Entries RSSThis is Marin’s new spin on an old favorite, their Juniper Trail mountain bike. Billed as a women’s specific model, it felt perfectly sized, right out of the box. I’ve gotten to be a huge fan of women’s bike designs (for the most part). It’s a real boon to female riders, especially very small, light people. You gals don’t need an overdesigned frame meant for a 250 lb. crusher, barreling down boulder-strewn tracks. Humans are adaptable creatures, and we get used to the feel of a bike that’s maybe a smidge too long in the reach from seat to bars or brings our knees a little higher than we like, but when you get on a bike that has those things adjusted for your proportions, it just clicks, snaps, whatever aphorism you want to use to describe that delicious “ahh, it’s right” feeling that happens between rider and bike that actually fits. Perhaps you’ve never experienced that? Keep trying bikes until you do — it’s so worth it. Okay, enough of beating the dead horse of bike fit….Marin seems to get this right for their women’s bikes every year and the Juniper Trail is another sterling example.
So, aside from an awesome fit, what’s so special about the JT? It’s light and eager to move up and down twisty single track, over gnarled roots and logs, around the immovable object, and up the inclines without any awkward hesitations. Chalk that up to Marin’s Hydro-Light frame design - strong and light because it’s hydroformed and the fact that it’s a hardtail with no rear shock weighing it down. For smooth cross country trails and shorter technical rides, the Juniper Trail was amazingly fun to ride.
If you’re new to mountain biking and a full suspension bike seems a little overwhelming or your terrain doesn’t include a lot of gigantic drops, the Juniper Trail is a great bike to start with. For under 1K you get great Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, Shimano Deore/LX shifting, narrower handlebars and smaller grips, a women’s specific saddle, and a Marzocchi front suspension fork, tuned to a woman’s lighter weight, with a lockout option. And it’s tangerine — every time I went out for a ride, that color made me smile!
Marin Juniper Trail: msrp $990 www.marinbikes.com
