Monday, January 20, 2020

Marin Four Corners: Honest Review

The Marin Four Corners: What is it, exactly?

A robust and well built bicycle, the Four Corners struggles to find it's footing in a specific bike category

I really like this bike, I just need an excuse to use it. Is it a mountain bike? Not exactly. Is it a road bike? Definitely not. Is it a "gravel" bike? Maybe. The bike rides really planted on gravel and soaks up the potholes with ease. But is it a fast, race specific gravel bike? It's not even moderately fast. In fact, I'm about 2-3 mph slower on average when I ride it. So what is the Marin Four Corners? What, exactly, was it designed for? Let me attempt to shed some light on a bicycle that was heavily marketed by the Marin brand and see if it lived up to the hype. 



Marin promised us the possibility of a do it all bike that is stable enough for touring but nimble enough for singletrack use and even getting a bit of air on the trail. I've searched all over the internet in hopes of seeing any actual reviews from real people using their bikes this way. Sure, the people in the promotional video (see video shown above) are skilled professionals who can probably bunny hop a beach cruiser and sell it to us as the next progressive travel enduro bike. But are people actually using the Four Corners as intended?

The answer from an extensive search is a resounding no. To begin with, most people who reviewed the bike online are actually from Poland and Russia, so I had to go on context clues to try to understand the YouTube reviews. From what it appeared most people were riding this bike similar to the way most people ride hybrid or path and pavement bikes. Granted most reviewers seemed like they had many positive things to say about the bike, however the gnar factor was definitely missing from their videos. Nobody was sending this bike off jumps or careening into drops and no one seemed to be popping wheelies. 

So what has my experience been with the Marin Four Corners? What, in my opinion can and can't this bike actually do? After a year of ownership, I think I have my verdict. I will eventually attempt a ride on my local mountain bike trail with this bike, so this is still a preliminary review based on all the other forms of riding that I have done with it. 

The Marin Four Corners Is: 

Comfortable- This is a very comfortable bike. It's upright for a drop bar bike, and riding the drops doesn't leave you gasping for air. The bike soaks up a lot of road vibrations and the ride is very forgiving overall. 

Stable: Even unloaded (I have never loaded mine up for bikepacking or touring) this bike is very much planted on the ground. On loose, gravel descents it doesn't feel twitchy or off balance. The back wheel grips well on dirt climbs. 

Durable: Everything on this bike is built to last. This bike is made from quality parts including what is basically a 29er rigid fork and wheelset to compliment the already robust steel frame. Nothing flexes where it shouldn't. The drivetrain shifts under load and doesn't skip gears. The chain doesn't bounce off the bike on big bumps or potholes. Like a Toyota Land Cruiser, everything on this bike looks made to stand 25 years of abuse. 

The Marin Four Corners Is Not:

Light: Weighing in at just shy of 30 pounds, this bike is not light, not by road bike standards, gravel bike standards, touring bike standards,  not even by hardtail mountain bike standards. This bike is heavy, everything about it from the frame and wheelset makes it so. There are no punchy accelerations that can be done on this bike. Rather, it encourages the rider to ride at a consistent pace throughout the whole ride. A day of climbing on this bike will usually result in an evening icing the knees. 

Fast: I have done all of my riding with the stock wheelset and tires that originally came on the bike. So my assessment of the bike's speed comes from the original equipment it came with. Why shouldn't it? It's designed to be a mountain bike with drop bars and road bike gearing. With that in mind, this bike is not fast pointing any direction that is not downhill. Could it be fast with narrower tires and a lighter wheelset? Likely but that is not the point. If you have nowhere to be in a hurry then I highly recommend this bike. This bike will have you finishing your usual routes 20-30 minutes later than you normally would. The rotational weight of the wheels is the biggest cause of all of this and in my opinion the bike is not optimally geared to accommodate for such a heavy wheelset, thereby reducing acceleration and speed.

A lot of marketing dollars went into making the Marin Four Corners. The Pine Mountain, a much more versatile and capable bikepacking bike, did not receive nearly the same amount of marketing. To be fair, the Four Corners seems to sell very well overseas and in areas where the roads are bad or non-existent. Where paved roads and mountain bike trails abound this bike seems to struggle to find it's footing. While there are gravel roads near me, I have to ride my bike 10 miles to the edge of town to get to them. If I lived in Iowa and had gravel roads out my front porch I would see the usefulness and utility of such a ruggedly designed bike. However, being in a densely populated North Texas suburb I have to admit that there is little need for such an overbuilt bicycle. While I appreciate the durability and comfort that this bike can offer I find myself struggling to find an opportunity to use it. This may have to do with the fact that I'm a recreational cyclist living in a well developed area. If I relied solely on my bike for transportation or lived out in a rural village this bike would be a priceless commodity to have. 

