TOM’S MARIN EL ROY £2,375
It’s been a real love affair between tech ed Tom and his hardtail this year
The first weekend of November signifies the start of my winter. During October I usually manage to pick the best days to ride, dodging the rain and making the most of lingering summer warmth. But my annual trip to the Lake District in November with mates from uni is always wet and wild, especially as we tend to pick a couple of Lakeland summits to ride our bikes off. This year was no different, with three decidedly damp days spent navigating down some proper nadgery Lakeland tech. It proved a great way to look back at a year of riding the El Roy – taking it to a place where its radical shape really came into its own.
This bike certainly isn’t for everyone, or even for every ride. With its stock,
Maxxis Assegai MaxxGrip tyres front and rear, it’s one of the most sluggish bikes I’ve ever ridden, and the 63-degree head angle makes it fairly barge-like on the flat. Not to mention the almost comically steep seat tube angle, which becomes even more upright when the fork sags, and feels bizarre on the flat. But point the Marin up or down something steep and suddenly it makes a whole heap of sense.
I’ve piloted the El Roy down a vast array of near-vertical tech, from the sun-drenched rocks of the southern Alps to the rain-drenched mud and roots of South Wales. No, it’s not the smoothest bike ever, and I’ve certainly felt like I was going to lose some fillings from time to time, but that’s entirely part of the bike’s charm. I’ve loved its completely unflappable attitude to descending – the shape and the components all marry together in a package that’s better down a hill than a hardtail has any right to be. What’s more, if I’m on a group ride with mates and I’m not as fast, or chicken out of a larger jump or drop, I’ve got the perfect excuse – no skill compensation! And, if I do keep up with my fully-suspended mates, I get to be all smug!
There’s not much I haven’t loved, except it is really heavy, and there are no ISCG mounts, and the rear axle threads are getting a bit stiff. But in all honesty, that’s about it. Would I buy the bike? If you’ve read between the lines over the past 12 months, I don’t think my answer of ‘Yes, absolutely, and so should you’ will be a surprise! www.marinbikes.com