Marin Alpine Trail E e-MTB review

Marin’s Alpine Trail E platform has been around for a little while now but its base-level model is the new kid on the block. It brings the performance of its higher-end stable mates to a more accessible price point. The result is a very wisely specced e-MTB that does everything it can to please riders who are after an aggressive, gravity-focussed ride. In the hands of more experienced riders, it’s one of the best e-mountain bikes around but its ride isn’t terribly welcoming to newbies.

• Best mountain bikes 2023 – top options from XC to Enduro
• YT Industries Decoy 29 Core 3 e-MTB review
• off-road Opinion – E-bikes aren’t a menace, it’s all about trail etiquette

Marin Alpine Trail E – Technical details

The third and least expensive model of Marin’s Alpine Trail E ushers in a friendlier price through a careful choice of more budget-end components. But aside from its spec, it rocks the very same Series Four aluminium frame that the pricier options do. 

2023 marin alpine trail e tyre rear 2.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Other similarities come in the form of a mullet wheel size but, on this bike, it mixes 29-inch and 27.5+ wheel sizes. So it’s almost identical to a normal mullet setup but, instead of a regular 650b or 27.5in rear wheel, it’s designed to run a larger 2.8in rear tyre. Marin has said that customers can go down to 2.6in, but any further would lower the bottom bracket a little too much, and other areas of the bike’s geometry would be negatively affected owed to the lower tyre volume.

The choice to run uber-fat rubber at the rear tyre has been made purely in the name of traction. A bigger tyre means a larger contact patch on the ground which should help transfer the motor’s power into forward momentum uphill much more effectively.

2023 marin alpine trail e motor 1.jpg, by Liam Mercer

The bike also runs Marin’s MultiTrac Suspension platform as seen on the analogue bikes, but, in the case of the Alpine Trail E, it gets tweaked to best suit the Shimano STEPS motor system. And speaking of the motor, the base model pictured here gets a Shimano EP6 which gets all of the bells and whistles of the EP8 but is housed in a steel casing, rather than a magnesium one. This adds around another 300g. That’s then paired with a 504Wh battery. Like with EP8, the EP6 kicks out 85Nm of torque and 250Wh.

In terms of the frame, there’s space in the front triangle for a bottle cage and the bike has been designed with short seat tubes which shortens seatpost insertion depths. Marin says that this then allows for the proper dropper extension for all riders. For reference, the large frame on the test comes with a mega short 425mm seat tube.

As for the geometry – it’s a rather aggressive number. So this large frame benefits from a 485mm reach with a nice and steep 78-degree seat tube angle. There’s a mega slack 63-degree head angle, a 435mm chainstay and a 1264mm wheelbase. The headtube length is rather respectable at 160mm and when paired with the 340.5mm BB height, puts the handlebar in a good position with plenty of space for adjustment.

2023 marin alpine trail e battery.jpg, by Liam Mercer

As for the battery, it’s integrated but removable and dropping it from the frame is a super easy task. All it takes is a quarter turn of a 4mm Allen which lowers the battery partially. You then press the top of the battery to release it from the frame. Its cover is bolted directly to the battery which makes this even easier but as the battery rattles, the cover does too which can be heard whilst riding.

Marin Alpine Trail E – Componentry

As mentioned before, this model of the Alpine Trail E is shaped to be the most budget-friendly option in the range but Marin didn’t want to compromise on the performance, which meant the very careful choosing of its components. After riding the bike, Marin has done a very respectable job in creating a good base build that does little to hold a rider back. 

2023 marin alpine trail e fork.jpg, by Liam Mercer

So at the front, 160mm of travel is supplied by an X-Fusion Trace 36 RC with a 44m offset. That’s paired with a Trunnion mounted 02 PRO RXC shock that damps 150mm of travel.

The drivetrain is supplied by Shimano with a 10-speed Deore setup and the bike is slowed thanks to a pair of Shimano MT420 four-piston hydraulic calpiers that are sorted MT4100 levers. Those get metallic pads and 203mm rotors and although they are some of the most powerful brakes you can get in their price range they’re not without a bit of a niggle, more on that later.

