Commentors: "Bikes are too expensive, review some bikes we can afford" Commentors in this video: complain about the weight, groupset, axles, all while nobody praising bike radar for reviewing an entry level bike.
Yes, please keep the entry level content coming! :) The outgoing model was my first mtb. 2x Altus/Acera groupset, coil fork, tubed tires, high post. Maybe some guys who watch a lot of PB eill be shocked to read this… but I lived to tell the tale. I had great fun on it even though it was a smaller size than what officially fits me. So it was neither long, nor slack or low. I could absolutely have fun on it on most of my local trails. It was neither very quick, nor very capable, but it was a good reliable mountain bike, I colud go almost anywhere on it, and it made me fall in love with the sport. This new model looks to be very similar: a great entry point into mtb-ing. Just don’t expect to keep it as you progress, because the upgrade potential is not great - when you really get into the sport and find your preferref riding style, you can make the Marlin a good commuter and buy another mtb with modern standards like boost, thru axles and a tapered head tube.
Just had delivered the Cannondale Trail SE 3, same price point but some big differences; Deore rear mech with Deore cassette 11-51, 11 speed. 120mm Judy Silver TK but with sturdier 15x110 screw-in thru axle. WTB STX i25 tubeless ready rims came pre-taped and ready to squirt in the Stans. WTB tyres (2.25" Trail Boss out back and 2.3" Breakout taking the hits). Similarities; Tranz-X dropper, wide bar and short stem, aluminium frame (however Cannondale's premium SmartForm C2 Alloy has nicer smooth welds for an almost carbon look), internal cable routing, tapered headtube. BSA bottom bracket. I've owned Trek, I have a Remedy in the stable which my son rides and has survived so many hard kms and I used to ride a Trek hardtail, however, Cannondale's attention to specifying Deore, tubeless ready rims, great tyre combo and the Judy (and rear wheel) having proper boost width, screw in axles, it didn't take me long to chose. Great video and good to see your test was at Cwmcarn's Twrch trail. I was there only last week when I took my Cannondale on Twrch Trail and then Cafall, where my experience was that only the fork felt under-gunned, but I was riding pretty hard. I usually ride these trails on a 2021 Giant Trance 29er with Fox 34 130mm and Fox Evol DPS shock. The drop-stays on the Cannondale, providing some extra flex for comfort, also needs a mention, as I was blown away at how little chop and bounce from the back wheel.
The Cannondale is a solid competitor for the Trek with some nice details for sure! Cwmcarn is great for riders of all abilities and perfect for showing the kind of riding the Marlin and other budget hardtails are likely to be used on
Ordered my Marlin 8 and waiting for it to arrive at local Trek dealer. I will be using it for leisure commute on road and sometimes rough roads. Hope the bike will serve my purpose.
@@outkast_xiii670 I'm enjoying my rides as a beginner. I go for evening rides after my work and so far I am happy with it. Still figuring out how to ride longer.
This makes me wonder what they’ll do with the X-Caliber now that the updated Marlin has more modern geometry than it. Will they finally put proper thru-axles on it, like the Roscoe? Since that’s a true trail bike now, and the Marlin is supposed to be a beginner XC bike, that leaves their current mid-tier X-Caliber to get their lunch ate by both.
The X-Caliber is more a budget XC bike, so they have the range covered quite nicely. The X-Caliber for a more XC race feel, Roscoe for out and out trail riding and the Marlin sitting square in the middle with bits of both. Certainly feels like that on the trail!
Can't agree, there are dozens of way better choices out there with propper mtb spec for less money. Trek are cashing in on the name, hoping ppl will be wowed at the possibility of riding a Trek. This should be 500-600 at best. Way over priced for what it is.
Nice bike by Trek even though not the best machine at that price point seems quite good starter into trial-commuter bike world out there. Nice and neat review my friend. Congrats!
It's NOT a Beginner’s Bike. This is my 5th Mountain Bike. I purchased it because that's all I wanted to spend on a bike for my type of riding. So don't lead people to think that this is a started bike and in a year or so you will need a more expensive bike. BTW I started out with a full suspension Giant = too much bike for my cycling
The bottom bracket is pretty bad. If you remove it and look at the caution label it states not intended for jumps or drops. If you're looking to ride that like a trail bike you'll want to upgrade the SX cranks to the DUB version.
