I just rode a Marin Nicasio the length of the US west coast and had a great experience! I basically had a fully loaded touring setup from Seattle to SLO. Before switching to more of a credit card tour from there to San Diego. I do have to say that the fully loaded setup was hard on hills. The gearing isn’t that low so if you have a lot of hills you need to pace yourself and be patient. But the bike really shined with the credit card setup. It was very comfortable and much easier to climb without the weight.
Excatly the reason why my first upgradeon this bike is a 34 tooth cassate. As they say on a tour you can never have enough low gears. I live in the Himalayas and in this age of 1x drivetrains I'm sticking with my mountain bike 3x for my touring bike. My old knees thank me for it 🙂 Nothing like real world validation and your comment is pinned on the top!
Hey Lama, thank you so much for a detailed review. Loved the way you did it. Will be waiting for more videos. Keep up the good work, more power to you.
Hey GearLama! Writing to you from Canada. Found this review just after I picked the bike up, and loved the upgrade suggestions! The 11-34t cassette was an awesome idea and definitely way better suited to the bike.
I’m trying to plan a trip across the u.s. from GA to CA. I was looking at the four corners but having a hard time finding one. i’m not that bike savvy could I do it with this bike or would the four corners be better and why ?
I would suggest shelling out for the 4 corners. The Sora drivetrain is simply better than the claris. Plus the 3x on the 4 corners does give you more range. If you're having a hard time fining it I can definitely recommend the nicasio + (plus) to you. It comes with a 1x drivetrain which makes it very easy to use for a new cyclist and wider tyres that offer more comfort
Very nice & informative review lama. I wonder if you could also do make a review on nicasio 2, since i plan to buy it. Look forward to hear it from you. Thanks 😊
is the 4 corners so much more comfortable to ride than a nicasio? I will mostly ride on tarmac but light gravel and easy single track on occasion. My plan is a tour next year germany, belgium and france with 20 kilo lugage.
I think for your loaded touring use case the 4 corners would be a better choice. Given the fact that it comes with braced tubing for load carrying ability
Depends on your needs. I think the nicasio and the plus offers excellent value for people who ride to explore / have fun. Not the best for competitive riding
Hola! Como estas buenosndias, primero gracias! Por la pronta respuesta y bueno en realidad la quiero para viajar, la ruta seria mixta, entre ruta y tierra(gravel) y veria si se puede adaptar una suspension delantera.
Hola! I think you should definitely consider the nicasio+ it offers wider tyres ( more comfirt and grip) and a simple to use 1x drivetrain. I think it will suit your needs quite well. The only flaw in the nicasio and most cheaper Marin bikes has been the quality of wheels but that's something worth upgrading after a few trips
Brake pull at the levers can be adjusted with any Shimano road gruppo (also 105). So will take the time to dial that in to work with the disks, but I do not see a problem except for time spent to adjust the cables
Frame size is dependent on more than just height. Id recommend using an online calculator like the Jenson www.jensonusa.com/bike-fit-calculator And finding out your stack and reach figues. Once you have them then you can compare them to any bike brand any model. All reputable bike brands publish stack and reach as part of their geometry specs
Sorry rohit missed your comment. So its like this. Four corners out and out touring. Nicasio more touring than lively. Gestalt and Lombard livelier but more endurance than touring. Personally I'd pick the Gestalt if i could only own one bike. Because its an endurance bike I can take it unladen out with friends on weejemf rides or load it with bikepacking specific bags and go touring. Just my 2 cents
Not a fair comparison as the price difference is substantial. The base gestalt retails for just over 1000 $ If I had to do a seat of pants comparison and money was out of the equation. I'd pick the Jamis Renegade. It comes with much newer standards like thru axles and a choice of builds from Shimano grx 400 to 800. The clearance for tyres on the renegade is also more. I'm not even considering the carbon fibre version. So if you want an adventure bike that's snappy and you have aspirations to race in some event then the renegade is better. If you simply like to explore then the gestalt should serve you fine.
