It has been months that i keep coming back to Giantnerd.com site staring at this bike, reading reviews, comparing it with other bikes under $1000. Until I popped up a question of which is the best choice.
At first, I wanted the Zeppelin Elite, but i thought of saving the 100 bucks to buy on some other stuff that i would need on the bike. And I had no regrets.
I ordered the marauder on Friday, it was delivered in my front door on Wednesday, faster than i thought!
It came double boxed, semi assembled. I could have assembled it myself then I read from here that i would need to take it to a local shop to validate the warranty. So I paid 96 bucks to get it assembled (quite high price). If only Airborne bikes have the option for pro-build, i could have added it in my purchase.

After it was assembled, there is an issue with the Front Derailleur. Due to the design of the frame, front derailleur cannot be adjusted/lowered. I cannot shift the wheelset to the smallest because of that.
Not a big deal for me, so i just left it that way. There is nothing else i can do.
After i got home with the bike, i noticed that the seatpost is too low for me, so i adjusted it.
As i try to tighten it, BAM! it snapped, lost thread. So I had to buy a quick release instead.
The saddle is not that comfortable too, I guess I have to buy a new one too.
Those three are the only issues i found on this bike.

Yesterday, I had a chance to ride it for 12 miles. Overall, this bike extremely rocks! I know I will enjoy every ride i take with this one. I even recommended it to my friend. One of these days, he will place an order too.
We'll cruise NJ trails this coming spring and summer!

This bike certainly is one of my best buys this year.
I know you want it, so go for it dude! You'll never go wrong. At it's price, it's already a steal!

So today was the first time i rode this bike in Florida and we have some pretty tough course down here. Besides the face that the bike is a bit on the heavy side the weight does not stop this BEAST. I was doing the advanced courses without a problem, climbing was so easy with this baby and the suspension ROCKED. I could sit down on the roughest parts of the courses and not feel a thing. For the price and brand new there is no such thing as a better bike than this. The bike came in unassembled and i took it to my LBS and in a couple hours they had it ready. I did a few minor adjustments on the brakes and bam, I can stop on a dime. I recommend this bike to anyone is need a bike for under 1 grand. Also i recommend the crankbrother 5050 pedals, they grip so good. I was doing 3-5 foot jumps with no problems. Unfortunately they only sell this bike in one color so im already buying parts to change the color scheme up so mine will be unique. Giant Nerd, your the best!

I got my new Marauder about 2 weeks ago. I took it to my bike shop to be assemble (to validate the warranty) and lucky for my because it came with the wrong front deraileur. I called Giantnerd customer service and this guy (Jared) talked to the bike shop and told them to fix my bike that will take care of it. (Still waiting for the reimbursement, but it's been only a couple of days...)
I got my bike and it was a match made in heaven. I think Airborne made this owesome bike thinking of me. I don't ride to much downhill, but we really freeride hard doing urban mtb. The first day I took it to the Convention Center here in PR and jump the first set of steps (14) and this bike took it like it was nothing. I was also impressed how great the bike rides, for a full suspension bike. I'm so in love with it, that I haven't ride any of my other bikes since I got it. And I don't know if I ever will... Incredible bike for the price you are paying. The only thing I've notice is that if you are an aggressive rider, you might be interested in upgrading your suspension. Its my first Airborne bike and now I'm hook! Flight Crew here I come...

I did an extreme amount of research for a descent freeride mountain bike at the price I was looking for, which was $1000 or below. Always hard to comeby unless it's a used bike that someone has already abused. I came across the Airborne Marauder here at Giantnerd and was amazed not only at the price, but the quality of the bike and components this bike came with stock. So after reading the reviews that people have spent the time to post, I decided to go for it.

The bike took a couple of weeks to arrive, as an American living in Germany, I was surprised it got here so fast. The bike came in two boxes for me, which made sense because the massive wheels this bike has, and the other, containing the frame and parts already preassembled without the Pro Build. The wheels arrived great, but the other box containing the bike was destroyed. It looked as though European Customs ran it over a few times, played toss with it, dropped it off a building and then taped it up again. I was extremely worried for my new bike. But once I opened the box, the crew at Giantnerd did such an amazing job wrapping it, that there was not a bit of damage to the bike. I would've hated sending it back.

It took me a few hours to completely build it. I have OCD, so I'm a perfectionist, but to see this bike in person completely outways any photos I've seen of the bike. I just stood there in awe once my new wife was built. I ordered platform pedals when I ordered the bike, and it came in the box along with the bike, so I was greatful for that, thanks Giantnerd.

