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[Closed] Marino custom frame - some progress!

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@marksnook - did you pick your paint colour yet?


 
Posted : 27/11/2020 4:15 pm
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I went raw, always talked about a raw frame so figured I would do it now! Weirdly just been sent a photo of it in clear coat! You and my emails must be linked 😂 @joebristol

Better get component shopping! Maybe ours will be on the same shipment?


 
Posted : 27/11/2020 5:07 pm
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Good lad! Maybe shipping in the next few days then with a bit of luck. Pretty sure they’re all coming in one big shipment and our frames were the last to be completed ready to send.

What components are you going for - is your ht or fs?

I’ve had all the components for mine for months - killing me waiting. Just hope the frame is all in order when it arrives and nothing is wonky / the internal routing is ok.

I’m going to partially build mine up raw when it arrives to check everything before it goes off for paint. Hope I don’t like it too much in raw otherwise that’ll be tempting. Although I already have a raw fs bike so a bit of colour is in order.


 
Posted : 27/11/2020 5:10 pm
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Fingers crossed we're almost there. I got photos of mine completed and painted last weekend and it looks brilliant. Can't wait for it to get here.

Here's hoping the shipment is only a couple of weeks or so. I also have a huge pile of parts waiting here. Must stop buying more stuff!


 
Posted : 27/11/2020 5:16 pm
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Yeah the longer it’s gone on the more bling the build has got!

Pike Ultimates / carbon Descendant cranks / carbon bars / Erase Components hubs with Ti freehub body / gold KMC chain etc.....


 
Posted : 27/11/2020 5:20 pm
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It’s a hardtail. Running a commencal meta am for fs duties right now.
Going to run:
140mm pike ultimate
Hunt enduro wide wheels
Zee brakes
Burgtec bar
Oneup dropper
Probably shimano 12 speed of some variety
Keep calling it my xc bike but it’s turned into a hardtail version of commencal! I had the fork and wheels so I’m calling it a parts bike as well but that’s clutching at straws!


 
Posted : 27/11/2020 5:21 pm
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Sounds a similar build to mine then really - decent trail stuff but with burly brakes etc to take some abuse!

‘XC’ definitely stretching it with Zees and Pikes 🤣


 
Posted : 27/11/2020 6:20 pm
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Already got one of their frames and it is a great bike, rides well and well built.

Ordered two new frames, a MK2 27.5 'XC' singlespeed (120mm pikes and 2.3 tyres) and a 29er (150mm lyrics and 2.5 tyres).
27.5 will be British racing green and the 29er will be raw.


 
Posted : 27/11/2020 8:59 pm
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Ha ha yeah I’m not too close to xc on this hardtail! I’m going to ride the same stuff I ride on my enduro bike so it’s got to be a bit burly! Really looking forward to this build


 
Posted : 27/11/2020 9:25 pm
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Still not shipped yet 🤷‍♂️🤬


 
Posted : 29/11/2020 8:00 pm
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Yet more **** about nonsense from Marino!

I've given up now, I want my frame so I'll just have to wait around with finger in arse.


 
Posted : 29/11/2020 8:27 pm
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Should ship this week then 7-10 days wait. Fingers crossed for before Christmas 😞

Would prefer it to get in the country before all the Brexit shenanigans.


 
Posted : 29/11/2020 8:38 pm
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Yeah that is a concern, I've got a lot of brand new kit waiting for the frame though so at least I won't get stung on that.

Would be nice to see it before a year passes though. Haha


 
Posted : 29/11/2020 8:41 pm
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Hope you get yours for Christmas or at least 2020 though Joe.

I'm in Somerset too so might bump into you at A.C in the new year.


 
Posted : 29/11/2020 8:42 pm
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Fingers crossed. I’m just glad I’ve got a trail fs that’s pretty good at everything and not waiting for this as my sole bike. Haven’t had a hardtail for months now though as I thought I’d sell my frame / forks / wheels in the summer when I could get decent money for them!


 
Posted : 29/11/2020 11:00 pm
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Well I guess that's another week slipping by without any sign of a frame yet, unless anyone else has heard different and they are finally on their way?

