Old Marin DH Bike

Does anyone know the name of that Marin DH bike from the late 90’s* with the white frame and the dual crown orange manitous on it?

* This may be wildly innaccurate

B17?

That looks like the one, I had a go on summit like this as a kid and it nearly chucked me right over the bars outside the bike place after jumping off my raleigh max with canti’s!

Wildcat?

DHFRS
had the carbon X vert forks

Hmmmm. These all look remarkably like the fella. This was the bike that got me interested in mtb’ing when i was younger but never owned one.. Quite fancy an owld Marin.

Can’t beat a old marin! 🙂

Yes, it was the DH FRS – I raced one for a couple of years in NAMBS, NEMBA, Diamond Back Sportage series. There was a couple of versions: mine came with RST Hi5 triple clamps, XT V brakes, Noleen coilover shock (that blew up – a lot). The team version came with the big manitous and a set of frankly ridiculous rims (double wides or something). The blue B17 was a slightly later version.

They were good bikes in their day, but by today’s standards proper hinge pigs. You simply couldnt stand up and sprint on them.

I saw one being used as a shopper bike outside Aldi’s in Llanelli yesterday. I should have taken a pic 🙁

Blue one above was a 99 marin b17

I had a year 2000 and a year 2002 ( pure white)

The orange one was a 1998 iirc

I picked up a Mount Vision last week. Nearly original spec with all the owners manuals etc. I had one back in 96/97 and used it at the Malverns, even met Jon Whyte there too.

yep, 1998 DHFRS. Same frame as the red and white B17.

I had one and used it for XC with a 3″ Pace fork – it was a bit unbalanced…. Mind you I finished 10th at HONC on it…

Found a pic! (Mine was repainted obviously)

(That was big air in 98 – gnarl inflation means it looks lame now 😉 )

Must have been a team spec dhfrs. Defo had hydraulic discs and big old manitous on it… Loving the pics above and the term ‘gnarl inflation’ is class!

😆 @ “gnarl inflation. 😀

iirc every Marin B17 or DHFRS I ever saw had a lovely little crack at the headtube/downtube weld. Owners never seemed to like that being pointed out for some reason

Mine didn’t 🙂

mine didnt legend

how ever it did have a crack at the main pivot ….which eventually turned into a pivot no longer being attached and the top tube snapping at the seattube weld !

Mine (frame)is hanging in the garage. One of the first 1997 B17 DH FRS, Fox Vanilla RX shock, RST Hi5 forks, mostly STX-RC gearing (24 speed), V brakes, parallax hubs, Mavic X138 rims. Cost me £1260 new from Extreme in Doncaster, a present to myself for a successful first period being self-employed. Six and a half inches of slightly bobbing rear travel. I’d actually gone in coveting a more XC style Rift Zone in silver and black, but a quick test ride told me my (very)bad back wasn’t going to be happy. Guy in the shop tells me to come back in a fortnight when the more upright DH bikes arrive, so I did and I loved it.

Separated at birth?

One of the few bikes from back then that still looks current.

iirc every Marin B17 or DHFRS I ever saw had a lovely little crack at the headtube/downtube weld. Owners never seemed to like that being pointed out for some reason

Mine didn’t either.

I eventually traded mine in at York for a mint condition but used Trek carbon Y frame. To this day I’m wondering who got the better deal. That trek was awful; URT suspension designs . Why oh why did anyone think they were a good idea?

oh I don’t know. my Mantra works well as a SS 😉

Looks like Bristol in the background.

Nice singlespeed set up on the Klein too!

yep, just opposite Mud Dock.