Here is everything you need to know about what that catalogue contained, why the "portable" format matters, and why the 1998 lineup remains relevant today. Before we look at the bikes, we must understand the medium. In 1998, the internet was dial-up and clunky. Marin Bikes produced a "portable" catalogue primarily for dealers and traveling sales reps. Unlike the glossy, coffee-table-sized books of competitors, Marin’s portable version was designed to fit in a briefcase or a booth display.
If you own a 1998 Marin, keep that catalogue close. It is the bike’s birth certificate. If you don’t own one, use the catalogue to hunt for a Palisades Trail or an East Peak. In a world of carbon fiber disposability, the aluminum and steel of the 1998 Marin lineup are eternal. marin catalogue 1998 portable
These catalogues were typically A5 or digest-sized (approx. 5.5" x 8.5"). They were staple-bound with high-gloss covers but thinner paper inside. For collectors, the "portable" variant is actually rarer than the full-size dealer binder because they were tossed into bike boxes or lost in shop drawers. Here is everything you need to know about