I bought this bike last year to get into mountain biking and I'll always love this bike. Although I did have trouble shifting through the gears at first, a quick trip to the bike shop sorted that out and i went tubeless as well. I've had nothing but success on the trails. I ran two races with this bike and ran countless miles with friends and family and had the time of my life. I know a full suspension bike would be more forgiving on the trails but hardtails are more exciting at the same speeds. 10/10 would recommend
I hate the Marlin 8 with such passionate intensity that I shall go on a rant here about why I think it is a terrible bike for the price. I don’t even know what trek was thinking, this inferior bike will only cannibalize the sales of their xcaliber 7. The Trek Marlin 8 costs roughly 85,000 rs for which you get an alpha silver aluminum frame. Alpha silver aluminum frames have no butted tubing, only hydroformed, there is no internal routing for a dropper post and no tapered head tube. The xcaliber 7 offers all of the above and costs lesser. Remember, you can change the components of the bike but you can never change its frame, so I think the fram trek offers at this price is unacceptable. The drivetrain is a Sram SX eagle, which is a terrible drivetrain, infact anything under Sram GX is rubbish because the Shimano equivalents at those price points are far superior to Sram’s offering and less expensive as well. Shimano Deore m5120 11 speed system shifts a whole lot better than Sram SX, has a steel cassette which will last longer and uses mostly metal while sram sx is mostly plastic. Then there is the bottom bracket, a cheaper bike like their dual sport 3 or xcaliber 7 has hollow tech bottom bracket and this 85k bike doesn’t, that’s outrageous. In my opinion, anyone who has 85k to spend should go for the xcaliber 7, sure u will lose two speeds and go to a shimano m4100 drivetrain but it actually doesnt make as much of a difference and infact all deore series drivetrains m4100, m5120 and m6100 shift a lot better than sram sx. If you still want a 12 speed u can upgrade to deore m6100 when ur current drivetrain fails. What you can’t change is the frame… and that is why the marlin 8 feels like such a scam to me.
Hey my apologies for the late reply. This is the reason that I love the comments section. Your comment is incise and pertinent and is well argued. I completely agree with the fact that - 1. The frame is the weakest link on the Marlin 8. 2. It doesn't come with the latest standards like tapered head tube, thru axles or dropper seat post routing etc. However there are also a few inconsistencies in your comments that I'd like to point out, not to get a leg up but a) to guide people in the right direction b) Present my point of view So here goes - 1. The Xcaliber 7 is not cheaper than the marlin 8 In fact it costs the same. ₹ 84,399 2. Till about 5 years ago I would have agreed with you when you say "What you can’t change is the frame". But this is a mountain bike meant to be ridden hard on the trail. I've never broken a frame but I've never had a mountain bike that I haven't upgraded in 3 years. Because in about 3 years of regular mountain biking your skills grow and you need to upgrade or bike companies bring in a game changer. The rate of change is much higher in the MTB world than in the road bike world. Look at the latest XC bikes today - they are so slack that they resemble the trail bikes 5 years ago. Things like thru axles, tubeless wheels, dropper posts and 1x drivetrains. So there's no guarantee that a bike you buy today will be future proof in 3-5 years time. My point simply is that the Marlin is a bike that you unbox and hit the trails on, use and abuse for 3 years and move on to something better. Changing components piece by piece in India works out a lot more expensive than getting a new bike. 3. If there's one thing I disagree with its the Sram SX drivetrain. I've own a hardtail that started out with the SX and is now part X01, not because the SX was bad. Infact, I've never experienced any of the problems that you mention with the SX. With proper maintenance it shifts as well as my Deore equivalents. So I'm not sure if you got a lemon or is it something that resounds in Internet forums. Finally one needs a 12 speed not because its cool but because here in the Himalayas climbing is long and tedious (no bike lifts) and you can never have enough low gears. I've spent more time in the lowest gear than in the highest in the last 5 years of living here. Anyway now that I've said my piece I would like to commend yo on your well written comment and while we can disagree on some things your insight adds a lot of value to someone who is looking to buy a hardtail from trek. Please do keep commenting. I appreciate it a lot!