Like I mentioned in the video the stock rims will support up to 40c tyres. If you want to go wider then that change to 650b/27.5 rims then you can squeeze in 47c tyres
New sub. Currently looking for my first all-rounder / gravel bike and loving your videos and advice. My man use for the bike will be on hard-packed gravel tracks, and occasional road use on a weekly basis. I really like the look of the Marin range - Which model would you all recommend? Thank you.
If you have experience with drop bars I'd recommend the gestalt. However if it's your first drop bar bike the 4 corners has the highest headtubr which puts you in a confident upright position. Plus the 4 corners is very versatile so whether you're on road or on gravel or on bad roads, it will deliver
Hi , thanks a lot for this review 😊 I was planning to purchase this ride for my all India tour and it would be for an year. Do your think I can rely on this ride to cover entire India in an year. Please advise, your suggestion really matters.🙂
A well maintained bike will last you for many such tours and more. Learn how to maintain your bike properly. If it's your first bike I'd suggest buying it a few months before the tour starts and practicing on it in the comfort of your home. Once you're comfortable with basic maintainemce try a few short tours and then progress onto your big one. Bicycles are simple machines. All parts that wear out - brakes, drivetrain, tyres, cables are easy to maintain
@@GearLama 🙂 thanks a lot lama I'll will definetly do that. However I'm not able to shortlist a bike , I'm in search of one since a month. It would be great if your suggest some bikes for my touring. My budget is b/w 50k to 1lakh the cheaper the better.
It’s a shame that Marin does not let you know from they’re website what is the diameter of the dropbar is that 31.8 can you confirm? Thank you “Marin nicasio 2021 black pink”
I hate it when bike companies give out incomplete information. Sloppy website creation. 31.8mm clamp and handlebar diameter, confirmed. Or as some shops like to call it - oversized.
I just rode a Marin Nicasio the length of the US west coast and had a great experience! I basically had a fully loaded touring setup from Seattle to SLO. Before switching to more of a credit card tour from there to San Diego. I do have to say that the fully loaded setup was hard on hills. The gearing isn’t that low so if you have a lot of hills you need to pace yourself and be patient. But the bike really shined with the credit card setup. It was very comfortable and much easier to climb without the weight.
Excatly the reason why my first upgradeon this bike is a 34 tooth cassate. As they say on a tour you can never have enough low gears. I live in the Himalayas and in this age of 1x drivetrains I'm sticking with my mountain bike 3x for my touring bike. My old knees thank me for it 🙂
Nothing like real world validation and your comment is pinned on the top!
Some Indonesian guy has put adapter hanger and 42 cassette on his Marin it works. I assume you have double chainring version.
Excellent, fair, concise and excellent review. You have won me over. I cannot wait to watch more of your videos. Keep up the excellent work.
Welcome aboard!
Hey Lama, thank you so much for a detailed review. Loved the way you did it.
Will be waiting for more videos. Keep up the good work, more power to you.
Awesome man. Glad you like it. Do consider sharing the channel with your cycling friends, nothing encourages more than new subs. Cheers!
Nice crisp and detailed review without missing points... Appreciate the effort, expecting more bike reviews..
Hey GearLama! Writing to you from Canada. Found this review just after I picked the bike up, and loved the upgrade suggestions! The 11-34t cassette was an awesome idea and definitely way better suited to the bike.
Super! I'm happy you found it helpful. This bike is a sleeper bike. A well kept secret. With the right upgrades it makes for an epic touring rig
excelllent review and very helpful remarks.
good job - thank you!
I’m trying to plan a trip across the u.s. from GA to CA. I was looking at the four corners but having a hard time finding one. i’m not that bike savvy could I do it with this bike or would the four corners be better and why ?
I would suggest shelling out for the 4 corners. The Sora drivetrain is simply better than the claris. Plus the 3x on the 4 corners does give you more range. If you're having a hard time fining it I can definitely recommend the nicasio + (plus) to you. It comes with a 1x drivetrain which makes it very easy to use for a new cyclist and wider tyres that offer more comfort
Thanks for a very detailed review. Requesting a similar review of Marin Four Corners.
