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MTBs for beginners - TestA comparison of affordable hardtails - Marin Team Marin 1 for 1649 euros

Max Fuchs

 · 02.03.2024

Marin Team Marin 1 // 1649 euros // 29-inch // 120 millimetre travel // aluminium // 13.01 kg without pedals
Photo: Max Fuchs
Inexpensive, uncomplicated & versatile - With these attributes, hardtail MTBs aim to make mountain biking appealing to beginners. We put the Marin Team Marin 1 through its paces in the BIKE test to see if it can do this.
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We chose the hardtail MTBs for this test because they are affordable and versatile. They should make mountain biking appealing to beginners, but also attract advanced riders with their uncomplicated, robust character. To find out for whom the Marin Team Marin 1 is worth recommending, we put it through the BIKE test along with six other hardtails.

Marin Team Marin 1 - Fact check

  • Price: 1649 Euro
  • Frame material: Aluminium
  • Total weight without pedals: 13.01 kilos
  • Wheel size: 29-inch
  • Suspension travel: 120 millimetres
  • Suspension fork: Rockshox Judy TK Silver
  • Gear system: Shimano Deore 1x12
  • Bandwidth: 32; 10-51 / 510 %
  • Brakes: Tektro HDT280 / HDR285 180/180 mm
  • Wheels: Marin rims, Shimano hubs
  • Tyres: Vee Tire Rail Rocco; DCC Compound 29 x 2.250
  • Available frame sizes: S, M, L, XL
Whether on gravel paths or tame trails - with a beginner hardtail like the Marin Team Marin 1, you are ideally equipped for your first attempts at mountain biking.Photo: Max FuchsWhether on gravel paths or tame trails - with a beginner hardtail like the Marin Team Marin 1, you are ideally equipped for your first attempts at mountain biking.

Thanks to its successful geometry and fun character, the Team Marin 1 was one of our test crew's favourites. Thanks to the modern seat angle and the 35 millimetre short stub stem, you sit extremely compactly on the bike. This is not ideal for long rides on flat terrain, as it puts a lot of pressure on your hands. On the other hand, this riding position scores points off-road.

The riding position on the Marin Team Marin 1 offers the rider plenty of freedom of movement for an active riding style. The combination of a compact cockpit and super-short chainstays allows precise direction changes. Tight bends and small bunny hops are also easy to negotiate. But be careful: on steep uphills, you have to actively fight against the rising front wheel.

Back to the downhill: The head angle is not too steep and the suspension fork offers two centimetres more travel than the forks from Bulls, Rockrider and Radon. This gives the bike a lot of confidence on steep terrain and generates a smoother ride. In short: the control of the bike leaves little to be desired on the trail. However, the lack of long-distance capability and the poor response behaviour of the cheap Rockshox fork tarnish the overall result.

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Laboratory data and evaluation at a glance

The geometry data of the Marin Team Marin 1 in frame size L. We determine the geometry data for each bike on our own in our BIKE test lab. This is the best way to compare the bikes with each other.
| Graphics: Media Group Klambt

Conclusion on the Marin Team Marin 1 hardtail MTB in the test

The Team Marin 1 harbours great potential for riding fun. However, considering the price, the equipment quality of the most expensive bike in the test leaves something to be desired. - Max Fuchs, BIKE test editor
BIKE editor Max FuchsPhoto: Dan GriffithsBIKE editor Max Fuchs

Max Fuchs

Max Fuchs

Editor

Max Fuchs hat seine ersten Mountainbike-Kilometer bereits mit drei Jahren gesammelt. Zunächst Hobby-Rennfahrer und Worldcup-Fotograf im Cross-Country-Zirkus, jetzt Testredakteur und Fotograf bei BIKE. Sein Herz schlägt für Enduros und abfahrtsstarke Trailbikes – gern auch mit Motor. Bei der Streckenwahl gilt: je steiler und technischer, desto besser.

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