffrogers2180]

@@benjy288 don't forget sticking motors on bikes...

[@benjy288]

@@jeffrogers2180 Yep, and calling them something new, like ebikes, when in reality that's how motorbikes began, by putting a motor in a bicycle frame, its just a different kind of motor this time.

[@peniakfoto]

Nice review but bike is over tired :-D :-D Assegai on the rear on the medium travel bike? And climbing? Really? Dissector and Assegai or Rekon and DHF gives much more sense on the rift zone... Can not even imagine assegai on rear on my ebike :-)

[@marinsender5677]

It is pronounced mr-in. I live in Marin County where the Marin bike brand was founded.

[@17madracki17]

Muuuurin

[@antwake]

no marin-hating here! 🤣

[@onlysendsmtb]

MArin huh? Is that like Ahlumillenium? Or CelEEEka.

[@MarioXcore1]

Dario won me over the 2nd time around

[@Niknamew]

I can promise you, us Californians are not the ones saying Marin wrong....

[@jurisx85]

It’s Marin! Like María. It’s Spanish!

[@Happy_Biker]

🤔 Marin (EN) vs. Marrin (CAli)

[@octodadmtbmartyrichards2862]

Down duro bike 🚲

[@komoonkh]

“Murrin”

[@Emkaido93]

Who else is just waiting for all the videos to buy your next bike 😂

[@downtoridemtb]

I know we’re generally pretty dumb, but I think it’s safe to believe us Americans when it comes to pronouncing a county in California.

[@adrianw3985]

How do you say Aluminum in British... also how do you say pound sand, go do that.

[@alexh.4068]

It’s Marin duh

[@barfo281]

It's Muh-RIN'

[@ridemx323]

#whereslevy

[@Happy_Biker]

#howislevy

[@franklee6301]

Marine County, educate yourself Charlie.

[@jimmy8x541]

dude. it's NOT Marin. It's Marin!!!

[@snigs5T5]

Or how you say it in CA. Leave it to the English to butcher names in the name of "proper English." Never mind that Henry's version has two Rs: Maer-rin vs. Mah-rin. 🤣

[@memyself2458]

Never buy marin ,brorke upper tube made in Indonesia after 1 year and dont respond an when they do want to weldeit for me ,joke brand,nxt brand Europe thanks,,,and is pronounced Crap😊

[@spiffpilot2589]

The Giant Trance 29 2 has the same build for $700 less.

[@anthonywalters7434]

Giant’s been doing a great job recently when it comes to their build kits. My local shop is a Giant retailer and I’ve been tempted to look into getting one.

[@l4kerfan]

Absolutely wrong. Maybe read the specs before commenting? Rift Zone 3 has a Z1/Float X, TRP, SLX/XT, Assegai/Assegai Trance 2 has a Z2/Float DPS,Tektro, Deore, DHF/Dissector They're different and the cost more than justifies the Marin if your budget can stretch Not to mention Rift Zone 3 is a 140/130 and the Trance is 130/120

[@thebikeguy1988]

As it's actual my surname, I'll tell you the American pronounced it wrong...

[@JustJake77]

An ick for me is English folk acting superior about the language they created..... Yet still pronounce things wrong or use incorrect terminology.... A perfect example is when they call the ground, the floor.... no, a floor is inside a building. The ground is..... THE GROUND! AND ITS PRONOUNCED MUH-UR-IN...

[@jmd7070]

👎

[@crashcoursezed7947]

Why though?

[@luciansaintclaire]

Why the change of heart from the old Marin rift zone 3? Many things are similar, it shouldn’t be too different.

[@BPF80MCar-vi1pg]

Its Ma rin