I have a feeling I'm going to hit 6 months of waiting. At what point do I get cold feet, panic about the sick bikes debacle and try to pull the plug on it?


 
Posted : 03/12/2020 10:31 am
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You can't compare Marino to Sick!. Marino had made all the frames for Sick without getting paid, he's been in the business for years but is still only a small operation in Peru. Demand for his frames seems to have significantly increased so there are likely to be some teething problems. You'll still end up with a custom frame at a lower price than one off the shelf so it's not all bad!


 
Posted : 03/12/2020 10:51 am
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Edit - Yeah you're right. Its just been a very frustrating wait. Really would like to actually see the frame soon though


 
Posted : 03/12/2020 10:58 am
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I appreciate your frustration but you're buying custom at bargain basement price from a tiny manufacturer in a developing nation half way around the planet during a global pandemic.

Maybe get the tools out and build your own frame to appreciate the time and labour involved - and what it would really cost if you were paying for UK materials, labour and delivery expectations.


 
Posted : 03/12/2020 11:05 am
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yeah maybe


 
Posted : 03/12/2020 11:09 am
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I’ve asked for an update from Luke as to whether they’ve shipped yet this week - just waiting to see what comes back.

It was always a risk ordering from Peru and during Corona....again, it’s just the communication and broken promises that are the issue. If they’d been up front and said it would take about 6 months then people would be less annoyed about it.

Price wise for a custom steel frame out of Reynolds 725 it’ll be an ok deal if the frames are straight / correct etc. Effectively getting custom geometry for broadly the same price as a Ribble HT725 (which is the same steel) once I’ve had the frame painted.

Compared to Curtis which would have been around £1250 (albeit 853 and UK manufactured). That would still have had a long wait but there’s someone on the end of the phone and less than 100 miles away from me. I couldn’t justify paying that though as I’d have had to compromise on wheels and forks and ultimately that would have given a worse bike ride as a result.


 
Posted : 03/12/2020 11:23 am
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Let us know if he replies! I haven’t heard anything since getting a photo of my frame saying it was in paint


 
Posted : 03/12/2020 5:05 pm
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Yeah I really don't know why they would ever have suggested 6 weeks. It takes a few weeks to sort the design with you, then to hit that deadline would mean starting it immediately and probably airfreighting it.

Got to say I like their partially tapered head tube - looks like it avoids (or almost avoids) having to do a complicated matching tapered mitre on the tt / dt. Can't say I've seen a tube like that available in the UK.

They are obviously making the frames (not a Sick cloud of nothing) and they will eventually arrive. I've had similar from UK framebuilders (timescales and not making what was on the drawing) which is partly why I ended up going DIY. That way I'm in charge of late delivery, poor quality and would rather not think about the true overall cost per frame 🙂 la la la la tubes just cost me £100 la la la 🙂


 
Posted : 03/12/2020 6:40 pm
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Yeah I full took that six week idea with a bucket of salt! I haven’t bought everything to build it with yet so no stress!
I would love to make my own frame, only ever had some mig welding experience on a car I was building. Not sure that’s the best frame building start!


 
Posted : 03/12/2020 10:31 pm
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Getting a bit bored of radio silence on this one - so say all the frames were completed last week and should have been shipping imminently.

So bored I got out all the build kit to check everything through to make sure it was all there. Reminded me I have a bent code r lever to change and need to clean up the gx 11 speed cassette and fit it to the new wheels. Also might sell the 150mm brand x dropper and get a 210mm Oneup dropper for my full suss bike and donate the Oneup 180mm dropper from that bike to this one.

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/s2rPyB2m/4-E20-E546-70-DC-46-CC-8-B04-E8105953-F45-D.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/s2rPyB2m/4-E20-E546-70-DC-46-CC-8-B04-E8105953-F45-D.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Was also idly browsing other bike frames in case the Marino never turns up:

Pipedream Moxie - might be a bit low with 650b and 2.6” tyres - but looks lovely

Ribble HT725 - I feel like the small is too small but the medium has too long a reach

Stanton Switchback / Slackline - the frames just look a bit too conventional

Bird Zero AM - closest bike to my custom geometry but it’s in alloy rather than steel. The anodised black would look nice though.