I have yet to truly ride it because of the mass amount of snowfall here in Germany. But it sure is pretty to look at it. For the price, this bike comes very well equiped with some awesome compnents. I'm 5'10" and bought the 17" Marauder, and fits me like a dream. If you're looking for a great freeride bike for a great price, the Airborne Marauder is it.

I searched and searched for a full suspension bike that would put up with my aggressive style that wouldn’t cost more than $1000. Through some googling, I finally came across the Marauder after weeks of looking at bikes and comparing specs. After seeing the components and reading the reviews, I bought it that same day. I was, however, a little nervous buying such an unknown bike.

There was some confusion at Giantnerd, and my bike didn’t ship for almost 2 weeks which only prolonged my anxiety, but when it finally got here I rushed it to my LBS for assembly. With the bike built, I installed my clipless pedals and trimmed an inch off each end of the handlebars.

The first thing I have to say is how dope the bike looks in person. I haven’t had a bike with matte paint before, but man does it look mean. After climbing into the cockpit and getting the preload set correctly, I was greeted by a shockingly responsive ride for a 6” bike. The Spinner Cargo 340 fork, while having only preload adjustment, has great rebound and feels very solid on the trail. The single pivot design in the rear has zero play and feels very responsive without being bouncy. While the really high pivot can lead to some pedal bob, it completely eliminates even the possibility of chainslap, and that’s a big win in my book.

The SRAM shifters are just the right amount of snappy, and the X7 rear derailleur performs beautifully when dialed in. I do have one complaint about the Shimano C-50 front derailleur, in that the mounting bracket can’t be mounted quite low enough because of the frame, and it struggles to shift to the larger chainring because of this. The inclusion of the bash guard instead of a third chainring is a wise choice on the part of Airborne; as well as the 20mm thru axle on the previously mentioned fork. It’s details like this that really made the difference for me and led to my purchase. The 203mm Tektro brakes are pretty low end, but they modulate perfectly and bring the Marauder to an authoritative halt. It really is impressive how the brakes and drivetrain perform, particularly at this price point.

The Kenda tires are sick, and will bite into just about anything. They rail you through turns and hold on tight to the dirt. I feel like I can lay this bike sideways in the turns and not even worry about it.

Like others have commented, this bike feels stable and calm in the air. I love to pop off of rocks and soar through the air with the word AIRBORNE written on the side of the bike. The 6 inches of travel suck up anything and everything I throw at the bike, making hard landings feel gentle and horrifying downhills feel composed. Yet, somehow, that much travel doesn’t make the bike feel sluggish at all. On my root-infested local XC trails I’m way faster than I ever was on my light hardtail.

Which brings me to the weight. Yes, the bike is 38 pounds, and every review I’ve read emphasizes this… rightfully so. The Marauder is a big, burly, heavy bike. But, this is a freeride bike. Not all mountain. Not cross country. And for the $700 Giantnerd is selling it for, a few extra pounds is nothing to worry about.
I can’t lie, I love this bike. It has only the test of time ahead of it. I highly recommend the Marauder to anyone who, like me, wants to destroy the trail but doesn’t have $2000+ that they can just let go of. This is a great machine at an affordable price.

I spent a lot of time figuring out what i wanted. nothing seemed to be right and everything was too expensive. i was about to settle on a used Kona Stinky or Coiler. but i didnt like them. them seemed like XC bikes with alot of suspension. I wanted more of a light DH bike. thats when i found this bike. i was unsure because it is pretty unknown. but for the price i knew it would probably be worth it. when it came in, the bike blew me away. it was exactly what i wanted. it is big and solid. this is not a XC, or even an all-mountain bike. it is the last of a dying breed, a true free-ride bike. dont get me wrong, it has a very low gear which allows you to grit your teeth, look down, and jus go. but this bike is made to go down hill, and fast. any questions about this bikes capabilities should be asked about its uphill. downhill this bike will take anything. first day i took a couple 3-4 foot drops. felt like dream. and they were not joking about this bike feeling good in the air. i could talk about this bike all day buy id rather go back out and ride...

bottom line: this is a great FREE-RIDE bike for the money. you will have a blast goin downhill, and still be able to peddle back up to the bank.

When I started my search for a full suspension mountain bike I was smacked in the face with discouragement after my first day of online shopping; that is, until I found Giantnerd. I am a college kid on a college kid budget so finding a full suspension mountain bike with good components for under $1000 was a heck of a challenge.

