Back in the 1990's I rode everything on a hardtail because my full suspension bike was so freaking expensive I didn't want to hurt it... Oh nostalgia. Everything has come full circle nowadays 😂
I rode a Marin Nail Trail when I lived in east TN and loved it! Just moved to Seattle and thinking about grabbing one of these as an all-round hardtail for the PNW trails. Thanks for the review!
Agree with you that the bike shines in techy terrain. Ive been riding mine a few months now and love it. Ended up going with maxxis rekon front and back. Pretty good florida tire, they roll fast and are much lighter. Bike is insane, having a blast on it and jumping a bit better with the super low seatpost
@Reeltinyphish maybe not so much sand but for roots I would say yes. I have them on my full suspension and san quentin. I did the 50 mile epic ride at santos with them and didn't have any issues. Florida is so flat it makes them a good choice for grip to weight ratio.
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy if you have the money and you want a combo with a ton of grip but still not weighing you down, the assegai is a great front while going with a dissector wide rear. Either way happy trails!
Always Assegai's 2,5er FR/Rear and cushcore, on my Nomad too. Since a couple of years. Carbon Wheels still alive:) If its too wet and muddy i switch to different ones. Most of time I do DH steep trails. No issues yet.
Good stuff Josh, thanks for spreading more HT Love 🤘🏻 Will be taking the Hello Dave out this afternoon for sure. If/when you guys make it up to Bellingham, you need to bring one of your hardtails, you will love riding Galbraith with them!
Great review! I also have a SQ3 and agree with everything you said about it. Great bike, harsh ride, the stack is a little low, BB a little low also, and the tires are just really really slow and grippy. I put a 160mm fork on it for a bit and it felt pretty good but not really necessary. I think what I really need more than anything els is to get some faster rolling tires. -update- so I put some faster rolling tires on the bike, got rid of the Maxxis Assegai’s and it just brought it to life! Now I prefer it more than my full suspension bike! Those Assegai’s just sucked the life out of the bike.
Good to hear! By mini mullet do you mean 26” in the back? I’d be careful with that as the bottom bracket is already pretty low, I wouldn’t recommend lowering it even further
I went from Assegai front, Dissector rear to XR4 front and SE4 on my Nukeproof scout. The XR4 doesn’t have the same level of grip as the Assegai but it rolls so much better. In saying that I will sometimes change back to the Assegai on the front when the trails are very wet
Agree 100%. I ride the XR4 front/XR3 combo, and for the riding I do it’s a great setup. It rolls MUCH better than the DHF/Aggressor combo I had previously, and grips pretty well. IMO, best feature is the way the XR4 loses grip in dry conditions- very, very slowly/predictably (as opposed to instantaneously heh). Also…I’ll add that the XR4/XR3 combo is not awesome in wet conditions at all. I rarely ever ride in the wet, but when I do it gets sketchy in a hurry!
11:09 a easy way to solve that is to have a chin cam setup, I use Gnartec Ultimate mount. To not have distortion / '' go pro effect'' as some call it, I use PeauPro87 3.37mm (19mm) f/2.8 GoPro Hero 7 Black.
I live in KY on the eastern side w/ the TN. border and other that flowy bike park type trails we also have jeep and four wheeler trails with some techy big rocks and dirt/mud. It's a great place to find features and good riding places but I've been on the fence. I rode BMX when I was younger but did more skateboarding that bike stuff. I had a Diamond back and a Harro zippo, I could jump and ride steep banks and wheelie/manual and all that stuff and I'm looking for a well rounded bike like the S.Q 3-4. I'm also seriously considering the Canyon stoic 3-4 depending on price. I know I will do upgrades so going with the good frame cheaper components route is probably smarter for me since I want to get my bike legs back and get back out there. Those two bikes and those spec'd close to them in the 1000-1500$ range are what I'm looking at......I think the way you like your bikes is similar to my taste- I want to be able to play but not suffer to much on climbing or downhill. I will eventually build up a bike from a frame but just want good quality to get out there ASAP and then have it as a back up if that makes sense. Am I on the right track at all ?
Ya man, those are both great choices! I think the Spectral will be a bit more trail focused, with 29" wheels and more climbing-friendly geometry. The San Quentin will feel better on jumps and big downhills, with its smaller wheels, slacker geo, and super short seattube!
Thanks for the great info. I just got a SQ2 after a month wait for a medium and love it, one warning though: the SQ2 comes with VeeTireCo Flow Snap and on first day of riding after just 3 miles on streets and dirt/grass near my home, the rear tire suddenly made a loud gunshot like sound and went flat. Was easy to tell where tire had failed from quick look as strings of rubber were hanging off from one spot, luckily I only had to walk about a mile home and when bike shop guy took tire off could see an 8” section of the bead was now rubber ribbons 😱 lol. Anyway, shop guy was helpful and gave me a new Maxxis Rekon in same 27.5x2.6 size so came out ahead there at least. He didn’t have one for the front so I’ve ordered one as don’t feel confident riding around after what happened to rear. Your SQ3 had different tires and mine was probably a rare manufacturing defect but this too long comment is just to warn anyone who has VeeTireCo Flow Snap that you should prob change tire!