 
Posted : 05/12/2020 7:13 pm
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That’s a tidy build! So at the moment I’ve only got a pair of hunt enduro wide, a pike ultimate, headset, stem and bars. Not sure what Groupset I’m going to run. Looked at 10/11 speed stuff but it’s just not that much cheaper than 12 speed shimano. If I run the same brand/speed on both bike it limits the spares I need!
My commencal is 34.9 dropper and I’m running it shimmed right now so I’m tempted to order a new one for my big bike and pass the current oneup down to the hardtail


 
Posted : 06/12/2020 7:58 am
 ctk
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So its approx £500 for a full custom 725 frame?


 
Posted : 06/12/2020 9:25 am
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Mines £399 with no paint I believe. Not sure what they charge for paint but I’m doing my own thing with candy paint with a chunky metal flake undercoat for lots of sparkles.


 
Posted : 06/12/2020 9:37 am
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That’s a tidy build! So at the moment I’ve only got a pair of hunt enduro wide, a pike ultimate, headset, stem and bars. Not sure what Groupset I’m going to run. Looked at 10/11 speed stuff but it’s just not that much cheaper than 12 speed shimano. If I run the same brand/speed on both bike it limits the spares I need!
My commencal is 34.9 dropper and I’m running it shimmed right now so I’m tempted to order a new one for my big bike and pass the current oneup down to the hardtail

Yours sounds like it’s going to be nice too. I think the Marino will come with headset and seat clamp from what I’ve been told.

The new 11 speed deore rear mech is pretty cheap - for a recent build I used that with an slx 11 speed shifter and a Sunrace 11-46 speed cassette I think it was. Came in really cheap. Cranks are the most difficult to get a bargain on I found.

The above has an old gx 11 speed mech, cassette and shifter I had lying around - hoping the mech isn’t too knackered. The cassette has only had one chain on it so far so has loads of life and imagine the shifter is fine. Going to run a 30t Sram alloy chainring with the 10-42 cassette for now. I’ve got Shimano 12 speed on the other bike but hoping 30/42 will be a good enough lowest gear on the hardtail.


 
Posted : 06/12/2020 9:42 am
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I think mine was around £450 all in with the standard tubing and a headset as they were so cheap. It also came with a seatclamp, two rear axles and four mech hangers.


 
Posted : 06/12/2020 10:33 am
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Got an email from luke saying my frame should be here by Christmas! Nice present for me!
Got an invoice email as well so all payed up. Think it was 400 all in.
Not gone for any special cable routing as I like external with zip ties! None of that 3 hours to push a cable through!


 
Posted : 07/12/2020 10:14 pm
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I bought the last remaining Marino built Sick Wulf frame from Luke earlier, mentioned it to a friend and asked how his frame was going and he’d been told it will be here pre-Xmas too. I’ve been enjoying seeing his Instagram stories of the parts that have been arriving over the past 4 months!

I started a thread about 2 years ago asking about alternatives to the Sick frames as I wanted a Wulf but couldn’t afford one - the answer was Marino and now 2 years later I’ve managed to get the fame I wanted for £350 rather than the £550 Sick wanted for it!


 
Posted : 07/12/2020 10:55 pm
 ctk
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So cheap, can't go wrong!


 
Posted : 07/12/2020 11:44 pm
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Added benefit of course is that this one actually exists!


 
Posted : 07/12/2020 11:50 pm
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I’ve been told shipping is this Thursday 100% - so should just about get the frame before Christmas - which would be great timing. Just need to trial build it up to make sure everything is ok with the frame - then strip it again and drop it off for paint. Fingers crossed it’ll be good to ride by the end of Jan!


 
Posted : 08/12/2020 9:54 am
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Having had a look online for new bikes/frames, and a massive crack having been found in the top tube of my current and only bike, it looks like I'll be placing an order for a Marino, seems about the best value of anything out there and custom geometry is a massive plus.

Are there any frame mockups out there to give me an idea of where to start in Bike CAD? So far I seem to be really great at building clown bikes and tandems when I don't mean to


 
Posted : 08/12/2020 10:44 am
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I just looked at geometry of frames I liked and stuff that I have rode and copied that. Keep it simple and all!