2023 marin alpine trail e mech.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Mounted to a set of Marin rims with a 32mm internal width up front and a 38mm at the rear is a 2.5in Maxxis Assegai (front) with an EXO casing and Maxx Grip compound. At the rear is a 2.8in Maxxis DHR II with an EXO+ casing and Maxx Terra rubber.

The Alpine Trail E’s mega short seat tubes allow for lengthy droppers with the small getting a 150mm travel post and each of the other sizes benefitting from a respectable 170mm of drop.

Marin has been very smart with its component choice though as the brand has spent money where it’s needed and has saved elsewhere, so the Shimano drivetrain may be 10-speed, but it shifts effectively enough, albeit with a mighty jump between first and second gear. Saving here has meant that the bike is specced with super grippy but well-protected EXO+ casings at either end.

2023 marin alpine trail e brake lever.jpg, by Liam Mercer

All of that means that the Alpine Trail E tips the scales at 24.3kg, which means it isn’t the lightest e-bike around but for the money, its alloy frame and weightier EP6 motor, that is to be expected. 

Marin Alpine Trail E – Performance

I’ve spent a couple of months with Marin’s pedal assist monster and I’ve been impressed. Even though it’s kitted with more budget-orientated componentry, very little of it actually holds it back. In fact, it can be ridden just as aggressively as its geometry suggests.

2023 marin alpine trail e rear 3q.jpg, by Liam Mercer

It’s a very capable climber at that, thanks to its steep 78-degree seat tube angle that plants rider weight right over the cranks and stops the cockpit from feeling too stretched out. The seat angle then effectively weights the rear end of the bike and in tandem with that proper fat rear tyre, results in loads of traction uphill. And regardless of its short 435mm chainstay, each wheel remains glued to the ground, even when the climb gets particularly steep. Rarely have I felt the need to distribute my weight enough to enhance grip, which means that the Alpine Trail E offers a fairly luxurious and effortless ride whilst climbing.

However, because it is quite a weighty bike, I’ve rarely used the EP6’s Eco mode, as I usually would with other bikes. The weight not only makes the motor work harder, but also the legs which if you’re training and looking to improve fitness in that area, is absolutely fine but it is a noticeable difference against other, lighter bikes. This also means that the battery life suffers a bit. 

2023 marin alpine trail e st logo.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Despite it being a cheaper model, the EP6 feels great and is functionally the same as the EP8 but with perhaps clunkier controls. One of its plugs did nastily corrode, but thankfully I was able to connect the remote directly to the motor, allowing for full use and scrolling of the modes, just without the convenience of the display. This is a bit of a shame but it’s something that would be solved under warranty. 

While it’s easy to work around on the climbs, and made up for with the steep seat tube, the super slack 63-degree head angle does get a little wandery on the flats, and that becomes a bit of a theme of this bike. During my first couple of rides on this bike, it took a real change in riding style to ride this bike at speed comfortably. That’s just because the front wheel is so far ahead compared to many others. Naturally, when riding this bike like any other, the front end feels fairly light.

2023 marin alpine trail e stops.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Transfer this riding style to descents and it requires a conscious effort to weight the front in order to gain maximum grip and to keep the front end from washing out, despite the super tacky Maxx Grip Assegai at the front. During these comparatively mellower downhills, I felt myself, and the bike, wanting something steeper and more technical. 

And it wasn’t until riding some of The Forest of Dean’s steep and natural goodness that the Alpine Trail E really felt at home. The reasonably long reach and slack head angle then become the bike’s real trick up its sleeve, allowing the rider to drop through steep and questionable sections with full confidence and control. The combination of these figures results in a front end that offers loads of support and stability where it’s needed the most.

2023 marin alpine trail e linkage.jpg, by Liam Mercer

These kinds of trails are where the short rear end and little(ish) rear wheel come in handy as the chainstay adds an element of flickability that allows the rider to fling the rear wheel around corners. Then, the 650b hoop opens up a tonne of room around the rear of the bike, which is invaluable when things get seriously steep.

