Marin San Quentin vs. RSD Middlechild: A Tail of Two Hardtails
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- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
- As more and more dialed hardtails hit the market, we as riders have more options than ever when choosing our next bike! And as great as that is, the choices can get a little overwhelming, especially when looking at two similar bikes marketed to the same style of rider. In this case I'm talking about the 2023 Marin San Quentin 3 and the RSD Middlechild V2. I've been riding both these bikes for quite a while now and today I'm sharing my thoughts on how they're similar, their surprisingly large amount of differences, and which bike I'd recommend to a variety of riders!
Use discount code Josh5%off to save 5% on the RSD Middlechild V2 at rsdbikes.com/bikes/
Help our channel out by purchasing your Marin San Quentin through Bikes Online using this link: bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/9gGj5Q
Interested to learn more about the Middlechild? check out this playlist!
• RSD Middlechild V2
Interested to learn more about the San Quentin? Check out this playlist!
• Marin San Quentin
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
01:24 RSD Middlechild
07:41 Marin San Quentin
10:28 My Recommendations
#mtbreview #mtb #hardtailmtb - Sport
Spot on! I felt the same way. Middle Child is perfect for my Chicago area trails.
Ah, the comparison we discussed in the previous thread, THANKS! 🙂
Absolutely, hopefully it’s helpful!
Great comparison!
Thank you!!
I have to have the highest stack. I’ve cracked two Marin frames my FS original bike b-17/2 discontinued and ended up with the Riftzone 3. My fault and my LBS and Marin warrantied both times with zero bs. People are to specific I would bike pack either one dirt jump trail ride and love my wheelies. Both cool but to just pick the Marin up locally I’d pick that.
And lower stacks made up with stem spacers decreases reach heads up. Love your channel
Thanks man! Bummer about the broken frames, but glad they were able to warranty it for you!
Good info here Josh. I’m a big Marin fan, cool what they’re doing in the industry. Only have their steel gravel bike at the moment (love it) but was seriously considering something from their HT lineup before landing on the hello Dave. I was very close to picking up the El Roy. Any chance you could review that bike? Seems like it might be right up your alley!
I hope to!! I have the SQ3 on loan from @marinbikesoffical right now and would love to swap it out for the El Roy next!
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy yeah dude that would be great! It’s a really interesting bike. Like I said I almost bought one, I was actively looking for the right deal but couldn’t pull it together. Pretty stoked in how it ended up tho so I’m all good 😜🤙🏻
check El Roy's review from Steve at Hardtail Party. It may change your mind.
Lots of great hardtails out there to choose from ....
Steve and I approach hardtails very differently, he’s a bit more into the trail riding/bike packing side of things, whereas I lean a bit more towards the enduro/DJ/freeride end. I’m a huge fan of his stuff, but we prioritize things a bit differently. All that being said I just like riding as many bikes as I can 😂
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy I did see his review on the el Roy, good video, he puts out a lot good content for sure, but I think I tend to align more with what Josh is saying. And similar to Josh, I just want to ride as much as possible!! 🚵♂️🚵♂️🤙🏻🤙🏻
I also had the last model of the SQ and moved away from it pretty fast, very happy that i got a MC. I have riser bars for it on the way also to get the stack up. Running my size medium with a 50mm steam with a 6 degree riser, and im moving from a 30 rise to a 50 rise. I think that will tidy the cockpit up. Overall, its such a fun, playful bike.
Nice, glad you’re stoked on it too!
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy Yeah i had to order some new go pro stuff, so ill be doing a video when that comes in.
Nice, I’ll keep an eye out for it!
Been looking for something like the REEB ReDikyelous, but at a reasonable price. Short chainstays, short-ish wheelbase, cromo , high BB, etc. You think the RSD fits the bill or does anything else come to mind?
I think it would for sure!!
Nice comparison. The RSD seems more comparable to my SC Chameleon with its short seat stays and playful nature. That would be my choice too.
Thank you! Ya, pretty similar bikes. Glad you’re stoked on your Chameleon 🤙
Do you think the RSD is good enough on the streets/ jump parks to where you could run only one bike without the need to get a DJ and trail bike?