I’ve got a rear aggressor and DHF up front on my Chameleon MX, My wife is killing me on any trail that’s not going down😂. Two dissectors came in the mail today. What are these bike companies putting these on our rides for? Thanks for shimano drivetrain info, I will get it and save$$. Good on you man! The San Quentin shined as a charger and you would ride it as a mullet cus it’s so much fun. Well not how there marketing reads I’m sure , but I think you just made a lot of shoppers want that bike. P.S. Marin , give them a coupon for a rear wheel dissector 😆
Haha thanks for the kind words Michael! Ya I’ve definitely found I’m more a fan of faster rolling trail tires. I run the Bontrager XR4s on my main bike and love them! I just use a tubeless insert in the back to make up for the weaker sidewall and they’re perfect 🤌🤌
Awesome review thank you! If im not mistaken you said you ride an XL?. and have ridden both generations of the SQ. I have a 22 SQ2 XL, im 6" , 210 with a 33" inseam. I think the bike feels right, but im probably right on the beginning edge of XL and sometimes I worry if its too big.( i do overthink it lol) I DO wish I would have waited and looked for the new generation as the seat tube on mine feels a tad too high. My question is, would I be able to frame swap from my 22 model to this new model and everything work? also, whats your thoughts on the XL fit between the two models? Does the new one "feel" any larger or smaller than the old version? Me being on the edge of an XL id hate to get the new one and end up feeling like its even bigger. or if i downsized to a large and ended up too small. I appreciate any advice!
5:19 Shinano Cassette wins, I've had both Shimano Deore M5100 11-51T and SunRace 11-50T Shimano shifts much smoother, quieter. SunRace developed so bad play in the rivets that I could not shift, this happen to two cassettes. awful. Some claim they experienced the same with Shimano. But some say SunRace is junk. I bent all teeth and cogs on it too, kept doing so, I did that on my old bike but that bike was flexy and was abusing the drivetrain, I had 11-46T on that bike, but I currently ride a Geometron G1, which is stiff enough, no weird drivetrain issues, and it had same issue there. But as I mentioned SunRace 11-50T developed huge play. I've not had enough time on Shimano Deore M5100 11-51T to do a long term review. but shifting performance was great, even under power. But not a fan of plastic spacers, don't drop and step on it, it's gonna snap, nor fidget with it, it will snap. Last mentioned I tried, I snapped it with tho fingers, but I did it intentionally to test it, has Alu spacers on hand.
i just want to build my own bike and now im searching for the right frame. I checked the Timberjack bit it probably will be available in Europe End of year or in Spring, im thinking about Roscoe, Commencials Meta HT, Chameleon and now i stumbled over the marin. I want to build a playful bike to drive around with my kid and initially wanted to build something inbetween trial and trail. The marin seems good for that.
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy Meta HT was my first aim but i find the seatpost a little bit high on a 27,5 build. nookeproof could also be something. thank you for your reply and keep on.
Ya, the high seat tube is my biggest complaint with that bike. Another bike to look into is the RSD Middlechild; super playful geo and 440mm seat tube. But I’m not sure the process of ordering from them from Europe
I'm lookin at one of these or a Devinci Kobain 29er. I want a hardtail that feels like a Park BMX but rolls of trash (roots, sharp rocks) easily, climbs, is light enough to carry, low maintenance mechanically, and doesnt break the bank too hard. I dont know much about MTB even though I live on the island of mountains (vancouver island) where its basically black or double black to choose from, somehow my GT aggressor comp (my first MTB ever) has survived a year and I'm ready to move on from it. I've ridden BMX in skateparks only for around 25 years and would love somthing closer to a Dirt Jumper with gears and 29 inch wheels. Somthing I can bunnyhop up a curb and manual on, It seems impossible on the GT, not sure if its just the 29 wheels that are responsible, but maybe also the frame geometry and the fact its a cross country, totally the wrong bike for where I live.
I ride a lot of BMX and I'll say that hands down, the most BMX feeling hardtail I've ever ridden is the RSD MIddlechild, sounds like you'd love it! Here's a playlist with my videos on it: th-cam.com/play/PLuHTEhoxOiC0OIstnarZZzmYVY2L9UCiz.html&si=z640s5NTJhoUSOTm
Got the Devinci cause it was in stock, lovin it, especially the monster truck wheel size, really makes up for the lack of suspension when riding over roots and rock gardens. I also really wanted something I could jump properly on so I found a used 2015 Specialized P3 for a good price, great for the parks and skateparks, gunna take it to an Airbag park soon called "SendAir" to learn that sorta thing.@@ridingwithjoshandwendy
Hey there, great reviews. I think we have a similar background w/ BMX and now MTN bikers. I'm really struggling to decide between the SC chameleon and this San Quentin. I need a hardtail for our local bike park and JIBing here in St. George UT, but also want my 15 yo son to be able to use it on average trails. The Santa cruz has awesome deals right now, I'm 6 ft and my son is 5'9". Still cant decide between a Medium or Large. Also do you think the Marin would be better at park type stuff if you put a angle set to make it steaper and sized down to a med/large?