Sandeep next weekend. Stay tuned!
Available now. Check it out
@@GearLama Thanks a ton.
Gosh! I'm in love with your reviews. You keep everything so concise. Unlike a lot of "reviewers" in India who barely know he bike themselves.
Why thank you sameer. Viewers like you inspire us to make more and better content. Trek marlin 8 coming up next!
What's the hub length for this? 100/135mm?
Very nice & informative review lama. I wonder if you could also do make a review on nicasio 2, since i plan to buy it. Look forward to hear it from you. Thanks 😊
is the 4 corners so much more comfortable to ride than a nicasio? I will mostly ride on tarmac but light gravel and easy single track on occasion. My plan is a tour next year germany, belgium and france with 20 kilo lugage.
I think for your loaded touring use case the 4 corners would be a better choice. Given the fact that it comes with braced tubing for load carrying ability
@@GearLama thanks! i subscribed
Would I be able to switch to a carbon for and tubeless wheels and tires to save on weight?
Yes but you would be spending more on the bits including wheela than the bike. Is that something you'd want to do?
@@GearLama true
Can you please review Marin Fourcourners?
Hi I will be putting it up on the list. I plan to review bikes based on more votes it will get on Instagram
Went to the bike shop today looking for a road bike.. this appealed to me over the fanier more expensive carbon and aluminium stuff
Steel has a timeless appeal. The thin tubes the seamless welds...if it was not the case steel bikes would have been dead by now
@@GearLama also.. the life before fatigue is higher and dents dont affect the strength as much
Agree and that's the thing. Other metals / fibre are still chasing some properties that are intrinsic to steel
Vale la pena comprar una bici de este estilo?
Depends on your needs. I think the nicasio and the plus offers excellent value for people who ride to explore / have fun. Not the best for competitive riding
Hola! Como estas buenosndias, primero gracias! Por la pronta respuesta y bueno en realidad la quiero para viajar, la ruta seria mixta, entre ruta y tierra(gravel) y veria si se puede adaptar una suspension delantera.
Hola! I think you should definitely consider the nicasio+ it offers wider tyres ( more comfirt and grip) and a simple to use 1x drivetrain. I think it will suit your needs quite well. The only flaw in the nicasio and most cheaper Marin bikes has been the quality of wheels but that's something worth upgrading after a few trips
Muchas gracias!! Hermano por tu tiempo, veremos que decido . Abrazo sdos
Mine came with a 11 x 34 cassette..??
Thanks for this review,. Will it be fine if for example I'll Transfer a 105 drivetrain does it will have an issue specially in braking? Thanks.
Brake pull at the levers can be adjusted with any Shimano road gruppo (also 105). So will take the time to dial that in to work with the disks, but I do not see a problem except for time spent to adjust the cables
frame is protected from rust?
Most steel bikes including the Nicasio come with an ED coating on the inside to protect it from rust
What frame size would you recommend for a 5’8”? Thank you.
Frame size is dependent on more than just height. Id recommend using an online calculator like the Jenson www.jensonusa.com/bike-fit-calculator
And finding out your stack and reach figues. Once you have them then you can compare them to any bike brand any model. All reputable bike brands publish stack and reach as part of their geometry specs
Thank you for your brilliant and detailed analysis. Confused between the Nicasio, Gestalt, Lombard and Four Corners. What would you recommend ?
Sorry rohit missed your comment. So its like this. Four corners out and out touring. Nicasio more touring than lively. Gestalt and Lombard livelier but more endurance than touring. Personally I'd pick the Gestalt if i could only own one bike. Because its an endurance bike I can take it unladen out with friends on weejemf rides or load it with bikepacking specific bags and go touring. Just my 2 cents
@@GearLama how do you think the gestalt compares to Jamis Renegade?
