 | |
| Marin Bikes | |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Bicycles |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Matt VanEnkevort (CEO) |
| Products | Bicycles |
| Website | www |
Marin Bikes (legally incorporated as Marin Mountain Bikes Inc., stylised as MARIN) is a bicycle manufacturer in Sonoma County, California, established in 1986. It specializes in mountain bikes but also makes other types. Many of its bicycle models are named after locations in and around Marin County, where it was originally headquartered.
Marin offers mountain bikes (full suspension & hardtail), road, street/urban, comfort and specific designs for women & children as well as ebikes. They are generally placed in the mid-high end bracket of each respective market.
Since the late 1990s Marin has manufactured full suspension mountain bikes. Working with Jon Whyte, [1] a British engineer who worked with Benetton Formula One racing cars in gearbox design, Marin developed a single-pivot rear suspension. Subsequent innovations including the TARA (Travel And Ride Adjustable) and quad link suspensions have lost the purity of the original concept but have maintained their popularity.
In February 2012, Marin Bikes agreed to be sold to a European Investment firm. [2]
A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which makes them heavier, more complex and less efficient on smooth surfaces. These typically include a suspension fork, large knobby tires, more durable wheels, more powerful brakes, straight, extra wide handlebars to improve balance and comfort over rough terrain, and wide-ratio gearing optimised for topography and application. Rear suspension is ubiquitous in heavier-duty bikes and now common even in lighter bikes. Dropper posts can be installed to allow the rider to quickly adjust the seat height.
Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, such as air or coil-sprung shocks used as suspension, larger and wider wheels and tires, stronger frame materials, and mechanically or hydraulically actuated disc brakes. Mountain biking can generally be broken down into five distinct categories: cross country, trail riding, all mountain, downhill, and freeride.
The Cannondale Bicycle Corporation is an American division of Dutch conglomerate Pon Holdings that supplies bicycles. Its headquarters are in Wilton, Connecticut, with engineering offices in Freiburg, Germany. Frames are manufactured in Taiwan. Bikes are assembled in Taiwan, as well as in the USA and in The Netherlands for the local markets.
Trek Bicycle Corporation is a bicycle and cycling product manufacturer and distributor under brand names Trek, Electra Bicycle Company, Bontrager, and Diamant Bikes. The company has previously manufactured bikes under the Gary Fisher, LeMond Racing Cycles, Klein, and Villiger Bikes brand names. With its headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin, Trek bicycles are marketed through 1,700 independently owned bicycle shops across North America, subsidiaries in Europe, Asia, South Africa, as well as distributors in 90 countries worldwide. Nearly all Trek bicycles are manufactured outside the United States, in countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Taiwan, and China.
Gary Christopher Fisher is considered one of the inventors of the modern mountain bike.
Joe Breeze is an American bicycle framebuilder, designer and advocate from Marin County, California. An early participant in the sport of mountain biking, Breeze, along with other pioneers including Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly, and Tom Ritchey, is known for his central role in developing the mountain bike. Breeze is credited with designing and building the first all-new mountain bikes, which riders colloquially called Breezers. He built the prototype, known as Breezer #1, in 1977 and completed nine more Series I Breezers by early 1978. Breezer #1 is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.
Ibis Bicycles is a mountain bike manufacturer located in northern California, United States. It produces the popular Mojo, Ripmo, and Ripley mountain bike frames among other models. Ibis products are distributed in 33 countries.
GT Bicycles is an American company that designs and manufactures BMX, mountain, and road bicycles. GT is a division of the Dutch conglomerate Pon Holdings, which also markets Cannondale, Schwinn, Mongoose, IronHorse, DYNO, and RoadMaster bicycle brands; all manufactured in Asia.
A downhill bike is a full suspension bicycle designed for downhill cycling on particularly steep, technical trails. Unlike a typical mountain bike, durability and stability are the most important design features, compared to lighter, more versatile cross-country bikes. Downhill bikes are primarily intended for high-speed descent, and downhill riders will usually push, or shuttle via chairlifts or motorized vehicles, to the trailhead. Downhill bikes share similarities with freeride bikes due to their large strong frames and increased travel.
Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc., colloquially known as and stylized as SPECIALIZED, is an American company that designs, manufactures and markets bicycles, bicycle components and related products under the brand name "Specialized", as well as the premium and professional oriented "S-works".
Turner Suspension Bicycles, Inc. is an American bicycle frame manufacturer, based in Murrieta, California, specializing in full-suspension mountain bikes. Turner Bikes was founded in 1994 by David Turner, a former professional mountain bike rider who had ridden for the Marin and Mongoose teams. Turner had also worked with Horst Leitner at AMP Research whilst Horst developed the Horst Link suspension design.
Wilderness Trail Bikes is a privately owned company based in Marin County, California, USA. Founded in 1982 as a company that specialized in mountain bike parts, today WTB sources and sells its product worldwide supplying bike manufacturers and bike shops with components including tires, saddles, rims and grips.
Montague Corporation is an American company that designs, manufactures, and sells full-size folding bicycles. It is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
RockShox Inc. is an American company founded by Paul Turner in 1989, that develops and manufactures bicycle suspensions. The company led in the development of mountain bikes. It is now part of SRAM Corporation.
Merlin Metalworks, Inc. was a pioneer in titanium bicycle design and construction. Merlin introduced the first titanium alloy mountain bike, oversized tubesets, s-bend chain and seat stays for mountain bikes. For road bikes, Merlin commercialized the first titanium butted tubing and many other innovations.
Fox Factory Holding Corp. is an American company best known for their Fox Racing Shox brand of off-road racing suspension components.
Jamis Bicycles is an American distributor of bicycles, designed in the US and built in China and Taiwan. Jamis was acquired in 1990 by its parent company, G. Joannou Cycle Co. It is headed by Carine Joannou, chief executive of G. Joannou Cycles since taking over the family business when her father died in 1981.
Next is an American bicycle brand distributed by Dynacraft BSC, Kent International Inc and Bridgeway International bicycle companies. Next bikes are produced in China and are sold in the American retail stores Wal-Mart.
Whyte is a British bicycle designer established in 1999. The bicycles are manufactured for Whyte in Taiwan. and then distributed to shops in the UK and Europe and the rest of the world. Whyte's first bike back in 1999 was a full suspension machine and had a girder fork with twin wishbones, with a main frame made of two halves welded down the middle, and used Fox shocks for both fork and swingarm. The prototype's appearance was likened to Preston the robot dog of Wallace and Gromit fame, which later gave the production bike its name, the PRST-1. As of 2021 the range comprises Childrens/Youth, Commuter, Gravel, Road, XC, Trail, and Enduro ranges, with E-bike versions in several of these categories.
Niner is an American bicycle manufacturer headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, that specializes in 29er mountain bikes. The company also offers several models of cyclocross and adventure-touring bikes. The firm filed for bankruptcy in November 2017. In March 2018, the firm was acquired by United Wheels HK Ltd. (UWHK).
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