@@GearLama thanks for your reply. I really enjoyed reading it. 1- i wasnt aware that the prices of the xcal 7 had increased, because a day prior to my comment my dealer tried to push me an xcaliber 7 for 77,000 which is cheaper than what i knew marlin 8’s price at that point to be. 2- its true that the alpha silver aluminum isn’t going to break, but for 85k you definitely do deserve a more premium frame even if you upgrade it in 3 years. To be honest i dont even understand what trek is trying to achieve with a marlin 8, it only eats into the sales of their xcaliber lineup. 3- finally, lets discuss the idea of groupsets. I personally live in a flat region so a 51 tooth gear serves no purpose in my life except for the fact that it looks really cool. My argument against Sram SX is that after using both deore and sram SX i prefer deore anyday over sram and also that spare parts for sram are not only harder to find and more expensive, they dont justify their expense which they would if they were much better than shimano in my opinion. My final gripe against Sram is that they dont use industry standards, they create their own proprietary standards so if you have to buy from them once you have to keep buying from them, with shimano for eg, if i find the alivio shifter to be too expensive or i just cant find one i can use use a 9 speed microshift or box shifter because they all use the same actuation ratio. Shimano’s standards often become the industry standard
@@13ballom completely agree with 2! Bike companies are not your best friends thats's for sure. Their job is to sell you more bikes. I still disagree with 3 and here's my point of view. Yes SRAM is hard to get "in India" because your average cyclist only knows Shimano. So it will always be in a niche market. I don't think Shimano does industry standards. It is just that they are such a big force in cycling that anything they did became the de-facto standard. Not the other way around. Case in point Shimano took ages to get on the 1x bandwagon and only got on once the technical bits were sorted by SRAM :) Anyway the Shimano vs SRAM debate has been going on before our time and will continue far in the future, so I will just say to each his own. For now I'm riding a test bike with full Shimano Deore 6100 (but upgraded to XT shift levers) and it is freaking awesome :) You cannot ask for better value!
For me Trek Low End or Midrange is Terrible for instance. X-Caliber... Here in my Country if you compare trek with Giant XTC SLR 1 or Specialized Chisel if you compare X-Caliber still uses a Dropout quick release while Chisel and XTC already uses a Thru Axle. that is why Trek is terrible when you consider their budget or midrange bikes
Thanks for another great review. As a novice mountain biker, I'm looking to buy a good entry-level bike and I really appreciate the level of detail you go into. I'll probably end up going with the Scott Scale 970: it's got nearly identical specs (and price) as this bike, but it can also mount an internally-routed dropper post, which I'd love to have for those fast climb/descent transitions.
I’ve been riding for sometime and I did a lot last year I always used a mongoose or a Kmart bike but Monday I went to test ride the Marlin 7 and I ended up going with the Marlin 8 since my cousin had one and the 7 didn’t ride quite as well as the 8 did also the 7 had slightly deflated tires so that could have effected it
I have a strong belief that if you don't live in the mountains a hybrid with a rigid front fork makes a better commuter especially when your riding involves a mix of city roads with some bad roading thrown in. A suspension (even with a lockout) adds weight and complexity when none is needed for regular bike paths. Also mountain bikes are typically low geared to get over steep inclined which means that they miss out on the top end grunt. Keeping up with your pals at 35kmph means you're pedalling at over 90 rpm. A hybrid with the right tyre setup can do almost anything better over regular paths
I can give you the answer in one line. Roscoe 9 is better in every which way. 1. It has the latest standards. Boost hubs, tapered headtube etc. 2. 2.8 inch tyres are just better for trails. More grip more cushion. They are slower for climbing but we are not counting seconds here unless you're racing. 3. Roscoe is slacker and more trail friendly. 4. Comes with better frame that butted and cleaner 5. Has a dropper post. Cons: More expensive. So if you have the money it's no contest. Roscoe 9 hands down.
Yes. It's more future friendly so if you plan to keep it for long your upgrade options are much higher. I would say if you can afford it, the xcaliber is a better option
Red is also a very emotional & intense colour. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiratory rate & raises blood pressure. It has a very high visibility which is why stop signs, stop lights & fire equipments are usually painted red. This is why I choose the Red Marlin 8, so I’m more visibly when riding at night & less likely to get hit by a vehicle
So in terms of specs they are very similar. I personally like the scale's rounder tubing and 148 boost spacing vs 141 on xcaliber. But for me it's more of an aesthetic choice. I'm a sucker for round tubing
What Trek needs to know is that i orded mine excalibur 7 in Januari i was told in June in can,t be deliverd. So the say you can have a marlin 8 witch i be waiting for 3 months now. So i am waiting for a Trek bike now for 10 months 😡😡😡
A fox 34 fork is between USD $ 950 and 1200 new. So one can either get the bike or the fork. They cost about the same. I'm not even factoring a 40% import duty.
I bought this bike last year to get into mountain biking and I'll always love this bike. Although I did have trouble shifting through the gears at first, a quick trip to the bike shop sorted that out and i went tubeless as well. I've had nothing but success on the trails. I ran two races with this bike and ran countless miles with friends and family and had the time of my life. I know a full suspension bike would be more forgiving on the trails but hardtails are more exciting at the same speeds. 10/10 would recommend
Good review! I wasn’t sure if the Marlin 8 was right for me but you convinced me with your review. Thank you
I hate the Marlin 8 with such passionate intensity that I shall go on a rant here about why I think it is a terrible bike for the price. I don’t even know what trek was thinking, this inferior bike will only cannibalize the sales of their xcaliber 7.
