martin profile

Thanks for the review! I just bought a Repack over the older/cheaper Palos and I am really happy about that choice. 

I removed the magnetic clip and replaced it with a velcro cable holder that I roll around the tube near the flow valve, which Is holding a small climbing clip that clips on the straps where the magnetic holder was. I route the tube on the waist strap, and at my 33" waist, the length is perfect. The tube can't fall, and it's quick to grab/put back after a sip. A 5$ upgrade that's worth it!

Just curious, how many kms per day were ridden during that trip?

Awesome, I'll add the 2.6 SE4 to my to-try list!

Thanks for the recommendations Andrew! The SE4 looks pretty close to what my ideal tire would look like. Maybe with TRS sideknobs. I prefer lined-up side knobs and not too wide of a channel, and those SE4s seem to be a good compromise.

I've mounted some E13 TRS+s and I find them quite square on 29mm ID rims. I've never used a squared-profile tire like that so I might need some time to get the right feel for them.

And since the Specialized tires are buy one get one until June 3rd, I ordered a pair of Butchers GRID 29x2.6s (the new Gription version) to try them. In store they had quite a nice shape but the compound seemed less sticky than the E13s. Probably faster rolling though.

How would you compare wet roots/rocks and off-camber traction on the TRS+ vs Butcher and SE4 tires ?

Hi Andrew! 

I am coming from a fully coiled freeride bike so I'm interested to see how a coil shock behaves on your Marin ; )  It's good to know that Suspension werx can resize a coil shock too, I'll contact them. Too bad that the thru-shaft technology isn't available for other frames as I most often choose suspension parts based on serviceability and long service intervals.

And as a side-question concerning the down tube stopper on the Trek, have you had any problem with boost-width-forks' downtube clearance on your Rift Zone?

Thanks!

Martin

Hi Andrew! 

Do you have a Rift Zone review coming up? I'm torn between the new ´18 Rift Zone and a '18 Devinci Marshall and altough I liked my Marshall test, I can't try the Marin before buying. Looking forward to hear your inpressions on the rear suspension performance and the different setups you've tried. Cheers!

I guess it depends in what part of the world you are. I did not know anyone at Marzocchi Canada until I called the service centre for the first time in 2013 before buying my latest forks. I had an issue with a 66 and the guys at the service centre went over their head to make me happy.

I have not had to service the 66s myself yet, but I have found Dave Garland's RC3 evo service video on Youtube, and another one on how to bleed the CR damper. It seems basically the same for all CR dampers. I agree that documentation on servicing isn't easy to find, which I've heard it is because of warranty managing issues. I would imagine that with closed-cart dampers, other suspension makers might also go this route in the near future.

You can also find exploded views of every fork from 2004-2014 on the Marzocchi Russia website

Also, they had until last week an employee from MarzocchiUSA responding in a thread on an MTBR forum, which was pretty useful. The thread might still be worth reading (26 pages) or bookmarking if you are looking for specific info. The guy was saying that Marzocchi was working on service and how-to videos for a new "tech" section that would be on their website sometime. I don't now if it will happen, but for now I'm happy with the videos and exploded diagrams.

Hope this helps, cheers!

I really hope that they stay in business for a long time. I've been exclusively riding Marzocchi forks by choice since 2001, and even in 2009, I had a reliable 55 that I sold with my previous bike in '12. My '01 Z1 MCR is still working like new on my xc bike, and in spite of their weight, both my 66s perform great and are super reliable (which is what I value the most).

Plus they have the best customer service in the industry, with Alex and Naz who are awesome to work with at the Canadian service centre. Keep it up buys and good luck for the future!

Thank's a lot for this! I'm currently in NZ and rode Cargieburn and Mt. Cheesman Trails which are really awesome!