I’d like to get one bike that can “do it all”, but street and parks would be the majority of my riding, with trails on the weekends
Absolutely man, honestly I barely ever pull my BMX bike out now, the RSD handles that kind of terrain so well! If you’re between sizes I’d size down to make it that much more playful and maneuverable
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy thanks for getting back to me. I still consider myself new to MTB, got a cheap giant talon last year. Most of the time I found myself trying to throw it around off stairs, benches, kicker dirt jumps, and doin flatland stuff. Needless to say the bike wasn’t meant for that at all and it seems like the Middlechild is what I’ve been looking for. I’m around 6’1” 190 so I’ll probably stay at a large. Thanks again!
Large will be perfect for you man, you’ll love it! Be sure to use Josh5%off when you checkout, our channel will get a small kickback for that too 🤙
I have the last generation SQ3 XL (6’1) and I agree that the seat tube is way too high. The bike feels awkward and I’ve had to try all sorts of adjustments to get it comfortable. Hoping the new one is way better because I’m considering upgrading the frame.
I think it would be well worth it! At just $550 it’s a killer deal, and you could just swap the parts off the last bike onto the new frame
@@ridingwithjoshandwendyupdate on this: they had the MC 21 XL frames for 500 all in on their website so I pulled the trigger. Stoked for the more playful feel
Heck ya!! You’re gonna love it! Hope you used my discount code haha!
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy didn’t work for just the frame 😞
Oh weird! It should have, sorry about that, I’ll let Alex know
Would you recommend the San Quentin for a rider with short legs but long arms? I currently have a Commencal Meta HT that, I am tipping toe while sitting on. I have to lower my dropper to get off comfortable. Do you think this would be a better bike for me? Thank you
Ya, you'd love how low you can get the seat!! You're not going to find a bike on the market with a shorter seat tube.
Do you think it can fit a 27.5 x 2.8
love my middlechild 😊
What about for climbing and technical type trails?
Both are of course very efficient being hardtails, I personally like the shorter wheelbase of the Marin, it’s a bit more of a trials-esque climbing experience, whereas the Marin is a bit better at just charging over stuff
I am also 6.1 n went with xl frame with mc . I dont think its too big .
Thanks for sharing! Ya I can definitely see how the XL would be the faster option, and probably a bit more comfortable on long rides too. I really like the shorter seat tube on the large, and the shorter reach makes it a bit easier to throw around on jumps and flow trails, which suits what I like doing with the bike
Can the middle child handle trails at a bike park?
Absolutely! I worked as an instructor at a bike and the MC was my only bike at the time. It'll hold you back a bit on the techiest trails, but is a blast on jumpy flow trails!
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy Exactly what I want to ride. Thanks!!
Would you bump the z2 to its 150mm capacity to be slacker?
I personally wouldn’t, I think 64 degrees is plenty sack enough, but you could! I’m setting it up as a mullet with 140mm 29” fork and will make a video with my impressions!
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy Z2 accept both size wheels?
No, sadly not. I’ll be putting on a new fork
Love my blue San Quentin… however for what I ride the 23 sq would be a better fit- I only urban downhill/stair bombs - I do post on my channel
Sick, I’ll check it out! Ya this new frame is sweet, and for just $550 it might not be a bad idea to just buy the frame and swap your old parts on!
Whats the difference between double welds and triple welds?
Not sure, what do you mean by that?
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy the frames on Rsd middle child say the double welded and most other aggressive ht say there triple welded. I was wondering if that had to do with durability or what it ment
Hmm, I don’t think I’ve heard that term, and just glanced on their website and didn’t see it. Do you mean double-butted by chance?
@@ridingwithjoshandwendy yes thats it. I thought that ment weld
No, it’s actually how many times the tubing reduces thickness, double butting is stronger and heavier, triple butting is lighter and weaker
confused, thought the middle child was 27.5plus hence the name.........but the review is stating its a straight up 27.5......which one is it?
27.5+ is basically 27.5 but 2.8" or wider. MC can fit up to 2.8" so technically it is 27.5+ capable
The high BB makes it a very versatile bike! Yes, this was set up on 27.5 x 2.4" (personally not a fan of plus size tires), but I've also had it set up as a full 29 and am currently running a MX setup, which has been a hoot!
The discount code doesn’t work
Sorry! It’s actually just Josh5off. I’ve been screwing that up for a while lol
Oh ok, np!
This code doesn’t work either😅
Lol Alex changed it to Josh5%off after someone spoke to him, he let me know this morning. 100% my bad, sorry about that!
Okay thx! Np!
Lmao you lost me at RSD MIDDLECHILD. Terrible fucking name.
Lol I don’t choose my bikes based on their name 🤙