I'm not sure why, but I've wanted a steelie ever since I got into biking two decades ago. Super excited to have the opportunity to make it a reality! This is going to be my first Marino build so we'll see how it goes!
My original plan was to just buy a L Honzo, but it's a hair too aggressive for what I do (light trails and pavement) and they seem to be out of stock in that size. Instead of waiting for new stock, I decided to make a custom build where the geometry is a blend between the Santa Cruz Chameleon 7 (angles and 415-430 adjustable chainstay dimensions) and the Honzo (overall fitment). The hope is that it'll fit like a Honzo but ride more like a Gen7 Chameleon? Idk, we'll see.
So far the ordering process was very straightforward and the guys at Marino were very responsive and helpful. We went through several design iterations before settling on these numbers and they were very accommodating when working through the design process. So far, I'm very happy with their customer service. I'll be sure to update once the frame arrives!
For reference, I'm 6'2 and mostly ride flat but rooty trails with very little drops or downhill sections. Lots of pedaling. I also do quite a bit of pavement riding around the city so I don't need anything crazy modern and slacked out. Hoping this will be a good all around rider, what do y'all think?!