2 Hardtails Under $2K Tested: Specialized Fuse vs. Marin San Quentin | Pinkbike Field Test
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- čas přidán 13. 01. 2020
- With modern geometry and capable components hardtail mountain bikes offer incredible value. Daniel Sapp takes a look at the Specialized Fuse and the Marin San Quentin, two great bikes under $2000.
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Entry level is suntour coil fork 2.1 tires shimano tourney 3x 7 shifting and mechanical brakes.
🤣🤣🤣
@@memphis_sean8169 right though?!
something like a carerra then
more like trash level
@@michaellee8226 ha yeah definitely Suntour pogo stick! for real tho 2k trail bike is what I ride now and I'm an advanced rider but it took a long time save for since I'm 14 and before I rode a REAL entry-level bike with all the stuff everyone dispises and it really got me hooked on the sport
I wish these companies brought their hardtails to demo events. I attended outerbike a few months ago and neither of these bikes were at their booths.
hardtail party its a Hardtail party
@@ShoneDaddy it wasn't a hardtail party at Outerbike. ;)
Yeah super hard to try these bikes out.
Thanks for riding... there's a party in my pants, and you're invited.
@@PewterC5FRC Wow, that went to 100 real quick.
that fuse seems like a perfect little rig for pretty much any category in my book
Hardtails finally!
Love the Marin San Quentin 3' beast of a bike🔥🔥🔥
I love my Fuze 29er, it's been the perfect first mountain bike, I don't feel over biked on XC trails and I cna keep traction and stability when things get a little more sketchy, it's perfect 👌
Maybe I'm just having a bad day, but I feel like this video is really vague, low effort and just not up to the usual Pinkbike standard...
Unicorn Bikes its this new guy
Your having a bad day
Agreed, he literally just listed over the components and Geo. No emphasis whatsoever on ride quality, speed, feel.
First time seeing this channel and meh. Agree. I could read what he said anywhere.
I feel exactly the same
Buying the 2020 Fuse Expert tomorrow. Got a demo lined up for $1300.
I picked up a Fuse last month and love it. It's very comfortable and versatile. And for the money, it is hard to beat.
Me too!
It could shred like heck dude I got mine just a month ago pretty much the same time as you. it’s an animal on descents, it doesn’t feel like a hardtail.
Best review I've seen on the Fuse. Pink Bike never disappoints me.
Hardtails for the win! I ride my NS Eccentric Cromo far more than my full suspension. It's a great aggressive steel hardtail right around 2 grand. Have ran both 29 and 27 plus on it and it's a blast. I much prefer the 27 plus setup though. Hope to see more hardtails in the field test!
I didn't know people still ride those. I thought I was the only one. ;)
The 2020 Commencal Meta HT AM really should have been in this!
TRUE
Upvoting you a million times for that Ivan. Really limited. The Spesh just got its ass kicked in the MBUK hardtail test.
Nah it’s a really good bike but these ones are a liiitle bit more aggressive, also more expensive
A for AWESOME The San Quentin seems very similar to the Commencal, but I would argue that the Fuse isn't quite as aggressive as the Commencal. I really enjoy my Meta HT, it's a ripping bike
It sure is!
Love my 2019 Stache! Hardtails rock!
userbosco Yeah maaan🔥🔥🔥
Stache for life!
I'm on my 2nd one. I love them!
Best all around bike
Me too
Been looking at hardtails. Stache is on my short list fersure.
Tin Man I’d highly recommend it with tubeless tires and the grips wear out pretty fast
Should have included the Nukeproof scout siiick bike!!!!
It’s a shame it’s sold out everywhere, and I’ve been waiting for months for restocks but nothing 😭
@@JJH-jc1fg thats literally every bike lol. 2021's should be coming out in a couple months
@@JJH-jc1fg same bruh
It's ok. I had the Nukeproof scout 275 comp, but man! Fork took a dump after about a month and the frame started cracking after riding it 5 times only. Heavily disappointed, but even worse, it was a nightmare dealing with their "warranty", especially since they're located in Ireland 🤦🏾♂️. Finally sent me a new frame after almost 4 months of back and forth between them and Chain Reaction and the paint had scuffs 🙄. I will never deal with Chain reaction bikes or bike companies from outside the US. Not worth the headaches. Sold the Nukeproof and got me a Marin San Quentin 2 and wow! Feels so much better and stouter while riding it. Also was more affordable with great components. Will upgrade the fork when this one wears out, upgraded the tires and went tubeless, but after 4 months, this bike is the best bike I've ever owned, can't imagine how good the San Quentin 3 is. Either way, enjoy whatever you get, happy trails yo!
