Rift Zone Jr
A 24″ aluminum frame mountain youth bike with upper mid-range components and hydraulic disc brakes.
MSRP | $1,769 |
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Frame | Aluminum |
Suspension | Full, 120 / 120mm |
Fork | X-Fusion VELVET |
Wheels | 24″ Aluminum |
Drivetrain | 1 × 11 |
Groupset | Deore, microSHIFT |
Brakes | Hydraulic Disc |
For This Bike
4'1" – 4'10"
None yet.
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Nov 2022 · Tyler Benedict
The new Marin "Rifty" gets a sweet new alloy frame, more travel, and a consistent spec and geometry across all wheel sizes to fit any rider.
Nov 2022 · Dario DiGiulio
The Marin Rift Zone occupies a very unique spot in the bike market, as a short travel frame meant to attack relatively serious terrain.
Fun and unusual synthesis of parts and geo
Great build kit
Adaptable frame platform
Mix of progressive and dated geometry
Heavy and sticky for a short travel bike
Oct 2022 · Danny Milner
When searching for the best kids’ and youth mountain bikes, cheap and heavy bike-shaped objects sadly still dominate the ranges of even big-name manufacturers, credit therefore due to Marin for this genuinely capable ‘my first full-susser’ based on its popular Rift Zone. Like its 27.5 and 29-inch wheeled big brothers, the Jr is a trail-optimised all-rounder that can serve as a springboard for whatever riding style your young’n fancies pursuing. Need to know Sensibly priced first suspension bike Compatible with 24in and 26in wheels 120mm of travel front and rear One size, one price, one colour scheme Ready to unleash the potential in your little rippers 1×11 gearing with wide spread of ratios Kids’ bikes are a tough market to crack, given the balance to be struck between affordability for parents and a spec to inspire little riders. As such the Marin Rift Zone Jr provides solid foundations and a carefully considered build that can be upgraded and adapted to suit different applications as your kid’s riding progresses. The fact you can switch the wheels out from 24in to 26in means the Rift Zone Jr could last two ‘buying cycles’ as well, which is a bonus given kids can grow out of bikes faster than they do school shoes, and are often ready to go up a wheel size before you might think. Marin’s MultiTrac full suspension design is carried over from the full-size Rift Zone and is basically a branded twist on the tried and tested single pivot and linkage-driven shock configuration. 120mm of travel front and back seems a sensible mid-range for younger riders and the Jr looks every inch the downsized ‘proper’ mountain bike that it is, with a stylish two-tone paint job, neat graphics and a curved top tube to maximise standover for little legs. Short version? Parents and kids alike dig the looks and it clearly has all the cred of the full-sized Rift Zone in a downsized package. Given the price point the spec is well thought-out with X-Fusion supplying both fork and shock, brakes and drivetrain from Shimano’s unflashy but dependable Deore range, a SunRace 11-speed cassette and Marin-branded finishing kit. Short 155mm cranks show a commendable attention to detail and are better suited to little legs while the 11-46t cassette has a decent range for the climbs. At 720mm the bar is crazy wide for our seven-year-old tester but offers scope to trim to fit – we cut them down to 660mm which seemed about right. If there’s one big disappointment it’s the lack of seatpost adjustment resulting from the curved seat-tube. From full extension and the limit mark on the post you can only drop it 65mm before it fouls the inside of the frame, meaning we had to swap to a cut-down post to get the saddle low enough and accept the limited range to raise it for the climbs. A dropper is the obvious answer, and the frame has internal cable guides ready to accept one, but the maximum …Continue reading »
Good looking. Sensibly priced and specced. Growing room to upgrade to 26-inch wheels. Confidence inspiring handling.
Lack of seatpost adjustment. Heavy wheels and tyres. Suspension feels overdamped. Some cheap bits.
Oct 2022 · Antony de Heveningham
The Marin Rift Zone XR - XR stands for eXtra Rad - bumps the front travel up to 140mm, adds a coil shock and beefs up the build.
Dec 2021 · Jeremy Benson
The Marin Rift Zone 29 2 is an affordable short travel trail bike that would make an excellent daily driver. This aluminum-framed 29er has 125mm of...
Reasonable price
Modern trail riding geometry
Nice component spec for the price
Versatile on-trail performance
A little heavy
Underpowered brakes
A little sluggish on the climbs due to weight
Nov 2021 · Alex Evans
Highly-capable and upgradable chassis that inspires confidence on the descents
Highly capable on the downhills, thanks to spot-on geometry
Great suspension and shock tune with plenty of support and pop
Good mix of drivetrain components
Lack of a dropper post is frustrating
Tyres need upgrading to unlock more performance
In the longer term, I’d replace the flexy fork, too
May 2021 · Sarah Moore
The Rift Zone is more aggressive than an XC bike, but its roots are cross-country.
Feb 2021 · Travis Engel
This short-travel shredder takes a modern trend and brings it to the entry level. The Marin Rift Zone 2 does (almost) everything.
Unbeatable value
Smart spec
Forgiving but familiar geometry
Supportive suspension
Oddly shaped brake levers
Shimano chain and crank would have been nice
Frame | Series 3 6061 Aluminum Frame, 24" Wheel with Clearance for 26", 120mm Travel, MultiTrac Suspension Platform, 135mm Open Dropout (Upgradeable to 142x12mm Thru-Axle), 73mm Threaded BB BB Standard: BSA, 73mm, Threaded Color: Gloss Cyan / Black |
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Fork | X-Fusion Velvet RLC 26", 120mm Travel, Compression and Rebound Adjustment, 100x15mm Thru-Axle Travel: 120mm |
Bottom Bracket | External Sealed Cartridge Bearings |
Headset | FSA No 57E, Semi-Sealed Cartridge Bearings, 1 1/8" x 1 1/2” |
Stem | Marin 3D Forged Alloy, 35mm |
Handlebar | Marin Mini-Riser, 6061 Double Butted Aluminum, 15mm Rise, 720mm Width, 4º Up, 9º Back |
Saddle | Marin Speed Concept |
Seatpost | Marin Alloy, 30.9mm Type: Rigid |
Grips | Marin Dual Density |
Rear Derailleur | Shimano Deore, 11 Speed, SGS |
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Front Derailleur | - |
Crank | Marin Forged Alloy 1x11, Hollow Spindle, Steel Narrow Wide 32T Chainring, Direct Mount Type |
Shifters | Micro Shift, SLM895, 11-Speed |
Cassette | SunRace 11-Speed, 11-46T |
Chain | KMC X-11 Silver and Black |
Brakes | Hydraulic Disc Type: Hydraulic Disc |
Brake Levers | Shimano BL-MT201 Hydraulic |
Rims | Marin, Double Wall Alloy, 27mm Inner, Pinned Joint, Disc Specific, Tubeless Compatible |
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Front Hub | Forged Alloy, 100x15mm, 32H |
Rear Hub | Forged Alloy, 135mm, Quad Sealed Bearings, 32H |
Tires | Vee Tire Co, Flow Snap 24”x2.4", Tackee Compound, Wire Bead |
Last updated April 14
Not listed for 1,095 days