Trek Marlin 7 Review
The Cheapest entry level cross country race bike out there?
If you're looking for a bike that will be equally at home on a fast commute or cross country race circuit, but don't want to break the bank, the Trek Marlin 7 could be for you
The immediate thing you'll fall in love with about the Trek Marlin 7 is its aluminium frame packed with subtle features that make this £825 cross-country bike perfect for both casual rides and aspiring racers alike, not to mention a paint job and sleek frame that's easy on the eyes. The bike boasts the kind of sharp and precise steering you’d expect from higher-priced racing models, and the 100mm RockShox XC30 coil spring fork delivers surprisingly good performance even over some of the rockiest trails you'll throw at it.It strays from the single chainring trend that’s common in off-road bikes at the moment, but two chainrings is a very good compromise for the smaller number of rear cogs in a nine-speed drivetrain–you typically don’t see 1x drivetrains until you step up to a 10-speed. The 22 x 36 lowest gear on the Marlin 7 is an easier gear than the 32 x 50 smallest combo often found on bikes equipped with SRAM’s much more expensive Eagle 12-speed drivetrain. The 36 x 11 combo, the largest gear on the Marlin 7, also outpaces the 32 x 10 available with a more expensive 12–speed drivetrain, so you get more go-fast gearing as well. An added bonus with a 2x drivetrain is smaller jumps between gears, making this an excellent choice for an entry-level mountain bike.As racers, we like to say “look fast, feel fast, go fast” meaning you can’t go fast if you don’t look good. And the Marlin’s sharp lines and aggressive styling are sure to make you feel speedy as soon as you swing your leg over the top tube.If you like the idea of the Marlin but some aspects of the 7 don't appeal to you, be it price, components, or some combination of those, there are a handful of lower-cost options available. Those models keep the same frame, but trim costs by downgrading the components and suspension fork.The Marlin family also boasts two women-specific models that feature a lower stand-over height as well as shorter cranks, narrower handlebars, short-reach brake levers, and women’s saddles. Both the Marlin 5 and Marlin 6 are offered in men’s and women’s versions. The cheapest option however, the Marlin 4, is only available in a unisex model.While we joke that you have to look good in order to go fast, good looks can only carry you so far if the bones aren't good. In this case, when you look at the geometry you can see that this bike is extremely race–capable. The first standout is the 73 degree effective seat tube angle. Paired with a 69.5 degree head angle and 1159mm wheelbase (for our size XL test bike) you get a bike that'll be aggressive and nimble in tight singletrack, yet stable when barreling straight downhill at high speed. These are design elements you're just as likely to see on much pricier bikes made for high level competition. But don't let that scare you away from using this bike for purely recreational pursuits. It's perfect for that as well. In fact, the real gold in this bike is the fact that it's equally good as a casual weekend cruiser as it is an entry level racing bike.The 2 x 9-speed drivetrain blends Shimano Altus shifters and a front derailleur with the nicer Shimano Acera rear derailleur. The rear derailleur handles the bulk of the shifting load, so using a better rear derailleur with cheaper shifters is a good way to maintain drivetrain performance while still keeping the overall price as low as possible.Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc brakes are more than capable of providing the level of control necessary for pushing your limits on high-speed descents. The bike rolls on aluminum Bontrager Connection hoops wrapped in Bontrager XR2 Comp tires and laced to aluminum quick-release hubs. These wheels aren’t, however, tubeless-ready. That shouldn’t be a deal-breaker given it helps keep the final price as low as possible, and any wheelset can be easily converted to tubeless. That said, you don’t need to upgrade to tubeless to ride trails, but it does make for a better experience by allowing you to run lower tire pressure without fear of pinch flats. Lower pressure also softens the bumps and gives you better traction. If you want to make the leap to tubeless, any local bike shop should be able to guide you toward a cost-effective way to make the switch.The Marlin 7 may be a cheap mountain bike, but it has the heart of a race steed. Unlike some bikes on the cheap end of the spectrum that cater to the recreational user, this one is aimed firmly at entry-level riders who want a bike that’s affordable yet capable of riding and racing hard. That was readily apparent from the first few pedal strokes. With the aggressive styling of the dramatically sloping top tube and the aggressive fit, this bike can grow with you as your addiction, ambition, and skill set grow. You can easily upgrade the components over time, and since the frame is aluminum, it’ll be able to handle multiple seasons of use.Out in the woods, this bike does exactly what you’d want when riding hard. Agile steering and impressive shock absorption from the coil-spring RockShox XC30 fork make the Marlin 7 surprisingly adept at traversing extremely rocky and technical trails. It tracks nicely on fast sweeping turns, although on rough terrain it was more difficult to hold the line due to running high tire pressure–I tested this bike as-is without making the tubeless conversion. At just over 31 pounds, it’s not the lightest XC bike but still light and lively enough to clear knee-high logs. If this is making it sound like I loved this bike, that’s because I did. For new cross-country racers and dirt-curious riders of all ages, the Marlin 7 is a worthy option.