Great review gets right to the point and this video helped me make my final decision.
Nice vid! Please make a video for the Orbea Laufey H-LTD too...it combines elements from both of these bikes
I love the San Quentin, sick hardtail 🤘🏻
Just curious, what do you like about it? Compared to other hardtails in this mid 1000 to 2000 price range. I'm torn between brands as each choose different grupos and forks?
@@xavier8351 it's been 3 months you find a bike yet? Looking for a first bike under $2k, so far 2021 Specialized FUSE is the one to beat, I think it's $1300..
@@phabeondominguez5971 I did. I found a Jamis Dragonslayer S1. Super sick bike. Steel is real. I was thinking about the Fuse, but really liked the steel frame and components on the Jamis plus the price was right for a used bike that was bought as a gift but too big for them. My gain.
@@xavier8351 NOICE, never heard of that one, but sounds like ya got a deal, where ya find, Craigslist or...?
@@phabeondominguez5971 I found it on Facebook marketplace. I was ready to pull the trigger on Surly and some other custom one offs but was beaten out by other buyers. The timing was right on this one. Then, a week later saw another one pop up for $100 less. Haven't seen anything pop up for a while. This market is tough right now.
I currently ride a 2016 rockhopper comp rn and I'd love to upgrade to the fuse.
Sold my Rocky Altitude this month and bought the Fuse and customized it with upgrades. It's a fun ride and love being back on a hardtail after 15 years!
Bro what. Why would you sell the rocky altitude and downgrade lol
@@matthew5172 because Its more fun riding a hard tail and it actually not a downgrade if you look at the specs on the bike. Just because the Altitude is full suspension doesn't mean its better , its just a choice and style. Ive been riding along time and wanted to go back to riding a hard til. Simple. Enjoy the ride and don't get stuck in the details of upgrade downgrade in your head.
I got a Marin Hawk Hill 3 and it came with those tires (Vee FlowSnaps). They gripped pretty well, but they were soooooo slow rolling and pretty heavy. I replaced them as soon as I could.
I love CZcams recommending me this video after I searched a couple times for "Fuse 2020"
Cool review bro. Dig me some Specialized rides!
Specialized fuse look so cool
Where is the Nukeproof scout?
Blake Watson yeah they are amazing
Really?.?
What about my $3.52 budget?
for you good sir we can offer you a fresh tech deck bmx
I just trialed my 29er Fuse with 27.5+ wheels and 2.8 tyres. I love how the 2.8's roll but the 27.5 wheels lowered the BB height too much. I'll stick to the 29 now.
Even though Marin doesn't list it, the San Quentin can fit a 27.5x3.0 with room to spare. I found the stack to feel absurdly low on the San Quentin. I felt very hunched over on it. In fact, it was enough that I didn't buy one even at 50% off when Performance was blowing them out. I'd need to run 30-40mm riser bars at least. It looked great on paper but rode a little awkward for me. And I sized up to a size L. I'm 5'6".
What width you riding?
I've got and XL at 6'3" and put on 40mm chromag riser on it and it feels good
@@selder03 I ride a few different wheelsets on my hardtail. 27.5x2.8, 27.5x3.0, and 29x2.4.
What size would you suggest I'm 5'9 for San Quentin. Without the riser n with it
@@shaileshbodh8253 the medium would fit you nicely
Having worked in a bike shop and been on hard tails for the past four years a "budget" bike should be considered no more than $500-1500 USD. It's quite absurd to consider a budget bike to be equivalent to that of a reliable used automobile or two mortgage payments.
$1500 isn’t that different from his “under $2k”
This comment didnt age well....
2K for a reliable used car???
You should also try out the commencal meta ht because it is the best hard tail I have ever ridden
If you were going to swap out the fork which offset would you go for? I was thinking of going to a Pike, but I've been warned by a couple of shops that the Pike only comes in 42mm offset and the Fuse comes with a unique 46mm rockshox offset. I've been told this change will drastically change the handling and have been advised against it.
I'm waiting for Fuse comp 2021 with new SLX.
To me any drivetrain below GX Eagle or Shimano Deore XT is budget grade.
The main thing is get a very good frame. And you can always upgrade from that point on.
Can y’all do another review between fuse and trek Roscoe. Those are the bikes I’m thinking of getting that I only have in our bike shops
Can you test the specialized chisle vs the chisle comp
Another budget bike to consider is the Ragley MMMBOP. I got one for $1500 NEW and it pretty much rips. Lots of local trail riding and tons of laps at the bike park on it with no problems
RAGLEY's are AWESOME!