Nice, always fun to hear from other BMX guys! I tried installing an angleset on my San Quentin and there’s a lip on the inside of the headtube that prevents the longer headset cup of an anglset to be installed 😕 So I’d say if your focus is more jibs/dirt jumps then the Santa Cruz would likely be a better option, but if you want more of a freeride/enduro hardtail then I’d steer you towards the Marin
I'm currently riding my trusty Marin Nail Trail 7 (size M) and looking to swap the frame to the San Quentin 3 2023 and mullet it - awesome videos man!🙂 Josh, could you shar what size of the SQ3 frame do you have and what is your height? I'm 178 cm and the problem is, I've heard sizing of SQ3 is kind of crooked :)
Ya, the sizing is definitely interesting with steep, short seat tube. I’m 6’1” and would usually go with a L, but went with an XL on this one. If you want the bike to feel more like a dirt jumper, and plan to use it for more of that kind of riding I’d go M. But if you plan to use it mostly for trail/enduro riding I’d say L. The great thing about this bike though is that even when going with a bigger size you can still lower the seat more than enough!
Josh make more material on these mullet setup... i am about to make the same mod with my san quentin only thing is i have ohlins 36 with 160 and i dont know if i should lower the travel in it because its pretty costly..
That would be a pretty big jump, especially considering that adding a 29” wheel is the equivalent of another 10-20mms of travel in the way it affects your geo. So a 160mm 29” fork would slacken the headtube by 2-3 degrees. I’d try and drop it to 140mm if you can, otherwise it might start to feel pretty unruly!
So I'm fairly new to mountain biking and currently have a cheap XC hardtail and I went to a downhill bike park and obviously I stayed on the green flowy trail. It was really fun and the bike hold its own surprisingly well. I might be upgrading next year and I was looking at this price range, so 2000 euros or thereabout. I'm looking for a good all rounder so I'm hesitating between a hardtail such as this one or a full suspension enduro, or all-mountain, bike. Do you have any insight in that matter? The review was great and I'm sure it's a fairly capable bike in the right hands. What I'm not sure about is if it's appropriate for a beginner rider.
Sounds like you've thought it out well! Ya, what I'll say is that hardtails tend to make "mellower" terrain (this is relative depending on the rider's skill level) more fun, and more technical terrain more difficult (which again, could be considered more fun, depending on the rider). But if you're looking for the fastest way to progress to more difficult trails, hit the absolute biggest features, or win races, then a full suspension bike is usually the way to go. With your goals and a decent sized budget of 2000 euros I'd probably steer you towards a an aggressive full suspension trail bike, like the Canyon Spectral AL 5, Polygon Siskiu T8, or Specialized Status 140
I'm looking to replace a youth sized 26" hardtail that's about to die from 20 years of rust and looking for a zippy replacement. I'm 5'7" but I love the little ripper attitude, as I hate 29"s I did appreciate that they eat trails better but feel "function only" and zero fun, unless I'm pushing boundaries of rough and downhill. My big "should I-"s are if I should stick to getting a new 26", or try my first full 27.5" like the San Quentin? They won't feel that much bigger yeah? And should I size down to a small for the bmx feel, I already found a used listing for an already mulleted '23 for $1,100 I feel like I should just grab it and try it but it's medium
I think you should give 27.5” a try! For one it’s getting harder and harder to find replacement 26” parts, and j think you’ll find 27.5” to be just about as playful as your 26. That used SQ sounds pretty rad to me, and at 5’7” I think it would be a good fit! You could probably make a L work too, but if you’re wanting a smaller more playful bike sticking with a M sounds like a good call 🤙
Been looking at this bike, but I am a bit overweight. And I'm afraid I may destroy it quickly. My intent is to use it as a commuter to work, (about 6 miles one way). Then when I start dropping weight to start hitting trails. I'm 6'4" and 335LBS. Do you think this bike will hold up to my weight? Or suggestions on something that would. And keeping it under $2k. The commute is mostly flat. Some highway and mostly street. With a little dirt/gravel.
It’s a sick bike! I actually preferred the 29er over the 27.5, check out the review I did for 99 Spokes here: th-cam.com/video/PVCnX6NrSUQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=L9jMno39rdIF89Xx
Have the previous San Quinten 3. Riding this thing last Couple of years in Tucson. Is there any reason I could not Mullet the 2021 version? What is the travel you went with on your Fox 34?
