At the Eurobike Media Days, we spotted a new variant of the Hawk Hill model, which was completely renewed this year, at the Marin Bikes stand. The 120mm all-rounder is aimed more at price-conscious buyers who value a high-quality frame and solid equipment without having to plunder all their savings. While there was only one variant of the Hawk Hill to buy in 2017, the 2018 model series is being expanded to a total of three trim levels.
The entry-level model will therefore be at the same price level as its predecessor – i.e. around €1.600 – while the top model we tested costs around €2.000. To get straight to the point: That's still a hell of a lot of money for a lot of bikes. The Hawk Hill 3 comes with a 1×11 gearshift from Shimano with SLX rear derailleur and FSA crank, Rock Shox chassis, stable wheels with wide rims (29mm inner width) and a retractable seat post from TranzX.
The geometry has remained true to the Hawk Hill's focus: a powerful tourer that should find its way anywhere, from forest paths to demanding trails. The steering angle is therefore rather slack, and the effectively quite steep seat angle helps when pedaling. Short chainstays provide agile handling and the moderately long reach provides security when things get a bit steep.
Marin Hawk Hill 3: First impressions of the trail
On the trails at Plan de Corones in South Tyrol, we were able to put the new Hawk Hill through a proper short test. Anyone who knows the area knows that it tends to be steep here – up and down – and that the terrain can sometimes put the chassis to a hard test. But before we get to the driving impressions, first a few words about the structure and the choice of components: The traditional manufacturer has done a really good job here and placed value on the right points. For example, we noticed the very good remote for the seat post, which is mounted on the left side in trigger style. In any case, the cockpit makes a really good impression, the stem is nice and short, the handlebars are wide enough and ergonomically successful. Robust, reliable parts are used throughout the bike and should make the Hawk Hill 3 a real carefree device.
On the trail itself, the 120mm bike shattered our expectations: We had expected a more reserved tourer here. But the Hawk Hill turned out to be a full-blooded trail bike that was easy to put into the corners, invited to pull off and play with and also cut a really good figure on demanding, steep passages. The climbing skills were no less convincing: Despite the sporty translation, it was very easy to climb even really steep ramps. The rear stays pleasantly firm even with the shock open and hardly wobbles. Despite the rather high weight overall, things move quickly – even if the narrow range could possibly become a problem on long climbs.
