2023 Marin Rift Zone refresh focuses on the details with revised geometry and suspension

All-new frame brings geometry and suspension kinematic improvements with an emphasis on refinement

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By Alex Evans

Published: November 14, 2022 at 8:00 am

Marin's aluminium Rift Zone has been updated for 2023, with the new frame offering geometry and suspension improvements in an all-around refined package.

The Rift Zone model is the brand's (self-proclaimed) most popular mountain bike, and given its trail-focused geometry, travel, spec and affordable price, this should come as no surprise.

Like the previous generation of the Rifty (as Marin adoringly calls it), the latest model's frame comes in three flavours, offering a bike for almost everyone.

It's available with four different wheel sizes. The adult bikes come with either 29in or 27.5in hoops, while the dedicated Junior models have either 26in or 24in wheels.

Adding to the versatility of the multiple wheel sizes are the eight different spec options offered, where the 29in and 27.5in bikes get three models, while the 26in and Jr. 24 make up the other two.

Prices start at £1,695 / $1,799 / €1,999 / CAD$2,299 for the Rift Zone 1, 26 and Jr. 24, and rise to £2,995 / $3,499 / €3,499 / CAD$4,449 for the 29in and 27.5in range-topping XR.

The Rift Zone's frame is built from Marin's Series 3 aluminium, which is the brand's second-most technical material.

Series 3 tubes feature smooth welds with double and triple-butted sections, while their profiles have been manipulated and formed to give them their shape.

The rocker link, dropouts and main pivot have all been forged, while cables are routed internally. Finally, Series 3 frames have tapered head tubes.

Along with all the standard Series 3 tech, the 2023 Rift Zone has undergone significant refinements in a bid to improve its feel and appearance, according to Marin.

First up are brazed-in internal cable-routing ports on the down tube's sides near the head tube, and on its upward-facing surface close to the rear shock's lower mounting point.

The exit port uses a bolt to clamp the cables in place, while the entry ports are angled so the cables enter the frame flatter, rather than bowing outwards.

The smooth-finished look of the brazed-in entry ports means it's impossible to tell they’re made from an additional section of metal.

The unused ports can be plugged with flared, expanding rubber grommets.

Further refinements have been made to the cable routing between the main frame and swingarm.

The old Rift Zone's gear cable was routed under the bottom bracket, and the brake hose exited the down tube and then ran on the underside of the chainstay without any additional fixings. The new model's hoses thread through the forged section of the main pivot yoke before entering the chainstays.

The cables pass close to the main pivot's axis to reduce cable tug during compression, and require no additional fixings such as cable ties to keep them in place.

Like the previous model, instead of the dropper cable making the bend between down tube and seat tube internally via the bottom bracket, it briefly exits the down tube before re-entering the frame at the base of the seat tube.

Robust chain slap protection is bonded to the driveside chainstay to help quieten the bike down.

Marin has also moved away from its proprietary derailleur hangers to SRAM's Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH).

Marin's upped progression on the new Rift Zone's 130mm rear-wheel travel, the leverage ratio now starting at 2.66 and dropping to 2.09 at bottom-out.

This gives the rear end 21.72 per cent of progression over its travel, making it well suited to the adjustable-volume air springs of the Rifty's factory-fitted shocks.

In the 32t chainring and 15t cassette sprocket, anti-squat is just over 111 per cent at sag. This means the suspension is more likely to resist movement created by pedalling forces than bob in and out of its travel.

Anti-rise (how much braking forces affect the suspension) starts at just below 100 per cent at full travel and drops to just over 77 per cent at bottom-out.

At sag, it's 93 per cent. This means brake forces have a little effect on the suspension, but the figure lower than 100 per cent means they’re more likely to cause it to extend rather than compress.

This, in theory, should make the rear end more sensitive to bump absorption when you’re braking.

The kinematics on each of the four wheel sizes (29in, 27.5in, 26in, 24in) are very similar. However, the 26in and 24in-wheeled bikes have a slightly higher leverage ratio thanks to a marginally shorter stroke shock.

Matching the Rift Zone's revised kinematics are its custom-tuned shocks. The shocks have been tuned to offer small-bump sensitivity without sacrificing mid-stroke support, while the kinematic's progression is enhanced by the increased bottom-out control of air springs.

Marin tells us the feel is more playful and firm compared to enduro bikes, but isn't lacking sensitivty.

Although the new Rift Zone's geometry hasn't strayed too far from the outgoing bike's figures, it has received some key updates.

These changes keep the Rifty up to date with the current expectations of what the best trail bikes should be able to do.

Head tube angles across the new bike's range of wheel sizes now all match. Each version has a 65.5-degree head angle, where previously it was only the 29in bike that was this slack. That means the 26in and 24in-wheeled bikes have lost two degrees from 67.5 and the 27.5in has decreased from 66.5 degrees.

It's the same story with the seat tube angle, where every wheel size now increases to 77 degrees.

Chainstays have also grown on the 29in and 27.5in bikes, from 425mm up to 430mm.

The 29in-wheeled bike is available in sizes small to extra-large, while the 27.5 gets an additional extra-small with a miniscule 415mm reach figure.

And on that subject, reach figures range from 415mm (27.5in, XS) up to 515mm (29in, XL).

While the 29in-wheeled version is available in sizes small to extra-large, the 27.5in bike gets an extra-small at the bottom end.

The 26in and 24in-wheeled Rift Zones are available in one size and share the majority of their geometry figures. Key numbers include a 65.5-degree head angle, 380mm reach, and 425mm chainstays. Importantly, both these bikes get a 76-degree seat tube angle.

The Rift Zone's geometry is bang on the money for a trail bike, with figures that should blend stability with an element of agility.

The Rift Zone range features eight models across four wheel sizes, and all of them are impressively affordable.

Three versions of the 29in and 27.5in bikes are offered, with the XR (£2,995 / $3,499 / €3,499 / CAD$4,449) topping out the range.

The most affordable Rift Zone 1 retails for £1,695 / $1,799 / €1,999 / CAD$2,299, the same price as the Rift Zone 26 and Jr. 24 bikes, which are available in one build only.

Marin appears to have made shrewd spec choices across the board, focusing on performance where it matters most. For example, the range-topping XR is fitted with a custom-tuned Fox Float X rear shock and Marzocchi's Bomber Z1 fork with Rail Damper (which is the same as Fox's impressive GRIP damper).

Elsewhere, an XT derailleur is paired with an SLX cassette and shifter, and Shimano's powerful four-pot BR-MT420 calipers and M4100 brake levers.

Senior technical editor

Alex Evans is BikeRadar's senior mountain bike technical editor. He started racing downhill at the tender age of 11 before going on to compete across Europe. Alex moved to Morzine in the French Alps at 19 to pursue a career as a bike bum and clocked up an enormous amount of riding. Hitting those famous tracks day in, day out for eight years, he broke more bikes than he can remember. Alex then moved back to the UK and put his vast knowledge of mountain biking to good use by landing a job working for MBUK magazine as features editor. Since working for MBUK, Alex's focus has moved to bike tech. He's one of BikeRadar's lead testers and knows how to push bikes and products to the limit, searching out the equipment that represents the best value for money. Alex is also a dedicated eMTB rider, and still dabbles in racing of a sort, doing his best to top the Strava leaderboard on the steepest, gnarliest and twistiest trails the Tweed Valley has to offer – just for fun, of course. Alex is also a regular on the BikeRadar YouTube channel and BikeRadar podcast.

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