Gear Shots #72 – Marin, Giro, Avid

2011 Marin Attack Trail 6.9
Words by Dan Austin, photos by Damien Burggraeve

With long-travel all-mountain bike production in full swing, you’d be hard pressed to find a major manufacturer that doesn’t have one. Many early AM bikes were heavy and made compromises that favored either climbing competency or descending prowess, but the last few years have yielded more bikes that are increasingly well suited to our all-mountain needs – or dare I say, closer to the coveted do-it-all bike. A contender for the elusive do-it-all prize is the 2011 Marin Attack Trail 6.9.

Marin has been making bikes since 1986, and now offers a full complement of bikes from road to DH and all points in between. The Attack Trail has been been in the line-up since 2000, and has gone through a bit of a metamorphosis in its time. It started life as a 5” / 127mm trail bike, took a few years off between 2007 and 2010, and re-emerged in its current form as a 5.9” / 150mm all-mountain machine.

The 6.9 is Marin’s top shelf offering in the Quad Trail 150(mm) Mountain FRS class of bikes. Sandwiched between the DH/FR  Quad XLT 180(mm) and the trail-oriented Quad XM 140(mm), Marin refers to this bike – unofficially – as a pocket DH bike that is designed for “riders who need a bike to tackle big air and bigger terrain.”

The 2011 Marin Attack Trail 6.9, in all of its blazing white glory. It definitely looks different than most other AM bikes.

The frame is made of hydroformed 6061 aluminum and employs the Quad-Link 2.0 suspension design that is synonymous with Marin bikes. The frame remains unchanged from last year, aside from lower profile bearing caps used to cover the precision-sealed high load bearings. Other frame details include a tapered head tube, a one piece ISCG 05 bottom bracket and modular Maxle rear dropouts. The fully butted and reinforced framset indicate this bike should be able to take a good sized helping of abuse. The size Large test bike weighs in at 30.5 lbs without pedals. It’s only available in white.

Quad-Link 2.0 is different than most other suspension designs out there. The explanation about how and why it works is detailed and I’ll save the meat of that conversation for the full review. In short, though, the suspension has an a rearward wheel path early in the travel to handle square-edged bumps, a pivot center that changes to maximize suspension efficiency, changing leverage ratio that maximize shock performance and short links for quick suspension response and beneficial chain growth. Sounds like a smart system.

Marin makes use of the new 2×10 drivetrain options for the Attack Trail. Spec on the 6.9 is definitely solid.

Geometry for the AT 6.9 is unchanged from last year, and the bike sports seat and head tube angles of 73.8° and 66°, respectively. The AT is a blend of steep and slack, no doubt intended to optimize rider position for both up and down. Mixed geometry, with a purportedly pedal friendly and downhill compliant suspension system, combined with an uninterrupted seat tube, a relatively short 23.3” top tube (effective), a 45.4” wheelbase, a 32.8” standover height and a bottom bracket height of 13.5″ gives you a bike that appears well suited to the climbing and descending requirements that characterise a good all-mountain ride.

Suspension duties are handled by Fox in both front and rear applications. Up front, a Fox 36 Float RLC with a tapered steerer, 160mm travel, lockout, low speed compression and rebound adjust is there to guide you through the rough stuff while a Fox RP2 with rebound adjust and two-postion Propedal do the dirty work out back.

A close-up of the Quad-Link rear suspension system. It looks unique, but how does it work? You’ll have to wait for the full review to find out…

The part spec is as expected for a bike at this level. The drivetrain moves to a 2×10 system with SRAM X-7 triggers shifting the X-7 front and X-9 rear derailleurs. The gearing breaks down to 39/26 tooth chainrings and an 11-34 rear cassette, which is geared a little higher than what I am used to. This will be a definite test of the Quad 2.0’s pedalibility – and my fitness.

There is a bounty of quality parts rounding out the rest of the build, with many of them coming from the SRAM component family. In the cockpit, a Truvativ Stylo Race stem and Marin 710mm bar with locking grips are based around an FSA Orbit 1.5 ZS headset. Stopping is handled via Avid Elixer R brake with 7” and 6” rotors front and rear. The 6.9 also comes with a Truvativ Stylo seatpost, and WTB saddle. Crank and bottom bracket duties are up to SRAM’s S1400 crankset and Giga X Pipe BB. You’ll be spinning on Fulcrum Red Zone hubs and tubeless rims – 20mm hub up front and 12mm Maxle Lite out back – wrapped with folding Maxxis Ardent 2.35″ tires front and rear. The bike doesn’t come with pedals.

The AT’s rear end uses the Maxle system rather than the 142mm standard that has been turning up on other AM bikes.

Marin has some big expectations for this bike. Statements on the Marin website like “the Attack Trail redefines what an all-mountain bike can do” are pretty bold. It’s almost like Marin is  challenging riders to see how far we can push the bike. Riding a bike like this downhill is one thing, but I’m also going to have to ride uphill to see whether it really does meet the test of being a solid AM performer.

Luckily, we are spoiled here in in B.C.’s sunny Okanagan Valley with a fantastic bike park at Silver Star and almost endless trails of every flavour, so I’ll be able to see if in fact the Attack Trail 6.9 is in fact the elusive do-it-all bike. Assignments like this are always a welcome thing, though. Stay tuned to nsmb for a full review after a couple of months of testing. 

Both the Attack Trail 6.8 and 6.9 are available in small, medium and large sizes. MSRP for the Attack Trail 6.9 is US$3,899 / CAD$4,770. Pricing for the 6.8 is US$2,899 / CAD$3,710.

