First Look: Marin Reborn - 2014 Mount Vision and Attack Trail - Mountain Biking Pictures

For 2014, Marin is back in a big way. Leading the charge are two fresh rides that not only look good, they're up to date and poised to perform well, too. This sub-26 pound package is the Mount Vision Carbon XM Pro.

The Mount Vision's full carbon frame sports 140mm of travel and 27.5-inch wheels.

In an effort to reduce weight, Marin developed IsoTrac - a new suspension system that replaces heavy pivot bearings with continuous-fiber carbon-monocoque flex points.

Compared to Quad-Link, Marin's other suspension design, IsoTrac eliminates the lower link and one pivot.

The Mount Vision has a 67.5-degree head angle, 17.1-inch chainstays, and 13-inch BB height.

An internally routed Reverb Stealth cleans the package up nicely.

Avid's X0 Trail brakes are mounted to Easton's Haven stem and carbon bar.

Formula Engineering's wheels keep weight low with a 22mm width and carbon hoops. Tubeless 2.35-inch Schwalbe Nobby Nic Evolution tires complete the package.

Suspension duties are handled by FOX's Factory 32 CTD Float fork and custom tuned Float X rear shock.

SRAM's XX1 drivetrain is hard to beat.

Little touches abound, like this rubber seal on the seat clamp to keep out water.

A modular BB interface allows the use of an ISCG-05 tabs or a chain drop backplate for either a double or triple crankset.

Flex stays? That's right.

Less hardware = less weight.

The flex occurs in the seatstays, not far from the 12x142mm rear axle.

Carbon-fiber seatstays isolate deflection to a specific area and eliminate an extra pivot point, reducing weight.

The stays see 3.5 degrees of deflection every time the suspension is fully cycled.

All this talk of flex may have you thinking the bike has a noodly rear end. Thanks to this box section chainstay yoke behind the bb, that's not the case according to Marin.

The frame's front end uses one piece monocoque carbon fiber construction.

Out back, the rear triangle is molded using two pieces.

So who's the ideal rider for the Mount Vision?

With 140mm of travel, the decision may come down to suspension characteristics. While IsoTrac provides a progressive leverage ratio, it's not as progressive as the Quad-Link system. That's where Marin's other new ride comes into play.

Video is processing. Try again soon.

IsoTrack vs Quad-Link... Now in it's third version, Quad-Link uses two short links to create an Instantaneous Pivot Center. Marin says the design effectively separates pedal and brake forces from terrain inputs.

Following a one year hiatus, the Attack Trail is now back in Marin's lineup.

As you'd expect, it sports the 27.5-inch wheel size. A 66.5-degree head angle means it's ready for business.

The bike's 150mm rear travel is directed to the FOX Float X CTD shock via the Quad-Link design, while the front sees 160-130mm via the RockShox Pike RCT3 fork.

At the high end, the Attack Trail features a smart mix of e*thirteen, SRAM, Schwalbe, RockShox, FOX and Easton components.

For 2014, it's a 2X affair on Attack Trail.

A direct mount front derailleur mount is common to both bikes.

Internally routed cables keep things tidy.

If you'd prefer to go external with your cables, they can be routed through the custom-molded FRS Rock Shield that also protects the frame from impacts.