Quick look: Marin Rift Zone alloy range 2023

New alloy Marin Rift Zone range. Refined from the ground up with updates to geometry, cable routing and specs to hopefully make a fun bike even better.

2023 alloy Marin Rift Zones nutshelled:

• 130mm rear travel (up from 125mm)
• 140mm fork travel (up from 130mm)
• 29in and 27.5in models
• 26 and JR models also
• 65.5° head angle
• 77° seat angle (76° on 26/JR)
• 430mm chainstays (425mm on 26/JR)
• SRP £1,695 to £2,995
• Available Nov/Dec

Press Release:

MARIN UNLEASHES ALL-NEW RIFT ZONE ALLOY COLLECTION

Petaluma, Calif, November 14, 2022 – The Marin Rift Zone is made to party, whatever your jam may be. Your ideal partner for everything from all-day epics, to local shred laps, and everything in-between. Critically-acclaimed since their debut over five years ago, they epitomise our Made For Fun mantra above everything else, and are the heart and soul of Marin’s full suspension lineup.

Rift Zone alloy models are all-new from the frame-up for 2023, with more travel, fresh geometry, updated suspension kinematics, and refined details. Furthermore, the lineup has been aligned between the 29” and 27.5” wheel size models.

And this just in, the new Rifty has already won Gold, with Marin-sponsored ambassador and all-around awesome human Martha Gill taking the top step on the podium in the Dual Slalom at Crankworx Rotorua 2022.

FRAME

Series 3 aluminium frames with new tubing and forgings freshen the Rifty’s overall aesthetics, with a shorter seattube and lower standover from previous models. Slick braze-in cable guide entry and exit ports look great and eliminate cable/hose rattle. Cable routing is built into the forging, and the bike is a zip tie- free zone. Out back the dropouts are now compatible with SRAM’s UDH rear derailleur hanger.

The Rift Zone is also a quieter bike, with all-new chainstay and seatstay protectors with increased coverage to minimise chain slap. Proper ISCG tabs and threaded BB shells remain.

TRAVEL

Rift Zone 29” and 27.5” alloy models see travel bump up 10mm in the front and 5mm in the rear, now at 140mm/130mm respectively, bringing the bike firmly into the trail category. Rift Zone 26 and Rift Zone Jr models now see 130mm travel front and rear.

GEOMETRY

Both 29” & 27.5” frames share key geometry figures, with 65.5° headtube and 77° seattube angles, along with 430mm chainstays. In short, we pegged the fun-o-meter by making these important updates to the angles. Rift Zone 26 and Jr see similar updates, with 65.5° HTA and 76° STA, with 425mm chainstays.

KINEMATICS AND SHOCK TUNING

The team here at Marin spent countless hours dialing in the frame kinematics, ensuring maximum performance with current shocks on the market. From there we worked with engineers at Fox, RockShox, and X-Fusion to dial in the tunes to deliver the best combination of pedalling efficiency on the climbs and flats, while delivering bottomless-feeling control on when the going gets rough. The new Rifty doesn’t just have more travel, it also improves on the way the travel is used.

THE LINEUP

One key feature that hasn’t changed is the Rift Zone assortment, with three each 29” and 27.5” models, and the 26” and 24” for the young rippers. Now these models have been homogenised between wheel sizes, so colors, specifications and pricing remain the same at the various 1/2/XR levels, no matter the rolling stock.

Wait, what’s that? What’s up with this “XR” model? That’s the replacement for what had previously been the Rift Zone 3. The new XR is our “riders’ spec” model, a spicier take on the Rift Zone with some of the best bang-for-the-buck suspension and drivetrain spec available.

Rift Zone 29”/27.5” 1

• All-new Series 3 MultiTrac frame, 130mm travel
• X-Fusion Slide (29”) & Sweep (27.5”) Boost RC forks
• X-Fusion O2 Pro R shock w/custom tune
• Shimano Deore 1×11 drivetrain
• Shimano MT201 hydraulic disc brakes w/180mm rotors
• Vee Tire Crown Gem tubeless-ready tyres
• 27.5” available in XS frame size

Rift Zone 29”/27.5” 2

• Marzocchi Bomber Z2 fork
• RockShox Deluxe Select RT Debonair rear shock
• Shimano Deore 1×12 drivetrain
• TranzX dropper post
• Vee Tire Flow Snap 2.35” tyres

Rift Zone 29”/27.5” XR

• Marzocchi Bomber Z1 fork
• Fox Float X rear shock
• Shimano SLX/XT 1×12 drivetrain
• Shimano M420 4-piston brakes
• Maxxis Assegai MAXX TERRA EXO 2.5” tyres

Rift Zone 26”/Jr

• All-new Series 3 MultiTrac frame, 130mm travel
• X-Fusion Velvet Boost RC fork, 130mm travel
• X-Fusion O2 Pro R shock w/custom tune
• Shimano Deore 1×11 drivetrain
• Shimano MT201 hydraulic disc brakes w/180mm rotors
• Vee Tire Flow Snap 2.4” tyres

marinbikes.com/gb

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Ben Haworth

Orange Switch 6er. Stif Squatcher. Schwalbe Magic Mary Purple Addix front. Maxxis DHR II 3C MaxxTerra rear. Coil fan. Ebikes are not evil. I have been a writer for nigh on 20 years, a photographer for 25 years and a mountain biker for 30 years. I have written countless magazine and website features and route guides for the UK mountain bike press, most notably for the esteemed and highly regarded Singletrackworld. Although I am a Lancastrian, I freely admit that West Yorkshire is my favourite place to ride. Rarely a week goes by without me riding and exploring the South Pennines.

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