The Scale is a great bike, but more XC than the Marlin. Perhaps faster, but the geometry between the two might give the Trek the edge on descents, particularly with the dropper as standard
in a few years, according to journalists and web portals, the entry level bike will be the one for €5000, with the fact that you will need to upgrade forks and derailleurs
Yeah. Think about old days how bikes looked, the were simple without post droppes and shit, and people were flying. Now everybody need bike for fortune 🫠
Hey i was wondering if you tried some jumps on it i like that bike and i would like to buy it but i also think that the 100mm travel is low (iam a beginner) thanks
for the average commuter qr is exactly what we need for quick servicing in the garage. Thruaxle is safer and better, but there is no need for them on bikes for this purpose. If you are going to jump, go wild and compete, then this bike is not for you.
A shame they put the absolutely POS Sram SX drivetrain on this thing, better off with deore 10 speed or similar, if you want to save a few bucks. And just make this thing boost through axles, for crying out loud, not another stupid hybrid through-axle thing
I used to own the Marlin 8 and once i broke the SX in it was amazing. Reviews like these Don't take break-in into consideration because they can't but i assure you or anyone else the SX is a dream and being able to shift up 5 gears with one swing of the lever made climbing so much easier in the middle of a race. Definitely don't knock it until you try it because, correct me if I'm wrong but, the only difference between the SX, GX... Etc is the materials they're made from.
@@nyreppin1 you’re lucky to have a good experience with sx. I’ve heard from multiple sources and friends including bike shop owners how bad sx has been. Came on a bike I got and if you went down a bumpy trail it would ghost shift. Made from cheaper materials, mostly plastic, and a weak clutch spring.
The standards from these comments are outrageous..feom a normal persons view point who has ridden normal big retailer bikes...this bike absolutely blows alot of bikes away...there is way too many snobby bike people on here its really strange.
I think it's great to see reviews of 'entry-level' bikes, but sorry, £1200 is not a price for 'beginners'. That's ridiculous. Something is stinky in the bike industry with pricing. We used to get more for much less. A beginner bike should be about £500. A bike you can use to seriously participate in competition riding should cost £1000 and up. In my opinion we need to vote with our wallets and boycott these overpriced bikes.
I say a slacker head tube angle (more progressive geometry), is a negative. There is no problem with bike stability of the Gen 2 models, and a slacker angle just does not turn as well. "Different" or "new", is not always better. But it sells.
Zero reason they can't use a tapered head tube and boost spacing. Even Walmart bikes come with these features nowadays. I have a 2021 Marlin 7 and it is next to impossible to upgrade with anything worth spending the money on. New riders, like i was, will quickly be disappointed to learn they will need an entirely new bike when they want to do any meaningful upgrades. There is no logical conclusion other than Trek is purposely making this bike bad in order to drive customers into another bike sooner than that customer had planned.
Compare this to the Polygon Xtrata 7 and you'll quickly see how this is NOT a good value bike. The lack of boost spacing (Frame) for the money they want is unacceptable. Stay away in my view.
The M8, like all Marlin's is sh1te, the QR fork, square taper BB, straight head tube, and wierd hybrid rear axle are just very poor choices by Trek. Not a proper mtb, sorry Marlin fanboys.
Speaking from experience. Those wheels are absolute trash. Bontrager 108 rapid drive wheels are cool but those particular wheels on that marlin suck so bad
![เป็นไปได้ไหม - WanMai [Performance Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Eh5hItD4Mr0/mqdefault.jpg)
Would this make for the ideal starter bike? What do you think of this latest Trek Marlin?
No to expensive 700 or 800 pound is better
Commentors: "Bikes are too expensive, review some bikes we can afford"
Commentors in this video: complain about the weight, groupset, axles, all while nobody praising bike radar for reviewing an entry level bike.
😂
Zero reason this bike couldn't have came with features that are practically free to switch to during the redesign.
Yes, please keep the entry level content coming! :)
The outgoing model was my first mtb. 2x Altus/Acera groupset, coil fork, tubed tires, high post. Maybe some guys who watch a lot of PB eill be shocked to read this… but I lived to tell the tale. I had great fun on it even though it was a smaller size than what officially fits me. So it was neither long, nor slack or low. I could absolutely have fun on it on most of my local trails. It was neither very quick, nor very capable, but it was a good reliable mountain bike, I colud go almost anywhere on it, and it made me fall in love with the sport. This new model looks to be very similar: a great entry point into mtb-ing. Just don’t expect to keep it as you progress, because the upgrade potential is not great - when you really get into the sport and find your preferref riding style, you can make the Marlin a good commuter and buy another mtb with modern standards like boost, thru axles and a tapered head tube.
