Why Some Beginners Might Want to Skip The Trek Marlin 6 Gen 2

[@pilotguy27]

Its a XC Bike not an Enduro or Downhill bike. So you are right. If you want to ride enduro or downhill, this is not the bike for those tasks. For XC, its a decent bike and above a lot of peoples skill levels. Sure, the Trek Roscoe is better for XC and twice as much money. Influencers will tell you that this or that part on the Roscoe is inferior, so save your money and just buy the ProCaliber for twice the money. See how it works? If your not racing, just upgrade the front fork, pedals and grips and call it a day. When you have to replace the cassette, upgrade it. It is not a bad bicycle. Just buy the right bike for your needs. Influencers will always tell you the next best thing is better. That is how they get views and payment from sponsors, or try and build their channel. Remember, biking should be fun. Just have fun!!!!!!!!

[@princepage632]

dude, i been riding for years. no droper post here. i got a marlin 6 and i upgraded it and gonna put a air fork on it and new tires. here's what i have done so far. new bottom bracket/ new chain ring. took 2 lbs off the bike. a new saddle. ibtw, i have a rosco 7 and it has dropper and tubless ready and all that. you dont need all that really. i also have a dual suspenion bike. outta all da bikes. you know which one i ride da most. that' s right the marlin 6. well matty why dont you tell them how versitle the marlin 6 is. you can use it for comuttung /mt biking light to medium trails and some really tech'y trails. you can add racks / you use it as an all round bike. you can bike pack wid it. the marlin hardtail is the do it all bike. nuff said matty stop cutting down da marlin.

[@MattyActive]

I love my Marlin and plan to keep it, I just think people would be better off spending a little more money on a better bike with the marlin being $900 now.

[@plamendobrev5416]

what bottom bracket and chain ring did you upgrade to? 2lb is a nice reduction. I'm sure when you put the new air fork, you'll loose another few and the bike will feel like new. I totally agree, the Marlin is such a fun bike to ride and it's an all-rounder. That was the biggest reason i got it. I'm sure having full suspension is nice if you're riding diamonds all day long, but that's really all it's good for.

[@silverdropstang]

I learned that you can spend hundreds and hundreds to upgrade but the geometry isnt there to be an actual trail bike. I mostly use mine now for road and my other bike for trails.

[@JimG89887]

@@silverdropstang I agree. But I use mine on trails and you just get used to it after a while and it feels “normal”. But I’ve been riding different geometry bikes my entire life so i just also made whatever work on whatever I wanted to ride on.

[@caxxotmaxci8807]

@@MattyActive I'm probably gonna sell my marlin 6 for a marlin 8 gen 2 then go tubeless, upgrade the saddle, upgrade to a 36T crankset, and add a dropper post. This way I have great leverage, can worry less about punctures, have easy gears for uphills, but also have great gears for speed.

[@sammyc.11]

I have a 2020 Marlin 7 which I bought used from this older guy who never truly use it. Cost me $700 and let me tell you with small upgrades you can have all the fun in the world. I’ve taken the bike on the road, light medium and double black trails here in Florida and the bike holds more than great. I’m keeping my Marlin for EVER I will upgrade everything on it with time.

[@mattj6676]

It's a decent bike out of the box for doing exactly what it's spec'd to do out of the box. There's no amount of money you can spend on upgrades that will make the geometry good for steep or technical downhills, it's just not meant for that kind of riding. That's not an insult to the bike, a Porsche would suck riding on mountain trails, that doesn't make it a lousy car, just not what it's designed to do. In my opinion, if you're looking to do easy gravel trails and street riding, you really don't need to spend anywhere near $900 for a bike. There's still good value in used older bikes, usually bike shops will have some on hand, at least they're set up right.

[@ChibuikeUlasi]

Great advice. I still love my 2022 M6. I only do light trails and parks nothing crazy. Thank you for sharing.

[@vindifrenzy1100]

This is a GREAT value if you want a bike that is the best of both worlds.

[@suragencia]

If you want to update the fork you can do it with an adapter, it is true that it modifies the angle of the bicycle a little but it is not like a rocket, the adapter does not cost more than 30 dollars.

