Marin Alpine Trail E1/2 thread

[Pezzar]

I’ve really struggled with my fox 38s on my megawatt. I was advised to run little sag, around 15%, I’m used to running 20-25% and this weirdly helped. Removed all spacer tokens too. No HSC and about 6 clicks of LSC. Then rebound just trial and error. I’ve got them as good as I can, but still don’t like them as much as the zebs on my normal bike.

Cheers mate, I'll give that a go. Sometimes you can have too much adjustment. Mate has got a shockwiz he'll lend me if I can't sort it by myself.

 

[urastus]

Sooo while I'm waiting for the 450

How much do you weigh geared up Pezzar? Thanks for the feedback.

I have often wondered if the fox 38 is too much fork for many folk - I imagine it would be for what I do.

 

[Pezzar]

How much do you weigh geared up Pezzar? Thanks for the feedback.

I have often wondered if the fox 38 is too much fork for many folk - I imagine it would be for what I do.

I'm a fat git, 95kg with helmet, hydration etc. It's not terrible, but I think a 450 would raise the BB a bit and help avoid the pedals catching so much.
On the fork yeah, normally I'd agree, but a heavy rider plus a heavy bike I think warrants them. Once the coil is sorted, though by no means an aggressive rider, I do like to chuck the bike down rock gardens, rooty stuff and the odd small drop so I think they're perfect.

 

[Pezzar]

I’ve really struggled with my fox 38s on my megawatt. I was advised to run little sag, around 15%, I’m used to running 20-25% and this weirdly helped. Removed all spacer tokens too. No HSC and about 6 clicks of LSC. Then rebound just trial and error. I’ve got them as good as I can, but still don’t like them as much as the zebs on my normal bike.

So I'm a bit confused Rich, are you running them at 15% sag now? And that's improved them? Cheers

 

[Richt20000]

So I'm a bit confused Rich, are you running them at 15% sag now? And that's improved them? Cheers

Yea. Aparently fox 38 need a lot less sag than previous fox forks.

 

[Pezzar]

Yea. Aparently fox 38 need a lot less sag than previous fox forks.

Many thanks mate, some great info, think I went for the full 25% thinking they'd be more plush. I'll give it a go tomorrow.

 

[boutiquEbikes]

I've owned my E1 since June last year and just about to tick over 1000kms. What a bike! Size medium for me at 5'8" and it strikes a nice balance between stability and handling. It's in the window now for some upgrades though - I put a 2.6 Hans Dampf Supergravity on the rear at the weekend and initial impressions are positive. Bike feels quicker across the ground and a lot more precise. I've got a Fox 36 Factory coming in a few weeks and plan on getting rid of the stock spring as it's still the standard one. It copes with my 76kgs weight, but could definitely be improved.

Longer term plans are I would like to start shedding some weight from it - fork, spring, wheels, cassette are all on the list and I reckon there's 2kgs there easily which would make it about ~22kgs. It rides lighter than its weight suggests it will but the base spec does make it a bit porky. Still, even with a couple of £k spend on upgrades, on top of RRP that still makes it a (comparative) bargain.

 

[Pezzar]

I've owned my E1 since June last year and just about to tick over 1000kms. What a bike! Size medium for me at 5'8" and it strikes a nice balance between stability and handling. It's in the window now for some upgrades though - I put a 2.6 Hans Dampf Supergravity on the rear at the weekend and initial impressions are positive. Bike feels quicker across the ground and a lot more precise. I've got a Fox 36 Factory coming in a few weeks and plan on getting rid of the stock spring as it's still the standard one. It copes with my 76kgs weight, but could definitely be improved.

Longer term plans are I would like to start shedding some weight from it - fork, spring, wheels, cassette are all on the list and I reckon there's 2kgs there easily which would make it about ~22kgs. It rides lighter than its weight suggests it will but the base spec does make it a bit porky. Still, even with a couple of £k spend on upgrades, on top of RRP that still makes it a (comparative) bargain.

View attachment 88664

Lovely bike mate. I'm in your boat and about to get a bigger rated spring, would my 6 ride old 400 be of any interest to you?

