MAMMOTH JOURNEYS
Marin Nicasio+ Review
The ideal Gravel-Commuter-Tourer on the Market
This is a product review on the Marin Nicasio+ from my time using the bike over a 2 year period.
The Nicasio+ is part of Marin's Beyond Road range. Marin are traditionally a mountain bike brand from California, who over recent years have been moving into the gravel and touring bike categories. As the lines are becoming blurred as to what puts a bike into the mountain, gravel, tourer or road category, Marin have moved their tried and tested methods of building solid mountain bikes and developed quite a range of gravel and touring bikes.
I opted for the Nicasio+ after riding their Gestalt for a couple of years and picked this bike for two reasons. Firstly I wanted to go back to using a steel frame, I found the Four Corners which I had right at the start more comfortable than the Gestalt, with the Four Corners being steel and the Gestalt Aluminium. The other reason I picked the Nicasio+ was for its 1x drivetrain. Simialr to the Bobcat Trail 5 mountain bike I was currently using, I like the ease of only having gears at the back. As I had no excessively hilly trips planned in the near future, the lack of gear options I didn't think would impact my riding, so decided to give it a go. Built for those who love exploring on and off the beaten path, the Nicasio+ is a versatile bike that offers comfort, durability, and adaptability across both gravel and tarmac. I have used the bike on a mix of tarmac and gravel riding, from short commutes to work, onto longer day rides such as the Tour de Jersey. I'm going to go through the categories I find helpful when deciding on a bike so this stays in some sort of order.
Comfort
One of the main points I loved about the Four Corners I rode initially was how comfortable it was to ride, it seemed to absorb the basic road bumps better in comparison to the Gestalt, along with it's slightly more relaxed and upright geometry. The Nicasio+ seemed more similar to the Four Corners in both these points so I was keen to see if this was true. The Nicasio+ is designed with rider comfort in mind. With relaxed geometry and a comfortable steel frame that absorbs vibrations, it is equally suited for long road stretches and gravel adventures.
The dropped seat stays add compliance, reducing road chatter and providing a smooth ride, even on less-than-perfect surfaces. The Nicasio+ features a stable, endurance-focused geometry that keeps riders upright and comfortable over extended distances. This is achieved thanks to its long wheelbase and slack angles, all leading to a planted, secure feeling on downhills and rough terrain. All this helps in what is a really comfortable ride. Thanks to its steel frame, out-of-the-box stock wide tires, and accommodating geometry, the Nicasio+ provides a smooth ride feel that absorbs bumps effectively, making it ideal for mixed surface rides. On paved roads, it’s responsive yet steady, while on gravel, the Nicasio+ feels right at home, handling twists and turns with ease. The bike’s high-volume tires further add to the cushioned, stable ride feel.
Conclusion: Super comfortable with no complaints at all.
Robustness
From any of the kit I buy, and especially for bikes, how robust it is, is really important.
I used the Nicasio+ for a lot of commuting over my time with it, which meant a decent amount of up and down curbs. I also did a fair share of gravel riding on it taking it off the beaten track whilst exploring the local area. Not once did it have any issues with it falling apart, and the stock wheels it came which didn't show any sign of buckling for ages. It took 2 years before I needed to replace the rear wheel hubs and I was fairly content with that given the beating it endured.
This shouldn't be too surprising as Marin have been building mountain bikes designed to be thrown down much harder terrain than what I was doing.
Conclusion: Bombproof!
Features
Tyres
As stock they come with 650B 55mm WTC Horizon tyres, which make for really comfortable road riding, and absorb the bumps of most compact gravel rides. Where they start to falter is on wet mud, which in UK where I was riding, wasn't infrequent. I swapped to the WTB Resolutes which I had used on the Four Corners previously when I was completing the King Alfred Way. I then swapped them again to Schwalbe Marathon Supremes when I knew I was doing a bit more tarmac riding. The Horizon's are ace if you are going to be on tarmac and compact gravel as they make for a smooth ride and have a decently low rolling resistance.
Gearing
The Nicasio+ runs a 1 x 9 gearing, using a MicroSHIFT advent rear derailleur with a clutch mechanism, which is helpful for particularly bumpy terrain. It has 42 teeth on the front and a 11-46 cassette on the rear, which in my experience is plenty for the vast majority of riding in UK. When the bike is loaded I certainly missed slightly easier gearing options, and if I was planning specifically to use this bike for long touring in Central Europe, I would probably rethink this bike as an option. One thing I did enjoy with the 1x system on this bike was the ease of changing gears and not having to think about combinations of a front derailleur, along with not having to worry about any indexing or servicing for the non-existent component.
Type of Riding
People tend to either love or hate gravel bikes. They aren't as fast on the roads compared to a lighter road bike, they can't do as much off-road as a mountain bike, and aren't as comfortable touring as those specifically designed for it.
I generally love them, as it limits the amount of bikes you need to buy, store and maintain, and you can do a whole load of fun riding with them.
Commuting/Road
The Nicasio+ is well suited for road riding and for those looking for a commuter. It's comfortable to ride thanks to its frame and tyres and it has a relaxed geometry allowing to be upright. The only negative is the 13kg weight of it. It is not light. So if you are trying to move it around during the commute or perhaps up a decent hill, you'll certainly notice it.
Gravel
Out the box it's only really set up for compact gravel, and again because of its weight won't be the quickest. You'll need to swap the tyres for something with more nobbles, especially for those winter months in the UK. However if you intend to use it on tow paths or fire breaker tracks, it will cope with these as is.
Touring
There are a number of attachment points for accessories all across the bike. You could put a pannier rack on the front and rear, pannier bags on the forks, water bottles on the down tube, and mudguards front and rear. I've already mentioned about the geometry being kind for long days in the saddle, and the steel frame and Horizon tyres will cushion any bumps in the road. However, depending on the type of touring planned I'm not sure it would be my first choice. If I already had this bike and didn't want to get another, it would be fine. However if I was going for long tour, over multiple weeks with lots of kit and over a hilly area, I would pick a bike which had easier gearing options and was a little lighter.
Summary
One word I used early on when riding the Nicasio+ was 'fun'. It really is a great bike to ride. I got to explore so much of England and Scotland on it and I could adapt it to the riding I needed by simply swapping the tyres. It was comfortable, responsive and robust - the perfect qualities on a bike.
If you are looking for an all-rounder bike this is definitely a good choice. I preferred this to the Gestalt, but I think the Four Corners just edged it if I were buying one bike for my garage.
If you want a bike you can commute on, go for 100+km rides, tackle some gravel routes and also do some multi-day touring, then this is a great option. However, if you want to specialise in any of these areas, you may find it doesn't perform as you wish - the balance of a bike trying to do more than one thing.
For a full video review of the bike, check out the video below - which is also available on our YouTube Channel.
To see the Nicasio+ in action here are a few MicroAdventures showcasing what it can get up.