My first proper MTB was a Marin Eldridge Grade hardtail from Mike Cookson Cycles. Grey powder coated frame, rigid forks, leading edge in 1980's!

Had a Wolf Ridge full susser later on and loved it too but it was a little lardy.

Just read on 'another' forum that the brand new Alchemist has been withdrawn. One of the mags got it on test and but warned that it was a pre-production frame and the production model would be a few mm longer in the wheelbase. It was criticised for weight to cost ratio. Now its gone.

Marin – what are you doing??????

Not entirely sure what your point is here.

Firstly, it wasn't a brand new bike design; '10 would have been its second season. So new yes, but not brand new. It was the new frame iteration that was scraped not the suspension linkage set up.

Have you tried the new generation Wolf Ridge? The thing flies up hills and equally as fast downhill.

Would you prefer Marin kept selling them and waited quietly until they started breaking in a few years, or started again and bring something out next year that is even better?

Based on the seeming logic in your post, Scott should be out of business, Canondale should have folded years ago and Orange wouldnt have got any further than selling bikes in Sheffield!

They came up with a horrendous bike, a 6.8lbs 'race' frame which is prone to snapping is a bit of a joke, admittedly it probably got further than it should've done with magazine reviews and such, but they decided it was a turkey and shelved it. Don't really see the problem myself! Seems sensible!

weren't there thoughts that it would need to be strengthened for the CERN (?) standards and this would add too much weight?
the alchemy is rubbish but i'm still a fan of some of the other bikes. love the 140 and i've got a quake which feels pretty damn good in the uk.

As mentioned above, they're far from dead. The new Mount Visions for next year look fantastic.

Thread here from a couple of days ago about that particular but ugly bike's demise

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/marin-scrap-alchemist-after-two-years-design

Canondale should have folded years ago

'Dale have been in chapter 11 more times than I have had hot meals!

Some people view of the bike trade is pretty far from reality if you think there is a "Marin Factory" anywhere.

SSP

Since when were Marin a manufacturer? They are a brand who design bikes and then pay for a manufacturer to produce that design for the mass market.

There are many manufacturers with Giant and Merida being the largest 2 quality manufacturers in the world.

Merida being the largest 2 quality manufacturers in the world.

Quality? And ummm, who do you work for again Hopster? 😉

Didn`t Marin design and produce their early bikes ?
IIRC when I got my one back in the day the sales brochure seemed to point this out ?

Hopster has a point many of the big bike brands including specialized and kona have there manufacturing done by merida.

ssp, "dale should have folded years ago", yes I agree. But what about Marin? The early hardtails were great. The modern bikes are terrible and are ridden by a very thin slice of the demographic…. hmmm, where are the keys to my mondeo. Why do they continue with that awful design.

Some bikes have been beaten with the ugly stick…. marins are made out of ugly sticks. Does anyone think that quake bike looks good? If so, go see someone. You are wierd.

The modern bikes are terrible

Yawn. Have you ridden a recent one? Ie from the last 2 years? They constantly get good reviews.

ridden by a very thin slice of the demographic

Yawn again. And utter rubbish. Marin riders go from beardy sandal wearing old guys (no offence intended) to young up and coming professional freestyle riders who go to slopestyle and Mega Avalanche style events.

Why do they continue with that awful design

Because it works?! Pray show me another full sus design that gives that much mud clearance, climbs that well and descends that well…

eichler
Why do they continue with that awful design.

I've wondered the same thing myself. The full sussers are ugly ugly bikes. It would be excusable if they rode brilliantly but they are unbelievably average.

Yawn. Have you ridden a recent one? Ie from the last 2 years? They constantly get good reviews.

Good reviews eh? well they must be good. I've ridden them, don't think very much of them.

to young up and coming professional freestyle riders who go to slopestyle and Mega Avalanche style events.

Oh yeah, marin have a massive profile with the gravity set – obviously thanks to their massive stable of high profile team riders who successfully compete at the highest levels.

Because it works?! Pray show me another full sus design that gives that much mud clearance, climbs that well and descends that well.

Pray show me an uglier one.

Hopster has a point many of the big bike brands including specialized and kona have there manufacturing done by merida.

Sorry Merida don't build Kona bikes.

Mega Avalanche style events.

Don't think I saw a single Marin in Alpe D'Huez all week when I did the Mega.

They may be ok bikes but I bet they are no better than other less fugly bikes.