[@Southernguitar74]

Just getting back into riding, my Marlin 6 should be fine for the very moderate trails I will be riding. I am a simple rider these days and the Marlin is just fine for my needs. A light trail cruiser….If I were a more serious MTB, I would definitely look to spend double the amount of a Marlin 6 and get something better suited for those needs. Thanks for an honest and well informed video.

[@alexvee4883]

As a 2022 M6 owner, i totally agree with everything you said. If i could do it over, i would of started with a roscoe 6 because it addresses all those m6 issues and i probably be still riding it.

[@MattyActive]

Exactly. I’m glad you see what I’m trying to say lol I’m not bashing the marlin but for $849 you’re better off with the Roscoe 6 if you’re willing to sacrifice the 29” tire.

[@alexvee4883]

@@MattyActive Exactly. The Roscoe 6 is more capable and you probably keep it longer because of it. After i started riding rougher terrain with rocks and roots, my M6 started bottoming out and clanking on every hit. I knew i needed a new bike LOL

[@thepuberty9543]

​@@MattyActiveexept most stores sell them on discount for ~650to700, heck even my local bike shop... And the 2023 version has internal dropper post compatability.

[@HI2NV86]

I love my Marlin 6. Upgraded simple components like the grips, pedals and handlebar with PNWs, put in DHF in the front and an Agressor in the rear Tubeless and I just installed a new PNW dropper post, its performing way better than it did when I first got it 2 months ago. Looking to upgrading my fork to a Rockshox Judy soon. This video bums me out a little but it dont matter I still love my Marlin 6 and its a keeper. To each their own. 😊

[@plamendobrev5416]

Did you drill your stem to route the dropper post, or did you go with an external?

[@SVSportscars]

You will notice the difference once you upgrade the fork to a Judy. I upgraded the Suntour for a Judy Gold with remote and it's so much better. it rides smoother and the remote makes it easier to lock it. And it's a lot lighter weight savings is 2.2 lbs (that's like 1/3 lighter) This way you build what you like and make it your own.

[@tomacheteful]

Nice upgrades. How did you go tubeless? That is the one thing I really want to do on my Marlin.

[@Srdeo33]

You can also upgrade to Suntour air fork similar to Judy. I think they let you trade in your current fork for discount.

[@TommyTrentonJr]

check out this fork! FOX 32 FLOAT PERFORMANCE GRIP 29 2021

[@SVSportscars]

The Marlin 8 Gen 3 (2023) actually has a dropper post, and tubeless ready wheels (if got it correct the 7 and 8 both have that) Granted the new 8 is a fair bit more expensive now. I recently bought a brand new 2022 Marlin 6 at a discounted price making it imo a very interesting deal. The steerertube setup isn't ideal for sure. You have a lot less choices when it comes to forks and with that generally also wheelsets but that is due to the frame using a regular 135mm axle for the rear wheel. So you can't run a boost set (technically only a boost front if you get a fork that is for boost. That said I upgrade the Suntour fork for a Rock Shox Judy Gold. While not being a high end fork it's a lot better than the Suntour and also a lot lighter (1kg/ 2.2 lbs) making the bike handle a lot better. Pricewise I should have bought a Marlin 8 or even a X-Caliber instead of upgrading the 6. But I just liked the colorscheme of the 6 better. Assuming all gen 3 frames are identical I would assume you can upgrade to a internal routed dropper on all of them with ease. and with the 7 and 8 having decent forks and being tubeless ready most concerns are fixed there. Long story but yeah.... Enjoyed the vid anyway. Keep it up

[@kwaktak]

Aw man. As a long time Marlin rider I gotta say that this video title sort of bummed me out. After watching while nursing a concussion and a whole lot of trail rash I can kind of see your point. I ride my Marlin on rail trails that tend to get washed out or see little winter maintenance and that's where it shines; as a potential bikepacking ride. At best it can do blue trails, but with a 100mm fork and quick release axles I wouldn't advise jumping with it. What put me in the ER was a jury rigged tubeless setup that blew when I got some air. Certainly you should upgrade your Connection rims to the Kobees on the 7 or 8 if going tubeless. As for the rest of the $500 in upgrades (including the drivetrain that currently comes with the Marlin 6/7) I would still recommend a dropper post and better touch points. That goes with any bike. As for riding singletrack, I agree: look at the Roscoe 7. I know I will!

