When was the last time you saw one that was built within the last 5 years on the trail?
In the 90s it was all you saw. I can’t say that there’s any one brand around here that has predominance but it sure isn’t either of the above.

Depends where you live I suppose, there’s loads of Marins round here.

Hmm, see a few marin’s about, not many gt’s though. In fact I see a Marin every time I go out for a ride…

The best 140mm bike I’ve ever ridden, rides like a mini dh bike 😈

Nice Wolf Ridge you have there Jackal.

I was up at Glentress a couple of months back. Excluding my own, I counted six other Wolf Ridges, a Rock Springs and three Attack Trails. The were by far the most popular bike there. Pretty much the same story at Coed Y Brenin last week too.

I can’t remember the last time I saw a GT though…in fact I’ve never seen one outside of Halfords.

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GT are still making the same basic suspension design as they were nearly ten years ago. At least marin have made improvements to their designs!

Depends where you live I suppose, there’s loads of Marins round here.

Only cos Barry is good at selling them.

“GT are still making the same basic suspension design as they were nearly ten years ago”

So are orange?
Doesn’t seem to limiting their appeal

How many shops (bar halfords) actually stock/carry GT FSers though? If nobody really sees them, they’re not going to buy them?
To a lesser extent marin too?

Only cos Barry is good at selling them.

Not just Barry. 😉

Double Marin owner here, 2004 Mount Vision/pro (vision swing arm, pro front end :)) and a 2009 Wolf Ridge which is a fantastic bike!

Mind you, i saw a bloke riding what looked like a new model GT the other day and commented to my mate that you don’t see many of them around any more.

GT distortion looks good though http://www.mtbr.com/cat/bikes/freeride-full-suspension/gt/distortion-2-0/prd_479324_1543crx.aspx

GT’s are stocked mainly (if not exclusively) by Halfords in the main. They tend to sell mostly basic models, so its unlikely they’re going to sell many of the higher spec’d models (if they actually exist), as most discerning buyers probably dont shop at Halfords.

Having owned a gt i-drive from a few years back, I still reckon it’s a very under-rated design. I found it had all the benefits of a single pivot (which it is) with the drawbacks mitigated by the i-link. Reckon GT have shot themselves in the foot choosing halfords as their main outlet. Poorer value than carrera and boardman and now no longer quite have the respect they once had from proper enthusiasts.

i’ve seen a gt i drive at my local bike shop (don’t know the model i’m afraid).the shop also had a few older marin full sus bikes in for repair (the old single pivot/raw frame models). tbh i haven’t seen anyone riding either gt/marin bikes when i’m out though (which hasn’t been a lot to be fair recently).

EDIT i did have an original marin mount vision back in 1998 (raw finish xt groupset manitou elastomer fork),but it was only for a few weeks.it was very nice to ride though 🙂

Used to be a big fan of GT stuff having owned a Zaskar, RTS & LTS but I think the introduction of the i-drive, tepid magazine reviews and percieved quality issues at the time killed it for them.

May get a boost and credibility points from the Athertons being on board though.

I had a 2001 Zaskar Race – fantastic frame but incredibly unforgiving on the rear end due to it’s stiffness. Took it to Spain in ’03 and got bounced of every rock in christendom whilst those on full sussers screamed off into the distance! Came home and sold it to buy the Mount Vision 🙂

Would like another one of those frames though..

I just picked up a cheap GT hardtail for commuting and getting out and about. It’s all I could afford and it fits my tiny legs perfect.

Came with a pretty good spec and it rides really well. Just like my Zaskar and backwoods did back in the day.

I’m really impressed with how it rides.

I ride most of the time with a mate who has a 2009 or 2010 Attack Trail – actually a very nice bike, but somehow Marin just became unfashionable I suppose after it’s 90’s heyday – I’m not sure why. I fear it was the Halfords factor that killed GT’s credibility though.

I own a Mount Vision and a Zaskar. So I see them all the time.

I have a gt sensor 1 which I thought was great and am in the process of buying a zaskar 100 9r carbon because I love gt’s.

The I drive system works a great very little if any pedal induced bob, I love them and would recommend to anyone!

So there!

Marin have always been unfashionable. The Wolf Ridge/Attack Trail of 2008 was a bolt from the blue, no-one really expected them to ride as well as they did. Mine is an amazing machine, I love it to bits. I don’t care whether it’s fashionable or not, it has a really infectious character about it and it loves to be ridden like it’s been stolen. There’s just enough feedback to make it interactive without it feeling like you’re pedalling with elastic, plus it’s low and slack to boot.

It’s a shame that as soon as Marin discovered they’d pulled off the impossible and had built a a really desirable bike for the MBUK generation, they ran out of ideas as to how to market it and improve on it.

If my 98 East Peak would take disk brakes I’d get it running again.

My friend still rides his STS with spinergy wheels on a regular basis. I saw an RTS the other day with quadras on. Don’t see much of the newer ones but I do see the marins about a fair bit