I love my Fuse. I did change to non-plus 29 wheels because the plus tires were so crappy (although the ones in this video are better then what I had). But the geometry of the bike and the feel is complete magic. It acts almost like a short travel full sus! I'll ride it forever!
Im glad to read that! I am also looking forward to buy the Fuse Comp as my first MTB :)
@@MrNat916777 it's a good investment! Let me know how you like it!
2 Hardtails Under $2K Tested: Specialized Fuse vs. Marin San Quentin | Pinkbike Field Test
Sponsored by: Specialized
great vid. what year are the bikes?
the comp is the mid spec layout. the base comes with 27.5 x 2.8" tires and tectro brakes. i have the 2019 27.5+ with the 3" tires. this year comes with the rockshox judy, internal cable and adjustable chainstay, cool. i would have liked these options, but still love mine. and i got upgraded to the raidon fork, so i can't complain😎🏔👍
You guys should try out the Whyte 905, incredible hardtail
alfyboy01 how does it ride? 27.5 only right? All the Whyte bikes look rad
The Fuse is at the top of my list thanks for the review....a Norco Fluid HT would be a good one to review as well!
Check out the Kona Honzo.. It's a great bike
@@thebikehippie6562 will do thanis!
@@rjahn3000 Your welcome🖒
@@rjahn3000 Click my thumbnail.. I did a review on mine
Just a suggestion I’d ask that whatever parts or points you talk about on one bike, talk about on the other. Like he mentioned the bar width and the dropper on the Marin but not the Fuze
I just picked up a Cube Reaction Carbon hardtail from chain reaction for ~$1400. Has a mix of SLX and XT components and a Judy fork. Not as slack as these bikes, but I like the more upright position (more of a comfort bike shape) so that suits me fine. Looking at what these bikes have to offer for this price range I think I made out pretty good.
It makes up with the frame quality and being able to ride it before buying.
Please test the Nukeproof scout 290 expert, I would love to hear your opinion on this beast
They much better than both of them but also all sold out so you won't find any around
Kona Big Honzo is an awesome bike too
Jeff Barnard wouldn’t have these bikes without the honzo🤟
More videos on hardtails please
Hardtail is the move. And gotta love budget
I love hardtails. I have a jamis trailx I built it up little by little. Titanium handlebar. Mostly titanium bolts. 2x 10 speed xtr never ever had a drivetrain shift so fast. Xtr brakes. Nukeproof grips fsa afterburner wheelset
$2000 "budget"
DGSX $2000 “not bad”
This is due to the extreme sudden income disparity, sudden inflation bump, or other subtle reason.
It's cringy when they say that. As if anything less than those $6000 downhill rigs is "budget".
$2k is not budget. nope
Start with a budget bike around $500 and then as you progress move up.
Even after 20 years of riding, I think $2k is more than I want to spend on a bike.
@@StrayPoet Depends on what riding you want to do and how hard you ride
Okay here's a question for you guys I understand why you're doing the certain brands that you do but why don't you guys include like the Trek Roscoe 8 which is 27. 5 +. But I also just included a set of maple carbon rims in the Twenty Ninth Configuration and this thing works freaking flawless. I'm also looking at upgrading the fork
I wish you would test the Kona Honzo ESD
I got mine specialized amazing
My question is this, Is the Fuse ok for all day riding as well....?! i ask because it's about 10 miles to the trails....??
Yeah bro you'll be fine. Those 29'ers roll.
Some people buy them for bikepacking
Nah more of a thrill rig than an adventure or bike pack.
@@mtblunatic8829 but it is a good bike for bikepacking although the roscoe is better for bikepacking
I have a San Quentin 3 and ride the sh*t out of it. I have a top 10% time on strava for a very technical downhill decent here in Marin County where there are serious bikers showing up on the trail with crazy expensive full squish bikes and pros frequently training. I'm not a great rider, just making the point that it is a bike that can hang with full squish stuff pretty well. My wife also has the new fuse and its rad, too.
HAWKHILL NEXT! It's such an under rated bike. The 1 and 3 at least
Will this marin size fits a 5'6" guy without having issues on toptube vs inseam, tia!
Can you please review the marin san Quentin 3 plsss
I have a question. I've got a budget of $2500. I currently have a Trek Marlin 7 and while I've ridden the tires down to the nub and I love the bike, I'm feeling like I want something else. I'm also feeling a lot more adventurous and planning to exploit that feeling. I'm torn between getting a full suspension Trail or upgrade to a better hardtail (I don't even have a dropper post) I'm not a bike park person or a jump person. My favorite thing to do is climb all day then rip on the way down. I'm solidly in the blue trail category. My current bike handles things well, but I feel like I might want more. So my question is, should I go for an upgraded hardtail or full suspension? Any thoughts on that?