In a post-apocalyptic world where the Tour De France is held in Mad Max-type conditions, this bike would reign supreme. For every other scenario, this bike seems a little bit of an overkill. Having said all of that, I really enjoy the bike so I plan to keep riding it for the time being. I will one day write a review on it that does it justice, as soon as I can figure out what it really excels at.  

12 comments:

  1. I have owned the 2018 version that I got new from a bike shop that was going out of business. I wanted a gravel bike but unknowingly ended up with a touring bike! I do wish it was 5 lbs lighter and I wish Marin would sell the Elite model as a frame but that doesn't look like its going to happen. That said, I really love this bike. If you forget about speed and just enjoy the ride this thing is awesome!! It is so planted on any terrain it's ridiculous, especially off road! I have beat this thing up pretty well on Off-road trails and I must admit I think it does extremely well. That weight really can come as a benefit in stabilizing the ride when pounding on a downhill. I upgraded the rear cassette to a Sunrace 40 tooth, which the derailleur accepted with no problems. It's now a climbing machine albeit a slow one but makes it pretty easy. I am currently looking at putting on a set on 29R rims from my Specialized Camber MTB bike and putting on a set of Continental Speed Ride tires to lighten things up a bit or at least make me feel I have. All in all I would highly recommend it as a pure adventure/touring bike if speed & racing is not a consideration. Once underway the bike is really very nice and seems to love getting dirty!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You've described every owner's experience with this bike. Marin was ahead of their time because they were making a bike for the everyday rider looking for an off the beaten path experience instead of the aspiring racer.

      Delete
  2. Nice post. Long term review? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A "Mad Max" Tour de France would be awesome! Racers would be allowed to carry weapons and attack each other as they ride. I'd love to see it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm all for that, I'll put chariot spikes on my bicycle wheels and wear leather chaps as well. Sign me up!

      Delete
  4. Thank you so much for writing a real life review of this bike.
    I have been intrigued by this bike for a while now
    I live and ride in India, where the roads are often broken. I find my hands tingly after long rides, so I am looking for a more cushy bike

    But there are enough hilly sections around town and so I am a bit concerned about the weight of this bike. Your review helps clear the picture

    Would love it if you post a few comments a year later a

    ReplyDelete
  5. An interesting and honest review. The cycle paths here along the Rhein are in a terrible condition, broken up asphalt. The Four Corners makes easy work of them. All and all it's ok, but quite heavy.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great write up. I appreciate the honest and thorough feedback. I am curious after a few years; do you still have the bike? Has your feedback changed? I am purchasing a Four Corners and live in the mountains of central OR. I have a lightweight carbon race 29er that I use for gravel today and have been looking for a replacement for my 2012 Salsa Fargo that I no longer have. The Marin Four Corners seems like a great option that permits 2” tires for party pace gravel riding and occasional bikepacking. Thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi! Sorry for the delayed response. The Four Corners would be perfect as a "party pace" touring or commuting bicycle. It is definitely not a race bike, but sturdy like a tank and it doesn't break the bank *see what I did there;) . If you are looking for a bike that lasts a really long time, lower maintenance and for the price you can throw it around without a care in the world, the Four Corners is your bike. My feedback has changed in the sense that I no longer have this bike but at times still wished I have kept it now that I no longer do fast or long rides. Also, I now understand the benefit of having a bike for bad roads because my roads are bad in my area. So those are the only observations that have changed.

      Delete
  7. Hi, I live in North TX as well and am getting into cycling. I plan to ride a combination of paved road, gravel and single track and I also want to try bike packing, but I am not sure what bike to get. One minute I think hardtail mountain bike but then the next minute I think something more road friendly but that can also handle some off road (like the Marin Four Corners). So as someone who has a lot of experience in cycling, what do you suggest? Thanks. Alex

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Alex! Sorry for the delayed response. I don't check my comments too often these days. North Texas is a large area. If you are living in the metro area a gravel or gravel adventure category bike will cover almost all of your needs. Some mountain bike trails will require a legit mountain bike (ex: Northshore, Erwin Park, Isle Du Bois) but most flat trails can also be ridden on the Four Corners or Marin's other gravel offering, the Nicasio Plus. Review on that coming soon!

      Delete