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Giro Code shoes
Words and photos by Stuart Kernaghan

Giro earned its stripes as a helmet maker before it ventured into the world of sunglasses and gloves. Those things turned out well, but the company’s expansion plans didn’t end there. Shoes were next on the To Do list. Giro rolled out its new lines of mountain bike shoes late last summer and they’re finally hitting stores now.

I ride clipless pedals for my XC and all-mountain adventures, and I’m always looking for a good stiff clipless shoe – especially one that fits my big feet (size 14 street shoes). That’s not easy to come but, but the new Giro Codes came in a size 48 and they’ve got a carbon sole, so I’m giving them a whirl over the next few months.

The all-new Giro Code performance mountain bike shoe. They’re almost fancy enough to be road shoes.

There are quite a few tech details to a shoe like this: uppers are made of Teijin lightweight microfiber and there are welded scuff guards on the toes and outside edge of the toe box. The white parts of the shoe are made of Teijin material, so they will be easy to clean. The mesh toe ventilation is black, which shouldn’t hold too much dirt. Closures include a nice wide ratchet strap with a simple release and two hook-and-loop straps. The tongue is well padded and split at the top for increased comfort.

Left – Three straps to spread the pressure over your foot, plus a split tongue. Right – The carbon sole should make for great power transfer. Note the mid-sole protection between the two sets of lugs.

Other tech details to note include the Easton EC90 unidirectional carbon sole, a lugged outsole for walking and optional toe spike inserts. The mid-foot scuff guard enhances grip on the pedal if you’re not able to clip in right away, and it also protects the carbon sole. Lastly, the Codes use a customizable footbed system that includes three different arch supports. Weight is 355 grams for size 42 shoes.

First impressions of the shoes are somewhat mixed. The Giro size 48 is larger than a similar type of Shimano shoe in a size 48, but not as large as a Specialized size 48. They fit me, but I’m going to have to stick to thin socks. The Codes also weren’t the most comfortable shoe out of the box, and it was touch and go whether I’d be able to make them work for a little while. After wearing them around the apartment for a couple of hours, the shoes softened up a bit and I decided to keep them.

The first ride in the Codes was fine, but the shoes weren’t a home run by any means. I had to adjust tension on the ratched strap and toe closures several times during the ride to get something that was comfortable. I also found that I was getting pressure points on the balls of my feet when I stood up on long stretches of singletrack. At this point, I’m not overly concerned because performance shoes often take a while to break in. Tune in later this summer for a full review of these wunder-shoes, and see whether Giro’s latest foray into cycling apparel was a good one.

The Codes come in black, black and white or magnesium and black color options. MSRP is US$280. Check with your local retailer in Canada for Canuck pricing.

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Avid hydraulic brake maintenance bits
Words and photos by Stuart Kernaghan

Working on your bike at home can be a nuisance if you don’t have the right tools. Fortunately, it’s getting easier and easier for the weekend wrencher to buy shop-quality tools to make their lives simple.

One of the latest sets of pro calibre tools is the Avid pro bleed kit from SRAM. The kit includes two syringes for bleeding Avid hydraulic brakes, DOT fluid and a whack of small parts / spacers – like the consumer kit – but what really makes this different is the quality of the syringes and associated fittings.

The right tools always make the job easier. Behold – the right tool for bleeding Avid brakes.

Rather than being soft plastic like the consumer kit, the pro kit syringest are hard plastic. The plungers also have a special ergonomic “S” shape to them to make it easier to pull air bubbles out of the system with only one hand. The top of the syringe also screws on, so you can’t accidentally pull the plunger too far out when you’re drawing bubbles out of the system.

The Pro Bleed Kit also comes with this assorted hardware: spacers, blocks, new fittings and olives. Everything you need to service the hell out of your brakes.

At the other end, the hoses use knurled steel fittings to connect to the syringe and lever body. The hoses can also be detached from the syringe, if necessary. Hoses are capped and held onto the metal couplings, rather than simply pressed onto a barb, so you can be assured that they’ll stay in place for a long time.

You also get replacement syringe seals, so you can service the service kit if necessary. That should give you plenty of happy bleeds for all of your Avid hydralic brakes. 

The Avid Pro Bleed Kit has an MSRP of US$65, which is a pretty good deal considering that the standard consumer kit is almost $50. Ask for it by name at your local bike shop, and let the games begin.

 

It’s small, it’s sharp and it cuts brake hoses on the cheap. Note the handy danger indicator. Caution – sharp edges!

The other pro-sumer tool that SRAM recently released is the Avid hydraulic disc hose cutter. Looking like some sort of tiny cigar cutter, the spring-loaded hose cutter uses an angled blade to make precision cuts in hydraulic hoses. There are pro level hydraulic line cutters, but they cost about $100 – way more than the average home mechanic wants to spend on something he may only use once a year.

Simply place the hose in the red notch, squeeze the base of the unit and voila – a straight precision cut in your disc brake or Reverb height adjustable seatpost housing. The Avid unit should work on any plastic brake line that doesn’t have any sort of metal lining or covering.

It’s a simple device, but should be a lot more precise than the X-acto knife and wooden block that I have been using up til now. Expect to spend around $18 for the Avid Hydraulic Hose Cutter Tool.

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So there you have it. A bike, some fancy shoes and some useful tools. Want? Don’t want? Think the Attack Trail is getting closer to the Holy Grail of the do-it-all bike? Spout off on the boards.