It is surprising how much abuse reasonably priced bikes can take!
Stay tuned for more budget-content coming soon!
Hard tails make a great choice period.
#hardtails4lyfe
Just had delivered the Cannondale Trail SE 3, same price point but some big differences; Deore rear mech with Deore cassette 11-51, 11 speed. 120mm Judy Silver TK but with sturdier 15x110 screw-in thru axle. WTB STX i25 tubeless ready rims came pre-taped and ready to squirt in the Stans. WTB tyres (2.25" Trail Boss out back and 2.3" Breakout taking the hits). Similarities; Tranz-X dropper, wide bar and short stem, aluminium frame (however Cannondale's premium SmartForm C2 Alloy has nicer smooth welds for an almost carbon look), internal cable routing, tapered headtube. BSA bottom bracket. I've owned Trek, I have a Remedy in the stable which my son rides and has survived so many hard kms and I used to ride a Trek hardtail, however, Cannondale's attention to specifying Deore, tubeless ready rims, great tyre combo and the Judy (and rear wheel) having proper boost width, screw in axles, it didn't take me long to chose.
Great video and good to see your test was at Cwmcarn's Twrch trail. I was there only last week when I took my Cannondale on Twrch Trail and then Cafall, where my experience was that only the fork felt under-gunned, but I was riding pretty hard. I usually ride these trails on a 2021 Giant Trance 29er with Fox 34 130mm and Fox Evol DPS shock. The drop-stays on the Cannondale, providing some extra flex for comfort, also needs a mention, as I was blown away at how little chop and bounce from the back wheel.
The Cannondale is a solid competitor for the Trek with some nice details for sure!
Cwmcarn is great for riders of all abilities and perfect for showing the kind of riding the Marlin and other budget hardtails are likely to be used on
I researched and liked this entry level Trek as well - but landed on the Marlin 7. It’s nicely equipped- even has a quick drop seat.
Thanks for commenting. Glad you like it!
~ Will
Yo its my boy Tom! Well done again on getting the position matey! Enjoy your future
Ordered my Marlin 8 and waiting for it to arrive at local Trek dealer. I will be using it for leisure commute on road and sometimes rough roads. Hope the bike will serve my purpose.
A great choice for that kind of riding, you'll soon want to take it off the beaten path even more!
@@bikeradar I hope so, I am new to the cycling world since I last used cycle during my early school days only. Waiting for next week for the delivery.
Let us know what you think about this bike. Enjoy your rides mate looks like a great bike.
@@outkast_xiii670 I'm enjoying my rides as a beginner. I go for evening rides after my work and so far I am happy with it. Still figuring out how to ride longer.
I’m getting back into the biking world and just bought the Marlin 8 Gen 3. I’ll get to test it out when I receive it in a couple days!
This makes me wonder what they’ll do with the X-Caliber now that the updated Marlin has more modern geometry than it. Will they finally put proper thru-axles on it, like the Roscoe? Since that’s a true trail bike now, and the Marlin is supposed to be a beginner XC bike, that leaves their current mid-tier X-Caliber to get their lunch ate by both.
Atleast Make it thru Axle.
The X-Caliber is more a budget XC bike, so they have the range covered quite nicely.
The X-Caliber for a more XC race feel, Roscoe for out and out trail riding and the Marlin sitting square in the middle with bits of both. Certainly feels like that on the trail!
If you don't compete against your other models, someone else will.
Finally Review for entry Bikes
The people ask and the people shall receive!
Hi am Eric from Kenya ....and I think they got it right 👍😃
It's a great bike for sure, with lots of potential
Nothing wrong with this bike for the price and intended rider. All bases covered well.
True, he shouldn't call it a beginners bike, it's my 5th
Can't agree, there are dozens of way better choices out there with propper mtb spec for less money. Trek are cashing in on the name, hoping ppl will be wowed at the possibility of riding a Trek. This should be 500-600 at best. Way over priced for what it is.
