Bought this bike today. Would have loved to of supported Biking Roots but am not in the Houston area. Thank you for the videos and reviews! He spoke with me on the phone comparing the Norco Fluid A4 and the RZ 29 2. So nice to entertain me knowing I was not able to drop in his store.
Thanks for the video especially comparing the '22 to this years model. Your video is the first one to show the differences so clearly, especially the improved front fork and that the rear shock has a lockout. I'm returning to riding after a 30 year break. I'm debating between the '22 rifty 2 or the '23. I can get a 22 out the door for 1700 ish and the 23 for $2100 from my LBS. Ive debated on the XR also but TBH I''m not sure how much I would notice or benefit from the differences. I mostly will be riding paved or groomed trails here in Ohio. However I want to be able to jump off them at any given time too. I don't expect to be doing alot of long decents or drops. I HATE the color of the 23 rifty 2. The previous years color was soo much better. However like others noted, it can be tricky to please everyone. I wish they had a different paint scheme available.
Thanks for your comment. Yeah that’s a good comparison and good pricing. If you hate the new Rift Zone 2 then I’d say that’s out since you don’t want to force yourself to like it. I’d go with the 22 then. XR wouldn’t be necessary for what you are doing. Good luck and let me know what you end up going with!
@@BikingRoots Thanks for the honest feedback and inputs. Its greatly appreciated. Especially about the XR and the confirmation about it. I'm doing my best not to make a decision based on looks alone. I've seen too many regret that with kayaks. It sounds like the upgrades on the '23 rifty 2 are significant enough to justify the extra money and lackluster paint job. Especially the front fork and the UDH talked about at 3:50. I'm all for universal fittings vs proprietary or bike specific. I wish i was in texas to send some business your way.
@@MysticalDragon73 Thanks for the reply. Yeah that’s sounds like a good plan. Yeah, maybe you’ll end up liking it (or hating it less!) Yeah it does have some neat changes that could make it worth it over the 2022. The fork especially. Thanks for wanting to support and good luck with your decision!
@@BikingRoots Sadly the '22 R2 was sold out in the XL. I was torn between the XR or the Rifty 2. I went with the XR even though I have to wait a month. I spoke with many at my LBS and after watching many vids, including yours, it was clear the Marin was hard to beat for value. I liked the idea of not really needing to upgrade anything, including the tires and having a bike that I likely will not outgrow. Plus this years color scheme for the other versions were pretty weak to bad IMO. The XR colors looked solid. If I could have gotten the teal like we had on the '22R2 it would have been a no brainer. Now to hurry up and wait for it to get here then good weather.
At least I can agree with Biking Roots, never really liked Vee tires just something about them just holding back, and would consider this my first full suspension bike.
Thanks for the comment. Yeah, I’m sure they make a good tire but this one isn’t it in my opinion. Especially with the tackee compound. At least these can be changed easily, just wish they would quit putting them on these bikes.
why not double up on the cable guide near the shock, like have the brake cable with one of those black plastic mounts facing upwards and the dropper cable with another mount facing downwards (to give it a smoother curve before entering the seatube)?
I'd recommend a medium. I'm 5'8 and like how the medium fits. I have a 30" inseem, longer torso and arms. Large is too big for me. Good luck and check out the new one as well which has a new color, 4-piston brakes and a few other things
thanks for the question. Unfortunately the frame has to be designed for the UDH derailleur and isn’t interchangeable. Marin has the #40 derailleur for your rift zone on their site to purchase and it isn’t bad to have a couple just in case :-).
Yeah for some people they’ll need a bit more bite. You can get some new semi metallic pads for like $16/set, then new rotors for maybe $30-60 each then you’d probably be good. Or spend a couple hundred and get some 4 pot brakes if you just need a bit more bite.
To build out of the box? No not too difficult if you know what you’re doing but it does take some tools and knowledge (especially if you want remove the dork disc). As far as setting up the suspension it is very easy. You setup the initial PSI in the fork according to weight and preference, then you can adjust the compression and rebound. The shock has rebound adjustment (fast or slow). Ideally you want them to match and be balanced.