Well you can get quite a lot with 2500 when it comes to hardtails. Rocky mountain growler is great along with the honzo esd. Full suspension bikes for 2500 are good if you are willing to upgrade but can't get quite as good components as a hardtail. Really depends on what you ride. I have a 2021 fuse comp and its great. Paid 1850 for it and has great value. I love the frame and since your budget is 2500 I would suggest the fuse expert. Although with COVID and the bike shortage, it may be harder to find these bikes. I also recommend trying the bike before you buy it. Thats the downside of the online bikes like Canyon and YT is you can't try them. So although they have great components for price, you can't justify how it rides or quality of frames. Hope this helps.
Kinda sucks it's not availble in Europe, it looks amazing , its the bike EEu specialized region is missing, we jump from rockhoppers straight to full stumpjumpers...
What about nukeproof scout expert 275 ?
Why not review the Trek Roscoe 7 or 8? For 2021 the Roscoe 7 is one of the best value for money hardtails out there. Not as aggressive as the Meta, San Quinton or Norco Torrent but it climbs well, still enough travels for some hard core trails and is very well priced
Will be more agressive with a bigger fork... so pissed but at least I got a 140 fork and do 50 and 60 ft jumps on it if u got a roscoe I recommend upgrading it
@@RyanDavid-gu8et I ended up doing just that. Put a 140mm 2021 Pike Ultimate on it. Completely changed the bike
@@thetoyota86perspective54 yah that sounds sick really would be an upgrade slacker and more agressive but if u wanted you could sell that for 3k rn on pinkbiks
Vitus Sentier?
Anyone else remember when the Ibis mojo was a hardtail.
With the handjob cable stops?
Yep. Ibis mojo. With a handjob.
When v bakes took over, guys would still order the frame with a handjob... just because.
Ibis Ripley was an aluminum 1.5" travel softtail. I have brand new, never built, red 2001 Ripley frame hanging in my buddies garage.
San Quentin is 2000 aud in Australia so we finally get a better deal on something
bikes online pushed it up to 2200 over Christmas i think. :(
Go for it, it's a rad bike!
The fuse is 1800 tho
Weight of each bike as shown?
Thumbs up for the classic mini 0:12 !!!
What do you guys think about the Chromag Rootdown?
Thats. great bike Ive heard but gets out of stock quick . Frame price around $900
I hope you guys do more affordable bike reviews
I see the wheels are 24", what size is the frame 13", 14", or 15"
i paid about 2k Canadian total on sale for my 2018 Cube Reaction TM amazing kit for that price.
Cube are always awesome value for money
Hello Alicia, my name is Brandon McCarthy. I am also a hardcore bike rider that tends to like the nasty stuff! I am writing a diamondback recoil 29er and it's pretty good. The frame is a small though, and I am 6 foot 1, I had a lot that happened to me in the past decade. I haven't quite been myself and been reaching out. But I do find that you are quite beautiful and I would love to ride with you and the homies! I am living in Canon City Colorado is the only real issue. I would absolutely love if you made a road trip to Colorado to see some of these trails around here in Canon City! I do assure you there quite awesome and go up 2 the Royal Gorge! And that would be quite the ride, I bet coming back as mostly downhill, and the trails are quite extensive hit me back just to chat, just hopefully I'll hear back, although my Ventures have not been successful...
specialized fuse is the best bike i have ever owned ! Highly recommended
it is one of the best mtbs that specialized manufactured after along time of the bike failing before 2019
I’m looking to get the specialized fuse comp 6fattie I’m not a beginner but I’m not a pro or anything like that I’m curious how long it should last
Depends on what terrain you ride.
Are you riding 27.5 or 29” on the fuse in this video? You may have said it, but I missed it.
29
I'd love me a San Quentin in 29er guise
Does the Felt dispatch 7/60 count?
Suggest fuse for bigger riders. 34.9 seatpost diamater. Minimal flex and creak
Is it me or is the camera way to close throughout the video?
You probably stated already and I just didn’t catch it but I’m assuming both bikes are tubeless ready?
i know the fuse is not sure about sq
what is the weight on both of those?
How compliant the frames are?
Are Marin bikes any good? I was thinking of getting the San Quentin 2
skatecm1 they’ve had their ups and downs. Overall, they make some really nice bikes. I have one of their 2011 Attack Trails 6.9 and I love it.
San Quentin 2 is a blast, I've people done backflips, running 150mm forks,....
Love my Sonder Transmitter, I was looking at the fuse originally but it’s just generic and bland.
I've got the same bike! It's awesome!
