Marin Alpine 7 / XR - Small Size

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procxi

Squid
Hi Everyone,

I'm looking to buy a new all-mountain/enduro bike for a bit of rough riding focusing on downhills but a decent amount of uphills to get to the top of the hill etc,. My current bike is an old Norco FS which is more of a trail bike but want to try more challenging terrains now.

I'm 5.4'', not so tall, and have been looking at 29 wheels being an option as the new geometry of MTB seems to be trending towards 29 especially for all-mountain/enduro-style riding. A few years ago I wouldn't have looked at anything past 27.5inch for my height.

Marine Alpine 2021/2022 seems very interesting, particularly for the money (both 7 and XR, XR being the high end) but they only come in 29 as with most other enduro bikes which are now focusing more on 29 wheels. With Marine Alpine, I fall right into the small size - no suprise there :) but I'm slightly concerned if 29inch will be overwhelming to handle at my height.

Highly appreciate it if you can share some thoughts and if anyone around my height has experience riding 29, especially a Marine Alpine. Here in AU you can only buy Marin from bicycles online meaning you can try it before :(

I have also looked at Polygon N7/N9 which has 27inch wheel option but very different geometry. Any experience with N7/N9 is also welcome.

Many thanks !!
 
Scotty T

Scotty T

Ribbet, but ribbet good
Great review here from @oliosky for the Apline 8, looks like a really great bike.

He's on a large so probably doesn't help with the question on size but I think there's plenty of peeps here that are riding small 29ers.
 
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procxi

Squid
Scotty T said:
Also this popped up on Facebook:
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Hi Scotty,
Thanks for the reply... I saw that review as well... a lot of good things about that bike,.. but I'm also looking forward to hearing some real-world use of the bike especially in size small.
I was also looking at Commencal and Canyon as well... not easy to make up your mind with any of the direct-to-consumer brands as you cannot try them, beforehand. And the bike shops are empty with stocks so that doesn't help either :)
 
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procxi

Squid
I actually realized there is an all-mountain/enduro section in this forum.. can I move this thread there?
 
rockmoose

rockmoose

Eats Squid
Might be sensible, so the Gestapo don't ban you for being off topic.


Sent from my SM-G780F using Tapatalk
 
tobbogonist

tobbogonist

a registered member
I'm about 4 cm taller then you (6 cm with the right hair style).
I ride a small focus jam 29er and have never felt overwhelmed with the wheel size. Girlfriend has a 27.5 hardtail and aside from the pump track I haven't found myself wanting the smaller size,
road the track from Beechworth to Woolshed falls a few months ago and actually felt a bit hindered/cramped.
I went straight to 29 from 26 though so am well used to it.
Goodluck!
 
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procxi

Squid
tobbogonist said:
I ride a small focus jam 29er and have never felt overwhelmed with the wheel size
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Thanks for the reply.. that's good to hear. The more I read, the more it seems like 29er is definitely an option these days for short riders. I'm going to try a few bikes with 29er soon but no easy to find any stocks at bike shops.

I'll also have a look at the Focus Jam ... an interesting bike indeed.

Cheers !!
 
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oliosky

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hey there @procxi . Reckon you'll be fine on the Alpine Trail. Despite the big wheels there is really good standover height. Its a very capable bike for the coil thats for sure. Also, the bicylesonline 14 day return policy is a good backup if you find the Alpine way too much
 
tobbogonist

tobbogonist

a registered member
procxi said:
Thanks for the reply.. that's good to hear. The more I read, the more it seems like 29er is definitely an option these days for short riders. I'm going to try a few bikes with 29er soon but no easy to find any stocks at bike shops.

I'll also have a look at the Focus Jam ... an interesting bike indeed.

Cheers !!
Click to expand...
All good man. Wouldn't recommend the Jam over the Alpine value for money wise. I love it but it was one of those moments where it fit me perfectly and was the right price. Bought it about 4 weeks before the first covid lockdown. The bloke would be kicking himself, probably could have sold it for double the next month. Also it's a trail bike, I take it easy. My bones have a habit of breaking :)
 
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procxi

Squid
oliosky said:
Hey there @procxi . Reckon you'll be fine on the Alpine Trail.
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Cheers !!! That's a good point about the standover height... XR is definitely a great bike. I have to push my budget to go for the XR but perhaps worth it in the long run. small XR is not in stock right now :(
 
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procxi

Squid
tobbogonist said:
All good man. Wouldn't recommend the Jam over the Alpine value for money wise.
Click to expand...
I checked the Focus models today and it's an interesting lineup. They say Jam is the all-mountain and throne as the trail. I like the Jam geo for sure... but the AU site flat on says there are no models in the country even before you get excited about reading the spec on the website :)
Bad year for being in the market for MTB :(
 
tobbogonist

tobbogonist

a registered member
Haha yep I just checked their website.
I have the 2018 model and I love it. Pretty nimble and the poppy (I'm happy to throw around buzz words). Bought second hand off a bloke who 'road it once' and decided 29 wasn't for him. I hadn't considered the brand prior as it new was out of my price range.
It was just one of those moments, after shopping around and test riding about 10 bikes it was the first one that felt like it fit.
About to move to Tassie and start really putting it to the test.
 
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procxi

Squid
Thanks, Everyone for your replies...
I haven't been able to locate a single 29er small size for testing, however, :( fingers crossed I'll find something soon.
 
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