When you buy this from Marin as a consumer, does it come more or less built/setup? Newbie here wanting to buy this bike and get into trails.@@BikingRoots
@@ceoofsony5924 Thanks for the question. Generally when you buy from Marin it is routed through your local bike shop. If you do not have one, not sure how they do it. Honestly from my experience, they aren't bad but it can be inconsistent. Unless you have a lot of experience building up bikes, have a torque wrench, etc. I would recommend having a shop do the final assembly for you. I like to remove the dork disc for one example (they are required to ship with them), and sometimes brake rotors aren't completely straight and shifting isn't always adjusted how it should be. Good luck!
Thanks for the comment. That’s funny you said that as I just finished bedding in the brakes outside and was thinking the same thing. Yeah, it would have been nice to see some 520s. A lot of times its the resin only rotors that are difficult to bed in or sometimes the pads just come contaminated from the factory. We’ve had that happen too.
The flow snap tires are very heavy, and slow rolling, but the Vee tire crown jem tire is very good tire for trail bikes, good grip, faster rolling, and alot lighter, love the new rift zone line
Thanks for the comment. Glad you like the new line! Yeah agree on the flow snaps. Yeah the crown gems aren’t bad. I had the 27.5 plus ones on my ebike a few years back and they were fast and still grippy (2.8 though).
Ah, so you base everything on looks! Ha, yes looks are very important as you will see it quite a lot. However you can’t overlook features, maintenance, or reliability :-)
Yeah it’s not for everyone. Ha, yeah the name has been around for awhile, but after they had to drop the hawk hill name, the names and trims with the wheel sizes gets very confusing
I'm pretty biased against the marin, before i didn't know much about bikes, i bought two of their cheaper bikes for myself and my wife and their sizing was awful (bolinas ridge and san anselmo). On my XL size bike they installed 170 cranks with small pedals and overall felt very small (it was also 27'5 wheel size). On my wife's medium size bike they installed 175 cranks with huge pedals and it overall felt much bigger than it should be and it was 29er for some reason.. Now as i built a couple of bikes from scratch i can say whoever designed these configurations, clearly done very bad job.
Thanks for the comment. Yeah depending on the year and spec, some specs are right on, while others can be a bit off. I imagine it isn’t too easy to be a product manager and try and spec a bike the best they can while getting it at a certain price point. Often too they are buying in large quantities so even though there may be a better option, they may not be able to get enough of them for that production run.
@@BikingRoots Black, grey, dark blue should always be an option. And I always prefer colors with clear coat over matte because the clear coat protects the paint.
I agree with having options. Yeah those would have been cool too. For some reason Marin gives the lower priced models more options than the nicer ones which I’ve never understood. This one does have clear over the whole thing which I agree, does protect it a lot better than matte finishes
Bought this bike today. Would have loved to of supported Biking Roots but am not in the Houston area. Thank you for the videos and reviews!
He spoke with me on the phone comparing the Norco Fluid A4 and the RZ 29 2. So nice to entertain me knowing I was not able to drop in his store.
Congrats on the purchase man! Glad I could help. I think you'll have a ton of fun on the RZ2! Take care
The specs is very good and better than before. Also the color scheme is getting brighter which is nice in my opinion 👍
Thanks for the comment. Yeah, agreed, nice spec and I think a good amount of people will like the color choice. I guess we shall see! Take care
Totally worth the extra cost. So many upgrades. Great video.
Thanks, yeah I like them, we’ll see if they sell! Some people do not like the color scheme, but I think it looks cool. Thanks for the comment
I’m excited to get a rift zone I’m getting a 2022 rift zone 3 27.5 in medium my exact size I can’t wait my very first FS bike❤
Thanks for the comment! Congratulations on getting your first FS! RZ3 is a great bike and you’ll have a lot of fun on it
How does the bike fit? I’m 5’9 and am debating on what size to get
I like the white! 🔥
Thanks, yeah I like the fade to the grey, although an all white with red lettering would have been cool too.
What a beautiful bike .
Thanks Armando!
I love Marin bikes! Colouring is ok ✅ I would call their colour shark 🦈 attack 😂
Shark attack! Haha, it does remind me of a shark for some reason. Ha!
@@BikingRoots I surf 🏄♂️ with sharks 🦈 and ride Mtb with some as well 😂
@@octodadmtbmartyrichards2862 Haha, nice!