No, I think that’d be a great contender to mullet! I’m running a 140mm of travel, so same as the bike came with, which is why the geometry shifted a bit (longer axel to crown on the mullet)
Nice ride and info! Two questions. How do you think the Stoic 4 would stand up to your customized Marin on the same trail? Faster, funnier, flower..., or not? What exactly components have you swichts out to, (except the 29"wheel), so you know if you want to do a copy of your bike? Are no bike tech so need a full list on every part :-) , and check prices. The trail/enviroment looks like the ones I usally ride in Sweden.
I haven’t ridden the Stoic, so I can’t say for sure, but on paper the Stoic has a bit more conservative geo, so will probably feel a bit zippier in flow trails and tight technical sections of trail, whereas the SQ likes the plow through stuff more. The mullet setup is the only thing I’ve changed, the part spec that comes on the bike is pretty dang good!
Like I said in the video, I absolutely loved it! I felt like it was an improvement all around. I have a video where I did some back to back testing with it on my channel if you want to hear more!
So im a BMX rider looking for a more aggressive hardtail MTB. I would primarily be riding dirt jumps and enduro type trails every so often. Would you recommend this or the RSD Middle child? Appreciate the videos man!
I’d take the Middlechild. They’re both great bikes but the SQ3 is a little less poppy and playful and feels a bit more like a BMX, which is what I prioritize. I actually did a video comparing the two, check it out! th-cam.com/video/XA5VPttTTek/w-d-xo.html
@Riding With Josh and Wendy, you had to get a new fork when you made it a mullet, but did you ride the original setup for long before you did so? if so how was the Bomber z2 fork, I want an aggressive hardtail with fox, but everything under 3000 is rocks shox or something else, is the bomber z2 a good fork? i know there is a pretty large price gap between the bomber and the fox fork you put on there, but how did they compare?
Actually Marzochi is owned by Fox, and the Fox Rhythm line is essentially the same as the Z1/Z2! So the Fox 36 Rhythm I put on there has the same damper and air spring, just bigger stanchions. I talk about the Z2 on some of my other videos on this bike on my channel (there’s a playlist with all the SQ3 vids), but summarize, I think it’s a great fork, but as someone who ways 200 lbs and rides pretty hard, the 34mm stanchions are just a bit to flexy
I’m 6’1” and it’s an XL frame, fits great and I love the super low seat tube! Since I have the bike set up as a mullet the front and is already elevated quite a bit. I was running about 20mm of spacers below the stem when riding it as a 27.5”
I’m 6’1” or 185cm and am on an XL. I think a large would be just about perfect for you, but with the super low standover height on this frame you could definitely fit onto an XL!
I am, 140 but with the 29” wheel slackened it by about 1 degree. I have some more info on the geo change here: th-cam.com/video/XQJdif6jN7Q/w-d-xo.html
Jenson USA does! Check it out (and this is an affiliate link, so if you buy anything from Jenson after clicking it we'll get a small kickback!) jenson.sjv.io/bam17v
Not sure I'd agree there, if anything I think the SQ1 is one of the best bikes you can get for under $1K if you're wanting to get into aggressive riding
Appreciate the Hardtail Gang shoutout more than you know! 🥰🥰🥰
Absolutely my dude 🤙🤙 Thanks for the rad shirts!
Back in the 1990's I rode everything on a hardtail because my full suspension bike was so freaking expensive I didn't want to hurt it... Oh nostalgia.
Everything has come full circle nowadays 😂
I rode a Marin Nail Trail when I lived in east TN and loved it! Just moved to Seattle and thinking about grabbing one of these as an all-round hardtail for the PNW trails. Thanks for the review!
Do it!! Great bike for that area!
Agree with you that the bike shines in techy terrain. Ive been riding mine a few months now and love it. Ended up going with maxxis rekon front and back. Pretty good florida tire, they roll fast and are much lighter. Bike is insane, having a blast on it and jumping a bit better with the super low seatpost
I am in Jacksonville FL. Are these tires good for the sand/roots?
@Reeltinyphish maybe not so much sand but for roots I would say yes. I have them on my full suspension and san quentin. I did the 50 mile epic ride at santos with them and didn't have any issues. Florida is so flat it makes them a good choice for grip to weight ratio.
I am totally with you on the assegai's. First time I rode with 2 assegai's I felt like I was pedaling through deep soft sand
It’s crazy haha! I’m definitely not a big fan
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy if you have the money and you want a combo with a ton of grip but still not weighing you down, the assegai is a great front while going with a dissector wide rear. Either way happy trails!
Always Assegai's 2,5er FR/Rear and cushcore, on my Nomad too. Since a couple of years. Carbon Wheels still alive:) If its too wet and muddy i switch to different ones. Most of time I do DH steep trails. No issues yet.
@@uxmax downhill I'm with you, assegais are beastly. Trail stuff and light downhill I'm out, I would do dissector or rekon
Good stuff Josh, thanks for spreading more HT Love 🤘🏻
Will be taking the Hello Dave out this afternoon for sure. If/when you guys make it up to Bellingham, you need to bring one of your hardtails, you will love riding Galbraith with them!
Absolutely man, can’t wait!!
