THE FRAME
Special forming techniques have been used to shape the Rift Zone's 'Series 3' aluminium tubes. The rear dropouts, main-pivot yoke and rocker link are all forged for higher strength. Marin have refined the internal cable routing - the entry and exit ports on the front triangle have brazed-in sections with a smoothed finish, while the ports by the head tube are angled to help reduce cable bowing. Elsewhere, the Rift Zone now has robust chain-slap protection and uses SRAM's universal derailleur hanger (UDH) standard.
Marin have tweaked the Rift Zone's leverage rate to make its 130mm of rear-wheel travel more progressive, and also adjusted the anti-squat and anti-rise, to help make the suspension work better when pedalling and feel neutral under braking.
Key updates to the geometry help bolster the 2023 Rift Zone's modern trail bike feel without straying too far from the measurements that helped make its predecessor so popular. Headline figures on the large size include a slack 65.5-degree head angle, steep 77-degree seat tube angle, long 485mm reach, short 430mm chainstays and 1,235.4mm wheelbase.
THE KIT
Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av Mountain Biking UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av Mountain Biking UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
GRIME TIME - EXPERT WORKSHOP ADVICE
WHEELY ANNOYING
TRAILCREW HAFOD TRAILS
We discover the delights of Wales's newest bike park, located deep in beautiful Carmarthenshire
BIKETEST ULTIMATE HIRE BIKES
We test three park-cum-DH rigs - the kind of bikes available in holiday spots like Morzine and Whistler, as well as uplift venues closer to home
SCOTT GAMBLER 910 - £4,399 A bike park-ready budget beater worth taking a chance on
This latest iteration of Scott's long-standing Gambler launched in 2019.
THE MANY FACES OF MOUNTAIN BIKING
WE HIT THE ARIZONA DESERT AS PART OF A HUGE FEMALE-LED GROUP RIDE THAT PUTS THE FOCUS ON FUN AND FRIENDSHIP
PARIS HERE WE COME!
With the 2024 Olympics in France fast coming around, we take a quick dive into the history of mountain biking at the Games, plus explain what to expect, how to watch and who to keep an eye on this year
TRANSITION SPUR XO AXS - £7,999 Can the smallest of revisions keep Transition's downcountry demon at the top of the pile?
Transition's Spur has set the benchmark for downcountry bikes since its release in 2020.
MARIN ALPINE TRAIL E2 BOSCH - £6,385 Big-battery, high-powered e-MTB for gravity fans at a (relatively) affordable price
The Alpine Trail E Bosch is Marin's first e-MTB to use a four-bar linkage suspension design and a non-Shimano motor.
PINARELLO DOGMA XC - £12,000 Designed by and for Elite racers, with a ride feel to match
STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX & ONTO THE TRAILS
MBUK SUPER BIKE - #128 MATT WALKER'S SARACEN MYST
The British national downhill champ has a new ride for the 2024 race season