Value Field Test: Marin San Quentin 3 - The Good Life Behind Bars
PINKBIKE FIELD TEST
Marin San Quentin 3
Words by Mike Kazimer; photography by Tom Richards
Marin San Quentin 3
Words by Mike Kazimer; photography by Tom Richards
Marin has become a mainstay in our Value Field Test series, and for good reason. They've been consistently producing bikes that come in at a reasonable price tag while also being spec'd with capable components – a feat that's not always easy to pull off.
This time around, it's the aluminum San Quentin 3 that's in the spotlight. The bike is billed as a dirt jumper that was mutated into a hardcore hardtail, but realistically it's more of an all-rounder versus something that's only happy on the steepest trails around.
This time around, it's the aluminum San Quentin 3 that's in the spotlight. The bike is billed as a dirt jumper that was mutated into a hardcore hardtail, but realistically it's more of an all-rounder versus something that's only happy on the steepest trails around.
San Quentin 3 Details
• 140mm fork
• 29" wheels
• 64° head tube angle
• 77° seat tube angle
• Reach: 470mm (L)
• Chainstay length: 430mm
• Weight: 31.9 lb / 14.40 kg
• MSRP: $1,799 USD
• More info: marinbikes.com
• 140mm fork
• 29" wheels
• 64° head tube angle
• 77° seat tube angle
• Reach: 470mm (L)
• Chainstay length: 430mm
• Weight: 31.9 lb / 14.40 kg
• MSRP: $1,799 USD
• More info: marinbikes.com
The $1,799 San Quentin is spec'd with a 140mm Marzocchi Z2 fork, TRP Slate 4-piston brakes, and a TranzX dropper post. The 12-speed drivetrain is a multi-company affair, with a Shimano Deore derailleur and shifter paired with a SunRace cassette and KMC chain. Maxxis takes care of the tires – there's a 2.5” Assegai on both wheels. On our scale, the San Quentin 3 weighed in at 31.9 lb / 14.4 kg for a size large.
The San Quentin 3 is available in sizes S, M, L, and XL, all rolling on 29” wheels. The 64-degree head angle may seem relatively slack at first, but that number will steepen up as soon as you sit on the bike due to the lack of rear suspension. The seat angle is a steep 77-degrees, and the chainstays are a fairly short 430mm for all sizes.
Climbing
The 'hardcore hardtail' term gets thrown around a lot these days, but as much fun as that alliterative phrase is to say, it's not really an accurate description of the San Quentin 3. This isn't some super slack, super long sled that begrudgingly goes around turns – far from it. The San Quentin is a trail bike through and through, with handling that's quick without being twitchy, an ideal trait for tackling a variety of trails. It's still entertaining on flatter, flowier terrain, and it has more compact proportions that makes it easy to pump over natural rollers to generate speed.
The climbing position is quite upright, thanks to the steep seat angle and stubby 35mm stem, but I never felt overly cramped, or as if there was too much pressure on my hands.
The dual Assegai tire combo isn't known for being the fastest option out there, but it sure was nice to have on the fairly wet and slippery conditions that prevailed during testing. Swapping the rear tire out for something a less aggressive would be an easy way to breathe a little more life into the San Quentin, especially for riders who don't need all the traction.
Descending
I'm always a little skeptical when I read about the supposed compliance of a hardtail frame – after all, triangles (or in the Marin's case, not-quite-triangles) made of aluminum don't typically have that much give. That said, the San Quentin felt much, much less harsh to me than the extra-stout Haro Saguaro. Back-to-back laps made the difference very clear, and I felt much more at home on the San Quentin.
Now, it's still a hardtail, and you'll still want to choose your lines wisely, but the repercussions for carrying too much speed into a rock garden or coming up a little short on a double were much less severe on the Marin than the Haro.
The zippiness that the Marin exhibited on the climbs carried over to the descents; its handling is very intuitive and easy to get along with. It falls into that Goldilocks category, where the head angle isn't too slack or too steep, and the overall dimensions have that 'just right' feel. The shorter chainstays contribute towards its eagerness to get off the ground, which goes a long way towards smoothing out the ride – after all, the more time you can spend in the air, the less time you need to worry about absorbing impacts.