[@MattyActive]

I still think it’s worth upgrading especially if you know how to do it. It’s just the price of the bike now that really makes buying bike an issue. It used to be $600 and now it’s $900 basically. I can’t believe it

[@tomacheteful]

Kovees are ridiculous $$$ lmao

[@JogBird]

this is an entry level bike, so tubes is totally appropriate.. alot of ppl are coming from hybrid etc and may have known about tubeless

[@flrn6233]

You can put an adaptor for that straight 1 1/8 fork and install a tapper head tube fork, so there is no big problem. You can see a video of that in the channel of Rider 24. So you can still upgrade almost anything. Pre plan-demic was a quick release frame with straight head tube fork with a hole in the seat tube for the dropper post, now the frames don't have that hole to make a cleaner dropperpost instalation.

[@tomacheteful]

My marlin 5 was a gift so it was free 😁 So far I have upgraded the fork to Rockshox Recon, Shimano XT 1x drivetrain, TranzX dropper. I wish the tires were tubeless like you said though.

[@JimG89887]

I bought a Marlin 7 originally. Didn’t have any intentions of getting as into it as I am and I should’ve probably gotten a Roscoe. But I’ve transformed most of my Marlin now and it’s just as capable as almost any other hard tail out there. The biggest limitation is the standard 1 1/8th headtube. It really fork upgrades, as you mentioned. I’m making the jump into a full suspension this winter and then the marlin can take a rest and not get pushed as hard.

[@missilemagnum3106]

Great vid, I got a gen 2 trek Marlin 7 for 375 USD, although I’m not a beginner I wanted a fast fun bike aside from my downhill.

[@pbfloyd13]

Coming from the car and motorcycle world this honesty isn't much of a deterrent for me, I sort of expect to spend more on something than what its worth, to me it just kinda comes with the territory. Plus it's someone who likes to tinker figuring out how to make it work is part of fun. I do appreciate you letting me know though ✌🏾

[@azresident9334]

i own a Marlin 6 and only use it for urban biking so only upgrade i did is pedals,handlebar ,seat and oval chainring

[@MattyActive]

Nice! How’s the oval chainring feel? I’m looking to try that myself

[@Barnshal]

Nice hearing your inputs on this. The new 2023 Marlin 6 (Gen 3) also has a few geometry updates, I think it's slacker than older versions. So far I've been enjoying my 2022 Marlin, but I'm aware that eventually I'll move to a more trail friendly bike. My plan is to ride the marlin through the next year-year and a half and then I'll see what cool bikes are out there. Keep up the good work Matty!

[@jdomz]

When does Gen 3 come out?

[@GavrielFleischer]

@@jdomz it's out now

[@davidbartsch255]

I own a Marlin 6 and you are right. It’s a good beginner bike but don’t think you’ll upgrade the major components. If that’s your plan, just spend the $1200-1500 up front and get a better bike. This works fine for green and some blue trails. No regrets on my purchase but I don’t have expectations of too much more from it

[@markgladney1836]

I won’t buy one.

[@thepuberty9543]

I have a marlin 6 and made it into a very good hardtail, swaped rims to dt swiss tubeless ready for only 40bucks added a 100euro 150mm pnw dropper and put a new suntour 140mm fork, its a wholeee different bike, and now i started to ride really rough downhill trails so i put cush cores, the whole bike with upgrades cost about 1100e there are no bikes that even compare the price to quality ratio to what i have made, (the only thing is the longer fork made it into more of a trail bike and also you defidently need to swap that long ass stem to a short one)

[@ziggyx27]

Yo FYI you can go tubeless with the stock rims, just not the stock tires. I got the Schwalbe Magic Mary 29x2.25 on my Marlin 6 and it fits. You need gorilla tape and DEFINITELY a real air compressor, no hand pumps.

[@Lonesomeburger]

Thanks for the heads up, man. I'll look for something else.

[@DavidWilliams-jg5wv]

Great advice - thank you. Good bike for around light trails and for commuting, but not ideal for rougher stuff.

[@virginiascurti5036]

The Gen 3 frame on the Marlin's are just fine for full on Trail and are dropper post ready and the Marlin 8 Gen 3 has the dropper post.

[@bernieromero3520]

You can actually get a Judy silver that works pretty nice on it. ( Straight tube ).

