Marin Four Corners
Marin Four Corners 1
“Four Corners” as in the middle of the American west where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada come together. Buy one of these bikes and plan a tour there yourself. The Four Corners 1 (above) is a versatile touring bike, and I’d bet a tour of that length would be enjoyable whether you rode along the paved shoulders of secondary highways, along the Great Divide trail or rumbling down gravel roads.
The Four Corners is a great bike for century rides on the pavement, gran Fondos and gravel rides, long commutes, and just regular road or off-road rides with your friends. Given our weather and topography, one of these would work perfectly for the vast majority of Pacific Northwest riders.
There’s also a Four Corners 2 model that is outfitted with a Sram Apex 1×12 component group, for a more “gravel” and less “loaded touring” capable set-up.
Both versions have gravel/touring frame geometry with longer wheelbases and slacker front end geometry than typical road bikes, meaning that these bikes are comfortable for really long rides and will carry all of your gear without handling too squirrely. The stock tires are 700c x 45mm wide and 27.5 (650b) x 2.1” mountain bike wheels will fit if you’re planning on even more rugged use. The Four Corners frame is made out of butted cromoly steel, which delivers a springy, compliant ride quality.
The Four Corners 1 or 2 will have everything you want. They come with mounts for 5 water bottles as well as racks & fenders, You can get one with a triple crankset or a 1x single front chainring. You get solid Shimano Sora components (with a triple crankset for lots of really low gears) or the simplicity of Sram’s Apex 1x setup.