Not a fair comparison as the price difference is substantial. The base gestalt retails for just over 1000 $
If I had to do a seat of pants comparison and money was out of the equation. I'd pick the Jamis Renegade. It comes with much newer standards like thru axles and a choice of builds from Shimano grx 400 to 800. The clearance for tyres on the renegade is also more. I'm not even considering the carbon fibre version. So if you want an adventure bike that's snappy and you have aspirations to race in some event then the renegade is better. If you simply like to explore then the gestalt should serve you fine.
@@GearLama wow, thank you! you're the first one to reply in my youtube comments. great content, keep it up!
I have been wanting to get the Jamis Renegade but not available in India. Guess I should settle with the Gestalt for now
Could I replace the fork for an aluminum tapered fork ?
No because the headtube is non tapered. A tapered fork will only fit a tapered headtube
Could you review the four corners?
Next video is the trek marlin 8 after that 4 corners!
It possible to upgrade bottom bracket ?
It's a threaded bb so yes you can upgrade it to a Shimano hollowtec, sram dub. But that would also mean changing out the crank
Thank you
Can you put bigger tires on the stock rims or do you need to change them as well?
Like I mentioned in the video the stock rims will support up to 40c tyres. If you want to go wider then that change to 650b/27.5 rims then you can squeeze in 47c tyres
Lovely Video! Can you also review the Gestalt (base) ?
Yes, soon
Great video, I love it.
Glad you enjoyed it
thank you! I'm thinking of joining the marin family so this helps
Glad I could help!
Beautiful review and bike mate 6/5 Lamas
New sub.
Currently looking for my first all-rounder / gravel bike and loving your videos and advice.
My man use for the bike will be on hard-packed gravel tracks, and occasional road use on a weekly basis. I really like the look of the Marin range - Which model would you all recommend?
Thank you.
If you have experience with drop bars I'd recommend the gestalt. However if it's your first drop bar bike the 4 corners has the highest headtubr which puts you in a confident upright position. Plus the 4 corners is very versatile so whether you're on road or on gravel or on bad roads, it will deliver
nice detailed video
Hi , thanks a lot for this review 😊
I was planning to purchase this ride for my all India tour and it would be for an year.
Do your think I can rely on this ride to cover entire India in an year.
Please advise, your suggestion really matters.🙂
A well maintained bike will last you for many such tours and more. Learn how to maintain your bike properly. If it's your first bike I'd suggest buying it a few months before the tour starts and practicing on it in the comfort of your home. Once you're comfortable with basic maintainemce try a few short tours and then progress onto your big one. Bicycles are simple machines. All parts that wear out - brakes, drivetrain, tyres, cables are easy to maintain
@@GearLama 🙂 thanks a lot lama I'll will definetly do that.
However I'm not able to shortlist a bike , I'm in search of one since a month.
It would be great if your suggest some bikes for my touring.
My budget is b/w 50k to 1lakh the cheaper the better.
Excellent review
Well done, sir.
Great review. I am considering this bike.
If you know what you're getting into it's hard to beat the nicasio for value!
Hi! This has been by far the best review video I have ever seen. My Heartiest Compliments.
How does this bike perform on Indian roads...
Quite well actually. The wider tyres with the steel frame lends for a smooth ride on tarmac
It’s a shame that Marin does not let you know from they’re website what is the diameter of the dropbar is that 31.8 can you confirm? Thank you
“Marin nicasio 2021 black pink”
I hate it when bike companies give out incomplete information. Sloppy website creation. 31.8mm clamp and handlebar diameter, confirmed. Or as some shops like to call it - oversized.
@@GearLama thank you life saver
I guess they ship with 30C so you can fit a mud guard.
You know what, that makes perfect sense. Duh for not thinking about it!
@@GearLama nobody is perfect, but your video was excellent. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and ideas with us!
I have learned a lot.
Why thank you. I appreciate your kind words.
Subbed
Thanks a ton! It helps the channel
I guess it s the fact that I ride bmx and love steel
Bought this bike...damn boring bike... Truely over rate!
Tell me, what's the issue? I am considering this
The issue is that people tend to forget it's a budget bike. Yes it's not lightweight or sharp but it's reliable and hardwearing