Marin Alpine Trail E2 Mountain Bike Review

The 2025 Alpine Trail E2 has been completely redesigned, bringing significant changes to its frame and performance. Marin's message is clear, 'more range, more mobility, more power!' This year's model comes courtesy of BikesOnline, delivered direct to buyers with minimal assembly required. We were also impressed with the care taken when assembling and packing. The Marin Alpine Trail E2 was out of the box and into the workplace right away.

Original Impressions

The complete redesign of the Marin Alpine Trail E2 has had many changes in the frame and a simple no-nonsense message, delivering on the slogan 'more range, more mobility, more intelligence'. BikesOnline continues to impress us with the level of care in assembling and packaging everything for the consumer. The bike was delivered straight to our workshop, requiring little assembly, meaning I was out the door and on the road about 30 minutes after giving birth.

The Marin Alpine Trail E2 is a big and heavy bike built for charging, so feel free to take this 28kg rig out of the box! E2 is packed with features; Big battery and pre-installed Cushcore tubeless front and rear. This would be the first test bike that came pre-installed from new, what a treat!

The suspension platform has changed significantly, with 10mm of travel increased at both ends. The 170mm/160mm travel is one of the longest and largest bikes available. The MultiTrac 2 LT suspension platform structure moves the rear pivot from the seat to the Horst link on the chainstay. This allows more control of the braking force and results in a reduction in braking, as well as better mid-stroke support and roll-out resistance: all important elements for the needs of a hard-charging e-bike.

There is also a well-made geometry adjustment of the frame as well, the headtube has adjustable cups that are offered and can tighten or decrease the head angle by 0.75 degrees or any direction of the 63-degree head angle. Chainstay length and BB height can be changed too, with the long and low setting at 443mm chainstay and bottom bracket length of 347mm and the short and high setting at 435mm and 352mm.

The large vertical tube fully encloses the Bosch 750Wh battery that slides and locks the Bosch rail without the slightest noise. It can be accessed by removing the sump guard with just one working bolt. The sump guard consists of 30% fiberglass-infused nylon and promises to deflect objects encountered on the road, allowing any moisture that enters the frame to escape freely. We welcome the extreme build of this sump guard/slide plate and we're sure it will get a workout given the low downtube and forward stance, time will tell how it holds up!

As mentioned, the partial assembly from BikesOnline made the setup process a breeze, but I always like to test things out before throwing myself into the fray with a test bike. The good news: the build quality is also good. Having the sometimes tedious task of maintaining Cushcore installations was a weight on my shoulders. There was very little to do other than straightening the stem and bars, a little brake caliper alignment and hooking up the Alpine Trail for charging.

Suspension can be a little trickier if the bike is fitted with a coil shock, our size large came with a 500lb spring out of the box which according to Marin's reference guide is suitable for an 86–91kg rider. At 75kg, 'my dad' wouldn't even get enough sag, but I prefer a firmer setup and balance the fork with that of the rear shock sitting at 95psi up front on a Fox 38 with 2 forks.

On the road

The Alpine Trail is a battle. Its aggressive low-slung geometry makes the new structure more stable and allows for a more centered seating position for the rider. A near-vertical seat tube angle of 78.8 degrees and a long 125mm head tube on my large size test bike make it a commanding place to be out on the trail. There are three sizes available for the new Alpine Trail reaching 460mm in the medium size, 490mm in the large size (tested) and 520mm in the extra large.

Many riders find themselves falling between one size and thankfully, thanks to the generous stance height, they can choose the best reach for their preferred riding style; short and playful or tall and stable. Combining this with the added benefits of multiple frame adjustments in head angle and chainstay length means riders can fine-tune the size of their choice with minimal effort and without the need to buy additional parts, high points for the Alpine Trail.

The touch points are comfortable and familiar, I prefer bars and grips that like a soft feel to avoid fatigue. I was very impressed with Marin's 35mm 20mm trailing bar paired with the Marin Grizzly lock-on grip, light with clean logos and a quality feel for trail riding, not the typical hard alloy feel, great!

The dropper and saddle are made without dropouts, the smooth action expected from the large 34.9mm drop diameter now expected on e-bikes and helping to reduce flex and bushing/seal wear thanks to its reflective tubes.

Braking is taken care of by TRP DH-R EVO brakes with 2.3mm thick rotors 203mm front and rear, which provide consistent braking on slopes. Despite this, towing a large and capable rig like the Alpine Trail may prompt owners to invest in a 220mm rotor for more stopping power.

Vee Tire Co Attack HPL tires are tasked with pushing that power down the road. They feature tough E-Compound rubber and hard cases. We work very well with HPLs but they certainly prefer strength and durability over chemical grip and trail feel, which is noticeable when conditions become steep and slippery. Otherwise, they didn't bother at all.

Shifting is a smooth and reliable pairing of Shimano XT 12-speed derailleur and SLX Shifter and cassette, shifting under load very well and allowing riders to keep power and pull uphill without complaint. The Bosch Performance CX engine is smart and precise, and is well suited to rider input. Smooth transitions are what is needed to reduce drivetrain wear, broken chains and forward momentum when climbing and both the drivetrain and drive unit deliver this.

I've been lucky enough to ride the Alpine Train for a long time and ride it in mixed terrain, as the components and geometry suggest, it feels very much at home at speed on rough stuff. Its weight is only noticeable when it washes quickly or corrects a mistake, it is balanced and does not move when pushing hard.

One thing that holds the Alpine Trail out at low speeds is the technical aspects you sometimes encounter on the slopes. Mainly its breakover angle due to the front of the downtube which tends to contact if the rider doesn't commit and backs off – if you just roll over the edge it may contact. I also meet the contact pressing on the rutted wheels and driving under the corner. I replaced the long and low with a 435mm chainstay bracket and lower top with better results, partly due to the raised bottom bracket, but the reduced wheelbase also helped to increase the breakaway angle, all without special tools.

Cornering is aided by the 27.5” rear wheel and even with the short chainstay length the Alpine Trail E2 moves well, cutting in a fast wide line that suits its style better than cutting a curve and trying to muscle your way through… done with some movement. Where the Alpine Trail comes to life is from the brakes, when I let it hit the rough it's very stable, doesn't worry and only has a small amount of pedal kickback for those who like flat pedals.

I've been used to some very bad roads and rear shocks and apart from a loose earphone and a few rattling noises (which is just part of the settling time of any long-distance bike and something that the first service will follow. address easily) we rode without problems or issues.

Our Take

Are you looking for a long-distance, self-locking machine with great mileage? Something reliable and accurate power delivery with a carefully selected selection of components? The Alpine Trail E2 has always been a low-performance rig that has performed well in a variety of terrains but excels at high speeds and big hits thanks to its long and stable geometry, premium suspension and tough tires and mountings.

I've enjoyed the improvements Marin has made to the Alpine Trail platform, now suiting the styles of many riders thanks to the many frame adjustments and low stance, this will be a staple Marin platform for years to come.