Marin ALPINE TRAIL E2 Review

In the automotive and motorcycle world, Japan has always had a reputation for being a breeding ground for excellent engines. Shimano is doing its utmost to live up to this reputation in the e-bike world with the EP801 engine. Even nasty steep sections are effortlessly climbed by the motor. The Shimano EP801 conveys a riding feeling. The average range can become a problem especially for long mountain bike rides.

The very good chassis with 160 mm travel in the front and 150 mm rear hub also proves to have a lot of resilience even on rougher terrain. Setup-Nerds can squeeze out the maximum performance from the chassis thanks to the many setting options. The thick 38mm stanchions on the fork provide an extra dose of steering precision and performance. At the rear, the steel spring shock absorber provides maximum sensitivity. At the brakes, Marin instals upper class brakes with four pistons and large brake rotors from TRP. Taking a holistic approach also includes looking at the gearing and components. The components are of good qualtiy and offer no reason for criticism here. When it comes to the geometry, Marin does not go completely crazy. The head tube angle and reach values were chosen with care. The result: A balanced riding behaviour with a good combination of playfulness and straight-line stability. Due to the short chainstays , when climbing steep sections, it requires active weight shifting to prevent the front wheel from lifting.