1990’s called, they want thier hybrid gravel bike back to commute on…

The ‘go anywhere’ theme continues… Is it gravel? Is it short travel HT? Is it a hybrid? Is it retro 1990’s bike?

Mrs_oab has a rigid version and it’s great…

If it was 2x, I would be tempted…

https://www.marinbikes.com/gb/bikes/2023-dsx-fs#buy

I think that’s an MTB from the 90s

I think it’s a bike. For getting about. Everyone should have something like this. And I don’t meant just enthusiasts.

I think that’s an MTB from the 90s

Not with that head angle it’s not.

I think it’s a bike. For getting about. Everyone should have something like this. And I don’t meant just enthusiasts.

Exactly.
Not everyone is concerned about what the bike is pigeonholed as. Incredibly, some people actually just buy bikes they like to use for functional things like commuting.

Not with that head angle it’s not.

The 80s then

That’s a really good………bike.

The only thing that might have made it a better bike at being a bike for people who just need a bike would have been a drivetrain that used a belt drive. Belts and normal trousers that you are wearing for what you are doing at the other end of your bike ride are an underappreciated combination.

A gravel tail.

There were some gopping bikes in the 90’s – but that seat-tube is a new standard of gopping! 🙂

but that seat-tube is a new standard of gopping!

Looks like it was nicked off the original trek stache, or the procaliber.

What it is is a well designed, nicely specced fun machine versatile bicycle. It needs no labels though. Ride and smile

Looks like the bike IMO lots of people should be riding around the place. Needs a riser bar though IMO for comfort with that stack.

Looks like a perfectly uncontroversial hybrid, they’ve been available and quite popular for several decades you know.

I’m not sure why every flat barred bike, ideal for tow path/shopping/pub pootles needs to be labelled as a “flat-barred gravel bike” or another 90s revival when all they are is perfectly normal; just “a bicycle” for general use…

It’s a bit like people getting disproportionately excited when ford release a new fiesta, yet another mundane, functional vehicle that only weirdos would really go so ape-shit over…

That is really really nice. Just a great bike. Not tried the forks on the linked version but I would prefer a rigid vs a short travel suspension fork anyway.

I have a gravel bike and I have a rigid mountain bike (stooge), but something like this would tick both boxes so I definitely get them and the appeal

What’s that bringing to the party that a Kona Dew at a third of the price isn’t? Yes it’s nice but c’mon.

Or a carrera subway… Oh I know, no front derailleur. Commuting on a Subway for over a year, robust and with 3x gearing it’s nice to flick it onto big chainring going down a hill to get extra free speed without spinning legs like crazy. Seen no signs of it wanting to be stolen yet while locking it on street. That might change when it gets dark early but hoping not!

What’s that bringing to the party that a Kona Dew at a third of the price isn’t? Yes it’s nice but c’mon.

tan wall tyres – instant gravel hipster cool

and with 3x gearing it’s nice to flick it onto big chainring going down a hill to get extra free speed without spinning legs like crazy

Having a single chainring is a plus for me and most people. I wouldn’t want to ever go back to a front derailleur!

What’s that bringing to the party that a Kona Dew at a third of the price isn’t? Yes it’s nice but c’mon

I mean we can play this game on most bikes with diminishing returns etc but a quick look at what £500 vs £1500 (actually you can this for less than £1,300 a quick Google would suggest) gets you:

700 wheels vs 650b with bigger clearance (29×2.1 claimed)
Hydraulic vs cable brakes
Altus vs Deore 12 speed
Suntour gravel fork vs rigid
Neither list weights but I’m guessing the Marin is much lighter

Would I get the Marin? Probably not, but not sure why it seems to have caused a few on here to get upset about it. It’s just a bike and value wise seems to stack up pretty well.

Because everyone is gushing over it saying its the bike EVERYONE should be riding when a bike a third of the price can do it all just as well.

I’ve done 60 mile rides on my Dew. It’s an older (2011) Deluxe with Tektro Draco brakes and mostly altus gearing with a deore mech. It does exactly what most people need a bike for. As for triple ring, for roads and steep hills, er yes please. Who wants to be spinning out on a tiny ring all the time just so they can ride back up a decent hill? Have you ever lived somewhere with ridiculous hills?

FWIW Altus isn’t shit these days, my Ramin had it when I picked it up a few months ago and it shifted really well for being 8-9 years old. But I suppose if you want to be a gear snob that’s up to you, meanwhile everyone else in the real world…

Also who gives an actual toss about 700 vs 650 on a bloody hybrid? My Dew can (just) fit 26×2.3 Booze Lite’s, they have plenty of room!

I’d have 2x with a reasonably close ratio cassette over 1x with its massive gaps for any bike that had any roadie purpose. Love 2by GRX on my gravel bike, I hope Shimano never discontinue that.

Ok I’ll take back what I said about lots of people should be riding this.

Things on this that appeal to me but the general public don’t care about: air fork with mudguard mounts, tubeless compatible wheels, 700c, 1×12, MTB grade drivetrain, big name hydraulic brakes, thru axles.

If I was in the market for that kind of bike, I reckon the Boardman Urb 8.9 would be near the top of my list. Probably deeply unfashionable, but seems to tick all the right boxes.

I’ve done 60 mile rides on my Dew. It’s an older (2011) Deluxe with Tektro Draco brakes

I smooshed two Dews together a to big drop and a delux frame, two create the DewDropDeluxe. It was a spectacularly great bike and I genuinely don’t know why I sold it.