Great review! I also have a SQ3 and agree with everything you said about it. Great bike, harsh ride, the stack is a little low, BB a little low also, and the tires are just really really slow and grippy. I put a 160mm fork on it for a bit and it felt pretty good but not really necessary. I think what I really need more than anything els is to get some faster rolling tires. -update- so I put some faster rolling tires on the bike, got rid of the Maxxis Assegai’s and it just brought it to life! Now I prefer it more than my full suspension bike! Those Assegai’s just sucked the life out of the bike.
I have a '23 san quentin 2, small frame and I have been contemplating a mini mullet lately so this video helped alot, thanks again for the vids!
Good to hear! By mini mullet do you mean 26” in the back? I’d be careful with that as the bottom bracket is already pretty low, I wouldn’t recommend lowering it even further
Thanks for the advice! I want to upgrade the front suspension anyway so ill go that route🤙
Cool! I think you’ll really enjoy it!
@@twiztedbullet shorter crank arms and can do a panaracer swoop AT 2.4 or a Duro Razorback 3.0 in 26er
How tall are you? I'm 5'6 and looking to buy a San Quentin 2 but not sure if I should go Small or Medium.
This video is sick! Felt like I was on the ride with you🤙🏼🤙🏼
Haha fun, thank you man!
I went from Assegai front, Dissector rear to XR4 front and SE4 on my Nukeproof scout. The XR4 doesn’t have the same level of grip as the Assegai but it rolls so much better.
In saying that I will sometimes change back to the Assegai on the front when the trails are very wet
Nice, sounds wise 🤙
Agree 100%. I ride the XR4 front/XR3 combo, and for the riding I do it’s a great setup. It rolls MUCH better than the DHF/Aggressor combo I had previously, and grips pretty well. IMO, best feature is the way the XR4 loses grip in dry conditions- very, very slowly/predictably (as opposed to instantaneously heh).
Also…I’ll add that the XR4/XR3 combo is not awesome in wet conditions at all. I rarely ever ride in the wet, but when I do it gets sketchy in a hurry!
11:09 a easy way to solve that is to have a chin cam setup, I use Gnartec Ultimate mount. To not have distortion / '' go pro effect'' as some call it, I use PeauPro87 3.37mm (19mm) f/2.8 GoPro Hero 7 Black.
I live in KY on the eastern side w/ the TN. border and other that flowy bike park type trails we also have jeep and four wheeler trails with some techy big rocks and dirt/mud. It's a great place to find features and good riding places but I've been on the fence. I rode BMX when I was younger but did more skateboarding that bike stuff. I had a Diamond back and a Harro zippo, I could jump and ride steep banks and wheelie/manual and all that stuff and I'm looking for a well rounded bike like the S.Q 3-4. I'm also seriously considering the Canyon stoic 3-4 depending on price. I know I will do upgrades so going with the good frame cheaper components route is probably smarter for me since I want to get my bike legs back and get back out there. Those two bikes and those spec'd close to them in the 1000-1500$ range are what I'm looking at......I think the way you like your bikes is similar to my taste- I want to be able to play but not suffer to much on climbing or downhill. I will eventually build up a bike from a frame but just want good quality to get out there ASAP and then have it as a back up if that makes sense. Am I on the right track at all ?
Ya man, those are both great choices! I think the Spectral will be a bit more trail focused, with 29" wheels and more climbing-friendly geometry. The San Quentin will feel better on jumps and big downhills, with its smaller wheels, slacker geo, and super short seattube!
Thanks for the great info. I just got a SQ2 after a month wait for a medium and love it, one warning though: the SQ2 comes with VeeTireCo Flow Snap and on first day of riding after just 3 miles on streets and dirt/grass near my home, the rear tire suddenly made a loud gunshot like sound and went flat. Was easy to tell where tire had failed from quick look as strings of rubber were hanging off from one spot, luckily I only had to walk about a mile home and when bike shop guy took tire off could see an 8” section of the bead was now rubber ribbons 😱 lol. Anyway, shop guy was helpful and gave me a new Maxxis Rekon in same 27.5x2.6 size so came out ahead there at least. He didn’t have one for the front so I’ve ordered one as don’t feel confident riding around after what happened to rear. Your SQ3 had different tires and mine was probably a rare manufacturing defect but this too long comment is just to warn anyone who has VeeTireCo Flow Snap that you should prob change tire!
Bummer man, thanks for sharing! Hope you have a blast on the bike!
I’ve got a rear aggressor and DHF up front on my Chameleon MX, My wife is killing me on any trail that’s not going down😂. Two dissectors came in the mail today. What are these bike companies putting these on our rides for? Thanks for shimano drivetrain info, I will get it and save$$. Good on you man! The San Quentin shined as a charger and you would ride it as a mullet cus it’s so much fun. Well not how there marketing reads I’m sure , but I think you just made a lot of shoppers want that bike. P.S. Marin , give them a coupon for a rear wheel dissector 😆
Haha thanks for the kind words Michael! Ya I’ve definitely found I’m more a fan of faster rolling trail tires. I run the Bontrager XR4s on my main bike and love them! I just use a tubeless insert in the back to make up for the weaker sidewall and they’re perfect 🤌🤌
Awesome review thank you!