I found Giantnerd's website after doing an online search for best priced bicycles and gear. I was ecstatic to say the least when I initially looked at the mountain bikes available here. I couldn't believe the low prices on bikes that have great quality components such as derailleurs, brakes, wheels, and suspension. I was seriously freaking out with excitement after just looking at the first bike I clicked on. The spec sheet was fully detailed and made comparison shopping on Giantnerd very easy to do.

I found the Airborne Marauder and did some research on the company. The components were far better than any other bike I'd been looking at for the same amount of money. $699 delivered from Giantnerd blew ANY deal I've seen locally or on any other online store out of the water! To buy the components alone for this bike (not including the frame) would cost over $1100 alone. Airborne and Giantnerd bring this tank of a deal to us for under $700 shipped. I had done over a week of local bike shop and online research and no one can compete with the prices and products offered here so it was a no-brainer that I needed to order mine before they sold out.

I ordered mine and opted to not do a pro-build (only $59 extra) because I'd never assembled the bike and I wasn't sure what stage the bike would be at when it arrived. I didn't know if it would require a lot of building or if it would be fairly close to assembled. In hind-sight I should have just asked Giantnerd on live chat, e-mail, or Facebook. I chose free shipping because I'm a patient guy on a budget and could wait the estimated 10-14 days economy shipping. I used the tracking number Giantnerd provided me and tracked my bike all the way from Henderson, CO to my front door and it only took a total of 5 business days to get here. I was blown away by the fast shipping and perfect condition of the box.

I opened the box and was blown away once again. Inside the box I found my WTB rims with 203mm rotors and 2.35/2.6 inch wide tires all assembled and ready to go. Underneath the wheels and padded foam as protection, I found the frame,handlebars, seatpost with seat attached, and front fork. This is when I really felt dumb for not going with the pro build. All cables were ran through the frame already and hooked up to the mounted derailleurs and rear brake. The cables were also connected already to the shifters and the brake levers connected as well to the handlebar which already had the grips installed too. All I had to do was insert the fork onto the frame, attach the handlebars to the top of the fork, and put the rims on. The assembly process would have been a snap but since I skipped the pro build, I had to drop the bike off at the local shop and pay for full assembly to keep my warranty valid.

After inspecting all pieces of the bike and components, everything looks solid and super sharp. The graphics and paint look amazing in person and the whole bike comes together like a piece of art. Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to test ride the Marauder because I had to drop it off for assembly and I do not have my pedals. With the help of my Nerd Dollars, I ordered a pair of Crank Brothers 5050 X pedals when my bike had shipped. They should also be arriving within 5 business days of when I ordered them. I read reviews about the Crank Brothers pedals and they are very well liked so it was an easy decision as well.

As far as components of the bike go I'd have to say that the front Spinner Cargo fork looks like a beast. I've never seen a big axle like that on a bicycle before. It reminds me of a motocross bike along with those huge beefy tires. 2.35 and 2.6 inch tires are the biggest I've ever seen on a bicycle. They should handle great and provide excellent traction with the stopping power to match. The brake rotors are massive as well and are made by Tektro and the quality is proven unanimously time and time again online. I've had a bike with Tektro mechanical discs and they stopped like no other brake I have ever owned. I'm still blown away that this powerhouse of a bike is driven by a SRAM x7 derailleur because the other bikes I had found in my under $1000 budget had SRAM x4 derailleurs which are still good but come on, x7 vs. x4 for the same price? I'm going with the x7 all day.

I could go on and on about how far above my expectations this bike really is but I'd like to give thanks to some people who deserve the credit in helping me choose a bike that's right for me. The first review I read about the Marauder was written by Greg H. His review was so detailed and concise that I was able to take the positives and slight negatives (were there any?) and figure out whether the bike would suit my riding style. I joined the Giantnerd and Airborne facebook pages as well to help gain more insight on the bike. On Airborne's page I was helped by Dan L and he answered plenty of questions and concerns I had about buying the Marauder. His help and advice just assured me that it was the right bike for me. Any time I had a question about shipping info, frame size, or any other general information I went to the live chat feature on Giantnerd. Each time (about 5 total times) I was helped by Mike. He answered all of my questions quickly and kindly.

I can't thank Giantnerd and Airborne enough for the solid products, pricing, and Nerd Dollar help which all made my buying experience a pleasure. I've never been more confident with online buying than I am here at Giantnerd. You all have my full support and have made me a customer for life. I've bookmarked your site and check the facebook page daily to see what the latest deals are. Thanks again and once a nerd, always a nerd. Stay nerdy!