The Trek Marlin 8 costs roughly 85,000 rs for which you get an alpha silver aluminum frame. Alpha silver aluminum frames have no butted tubing, only hydroformed, there is no internal routing for a dropper post and no tapered head tube. The xcaliber 7 offers all of the above and costs lesser. Remember, you can change the components of the bike but you can never change its frame, so I think the fram trek offers at this price is unacceptable.
The drivetrain is a Sram SX eagle, which is a terrible drivetrain, infact anything under Sram GX is rubbish because the Shimano equivalents at those price points are far superior to Sram’s offering and less expensive as well. Shimano Deore m5120 11 speed system shifts a whole lot better than Sram SX, has a steel cassette which will last longer and uses mostly metal while sram sx is mostly plastic.
Then there is the bottom bracket, a cheaper bike like their dual sport 3 or xcaliber 7 has hollow tech bottom bracket and this 85k bike doesn’t, that’s outrageous.
In my opinion, anyone who has 85k to spend should go for the xcaliber 7, sure u will lose two speeds and go to a shimano m4100 drivetrain but it actually doesnt make as much of a difference and infact all deore series drivetrains m4100, m5120 and m6100 shift a lot better than sram sx.
If you still want a 12 speed u can upgrade to deore m6100 when ur current drivetrain fails. What you can’t change is the frame… and that is why the marlin 8 feels like such a scam to me.
Hey my apologies for the late reply. This is the reason that I love the comments section. Your comment is incise and pertinent and is well argued.
I completely agree with the fact that -
1. The frame is the weakest link on the Marlin 8.
2. It doesn't come with the latest standards like tapered head tube, thru axles or dropper seat post routing etc.
However there are also a few inconsistencies in your comments that I'd like to point out, not to get a leg up but a) to guide people in the right direction b) Present my point of view
So here goes -
1. The Xcaliber 7 is not cheaper than the marlin 8 In fact it costs the same. ₹ 84,399
2. Till about 5 years ago I would have agreed with you when you say "What you can’t change is the frame". But this is a mountain bike meant to be ridden hard on the trail. I've never broken a frame but I've never had a mountain bike that I haven't upgraded in 3 years. Because in about 3 years of regular mountain biking your skills grow and you need to upgrade or bike companies bring in a game changer. The rate of change is much higher in the MTB world than in the road bike world. Look at the latest XC bikes today - they are so slack that they resemble the trail bikes 5 years ago. Things like thru axles, tubeless wheels, dropper posts and 1x drivetrains.
So there's no guarantee that a bike you buy today will be future proof in 3-5 years time.
My point simply is that the Marlin is a bike that you unbox and hit the trails on, use and abuse for 3 years and move on to something better. Changing components piece by piece in India works out a lot more expensive than getting a new bike.
3. If there's one thing I disagree with its the Sram SX drivetrain. I've own a hardtail that started out with the SX and is now part X01, not because the SX was bad. Infact, I've never experienced any of the problems that you mention with the SX. With proper maintenance it shifts as well as my Deore equivalents. So I'm not sure if you got a lemon or is it something that resounds in Internet forums.
Finally one needs a 12 speed not because its cool but because here in the Himalayas climbing is long and tedious (no bike lifts) and you can never have enough low gears. I've spent more time in the lowest gear than in the highest in the last 5 years of living here.
Anyway now that I've said my piece I would like to commend yo on your well written comment and while we can disagree on some things your insight adds a lot of value to someone who is looking to buy a hardtail from trek. Please do keep commenting. I appreciate it a lot!
@@GearLama thanks for your reply. I really enjoyed reading it.
1- i wasnt aware that the prices of the xcal 7 had increased, because a day prior to my comment my dealer tried to push me an xcaliber 7 for 77,000 which is cheaper than what i knew marlin 8’s price at that point to be.
2- its true that the alpha silver aluminum isn’t going to break, but for 85k you definitely do deserve a more premium frame even if you upgrade it in 3 years. To be honest i dont even understand what trek is trying to achieve with a marlin 8, it only eats into the sales of their xcaliber lineup.
3- finally, lets discuss the idea of groupsets. I personally live in a flat region so a 51 tooth gear serves no purpose in my life except for the fact that it looks really cool. My argument against Sram SX is that after using both deore and sram SX i prefer deore anyday over sram and also that spare parts for sram are not only harder to find and more expensive, they dont justify their expense which they would if they were much better than shimano in my opinion. My final gripe against Sram is that they dont use industry standards, they create their own proprietary standards so if you have to buy from them once you have to keep buying from them, with shimano for eg, if i find the alivio shifter to be too expensive or i just cant find one i can use use a 9 speed microshift or box shifter because they all use the same actuation ratio. Shimano’s standards often become the industry standard
@@13ballom completely agree with 2! Bike companies are not your best friends thats's for sure. Their job is to sell you more bikes.