If im not mistaken you said you ride an XL?. and have ridden both generations of the SQ. I have a 22 SQ2 XL, im 6" , 210 with a 33" inseam. I think the bike feels right, but im probably right on the beginning edge of XL and sometimes I worry if its too big.( i do overthink it lol)
I DO wish I would have waited and looked for the new generation as the seat tube on mine feels a tad too high. My question is, would I be able to frame swap from my 22 model to this new model and everything work? also, whats your thoughts on the XL fit between the two models? Does the new one "feel" any larger or smaller than the old version? Me being on the edge of an XL id hate to get the new one and end up feeling like its even bigger. or if i downsized to a large and ended up too small.
I appreciate any advice!
5:19 Shinano Cassette wins, I've had both Shimano Deore M5100 11-51T and SunRace 11-50T
Shimano shifts much smoother, quieter.
SunRace developed so bad play in the rivets that I could not shift, this happen to two cassettes. awful. Some claim they experienced the same with Shimano. But some say SunRace is junk. I bent all teeth and cogs on it too, kept doing so, I did that on my old bike but that bike was flexy and was abusing the drivetrain, I had 11-46T on that bike, but I currently ride a Geometron G1, which is stiff enough, no weird drivetrain issues, and it had same issue there. But as I mentioned SunRace 11-50T developed huge play.
I've not had enough time on Shimano Deore M5100 11-51T to do a long term review. but shifting performance was great, even under power. But not a fan of plastic spacers, don't drop and step on it, it's gonna snap, nor fidget with it, it will snap. Last mentioned I tried, I snapped it with tho fingers, but I did it intentionally to test it, has Alu spacers on hand.
i just want to build my own bike and now im searching for the right frame. I checked the Timberjack bit it probably will be available in Europe End of year or in Spring, im thinking about Roscoe, Commencials Meta HT, Chameleon and now i stumbled over the marin. I want to build a playful bike to drive around with my kid and initially wanted to build something inbetween trial and trail. The marin seems good for that.
Ya, the SQ definitely ticks the trials box! I think you’d like the Meta HT too
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy Meta HT was my first aim but i find the seatpost a little bit high on a 27,5 build. nookeproof could also be something. thank you for your reply and keep on.
Ya, the high seat tube is my biggest complaint with that bike. Another bike to look into is the RSD Middlechild; super playful geo and 440mm seat tube. But I’m not sure the process of ordering from them from Europe
I'm lookin at one of these or a Devinci Kobain 29er. I want a hardtail that feels like a Park BMX but rolls of trash (roots, sharp rocks) easily, climbs, is light enough to carry, low maintenance mechanically, and doesnt break the bank too hard. I dont know much about MTB even though I live on the island of mountains (vancouver island) where its basically black or double black to choose from, somehow my GT aggressor comp (my first MTB ever) has survived a year and I'm ready to move on from it. I've ridden BMX in skateparks only for around 25 years and would love somthing closer to a Dirt Jumper with gears and 29 inch wheels. Somthing I can bunnyhop up a curb and manual on, It seems impossible on the GT, not sure if its just the 29 wheels that are responsible, but maybe also the frame geometry and the fact its a cross country, totally the wrong bike for where I live.
I ride a lot of BMX and I'll say that hands down, the most BMX feeling hardtail I've ever ridden is the RSD MIddlechild, sounds like you'd love it! Here's a playlist with my videos on it: th-cam.com/play/PLuHTEhoxOiC0OIstnarZZzmYVY2L9UCiz.html&si=z640s5NTJhoUSOTm
Got the Devinci cause it was in stock, lovin it, especially the monster truck wheel size, really makes up for the lack of suspension when riding over roots and rock gardens. I also really wanted something I could jump properly on so I found a used 2015 Specialized P3 for a good price, great for the parks and skateparks, gunna take it to an Airbag park soon called "SendAir" to learn that sorta thing.@@ridingwithjoshandwendy
Hey there, great reviews. I think we have a similar background w/ BMX and now MTN bikers. I'm really struggling to decide between the SC chameleon and this San Quentin. I need a hardtail for our local bike park and JIBing here in St. George UT, but also want my 15 yo son to be able to use it on average trails. The Santa cruz has awesome deals right now, I'm 6 ft and my son is 5'9". Still cant decide between a Medium or Large. Also do you think the Marin would be better at park type stuff if you put a angle set to make it steaper and sized down to a med/large?