[@lastpme]

I think I would still do the entry bike first. That way you can figure out if you truly enjoy mountain biking and if you decide to upgrade you will have a better understanding what type of bike you looking for to fit the type of riding you prefer to do.

[@daniellepka6783]

Well said I’m currently in this situation I bought a marlin 7 about 2 months ago now and I’m already looking in to a Roscoe or a fuel ex

[@bobvelting379]

The fork issue can quickly and cheaply be solved with an external cup lower headset and even a normal wheelset can be used as tubeless (you need a bit more sealant and might need to swap tires). may I suggest looking into the Trek Top Fuel (I finally got my Top Fuel 8 this month). it is such a capable and confidence-inspiring bike. Geo is spot on and the suspension is so good. it almost feels more like a trail bike than an XC bike.

[@TomKennedyUSA]

I think all of the Trek bikes are somewhat 'over-priced' right now due to the reduced availability of MTBs over the past 2 years. I don't blame Trek, it's just a matter of demand & supply right now vs. regular supply & demand. And ALL of the comments in this video were spot on. The Trek Marlin series is not good for riding the rough & tumble & roots & rocks gnar. There is some good news though - Trek bikes hold their value pretty well so the resale value is there.

[@MattyActive]

Yea I agree, the price really makes everything a little more tricky now. I bought my Marlin when it was $699 and now it’s $849. I’d rather see people spend a little more for a bike that’s more easily upgradable.

[@TommyTrentonJr]

easy upgrades for the trek marlin 6 gen 2 are, grips, metal pedals, lighter handle bars, fork {FOX 32 FLOAT PERFORMANCE GRIP 29 2021}. BOOM already this bike will feel waaay different. Sure after doing all these upgrades it will of cost more than the bike new as stock lol but who cares! Its all a bout having fun!

[@brutallyhonestmf5578]

There are adapters available to install a tapered fork in a non tapered frame. Also Trek lowered the price to $650 on this model.

[@ClamBuster4]

actually bought one yesterday... where i live it's mainly just standard flat trails, so i know it will be perfect for that. I also come from a gravel bike so i know what i'm buying. but yeah, any serious mountain biker (or budding mountain biker) you'd absolutely grow out of this real quick. being mainly a road biker, i always try and steer people away from sub 1000 pound / dollar / euro bikes for the exact same reason.

[@RolexDanny]

I just got this today same color

[@cssssdffsfsfsfs]

I come from skateboarding and just bought a bike for fun and between work. I still know little about bikes, but why is it everyone in biking always says to buy a more expensive bike. Right now Roscoe 7 - 1300, M6 (what i bought) 950. That is a huge jump to get started with for any hobby.

[@jasoncarli2617]

Awesome Matty I was the same now I have a d6 and love it

[@burningatthetrailhead]

Back in 2014 the Excalibur was only 900 Canadien and came better spec. The price and quality of bikes have gone downhill in recent years sadly

[@boogerdawson25boogerdawson61]

You have a great channel! You have been very helpful and I’m looking to get into mountain biking.

[@Senpai_77]

I just got mine and i have been riding for only 3 years. All these point are ok but not a reason to not get it. I ride with people with Walmart bike on real trails modified and everthing is just fine. 95% of the time it is the rider not the bike.

[@MattyActive]

It’s not the bike, I’ve ridden this bike to a ton of places with no issues. it’s the price of the bike now. I bought mine new for $650 and now it’s $850 I think people would be better off paying a little bit more nowadays until the marlins components reflect the price a little more.

[@Senpai_77]

@@MattyActive see i agree with what you saying but still its the game bro.....everything is more. Period. Mine works just fine got it for 700, i can keep it a while and because of the market i can sell it for 8 to 9 as is because i hanged tires and little things. Love your channel man, just had to speak my mind about yet another video saying dont buy this bike. I rode a black diamond on a Wal-Mart 200 bike...it is what it is. Modifying is the best part of having a bike

[@Senpai_77]

@@MattyActive everyone can always "pay a little more"

[@danbocan7114]

told ya i had marlin 6 2020 its a good bike for gravel and normal ride, but for more difficult terrain not good at all, i hate the fork , i hate the brakes, as u said no dropper seat, tyres for descending terrain not quite good.