Freefall _44_ did you get it with the revelation fork? I put a dropper on mine and swapped the tires to Maxxis 2.6s and it’s honestly been incredible.
@@ShoneDaddy I've ordered the sx eagle Recon version and I got a dropper post for Christmas. I didn't change the tyres...yet;)
Wich tyres did you choose(what is the dirt like where you live?)?
Rocky Mountain Growler or Commencal META HT would be better comparison to the Marin.
Such a hard choice, include the nukeproof scout 275 in that list too ! Right now I'm torn between the SQ3, commencal and scout ... all in large size, frame only though
I have a 2018 fuse, I'm just not digging it, feels tall awkward, I tend to slip the rear wheel claiming but heavy to maneuver and very hard to manual for a hard tail...the new one a little longer and lower may be the answer but I don't want two if it's the same???now what do I do?
drop your seat.
I'm more of a bmx/dirt jump guy so I tend to ride with my seat to low, but it think that's the answer I have been changing the bar angle too, seem to help, every once in awhile I rip my p3 that I love, but it throws me off when I get back on the fuse
Love my Fuse! I’ve got a garage full of expensive bikes(S Enduro, YT Jeffsey, Stumpy Carbon, Trek Farley Fatty, S Turbo Levo) the bike that gets more mileage by far is my Fuse. So playful, takes a beating and so much fun to ride. I’ve kept it 27.5+, enjoy the traction, climbs great and despite the heavier wheels and tires, quite snappy and dynamic on the descents.
I always recommend the Fuse to friends and clients who are looking to get into the sport.
Do you have the fuse comp 29 ???
Shailesh Bodh no, 27.5+
The same one in the review but with 27.5+ wheels ? @Rob Mullins
Shailesh Bodh yes
Did it come with stock 27.5 wheels or the 29 wheels . I'm a bit confused coz i want the same fuse which is shown in the review but with 27.5 wheels , but when i check specialized web page it shows its a 29 er ( the one dats in the review ) plz help .😅😅
Specialized fuse for da win
Hey you didn't test the commencal meta ht
I'm riding a 2020 Norco torrent 2. Not as cheap as these but the steel frame and the more progressive geo was hard to pass up for me
How do you like the bike i am thinking of the same bike?
@@markbuttery2790 I love it. It's pretty heavy honestly but I'm probably going to upgrade the drivetrain for something a bit lighter. It decends just as good as other FS bikes I've had! Norcos gravity tune geometry is spot on.
@@jessedrury8861 Thanks for the advice Jesse, in retrospect would you have gone with the HT S1 build ? i am thinking of the Torrent or the nuke proof cant decide .
@@markbuttery2790 honestly the S1 would have been a good investment with that lyrik ultimate and nice drivetrain. The g-spec brakes seem to work great though and the wheel set is no different.
But I would rather upgrade as I go, I rode it stock for about 2 months quite hard and it worked awesome.
Just become a very fortunate person I have a sq 3 solid poppy and very aggressive
How mucho Wright fuse?
i wish i could afford the marin san quentin 3, but i would definetly change the chainring to maybe 38t.
Most 1x bikes with boost rear spacing can't fit a chainring that big due to space being used up for tire clearance. If you are lucky you can fit a 34t
2000usd "not bad". hm. considering the components. dunno. my full sus was around that price. full slx. rs / sr auron. 150dropper shimano. 27mm tubeless. three fully custom paints used on the frame which is hand welded in europe not in asia. hm.
How to order?
where did you guys ride in this vid?
whistler
More review and analysis, less just listing off the spec.
I, personally would like to see a review on the Santa Cruz Megatower.
2g hard tail or caliber boss nut for under 2k ish 🤔
hardtails aren't inferior, they're just different. So you can find cheaper full suspensions, and they might be the better bike for some people. But for those who chose to ride hardtails, there's definitely a place for $2k+ hardtails.
San Quentin, Orbea Laufey, Fuse Comp or Nukeproof scout?
I'd go fuse. But if it's in your budget I'd think about the Norco torrent. Another good option is the kona Honzo/big Honzo but the spec for the price is a bit disappointing. I've got a kona big Honzo set up mullet with the new 2021 pike ultimate 140mm and I went for the short offset version of the fork to stabilise the steering. It's a very versatile bike and can be setup as a downcoutry machine or a super fun mini downhill/enduro rig which is what I've done.
It is a bit cheap tbh but they come with great components lets just say if you want a good bike for a budget buy used my dad just bought a garneau rytm full carbon bike that new is worth $3500 (it is a hardtail) for only $950 also about 4 years ago I bought a norco ccr full carbon race bike (road bike) that is worth $7000 new for only $765