Components
The overall parts package doesn't have any glaring oversights – all of the components worked well, and are appropriate for the bike's intention. Heck, even that grab bag of drivetrain parts didn't cause any issues. The brakes were strong and consistent, the house brand grips were comfy enough that I wouldn't have any issues running them on my personal bike, and the 140mm Z2 handled everything we threw its way.
The only small gripe we could come up with had to do with the chainstay protection, or lack thereof. Taking the time to wrap an inner tube around the chainstay or adding some mastic tape would help protect the paint from being chipped by the chain.
Who's It For?
The San Quentin 3 would be an excellent gateway into the sport for the rider that's eager to progress, but also doesn't want to completely drain their savings account on a bike. It'd also make a great second bike for anyone that's looking to mix things up by spending time on a hardtail - it's a great way to sharpen skills that may have been dulled by rear suspension. Overall, the San Quentin's versatility is its biggest strength; the fact that it's not that hardcore of a hardtail is part of what makes it so good.
Pros
+ Excellent geometry - shines on a wide variety of terrain
+ Doesn't need any upgrades out of the box
+ Very comfortable ride (for a hardtail)
Cons
- Could use better chainslap protection
Pinkbike's Value Bikes Field Test is presented by Ride Concepts
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1) how well they skid in the campground parking lot
2) bikepacking capability
3) suitability for sweet jumps off curb ramps while commuting
4) number of children that can be pulled on skateboard/rollerblades with ropes attached to seat post
Went back to the minions to enjoy climbing again, of course.
Also easy to put an EXO+ Recon out back and wake up the pedaling performance. You even get to use the other Assegai as a replacement front tire down the road.
Will probably try something like a DD casing for more damping next, but sad to give up the bigger tire.
Still have that hardtail for casual winter rides.
I was whooping after not dabbing on the kid's loop.
I’ve got a 150 Pike on my RM Growler & it’s mint.
Note that it's much less of an issue for generally handling on rough terrain as full-suspension bikes and hardtails both take on impacts from things like roots one wheel at a time. But it can still have some affect on the ride when the object bucks the back end up, momentarily increasing the head angle.
It felt like my body weight on the pedals acted like a fulcrum so that upward forces on the rear wheel leveraged into downward forces on the fork and it helped absorb them. More fork travel and better setup lead to the rear end feeling better through rock gardens
Also, with more fork travel available you can learn to see that kind of stuff coming to unweight the rear and ride "on the fork"
If you've only ever ridden sussers, you probably would have a hard time moving to a hard tail. It requires intelligent line choice, lots of body engligh and skills to cope with the inability to load the rear suspension and pop the bike over things. If the trails aren't overly rocky, I'll take my Rootdown every time. Plus it's like a kilo lighter than my carbon super bike.
I think this warrants an article or 2, maybe with some back-to-back testing of bikes with similar intent and trail numbers, but comparing older models to their more slack replacements.
Hard-tails should have a seat and head angle 2* slacker than their full suspension counterparts to account for the geometry changes when sagged.
It’s worked for my bikes n
You guys need to do blind testing. These bikes are virtually identical. There is no way anything is going to be "much less" or "much more" in favor of either. If 5mm shorter chainstays and half a degree slacker headtube makes those situations "much less severe", then something with a 10mm difference and a degree or degree and a half steeper should promptly kill you.
I had a Chromag Rootdown with a 170mm fork and sold it after a couple of years because it was aggravating my shoulder issues. Bought a Norco Optic frame and swapped the parts over, with the fork at 150mm.
The Optic climbs better (more traction) and is nicer and more versatile overall, but on gnarly trails it is WAY sketchier than the Rootdown was. When things got hairy, I felt way more comfortable on the Rootdown.
Hardtails are rad because they take massive skill and ridiculous body english to survive expert trails, not because they are easier.
That's also why hardtail riders drink the most beer, they're just glad to be alive.
the same person would probably get killed to death on an XC FS