 

[urastus]

I'm a fat git, 95kg with helmet, hydration etc. It's not terrible, but I think a 450 would raise the BB a bit and help avoid the pedals catching so much.
On the fork yeah, normally I'd agree, but a heavy rider plus a heavy bike I think warrants them. Once the coil is sorted, though by no means an aggressive rider, I do like to chuck the bike down rock gardens, rooty stuff and the odd small drop so I think they're perfect.

Thanks for that. It sounds as though the 400 would suit me - you are 15kg up on me. It sounds like that fork will be ideal too. I hope your new spring comes soon

 

[boutiquEbikes]

Lovely bike mate. I'm in your boat and about to get a bigger rated spring, would my 6 ride old 400 be of any interest to you?

Thanks - yeah, I think they are a great bike! The geometry is the stand out feature for me - so confidence inspiring.

Drop me a DM about the spring and we can have a chat.

 

[urastus]

A heads up if anyone in Aus wants an etrail - both models are on sale but only available in XL.

E1 and E2.

 

[UglyWeld]

So I'm slowly getting used to the bike, started to feel a little flow for the first time yesterday - one thing I will say though, the bottle cage holder is deffo an afterthought. I've had to dremmel out the slots on the cage so I can move it further up the frame as the shock was hitting the bottom edge of the bottle and caused it to leak! new bike - new bottle. Even then, now the bottle is wedged up as high as I can get it the clearance is minimal - looks like it's back to the Camelbak.

Edit: should have said the bottle was a 620ml camelback podium dirt.

Can you confirm if the 620ml bottle actually fit? every bottle I’ve tried rubs the bottom of top tube. I’ve been looking for a tapered top bottle like this - I’ll be stoked if this works

thanks

 

[Pezzar]

Can you confirm if the 620ml bottle actually fit? every bottle I’ve tried rubs the bottom of top tube. I’ve been looking for a tapered top bottle like this - I’ll be stoked if this works

thanks

I've had to heavily adapt my bottle holder, it's a specialised plastic side loader.
I've had to file down the plastic at the top inside lip to let the bottle lie nearer the downtube and widen the bolt slots so the bottom of the bottle misses the shock piggyback reservoir. It probably does still touch the underside of the downtube but only slightly and there is no movement so shouldn't rub the paint.
I'll take a photo for you in a bit.

 

[Pezzar]

Can you confirm if the 620ml bottle actually fit? every bottle I’ve tried rubs the bottom of top tube. I’ve been looking for a tapered top bottle like this - I’ll be stoked if this works

thanks

Better late than never.

 

[Pezzar]

Incidentally all - now I've changed the spring to a 450lb rating - what a difference it's made.
Gone from 3 or 4 pedal strikes a ride to none - and I've never rode a bike so confidence inspiring.
Absolutely floated through rock gardens, took small jumps (it's all I do) in its stride and I felt totally on rails through fast and high berms. Doesn't feel heavy at all to ride and chuck about, think I've made the right choice.
I also think the tyres are playing a major role. Totally impressed with the Vee tyre combo - and I've just picked up the same 2 tyres for when these wear out for the same price as a single maxxis Assegai - awesome stuff.

 

[UglyWeld]

Better late than never.

thanks - that bottle is too jammed in for my taste , I’ve got the same cage and other bottles I’ve tried with same results. To make it work we are going to need a bottle with a missile tip, or a short nearly useless bottle. Trek has a small kids bottle (500ml) I wanted to try, but it was sold out, I’ll see if I can find it on line now. I have a specialized big top stainless that fits, but that is only good for smuggling tubes, tools or edibles that don’t melt, and again a beer in a coozie fits just perfectly.

BTW - I’m 100+ kg , I put in a Sprindex 390-430 spring because I thought a) I’d eventually get back down to -90kg and b) the adjustable spring rate would be a good solution vs a correct rate spring - neither ended up being true. I have a 450 sitting on the bench waiting to put on. I’ve thought about going to an air , but I love the chatter control of the coil.

Thanks again

 

[Pezzar]

thanks - that bottle is too jammed in for my taste , I’ve got the same cage and other bottles I’ve tried with same results. To make it work we are going to need a bottle with a missile tip, or a short nearly useless bottle. Trek has a small kids bottle (500ml) I wanted to try, but it was sold out, I’ll see if I can find it on line now. I have a specialized big top stainless that fits, but that is only good for smuggling tubes, tools or edibles that don’t melt, and again a beer in a coozie fits just perfectly.