[@kings17court]

Cool to see Tyron Woodley riding mountain bikes. 😄

[@MattyActive]

🤣

[@thecadman99]

Great job- this is what a useful review looks like.

[@Stenmen]

I was going to buy Marlin 6 gen 2 just so that I can start mountain biking but after all that you said I don’t really feel like going with this bike. What should I buy that is affordable, under 700( I am 16 I can’t afford expensive bikes)

[@kienfung3045]

I have the Xcaliber 8, one model above the Marlin, i think that is the best to begin with. Tapered headtube, dropperpost ready frame and lighter and more aggressive geometry frame. The Roscoe is more for the light trail courses.

[@Gnarnia831]

A few years ago I got the Marlin as my intro and while it was a fine bike I out “grew” it in a matter of weeks and wish I had just bought an intro full sus like a polygon or Marin.

[@pancak355]

I'm new to the sport. I was originally looking at bikes at the ~$1,000 price range, but decided to get the Polygon D7 instead. When I see comments like this I'm glad I spent the extra money lol

[@Gnarnia831]

@@pancak355 yeah you definitely made the right choice. And honestly spent less money on the long run than I did. Just don’t try an electric MTB like the Santa Cruz Heckler. I made that mistake and had to get one lol. Still a great work out, but get to ride farther and longer. Though still love to ride my normal MTB.

[@Eroldlite]

I outgrew my marlin 6 super quick. I Dont agree that it’s not worth upgrading, you can get a more capable HardTail but the components will be mid at very best. Marlin 6’s components are so low that you can go full hog and upgrade the parts as you go along and any upgrade you do will pretty much improve your experience substantially.

[@MountainDooo01]

The fact is that the best option to start with is a TRAIL hardtail, and there’s a good few options for $1000 or less. For example I bought a vitus nucleus vrs, that bike has very good trail geometry very similar to the $2500 and $3000 trail hardtails and comes with decent overall specs and setup

[@wvjeepguy8178]

There are far better options out there for the price. This bike has serious drawbacks that can not be remedied, just like he said in the video.

[@muster442]

mattia grazie del video io sto usando una maril 6 da più di 7 mesi e mi trovo veramente bene , ora mi sono molto appasionato alla mtb mi alleno 3 volte alla settimana , e volevo comprare un altra trek ,la procaliber 9,5 e volevo sapere cosa ne pensavi . grazie

[@exoad]

hi, i am planning to buy this bike, as its really in my price range

[@MattyActive]

Not really any chain notice. Just noise from the cables hitting the frame.

[@exoad]

​@@MattyActive Ah I see! Thanks for your quick reply, also another quick question, what tires are you running on the bike in this video. I am concerned about the low clearance the bike provides (as it seems on the website, it only allows for around 2.4 inch tires) for tires. Thank you very much :D!!

[@GavrielFleischer]

Would you recommend a 2023 Marlin 6 (Gen 3) instead? Or is that still a no-no?

[@MattyActive]

It’s an awesome bike but I would try to go for something higher than the 6. I think it’s a little expensive for what you get

[@kienfung3045]

I would look for the Xcaliber, tapered headtube, dropperpost ready, lighter frame. It's a bit more expensive but it's worth every penny. Xcaliber is one model above the Marlin. Enjoy your new hobby!

[@dannyellis971]

So basically… this is a good beginners bike…

[@kwaktak]

This is kind of out of left field, but have you ever tried an X-Caliber?

[@MattyActive]

Yea I have. I like that bike for sure

[@kwaktak]

@@MattyActive that bike is probably a better replacement for the Marlin then as the two lines has sort of blurred. The Marlin 8 is sort of the Excalibur 7. I’m also curious about the Procaljber

[@big_.72]

Would you recommend getting this bike for like a 15 mile ride? that’s mostly what i want it for.

[@alxndr2938]

Save your lunch money and pony up for a Top Fuel and have a bike that can get techy af, dust the children on the XC trails & ride to the gas station up the road for a beer run

[@mike5523]

It's currently on sale for $750 right now? Would it be worth it at that price?

[@MattyActive]

Honestly I think that’s too much money

[@mike5523]

@@MattyActive Thank you for the reply! I'll keep on looking. I just subbed to your channel

[@joseoliveira8805]

2:46 the marlin 8 gen 3 actualy has a dropper

[@MattyActive]

That’s good to hear!