Nice, always fun to hear from other BMX guys! I tried installing an angleset on my San Quentin and there’s a lip on the inside of the headtube that prevents the longer headset cup of an anglset to be installed 😕 So I’d say if your focus is more jibs/dirt jumps then the Santa Cruz would likely be a better option, but if you want more of a freeride/enduro hardtail then I’d steer you towards the Marin
I'm currently riding my trusty Marin Nail Trail 7 (size M) and looking to swap the frame to the San Quentin 3 2023 and mullet it - awesome videos man!🙂
Josh, could you shar what size of the SQ3 frame do you have and what is your height? I'm 178 cm and the problem is, I've heard sizing of SQ3 is kind of crooked :)
Ya, the sizing is definitely interesting with steep, short seat tube. I’m 6’1” and would usually go with a L, but went with an XL on this one. If you want the bike to feel more like a dirt jumper, and plan to use it for more of that kind of riding I’d go M. But if you plan to use it mostly for trail/enduro riding I’d say L. The great thing about this bike though is that even when going with a bigger size you can still lower the seat more than enough!
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy Awesome! My aim is the enduro/trail - I aleady own a DJ'er bike, the mighty Alcatraz :D
Thank you for your answer!
Nice, those two bikes will be a rad combo!
Hardtail Gang! Chee hoo!
Josh make more material on these mullet setup... i am about to make the same mod with my san quentin only thing is i have ohlins 36 with 160 and i dont know if i should lower the travel in it because its pretty costly..
That would be a pretty big jump, especially considering that adding a 29” wheel is the equivalent of another 10-20mms of travel in the way it affects your geo. So a 160mm 29” fork would slacken the headtube by 2-3 degrees. I’d try and drop it to 140mm if you can, otherwise it might start to feel pretty unruly!
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy thanks brother thats exactly the plan
So I'm fairly new to mountain biking and currently have a cheap XC hardtail and I went to a downhill bike park and obviously I stayed on the green flowy trail. It was really fun and the bike hold its own surprisingly well. I might be upgrading next year and I was looking at this price range, so 2000 euros or thereabout. I'm looking for a good all rounder so I'm hesitating between a hardtail such as this one or a full suspension enduro, or all-mountain, bike. Do you have any insight in that matter?
The review was great and I'm sure it's a fairly capable bike in the right hands. What I'm not sure about is if it's appropriate for a beginner rider.
Sounds like you've thought it out well! Ya, what I'll say is that hardtails tend to make "mellower" terrain (this is relative depending on the rider's skill level) more fun, and more technical terrain more difficult (which again, could be considered more fun, depending on the rider). But if you're looking for the fastest way to progress to more difficult trails, hit the absolute biggest features, or win races, then a full suspension bike is usually the way to go. With your goals and a decent sized budget of 2000 euros I'd probably steer you towards a an aggressive full suspension trail bike, like the Canyon Spectral AL 5, Polygon Siskiu T8, or Specialized Status 140
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy I'll have a look at these, thanks man.
I'm looking to replace a youth sized 26" hardtail that's about to die from 20 years of rust and looking for a zippy replacement. I'm 5'7" but I love the little ripper attitude, as I hate 29"s I did appreciate that they eat trails better but feel "function only" and zero fun, unless I'm pushing boundaries of rough and downhill. My big "should I-"s are if I should stick to getting a new 26", or try my first full 27.5" like the San Quentin? They won't feel that much bigger yeah? And should I size down to a small for the bmx feel, I already found a used listing for an already mulleted '23 for $1,100 I feel like I should just grab it and try it but it's medium
I think you should give 27.5” a try! For one it’s getting harder and harder to find replacement 26” parts, and j think you’ll find 27.5” to be just about as playful as your 26. That used SQ sounds pretty rad to me, and at 5’7” I think it would be a good fit! You could probably make a L work too, but if you’re wanting a smaller more playful bike sticking with a M sounds like a good call 🤙
1st!
Another good review,well done
Thank you 🤙🤙
Been looking at this bike, but I am a bit overweight. And I'm afraid I may destroy it quickly. My intent is to use it as a commuter to work, (about 6 miles one way). Then when I start dropping weight to start hitting trails. I'm 6'4" and 335LBS. Do you think this bike will hold up to my weight? Or suggestions on something that would. And keeping it under $2k.
The commute is mostly flat. Some highway and mostly street. With a little dirt/gravel.
I’d check with Marin as to wheat their weight rating is. I’m sure you’d be fine commuting, but yeah trails riding is a bit of a different story
Hey mate, im looking at getting onto one of these in the 29er howd you feel about it being a little heavier than most?
It’s a sick bike! I actually preferred the 29er over the 27.5, check out the review I did for 99 Spokes here: th-cam.com/video/PVCnX6NrSUQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=L9jMno39rdIF89Xx
Have the previous San Quinten 3. Riding this thing last Couple of years in Tucson. Is there any reason I could not Mullet the 2021 version? What is the travel you went with on your Fox 34?
No, I think that’d be a great contender to mullet! I’m running a 140mm of travel, so same as the bike came with, which is why the geometry shifted a bit (longer axel to crown on the mullet)
Nice ride and info! Two questions. How do you think the Stoic 4 would stand up to your customized Marin on the same trail? Faster, funnier, flower..., or not? What exactly components have you swichts out to, (except the 29"wheel), so you know if you want to do a copy of your bike? Are no bike tech so need a full list on every part :-) , and check prices.