Thanks for the video especially comparing the '22 to this years model. Your video is the first one to show the differences so clearly, especially the improved front fork and that the rear shock has a lockout. I'm returning to riding after a 30 year break. I'm debating between the '22 rifty 2 or the '23. I can get a 22 out the door for 1700 ish and the 23 for $2100 from my LBS. Ive debated on the XR also but TBH I''m not sure how much I would notice or benefit from the differences. I mostly will be riding paved or groomed trails here in Ohio. However I want to be able to jump off them at any given time too. I don't expect to be doing alot of long decents or drops. I HATE the color of the 23 rifty 2. The previous years color was soo much better. However like others noted, it can be tricky to please everyone. I wish they had a different paint scheme available.
Thanks for your comment. Yeah that’s a good comparison and good pricing. If you hate the new Rift Zone 2 then I’d say that’s out since you don’t want to force yourself to like it. I’d go with the 22 then. XR wouldn’t be necessary for what you are doing. Good luck and let me know what you end up going with!
@@BikingRoots Thanks for the honest feedback and inputs. Its greatly appreciated. Especially about the XR and the confirmation about it. I'm doing my best not to make a decision based on looks alone. I've seen too many regret that with kayaks. It sounds like the upgrades on the '23 rifty 2 are significant enough to justify the extra money and lackluster paint job. Especially the front fork and the UDH talked about at 3:50. I'm all for universal fittings vs proprietary or bike specific. I wish i was in texas to send some business your way.
@@MysticalDragon73 Thanks for the reply. Yeah that’s sounds like a good plan. Yeah, maybe you’ll end up liking it (or hating it less!) Yeah it does have some neat changes that could make it worth it over the 2022. The fork especially. Thanks for wanting to support and good luck with your decision!
@@BikingRoots Sadly the '22 R2 was sold out in the XL. I was torn between the XR or the Rifty 2. I went with the XR even though I have to wait a month. I spoke with many at my LBS and after watching many vids, including yours, it was clear the Marin was hard to beat for value. I liked the idea of not really needing to upgrade anything, including the tires and having a bike that I likely will not outgrow. Plus this years color scheme for the other versions were pretty weak to bad IMO. The XR colors looked solid. If I could have gotten the teal like we had on the '22R2 it would have been a no brainer. Now to hurry up and wait for it to get here then good weather.
Waiting on the new sq3!! Please do a video on that if yal ever get one in!!!
Thanks, yeah we are waiting on them. Probably a month or so out. Yes, we will do a video on one! Thanks
At least I can agree with Biking Roots, never really liked Vee tires just something about them just holding back, and would consider this my first full suspension bike.
Thanks for the comment. Yeah, I’m sure they make a good tire but this one isn’t it in my opinion. Especially with the tackee compound. At least these can be changed easily, just wish they would quit putting them on these bikes.
why not double up on the cable guide near the shock, like have the brake cable with one of those black plastic mounts facing upwards and the dropper cable with another mount facing downwards (to give it a smoother curve before entering the seatube)?
Thanks for the suggestion and I like it! Yeah not sure why they did it that way. I guess that’s a designer/engineers and the factory determining that
I’m 5’9 what size do you recommend? I’m always in between sizes
I'd recommend a medium. I'm 5'8 and like how the medium fits. I have a 30" inseem, longer torso and arms. Large is too big for me. Good luck and check out the new one as well which has a new color, 4-piston brakes and a few other things
Funny so many hate the color. Iove it 😊
Ha! Thanks, yeah I get what some people say but it doesn’t bother me either. I’d ride it
i have the 2022 rift zone. Do you know if you can swap out the stock derailleur hangar for a UDH?
thanks for the question. Unfortunately the frame has to be designed for the UDH derailleur and isn’t interchangeable. Marin has the #40 derailleur for your rift zone on their site to purchase and it isn’t bad to have a couple just in case :-).
I can't believe you actually put those parts in there😂
You were awesome man! Ha, hey you won the mini bike race at the end so you should be proud of yourself
Vee flow snaps are good winter mud tires 🛞
Ha, yeah I could see that. They do have some use I guess
Rift zone 1 2023 27.5 inch, orange - blue, please :D
Ha! Ok, sounds good! They should be shipping to us soon.
@@BikingRoots thanks bro
yeah i guess its good and all but resin brake pads and rotors made me kind of reconcider
Yeah for some people they’ll need a bit more bite. You can get some new semi metallic pads for like $16/set, then new rotors for maybe $30-60 each then you’d probably be good. Or spend a couple hundred and get some 4 pot brakes if you just need a bit more bite.