BTW - I’m 100+ kg , I put in a Sprindex 390-430 spring because I thought a) I’d eventually get back down to -90kg and b) the adjustable spring rate would be a good solution vs a correct rate spring - neither ended up being true. I have a 450 sitting on the bench waiting to put on. I’ve thought about going to an air , but I love the chatter control of the coil.

Thanks again

I'll never go back to an air shock, I absolutely love the DHX2 now I've got the 450 spring on, such a great ride now. Yeah know what you mean about the bottle, I'm not too worried that it's touching the underside of the downtube, I could always go back to the camelback or uswe.

 

[datnat]

Hi All - first post on the forum. Have been looking closely at the Marin Alpine Trails for a couple of weeks. The geometry is the major influencer as am currently on a Geometron and love it. The Marin XL is very close to my XL G16.

My question is around the motor/battery performance, living in Tassie we have plenty of elevation and trails so want to be sure the Shimano package is up to the task. I would would be hoping to get at least 35-40kms from a ride and achieving at least 1000-1200m climbing on a mix of ECO/TRAIL with a little BOOST thrown in. Am I being ambitious?
Would be keen to hear what sort of stats people are getting from their rigs X1 & X2.

Cheers

 

[Pezzar]

Firstly, it's the best bike I've ever owned. That out the way, I've only had about 10 rides on it all on my local trails and have never been out long enough to push the battery to its limits. All I can tell you is on a 23 mile ride with about 1,500 ft of climbing, mix of eco and trail on beefy Vee tyres I haven lost more than 1 bar yet.

 

[Richt20000]

Hi All - first post on the forum. Have been looking closely at the Marin Alpine Trails for a couple of weeks. The geometry is the major influencer as am currently on a Geometron and love it. The Marin XL is very close to my XL G16.

My question is around the motor/battery performance, living in Tassie we have plenty of elevation and trails so want to be sure the Shimano package is up to the task. I would would be hoping to get at least 35-40kms from a ride and achieving at least 1000-1200m climbing on a mix of ECO/TRAIL with a little BOOST thrown in. Am I being ambitious?
Would be keen to hear what sort of stats people are getting from their rigs X1 & X2.

Cheers

i’m waiting for my E2, currently riding a megawatt with the same weight, motor and battery.

the most I’ve got out of it is 1600m and 43km using eco only (in the summer) and I weigh 90kg.

i occasionally do this distance/altitude on my normal bike but it would take about 1.5hrs longer.

 

[Baron Rouge]

Hi all, Alpine Trail E1 owner here, delighted so far. Replaced stock 35 Gold RL with a Domain RC, excellent upgrade for anyone considering it. Also about to fit a set of SLX brakes which should help with stopping such a mighty rig.

Question for you guys: anyone had any experience of routing new cables or hoses? What's the word with those rubber grommets? Do I need to pull them out or will the new hose go with them in place? If I get them out will they go back in? Will they break?

 

[Baron Rouge]

Hi All - first post on the forum. Have been looking closely at the Marin Alpine Trails for a couple of weeks. The geometry is the major influencer as am currently on a Geometron and love it. The Marin XL is very close to my XL G16.

My question is around the motor/battery performance, living in Tassie we have plenty of elevation and trails so want to be sure the Shimano package is up to the task. I would would be hoping to get at least 35-40kms from a ride and achieving at least 1000-1200m climbing on a mix of ECO/TRAIL with a little BOOST thrown in. Am I being ambitious?
Would be keen to hear what sort of stats people are getting from their rigs X1 & X2.

Cheers

Been a while but if it's any help to anyone I've had a couple of rides ant my local trails, mix of fire road climbs and red graded single track downs. 20km with 600m of climbs, usually left on Trail with a bit of Boost for the steep bits and never dropped more than two bars out of five so far. Pleasantly surprised.

 

[Pickle1970]

I've been well impressed with my E2 since getting it in January. Battery life is pretty good, but I do try and use Eco as much as I can.
The only issue I have is the rear axle is a right pig to get back in but I hardly take the wheel out so all good.
As a bike though its an awesome ride, goes down anything.
I've lost both rubber fork bumpers but who cares

 

[boutiquEbikes]

I've been well impressed with my E2 since getting it in January. Battery life is pretty good, but I do try and use Eco as much as I can.
The only issue I have is the rear axle is a right pig to get back in but I hardly take the wheel out so all good.
As a bike though its an awesome ride, goes down anything.
I've lost both rubber fork bumpers but who cares

Glad I'm not the only one who has issues with the rear axle!