[@TheUsz28]

This bike is 649.99 right now. Think it's worth it at this price?

[@BJaca-tn3om]

I really can't deicide what to buy. I'm lookin at something around 800 USD ( under 300k in HUF). EVERY single bike I've checked got bad reviews. Don't buy this, don't buy that, save up more. But not everyone want to buy a bicycle for the price of a car. Used are big no-no here, because the used market is mostly stolen bikes here. Is everything trash in an affordable price range, really?

[@MattyActive]

Honestly it just depends what kind of riding you’ll be doing. You can get an awesome bike for around $800. I would check out the specialized bikes in that price range. Great deals going on right now!

[@franciscoayon9470]

Marlin 6 or 2012 trek fuel ex7

[@rolandovera5935]

Sound advice

[@nikoleino1108]

can you give 2 options for this price i was looking marlin 6 gen 2 2023 for first option

[@MattyActive]

I would also look at the specialized rock hoppers

[@stevedapirate5]

Well, I won mine in a $25 raffle so im gunna keep mine.

[@MattyActive]

That was a great investment!

[@DrSagaciousone]

Thank you

[@ismailbernoivarsson6009]

as salam aleykom warmatullahi wabarakatu! do you know if Ktm ultra ride is tubeless ready? it Costs 1000 $ i dont know if it is Good for me.

[@ismailbernoivarsson6009]

actually it was 1100$

[@derKischda]

What bike for 850$ has a dropper post included?

[@MattyActive]

I would check out specialized Hardtails

[@super7ace]

Can I use this bike for daily commute?

[@MattyActive]

For sure!

[@super7ace]

​@Matty Active Okay, Thank you!!😊

[@jankie55]

I know you are a trek guy, but imo, you pay a lot for the name with trek, specialized, etc...and your components suffer because of it

[@ttom2460]

What would you recommend in Roscoe 7-9 category and price point?

[@dannyturner7967]

@@ttom2460 for beginner roscoe 7 is all you need.

[@jankie55]

@@ttom2460 I bought a Marin San Quentin 2 which is comparable to Trek Roscoe 7 and it was about 300 dollars less.

[@marcusmcfall8167]

@@ttom2460 you could get any of the polygon ful suspensions in that price range. If you want to stick to a hardtail I wouldn't venture outside of trek or specialized though. The warranty on those two brands is leagues above other bike brands

[@ttom2460]

I have Trek 3700 Disk and would like to upgrade next year. I really like Roscoe 8. I’ve been looking at other brands and similar price point, just don’t know why another would be better. I guess another thing to consider is what local bike shops are selling and serviceability.

[@Senpai_77]

Lol stop saying dont get this bike and just say "i dont know how to ride" for click bait lol

[@pancak355]

How is it clickbait? All of his points were valid

[@Senpai_77]

@@pancak355 because it is. The very fact the bike is price pointed if you know anything about bikes is that you will need to upgrade and parts are everywhere to be found based on your riding and what you like on your bike. I love this guy's channel but more often than not its sht on marlins and i havent seen him really SEND IT! The bike is what it is. If i by a stock truck but want it to act like a ford raptor or something....dont be surprised you have to mod it. Im not gonna tell you to NOT buy the truck that is not made for what you want it for

[@mattj6676]

@@Senpai_77 He didn't say it's impossible to upgrade it, he said that if your intention is to upgrade it, you'll spend as much upgrading as you did buying it, and you'd be better off buying a better spec'd bike in the first place. Good advice he's learned from personal experience. He never shits on the Marlins, he always has owned one despite having much nicer bikes in his garage, he loves the things.

[@Senpai_77]

@@mattj6676 people...you really need to read my first comment...not your feelings about what you felt about it.

[@mattj6676]

@@Senpai_77 I read your comments, you said "stop saying don't buy this bike and just say I don't know how to ride" and said it's clickbait, which you doubled down on in your second comment, then you seemed to have sore feelings about the whole thing saying to stop shitting on Marlins. It's not clickbait if he's actually saying what he means from his own experience. He has nothing but love for Marlins, he keeps buying them even though his riding ability has gone well past where he can use it on the advanced trails. Not sure where my feelings come into it, but there it is I guess.