 
Posted : 08/12/2020 11:06 am
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Got my invoice last night for the remaining balance on my frame.
Ordered early August, was told by Marino UK "6 weeks turn around, but they are shipping in 4 weeks, so will try to get my frame done for that"
I foolishly got optimistic.

Reckon it will be 20 weeks by the time I get it.
Hoping to have it before Christmas, so I can utilise my time off to build the bloody thing


 
Posted : 08/12/2020 11:53 am
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That's what I did, worked out really well.

What kind of bike are you trying to build?


 
Posted : 08/12/2020 11:53 am
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Having had a look online for new bikes/frames, and a massive crack having been found in the top tube of my current and only bike, it looks like I’ll be placing an order for a Marino, seems about the best value of anything out there and custom geometry is a massive plus.

Are there any frame mockups out there to give me an idea of where to start in Bike CAD? So far I seem to be really great at building clown bikes and tandems when I don’t mean to

Do you like the cracked frame or are you after something completely different?

I had a Vitus Sentier that I quite liked but in an ideal world would have been a tiny bit more stable / forgiving at speed and having a touch more comfort. So I took the basic geometry and slightly extended the reach and slackened the head angle, marginally steepened the seat angle and then shortened the seat tube for a longer dropper.

Hoping it comes out alright and I haven’t messed up entirely. I’m 5’9 and wanted something squarely in the middle of trail hardtails but with a particularly short seat tube and chainstays - came up with this:

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/PNs4s0bV/97-EE8862-9-DAC-421-C-9-E6-D-0-F5839346293.pn g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/PNs4s0bV/97-EE8862-9-DAC-421-C-9-E6-D-0-F5839346293.pn g"/> [/img][/url]

The free bikecad program won’t look the exact same as that as I think the Marino output is using the more detailed paid for version.

The free one that I did looks like the below image. I found it quite a clunky program but got to what I wanted in the end.

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/HsbGcgNx/24-C1409-C-588-F-4-F3-B-AA75-A595-B9-DD65-EB.pn g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/HsbGcgNx/24-C1409-C-588-F-4-F3-B-AA75-A595-B9-DD65-EB.pn g"/> [/img][/url]


 
Posted : 08/12/2020 12:19 pm
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Marino will also send bikecad drawings to agree on before starting work, I went through a few before finalising my design. I initially just sent the geometry I wanted (HA, STA, reach, seat/chain/head tube length, BB drop, axle to crown and wheel diameter) with a rough drawing of style and he put it into a bikecad drawing.


 
Posted : 08/12/2020 12:42 pm
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Mine is a slightly slimmed down hardcore style hardtail. Loosely based around a nordest bardino. A touch shorter, fairly slack and slightly less travel. I rode a Bird zero 29, while the sizing felt ok it was slightly not slack enough! I wanted it to feel like a slack trail bike I think.
So I’m at 64 h/a, 460 reach, 78 s/a. But with a 140mm fork. It’s intended for the exact same stuff I ride my enduro bike on but with some longer pedals/bike packing in mind


 
Posted : 08/12/2020 2:11 pm
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Has anyone heard if the shipment left as it was meant to yesterday?


 
Posted : 11/12/2020 1:55 pm
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Hmm interesting tread. Earlier in the year I was contemplating ordering a frame from Marino. Having been sat working from home and not commuting I'd got a lump of cash burning a hole in my pocket. One thing lead to another and I did nothing about it.

Skipping on, I was reading through the thread last night, I got to the sketches just above and my wife sat down with me. Oh I like the green bike she says. Light bulb moment, does that mean she's given the green light to order one? In green though..

The main reason I didn't go any further was by the time I'd added all of the nice bit and pieces it was no longer a cheap option... Anyway it would have to be painted black to pass off against my old inbred.


 
Posted : 12/12/2020 9:06 pm
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It’s still a cheap option for custom geo steel - even if you pick Reynolds 725 / tapered headtube / post mount brake / etched head tube etc.

If you want an overall cheap frame then go 4130, 44mm straight head tube, is mount brake etc


 
Posted : 12/12/2020 11:12 pm
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