I was lucky enough to finally get a brand new Airbourne Marauder in a 17" frame today. My first thoughts were of the Pro Build that I had with the bike. I want to give mad props to Giantnerd because they repackaged my bike so well that unpacking it took about twice as long as getting the bike back together. The bike itself was better looking then what I had seen from the pictures. Aurbourne really does all the bike justice with good paint and eyecatching details.

Anyway I put the bike together and ran outside with it as fast as I could for a little test ride :) And man they should of changed the name of the bike from Marauder to Cadillac cause the 6" of travel makes this thing so plush. I had to roll down the decent set of stairs at the front of my house to test and it was all smiles. I cant wait to try some larger drops on the trails.

When I got some speed on the bike I could tell that it was solid. I felt stable on my pedals and shifting my weight back behind the seat started to work that back shock. The handle bars are set up well and I like the feel of the x-5 sram shifters although they do need to be adjusted a bit. I still need to remember that there are only two front gears on the bike.

I think the tires deserve a paragraph of their own. I took them through some sand a couple houses down and I was just so happy with the grip on these things. They are amazing. I dont have anything else to say but amazing. I need to get these out to a serious trail so they can eat some dirt.

The marauder is a great bike for the price and I have to agree with Greg H. in the review below, this thing is a beast and i could see it handling some serious downhill. I dont see myself riding anything that would need the full 6" of travel and the huge brakes that this bike has.

My test ride today did bring to mind some things that I noticed very quickly. The seat that comes with it was horribly unconfortable to sit on for me atleast. This was the feeling I got from a 25 min ride. The shocks work so well that it can get slow when you are trying to pedal on a smooth trail and the weight of the bike can catch up to you on a good hill. I forgot to mention that I wish it had a quick disconnect for the seat post. Not that I want to actually sit on the current seat anymore but having to keep a hex with you to loosen/tighten could be a pain.

Overall this bike is so above my expectation of it that I am quite happy. I havent ridden the bike down a decent trail yet or put the hours into it to know how it will deal but as a first day owner I couldnt be happier with the purchase. I will post some pictures and write more reviews once I get this baby worn in and some character :)

I got to Sea Otter this morning, and after partaking of the delicious breakfast spread, I knew exactly what I wanted to do: ride. I grabbed a Marauder and headed out to the trails for about a 25 mile ride all over the event center and Fort Ord, and got a good feel for the bike. (Full Disclosure: at the end of Sea Otter I get to choose a free bike from the Airborne line up).

The Marauder is a hefty steed: 6" of travel front and back, big spring on the shock, big thru axles, a bash guard instead of the third chain ring, large mechanical disc brakes, and beastly wide tires.

Before I got started riding this bike, I swapped out the seat and seatpost with my personal higher end stuff. I also installed my clipless pedals.

I thought it was going to be a pain to pedal this up the climbs, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be. I lighter bike with less suspension would have definitely climbed better, but although it felt sluggish in the climbs at times, it was bearable.

As may be expected, where this bike really excelled was railing the downhills. I absolutely loved the tires that this bike comes spec.ed with. They bit into the turf and railed through the corners! The burly build and 6 inches of travel made everything on the trails at Fort Ord feel like a walk in the park! In all honesty, I didn't feel like the trails out there were sufficient to really see what this bike is capable of. There is so much burl packed into an affordable package and labeled with the name "Marauder" that I'd really need to get it back on some East Coast gnar or some good, technical Rocky Mountain descents.

The one thing that I was able to really appreciate about this bike was how it handled in the air. The trails at Fort Ord are fast, and I was able to loft the Airborne Marauder off of a bunch of rollers and lips. Man, that thing feels so solid and natural in the air! It was effortless to preload and pop the bike off of lips, arc through the air, and softly return to the ground. I loved it!

Most of the qualms that I had with this bike were a few fine-tuning things that could probably have been worked out pretty easily if I had tried. These bikes were demos of course, so I don't think I had the shock tuned quite to my body weight. As I rode I wasn't sitting very far down through the travel, and on one of the jumps that I preloaded hard and popped off of, the rear triangle snapped back and slammed against the main frame. Again, that's probably my fault for not having it adjusted quite right.

The other item was the weight. Weighing in at 38.1 lbs. in the 19" frame, the Marauder is quite hefty for a 6" travel bike. But for $899, this bike delivers solid performance at a screaming bargain!