With all of this in mind, the Alpine Trail E isn’t terribly welcoming to new riders which can be seen as a negative but it’s more a case of knowing what you need for the kind of riding you do. If you stick to blue and red grade trails that don’t include too much of a gradient, you’ll be better off with something with a steeper head tube. However, if you revel in steep, natural descents, that’s where the bike seriously comes into its own. So really, this is a bike that appeals better to an experienced rider who might want an e-bike in their stable but doesn’t want to spend tonnes of cash for usable performance.

Though while the Alpine Tail E may not be for newbies, Marin still covers all bases by offering the Rift Zone E, promising to be more of a jack of all trades.

So we’ve gone over the bike’s strengths and weaknesses but what’s seriously impressive is how its budget-friendly build kit has done very little to negatively affect its ride which shows that Marin has done an excellent job in handpicking the bike’s componentry. There are areas where things get a bit interesting though.

2023 marin alpine trail e display.jpg, by Liam Mercer

The first of which is its suspension. Now, it’s rare that we get a chance to ride kit like the X-Fusion bouncy bits as seen on this bike but it does an awesome job of keeping the wheels glued to the ground. Though, as its price suggests, there are some compromises mostly in that the fork is a bit tricky to set up perfectly. 

This is all due to its range of rebound settings where I struggled to find a sweet spot. For the most part, I found a comfortable setting that would deal with most of what I had to throw at it but when it came to bigger, quickly repeating hits the fork showed its limitations where the rebound was too fast. Adding more rebound damping, even by a single click, slowed it down too much.

2023 marin alpine trail e shock.jpg, by Liam Mercer

But the shock, on the other hand, does a solid job. Now, the suspension kinematic on this bike wasn’t particularly informative in that it doesn’t offer a tonne of feedback but I could tell that support was there. It didn’t blow through its travel or get wallowy.

The brakes are worth noting, too. They rustle up a very usable level of power but lack modulation, meaning that they feel very on/off. While a lot of power is very good, having it all in one go makes things a little sketchy where the grip is inconsistent. It also adds arm pump later into the latter stages of descent. Although, it’s fantastic to see metallic pads and big ol’ rotors.

2023 marin alpine trail e brake cali 1.jpg, by Liam Mercer

For those who are wanting a cheaper entry into big performance, the Alpine Trail E is an excellent candidate as it provides an excellent starting point that’ll be more than welcoming when it comes to upgrades further down the line. The brakes would be a first change for me, then moving into the fork but that’s not to say that it’s bad kit, but this is where the bike’s performance can easily be improved the most.

Marin Alpine Trail E – Verdict

The £4k mark is a really interesting price point for e-MTBs as there’s a surprising amount on offer that all varies pretty wildly in terms of what that money will get you.

For a penny short of £4,000 Vitus’s E-Sommet (here’s our review of the E-Sommet VRX) looks to be a very fair contender. It’s a full alloy bike, like the Marin but it gets more travel with a burly 38mm stanchioned RockShox Domain fork and a Super Deluxe+ with a piggyback reservoir. It also comes with Shimano MT520 brakes or SRAM DB8s, with the former being even better bang for buck. It does come with a compromise, however, that being that it runs a less powerful Shimano E7000 motor.

As expected from a direct-to-consumer brand, and a bit of an unfair comparison, Canyon’s Torque:ON 7 is £50 cheaper than the Alpine Trail E and you get an awful lot more for your money, including a RockShox ZEB R and a Shimano EP8 motor.

It does trump Trek’s Rail 5 500W Gen 2 though. While the Marin doesn’t carry RockShox logos or similar, its build is comparable in terms of performance and its progressive geometry will suit aggressive riders better. But the Trek retails £4,600.

So the point of the Marin Alpine Trail E is to offer that unique, long, slack and low ride at a more accessible price and that it does very well by equipping it with a well-chosen kit that actually performs rather well. Its very aggressive geometry does pigeonhole the bike to a degree which will put newbies off a bit but it’s a bike that’ll be appreciated by those who have some years of riding under their belt and are looking to add an e-mountain bike to the fleet without having to spend tonnes of money. 

• www.marinbikes.com
• The reader’s guide to Off-Road.cc’s review scoring system

You might also like:

• What is downcountry?
• Bike fit with e-gravel bike – Team ORCC ’23 | EP.02 pt 2
• How to ride berms – everything you need to know