http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/marin-and-atb-sales-split-after-25-years/015540

Thought this was coming, as they built up the Whyte brand.

I thought it had happened years ago. I thought Marin USA was no more and atb sales just bought the name in a plant x/titus or hotlines/nuke proof style.

Seems I was wrong.

They certainly have been pretty fugly since the takeover and didn’t appear to be designed for UK conditions, unlike the Jon Whyte designed ones.

All warranty claims from retailers now having to go through the US company.

UK market clearly not worth getting a new distributor lined up before binning the old one.

Marin make some gorgeous bikes, most of which aren’t (currently) brought to the UK market…

Paligap are taking over as UK distributor apparently.

Atb have run it in the ground (and are doing much the same with Willier).

Could be ATBs loss.

This looks very nice IMHO.

IIRC the relationship was extremely complex, Jon Whyte and Ian Alexander designed the suspension systems for Marin via ATB?

Paligap have needed a decent big bike brand since they lost Kona.

I always been under the impression that Marin were far from a large company.

Though Marin seemingly lost there way over the last few years, abandoning it’s successful short travel racers in favour of heavy trail bikes (my take on it), can ATB a distributer really be blamed for this?
Obviously if you know more due to being in “the industry”, feel free to educate me…

abandoning it’s successful short travel racers

I thought that was more by accident than design, as they couldn’t get the Alchemist weight down to an acceptable point?

abandoning it’s successful short travel racers in favour of heavy trail bikes

Well, it was a mix of getting it very badly wrong with the Alchemist, and the market shifting at the same time. No one was buying light, short travel XC bikes. Hardtails? Yes, but the market for XC bouncy bikes was dying a painful death over the years.

Knowing the way ATB dumped/did over a couple of their long standing people/reps, I can’t help thinking that there’s an element of the cows coming home to roost!

so the giant anthem is a blip?.. you know just askin? 😉

Obviously the designer of the alchemist needed a good kickin for even suggesting that design, let alone whatever issues it had (weight/other faults)

The Anthem is, IMHO, a bit of an anomaly. A trail bike that rides like a short travel races, or a racer that rides like a trail bike? Not sure which way round it is, but like the NRS that preceded it, Giant managed to blur the lines very, very well!

Though Marin seemingly lost there way over the last few years, abandoning it’s successful short travel racers in favour of heavy trail bikes (my take on it)

The 2008 onward 140 frame is utterly ubiquitous around my way. There are loads of them. If the trail centres in Wales and Scotland are anything to go by, Marin had a huge sales success there. Certainly, the Wolf Ridge is the first (and last) Marin I’d consider owning. Indeed, there are two in my household.

The Wolf Ridge was a fantastic, mold-breaking frame that’s still popular today, but Marin seemed to drop the ball in following it up.

Perhaps someone will distribute them who doesn’t illegally fix prices.

Surprised you see them that way, I’ve not seen any out on the trail (admittedly I’ve only ridden locally over the last few years) & certainly there presence in shops seemed muted.
It was not that I disliked them, more they way they seemed to change direction over night, that I felt was wrong for them (rep wise).
I for one loved my short travel Marin’s, but the longer travel ones never appealed, fair play if they did manage to market/sell them.

My 2010 Attack Trail is the dogs knackers. It was way ahead of its time if you ask me.

Phead, hope you have the evidence to back up that claim.

Perhaps someone will distribute them who doesn’t illegally fix prices.

Still? They were at that game when I worked in a shop back in around 93/94!

Phead, hope you have the evidence to back up that claim.

Indeed, other than controlling route to market like Trek etc do how have they fixed prices?

LS – Member

Perhaps someone will distribute them who doesn’t illegally fix prices.

Still? They were at that game when I worked in a shop back in around 93/94!

Ha, I was about to make a similar comment! 🙂

Well, they wouldn’t be the only brand in the industry to have been doing that now, would they 😉

Ex-trade, I know all the games. Last time I bought a bike a dealer actually told me that he couldn’t do discounts as the distributor doesn’t allow him to. I pointed out that would breach the competition act 1998, he ran off, in his own shop!

Theres a lot of illegal stuff goes on in the bike trade, and as customers we are getting screwed by it.

Yup, 100%!