 

[Pickle1970]

Yeah what's that all about?

 

[Varaxis]

Hi All - first post on the forum. Have been looking closely at the Marin Alpine Trails for a couple of weeks. The geometry is the major influencer as am currently on a Geometron and love it. The Marin XL is very close to my XL G16.

My question is around the motor/battery performance, living in Tassie we have plenty of elevation and trails so want to be sure the Shimano package is up to the task. I would would be hoping to get at least 35-40kms from a ride and achieving at least 1000-1200m climbing on a mix of ECO/TRAIL with a little BOOST thrown in. Am I being ambitious?
Would be keen to hear what sort of stats people are getting from their rigs X1 & X2.

Cheers

I'd worry that the CS is too short for the WB in XL, and therefore the weight on the front will be less. Might lead to balance issues, like less traction for front wheel in corners, affecting how confident you will be carrying speed into them. 435mm CS goes well with 1230 WB, in my experience. For 1288mm WB, I'd predict 450mm CS would be well balanced in XL. Maybe longer CS if the rider weighs a lot. Checking up on the XL G16, it has 451 CS and 1352 WB, so I guess you're already familiar with a non-rearward ready position.

Regarding battery life, it's more about hours than distance/elevation. For reference, I can get over 3 hours of pedaling in Eco mode on my E8000 with 504 Wh battery. Trail mode seems to overestimate drain when riding on flat pavement, with me getting anywhere from 1-2 hours on it, depending on how hilly my route is and how stop-and-go it is. Boost drains battery under 1 hour. I suspect eco draws like 175W max, and trail/boost at full is pulling 500W (despite being rated 250W). In the Shimano E-Tune app, I have Trail set to its middle pre-set and Boost to lowest pre-set. Don't actually get these #s at the wheel, due to losses between battery and transmission and what not, probably taking off ~20%, and tire/aero drag eating a large chunk of the rest. E7000 is less power hungry, and I expect EP8 to be more power hungry, but the 630WH battery is 25% more than my 504.

 

[Pezzar]

Yeah what's that all about?

I absolutely love my E2 - the best bike I have owned (normal or eeb). the rear axle though...haven't had the rear wheel off up to now, but did have an incident the other day, suddenly started having a wandering bite point on the rear brake, thought it was maybe losing fluid - also started getting ghost shifting, so I pulled over just before a big descent (glad I did!) - found the rear axle was winding itself out!
I check and torque it before every ride now - so be aware folks!

 

[Pezzar]

I've been well impressed with my E2 since getting it in January. Battery life is pretty good, but I do try and use Eco as much as I can.
The only issue I have is the rear axle is a right pig to get back in but I hardly take the wheel out so all good.
As a bike though its an awesome ride, goes down anything.
I've lost both rubber fork bumpers but who cares

Like you I try and stay in eco (mostly as I don't want to feel I'm cheating myself) but I do go into trail when I want a blast on the trails - boost I've only used just to see how it feels plus one day when I was off colour. I'm happy with range/battery life though tbh I don't really get to test it properly. Most rides are sub 25 miles as I am always tight for time these days. Most I've lost is 3 bars when I was feeling rough one ride and hit boost up a couple of climbs.

 

[urastus]

I'd worry that the CS is too short for the WB in XL

I wouldn't It has one of the steepest sta out there. People who ride it have never mentioned that, that I'm aware of. Perhaps their grins make them harder to understand? Personally I'd prefer a steeper hta. It looks like those trends of ever increasing hta and handlebar length are starting to correct now. This bike is still on my shortlist though, for obvious reasons

 

[pete-E1]

Pretty much rained here for 5 months in Australia so almost no riding in that time. Got a pedal in maybe 2 weeks ago. Managed to snag my pedal on a vertical root which took me by surprise.

I've got an E1 and just ordered a 190mm post. The 150mm, for me sits out of the frame by about 40mm and isn't high enough for me on climbs but don't want it out of the frame anymore and getting in the way when riding. So with the 190mm, I should be able to slam it into the frame more to keep it out of the way and have some more extension for climbing.