It needs no labels though.

Bikes do need labels though. And although hybrid is not a great label as a hybrid could be a hybrid of any two bikes (that also have labels) I think people know what a hybrid bike is.

Some may be happy just to say “I want a bike”, “I ride a bike” etc,. but it is a lot of the time better to be able to categorise bikes, i.e. “I want a road race bike”, “I want an Enduro MTB” to narrow things down somewhat.

A £1500 hybrid… for that sort of money non-enthusiasts are buying e-bikes and enthusiasts are buying drop-bar gravel bikes.

I really like that, it’s almost like it’s not one thing or another. Looks a bit retro, I like the design.

I could see myself using it for casual rides to the nearest town for a pint or a ride along the seafront for an ice cream. Or just out for a quick spin when I don’t have time to don all the MTB gear and head up the woods for a few hours.

That is not a pretty bike. Seat tube is an abomination- the top tube doesn’t really need that gusset weld and the forks look bent at the head tube. And it’s £800 too expensive.

I’d stick a dropper post on it, great for stop start commuting, especially if loaded, and great for a cheeky bit of singletrack.

A £1500 hybrid… for that sort of money non-enthusiasts are buying e-bikes and enthusiasts are buying drop-bar gravel bikes.

Exactly.

I know times (or more specifically, prices) have moved on but Ramins did this 9 years ago for what, 400 quid? Can’t remember if that was before or after discounts. I’d actually say that’s closer to the brief than the Dew I mentioned before.

@bikesandboots fair enough. The general concept was right but this bike isn’t the bike for the masses.

The cheaper rigid fork versions are interesting but, like others, I’m struggling to see who’d buy the £1500 model with that spec at that price.

I actually think it’s a nice looking bike. The HT version is nicer looking than the rigid version but ~twice the price. The rigid frame though looks roomier for frame bags which I like for commuting.

I still stand by wanting at least 2x front gearing (I’ve never actually used a double as an adult, always had triples). The subway I commute on, ~13 miles a day 5 days a week, I want that range and I’m just not convinced you can get that with a 1x and certainly don’t want expensive 12 speed for daily commuting.

For daily commuting I no longer put any intense effort in like I used to ten years ago (with a shorter minimum commute that was regularly extended to higher mileage than I do now). I like a big gear to take advantage of down hills on the way in, without putting much effort in can keep my speed up. Then on the way home I go offroad, along rutted stony eroded farm track. By Friday afternoon I’m on the granny ring easiest gear, going slowly enough that I’m almost puting more effort into maintaining balance than pushing the pedals.

To be honest I would need to go for a test ride of big range 1x system having never ridden them, but cheap is what I need right now. I ride 1x on my MTBs, (converted a triple to 1x actually) so I’m not against it. I used to commute on it, with a big chainring on the front but I need the granny ring now.

looks effective to me.

As a commuter it would pay for itself in a year

Most idiot cardrivers spent that much driving their life draining tin boxes to work, just to earn money to pay for the tin box.

normal trousers that you are wearing for what you are doing at the other end of your bike ride

This is the 2nd reason socks were invented, for anti-cool pedallers to tuck their trews into.

marin have being doing these types of bikes for yonks did a lot of miles on one it was much more capable than my current road bike especially with schwalbe hurricanes on.

The 80s then

Those old MTBs had super slack seat angles. And both 80s and 90s had bigger tyres

Because everyone is gushing over it saying its the bike EVERYONE should be riding when a bike a third of the price can do it all just as well.

Are they? First I’ve heard of it.

It might be the same shape as a £500 bike but it has SLX, and hydraulic damping and is probably lighter. So yeah, more expensive bikes look the same but are somewhat better quality. Makes sense no?

I like it but these short travel forks mystify me, either have a fork or don’t. But for everything else, yep it is going to be good because it’s literally just another bike like loads of others.

Are they? First I’ve heard of it.

It might be the same shape as a £500 bike but it has SLX, and hydraulic damping and is probably lighter. So yeah, more expensive bikes look the same but are somewhat better quality. Makes sense no

exactly my point, thank you

Because everyone is gushing over it saying its the bike EVERYONE should be riding when a bike a third of the price can do it all just as well.

I’ve done 60 mile rides on my Dew. It’s an older (2011) Deluxe with Tektro Draco brakes and mostly altus gearing with a deore mech. It does exactly what most people need a bike for. As for triple ring, for roads and steep hills, er yes please. Who wants to be spinning out on a tiny ring all the time just so they can ride back up a decent hill? Have you ever lived somewhere with ridiculous hills?

I don’t recall anyone saying it’s a bike everyone should be riding. Or “gushing” over it.

I live in Devon so >1200 ft per 10 miles so pretty hilly. Again I didn’t say 2x didn’t have a place, but for me and plenty of others we would prefer the simplicity of a single chainring. You don’t and that’s cool.

I like the dew, I’ve always thought they were great, my lbs sells a lot of them. I just don’t understand the argument that this is awful for being more expensive, when the more expensive bits are obviously in the parts (if not the frame). It’s like saying a bizango for what £600 can do anything (and it can pretty much) but that doesn’t stop more expensive hardtails being on the market.

A flat barred Camino which does the same is around the same price.

I like it but these short travel forks mystify me, either have a fork or don’t.

I’m completely in this camp, although haven’t tried them so trying to keep open minded.