The trail/enviroment looks like the ones I usally ride in Sweden.
I haven’t ridden the Stoic, so I can’t say for sure, but on paper the Stoic has a bit more conservative geo, so will probably feel a bit zippier in flow trails and tight technical sections of trail, whereas the SQ likes the plow through stuff more. The mullet setup is the only thing I’ve changed, the part spec that comes on the bike is pretty dang good!
Im thinking about making my sq3 mullet too. Hows the ride doe thats what im worried
Like I said in the video, I absolutely loved it! I felt like it was an improvement all around. I have a video where I did some back to back testing with it on my channel if you want to hear more!
So im a BMX rider looking for a more aggressive hardtail MTB. I would primarily be riding dirt jumps and enduro type trails every so often. Would you recommend this or the RSD Middle child? Appreciate the videos man!
I’d take the Middlechild. They’re both great bikes but the SQ3 is a little less poppy and playful and feels a bit more like a BMX, which is what I prioritize. I actually did a video comparing the two, check it out! th-cam.com/video/XA5VPttTTek/w-d-xo.html
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy Thanks man, I didn't see that video ill check it out !
@Riding With Josh and Wendy, you had to get a new fork when you made it a mullet, but did you ride the original setup for long before you did so? if so how was the Bomber z2 fork, I want an aggressive hardtail with fox, but everything under 3000 is rocks shox or something else, is the bomber z2 a good fork? i know there is a pretty large price gap between the bomber and the fox fork you put on there, but how did they compare?
Actually Marzochi is owned by Fox, and the Fox Rhythm line is essentially the same as the Z1/Z2! So the Fox 36 Rhythm I put on there has the same damper and air spring, just bigger stanchions. I talk about the Z2 on some of my other videos on this bike on my channel (there’s a playlist with all the SQ3 vids), but summarize, I think it’s a great fork, but as someone who ways 200 lbs and rides pretty hard, the 34mm stanchions are just a bit to flexy
Just curious,you mentioned that bike frame is XL,how tall are you Josh? I'm 6,2"
I'm 6'1". I think the XL would fit you well!
nice bike & review
Thank you man 🤙
Does this come with a dropper seat ?
how about making it full-on 29er?
Sadly not enough tire clearance on the back, the frame is designed for a 27.5” wheel
They do now! Can’t wait to pick up an sq3 29
how tall are you and what size is the frame? and with that slammed stem do you every find the front end is too low?
I’m 6’1” and it’s an XL frame, fits great and I love the super low seat tube! Since I have the bike set up as a mullet the front and is already elevated quite a bit. I was running about 20mm of spacers below the stem when riding it as a 27.5”
How tall are you?
What's the size of the bike?
I also want to own one.
I'm 180cm
Thankss
I’m 6’1” or 185cm and am on an XL. I think a large would be just about perfect for you, but with the super low standover height on this frame you could definitely fit onto an XL!
So in your opinion, which size should I choose?
Thankyou so much. 😊
If you want a more playful/agile feeling Bike go for the large. If you want something for hard charging/enduro style riding do the XL
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy
Thankyou so much. 😚
I think, i should choose size L, best for me. 😁
Hey Josh, are you still running 140mm on that fork?
I am, 140 but with the 29” wheel slackened it by about 1 degree. I have some more info on the geo change here: th-cam.com/video/XQJdif6jN7Q/w-d-xo.html
I know you luv 27.5 but have you tried the RSD 291 ?
I really want to, but haven’t had the privilege just yet. That’ll hopefully be happening sometime this year though 🤙
super newb question. So I own the SQ2 and would like to upgrade its fork, is it a straight tube or tapered tube?
Nice man! Tapered fork for that guy 🤙
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy Ty for the reply! Love your videos and the content you share with the community! Keep up the amazing work!
Thank man, I appreciate it!!
Wanna buy ht i have roscoe 7 2”23 i like this marlin instead of riftzone
Nice! That roscoe is definitely a cool bike too, but the San Quentin will let you charge a lot harder 🤙
I’m 177 cm should I go M or L?
I think a medium should be perfect!
Josh are you racing the AMC and will it be on a hardtail ?
Probably not 😕 The race was already sold out by the time we got around to registering, but we’re on the wait list! Will you be there?
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy
Yes, I will be working the race on Saturday, we usually ride Thursday Friday and Sunday morning then head home to Monterey.
Nice! I’ll definitely let you know if we make it!
There aren’t authorized anymore
They don't have any left.
Jenson USA does! Check it out (and this is an affiliate link, so if you buy anything from Jenson after clicking it we'll get a small kickback!) jenson.sjv.io/bam17v
only sq 3 warth the price or the frame only sq 1 sq 2 very overpized !
Not sure I'd agree there, if anything I think the SQ1 is one of the best bikes you can get for under $1K if you're wanting to get into aggressive riding
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy i am 5"10 go for large or medium ? :/