The 2010 Marin Nail Trail 29er, No-Nonsense Trail Bike

Marin has increased its line of 29 inch-wheeled mountain bikes to four for 2010. The Nail Trail 29er is on top of the list just in front of the Marin Pine Mountain 29er single-speed and two lower-priced offerings: the Marin Palisades Trail 29er and Alpine Trail 29er.

The Marin Nail Trail 29er is a hardtail trailbike that uses 29-inch wheels. It is intended for the trail rider who doesn't want rear suspension. This rider is attracted to simple mountain bikes that don't require a lot of setup or maintenance.

The Marin Nail Trail 29er is constructed from 6061 aluminum. The bike uses a proprietary triple-butted, hydro-edge-formed top tube and downtube. The seat stays and chainstays use double-butted aluminum. The stays are optimized for rigidity, with a distinctive bend and shape that isn't easily discerned with the naked eye. These tubes need to be touched to get an idea of how much engineering went into them.

Marin didn't build the Marin Nail Trail 29er as eye candy, its navy-grey frame and black and silver components were meant to blend in, not jump out. The Marin Nail appears to have been constructed in partnership with Shimano. The new Shimano SLX and XT components are all business. Filling out the specifications are items from WTB and FSA. And not to forget the Fox 32 F29 RL, front suspension with 100mm travel and with rebound adjustment, lockout, and air spring preload.

We immediately noticed that Marin has lowered the step-over height of the Marin Nail Trail 29er about 2 to 3 centimeter over the last Marin 29er we seen, and that makes all the difference in the world. It boosts a rider's confidence to know that the top tube is tucked out of harm way.

Mountain bikes with 29-inch wheels have taller gearing than 26-inch wheeled mountain bikes, and you are reminded of that on the Marin Nail Trail 29er. From a dead stop, choose either a lower gear or a little more muscle to get up to speed. The Marin's frame encourages you to take the latter approach, because it offers firm, flex-free performance. It likes to be ridden in a big gear. The Marin Nail Trail 29er rider sits inside the bike, and the lower center of gravity is noticeable immediately.

If you tried early 29ers and hated the big-wheel feel in the corners, you owe it to yourself to try it again. Frame geometry has changed over the years to compensate for the larger wheels, and Marin did it right. The Marin Nail Trail 29er steers light, sticks like glue and doesn't require rider acrobatics to make it work. Staying seated is all you need to do to make this bike rail any corner.

The big wheels smooth the trail, and the Marin Nail Trail 29er is a real benefit on the climbs. The rider can concentrate on holding a good rhythm instead of worrying about steering around every bump, rock or root in the trail.