@@BikingRoots 👍
How long does it take Tim to eat his lunch? 😂
A long time unfortunately!
is it hard to set up
To build out of the box? No not too difficult if you know what you’re doing but it does take some tools and knowledge (especially if you want remove the dork disc). As far as setting up the suspension it is very easy. You setup the initial PSI in the fork according to weight and preference, then you can adjust the compression and rebound. The shock has rebound adjustment (fast or slow). Ideally you want them to match and be balanced.
When you buy this from Marin as a consumer, does it come more or less built/setup? Newbie here wanting to buy this bike and get into trails.@@BikingRoots
@@ceoofsony5924 Thanks for the question. Generally when you buy from Marin it is routed through your local bike shop. If you do not have one, not sure how they do it. Honestly from my experience, they aren't bad but it can be inconsistent. Unless you have a lot of experience building up bikes, have a torque wrench, etc. I would recommend having a shop do the final assembly for you. I like to remove the dork disc for one example (they are required to ship with them), and sometimes brake rotors aren't completely straight and shifting isn't always adjusted how it should be. Good luck!
How much does it weigh?
our medium w/pedals and not setup tubeless is 34.8
@@BikingRoots thx. That's not too bad for a "budget" bike
Well those brakes are not on par with the rest of the bike. This should have at least mt520s( which are actually pretty good)
Thanks for the comment. That’s funny you said that as I just finished bedding in the brakes outside and was thinking the same thing. Yeah, it would have been nice to see some 520s. A lot of times its the resin only rotors that are difficult to bed in or sometimes the pads just come contaminated from the factory. We’ve had that happen too.
The flow snap tires are very heavy, and slow rolling, but the Vee tire crown jem tire is very good tire for trail bikes, good grip, faster rolling, and alot lighter, love the new rift zone line
Thanks for the comment. Glad you like the new line! Yeah agree on the flow snaps. Yeah the crown gems aren’t bad. I had the 27.5 plus ones on my ebike a few years back and they were fast and still grippy (2.8 though).
Vee tyres are basically vittoria under a different brand
What do you think of the new Rift Zone re-design?
I would go with the Norco based on looks alone. That's how I picked all my girlfriends and it seemed to work out ok.
Ah, so you base everything on looks! Ha, yes looks are very important as you will see it quite a lot. However you can’t overlook features, maintenance, or reliability :-)
@@BikingRoots I'm assuming the rifty is a solid all around bike then?
@@MysticalDragon73 Yes great beginner trail bike option for most people wherever they may end up living and the type of trails they ride
I like this bike but the color and the name are not appealing throws me off
Yeah it’s not for everyone. Ha, yeah the name has been around for awhile, but after they had to drop the hawk hill name, the names and trims with the wheel sizes gets very confusing
I'm pretty biased against the marin, before i didn't know much about bikes, i bought two of their cheaper bikes for myself and my wife and their sizing was awful (bolinas ridge and san anselmo).
On my XL size bike they installed 170 cranks with small pedals and overall felt very small (it was also 27'5 wheel size). On my wife's medium size bike they installed 175 cranks with huge pedals and it overall felt much bigger than it should be and it was 29er for some reason..
Now as i built a couple of bikes from scratch i can say whoever designed these configurations, clearly done very bad job.
Thanks for the comment. Yeah depending on the year and spec, some specs are right on, while others can be a bit off. I imagine it isn’t too easy to be a product manager and try and spec a bike the best they can while getting it at a certain price point. Often too they are buying in large quantities so even though there may be a better option, they may not be able to get enough of them for that production run.
What does it matter if it had 27.5" wheels? 26" used to be the norm.
I hate the color.
Oh no! Bummer, what color should it have been? I like it, it’s different, but I get it… colors can be tough
@@BikingRoots Black, grey, dark blue should always be an option. And I always prefer colors with clear coat over matte because the clear coat protects the paint.
I agree with having options. Yeah those would have been cool too. For some reason Marin gives the lower priced models more options than the nicer ones which I’ve never understood. This one does have clear over the whole thing which I agree, does protect it a lot better than matte finishes
I think it looks better than the previous color ways. Less going on graphically. I like the simple look.
@@CobHes Yeah I agree. Last couple year version had a cool color, but the graphics kind of turned me off
Marin has some ugly colors for 2023🤢. I wished they had solid colors instead of the multiple colors blends
I like them so far, but have preferred some previous years better. Yeah colors can be tough too please everyone