I still disagree with 3 and here's my point of view. Yes SRAM is hard to get "in India" because your average cyclist only knows Shimano. So it will always be in a niche market. I don't think Shimano does industry standards. It is just that they are such a big force in cycling that anything they did became the de-facto standard. Not the other way around. Case in point Shimano took ages to get on the 1x bandwagon and only got on once the technical bits were sorted by SRAM :)
Anyway the Shimano vs SRAM debate has been going on before our time and will continue far in the future, so I will just say to each his own.
For now I'm riding a test bike with full Shimano Deore 6100 (but upgraded to XT shift levers) and it is freaking awesome :) You cannot ask for better value!
For me Trek Low End or Midrange is Terrible
for instance.
X-Caliber...
Here in my Country if you compare trek with Giant XTC SLR 1 or Specialized Chisel
if you compare X-Caliber still uses a Dropout quick release while Chisel and XTC already uses a Thru Axle.
that is why Trek is terrible when you consider their budget or midrange bikes
Thanks for another great review. As a novice mountain biker, I'm looking to buy a good entry-level bike and I really appreciate the level of detail you go into. I'll probably end up going with the Scott Scale 970: it's got nearly identical specs (and price) as this bike, but it can also mount an internally-routed dropper post, which I'd love to have for those fast climb/descent transitions.
A dropper post is probably the greatest thing since tubeless. Can't imagine riding without one now
I’ve been riding for sometime and I did a lot last year I always used a mongoose or a Kmart bike but Monday I went to test ride the Marlin 7 and I ended up going with the Marlin 8 since my cousin had one and the 7 didn’t ride quite as well as the 8 did also the 7 had slightly deflated tires so that could have effected it
Bella bici . I have this bike
Your personal choice Marlin 7/8. Vs Scott Aspect 930?
As i said on the video 15:40 , If you can afford it marlin 8. If on a budget then 7
First, good review! But, are you suggesting not to buy this for bike regular paths or commuting?
I have a strong belief that if you don't live in the mountains a hybrid with a rigid front fork makes a better commuter especially when your riding involves a mix of city roads with some bad roading thrown in. A suspension (even with a lockout) adds weight and complexity when none is needed for regular bike paths. Also mountain bikes are typically low geared to get over steep inclined which means that they miss out on the top end grunt. Keeping up with your pals at 35kmph means you're pedalling at over 90 rpm. A hybrid with the right tyre setup can do almost anything better over regular paths
Great job 👌👌❤️
Can you do the comparison between the Marlin 8 and Roscoe 9
I can give you the answer in one line. Roscoe 9 is better in every which way.
1. It has the latest standards. Boost hubs, tapered headtube etc.
2. 2.8 inch tyres are just better for trails. More grip more cushion. They are slower for climbing but we are not counting seconds here unless you're racing.
3. Roscoe is slacker and more trail friendly.
4. Comes with better frame that butted and cleaner
5. Has a dropper post.
Cons:
More expensive.
So if you have the money it's no contest. Roscoe 9 hands down.
I am undecided between a Marlin 8 nd an X-Caliber 9 2022.. .is the X-Caliber worth the money difference for recreational use? thanks
Yes. It's more future friendly so if you plan to keep it for long your upgrade options are much higher. I would say if you can afford it, the xcaliber is a better option
Red is faster. Can't argue with that ;-D
Red is also a very emotional & intense colour. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiratory rate & raises blood pressure. It has a very high visibility which is why stop signs, stop lights & fire equipments are usually painted red.
This is why I choose the Red Marlin 8, so I’m more visibly when riding at night & less likely to get hit by a vehicle
Never thought of red in the stop light perspective !
Which has a better frame trek X caliber or Scott scale in your opinion and why? Answers will be appreciated 😀
So in terms of specs they are very similar. I personally like the scale's rounder tubing and 148 boost spacing vs 141 on xcaliber. But for me it's more of an aesthetic choice. I'm a sucker for round tubing
What Trek needs to know is that i orded mine excalibur 7 in Januari i was told in June in can,t be deliverd. So the say you can have a marlin 8 witch i be waiting for 3 months now. So i am waiting for a Trek bike now for 10 months 😡😡😡
Nice bike....
Sure is!
😍😍😍
For that price we must atleast get fox 34 or something equivalent. Thats rip-off man..
A fox 34 fork is between USD $ 950 and 1200 new. So one can either get the bike or the fork. They cost about the same. I'm not even factoring a 40% import duty.