@@trickyrickymtb5622 what would you recomend
Nice bike by Trek even though not the best machine at that price point seems quite good starter into trial-commuter bike world out there. Nice and neat review my friend. Congrats!
Looks beautiful! Trek really up their game with this one. Looks like a great first Mtb
It is a great looking bike! Fun to ride as well and with a few changes to unlock it's potential, is a great first MTB!
@@bikeradar what would be the best things to first upgrade? Are thru axles an option?
Picking this up in a couple days and it’s my first MTB.
Get a good set of pedals, the ones on the bike are low in to keep the price down.@@chrisa6950
@@bikeradardo you think slapping on a shimano xt drivetrain on this bike worth it?
Great video, can I ask tall/reach do you have as this bike was a large and looked perfect? Thanks
It's NOT a Beginner’s Bike. This is my 5th Mountain Bike. I purchased it because that's all I wanted to spend on a bike for my type of riding. So don't lead people to think that this is a started bike and in a year or so you will need a more expensive bike. BTW I started out with a full suspension Giant = too much bike for my cycling
Do you think the boardman mht 8.9 is better
The bottom bracket is pretty bad. If you remove it and look at the caution label it states not intended for jumps or drops. If you're looking to ride that like a trail bike you'll want to upgrade the SX cranks to the DUB version.
Will there be a new 8 coming out soon??
Bike looks good, but what about the Scott Scale 970? Same price but should be better on the trails. :)
The Scale is a great bike, but more XC than the Marlin. Perhaps faster, but the geometry between the two might give the Trek the edge on descents, particularly with the dropper as standard
Any news on a XCaliber with thru axle frame?
No news yet :(
in a few years, according to journalists and web portals, the entry level bike will be the one for €5000, with the fact that you will need to upgrade forks and derailleurs
Yeah. Think about old days how bikes looked, the were simple without post droppes and shit, and people were flying. Now everybody need bike for fortune 🫠
Hey i was wondering if you tried some jumps on it i like that bike and i would like to buy it but i also think that the 100mm travel is low (iam a beginner) thanks
Looking if large would be good fit for me iam 5 11 how was it for u ??
I'm 5'11 mL good size
I notice the bike is an L size. What's your height by the way? I'm 6ft and L is recommended. Would the M/L be okay for me?
Is this for American and European versions? With dropper
This is the UK version, no US version on Trek's site at the moment
It’s pretty good .. apart from that axel.. a hybrid?…
15kg is damned heavy for the price.
It's unique for sure, and it is easier than a standard QR axle, but a proper thru-xle would be even better!
Sounds more of a 2025 model trek marlin 8 gen 3?
If calibre can make a thru axle mtb with 130mm front fork for less money and better overall spec why can't marin?
Not sure about Marin, but bikes aren't just about on paper spec. We have the new Calibre in for review so stay tuned for a video!
Can you install thruaxle on both front and rear on this bike?
Nope, no thru-axles at either end. You could upgrade to the fork to one with a thru-axle, but the frame will have to stay QR only
@@bikeradar okay thank you
for the average commuter qr is exactly what we need for quick servicing in the garage. Thruaxle is safer and better, but there is no need for them on bikes for this purpose. If you are going to jump, go wild and compete, then this bike is not for you.
A shame they put the absolutely POS Sram SX drivetrain on this thing, better off with deore 10 speed or similar, if you want to save a few bucks. And just make this thing boost through axles, for crying out loud, not another stupid hybrid through-axle thing
The new Shimano cues that is releasing soon will be ideal for bikes like this
Well, Shimano is so so superior! 🤣🤣
Absolutely! Excited to try Cues and see how it performs.
I used to own the Marlin 8 and once i broke the SX in it was amazing. Reviews like these Don't take break-in into consideration because they can't but i assure you or anyone else the SX is a dream and being able to shift up 5 gears with one swing of the lever made climbing so much easier in the middle of a race. Definitely don't knock it until you try it because, correct me if I'm wrong but, the only difference between the SX, GX... Etc is the materials they're made from.
@@nyreppin1 you’re lucky to have a good experience with sx. I’ve heard from multiple sources and friends including bike shop owners how bad sx has been. Came on a bike I got and if you went down a bumpy trail it would ghost shift. Made from cheaper materials, mostly plastic, and a weak clutch spring.
The standards from these comments are outrageous..feom a normal persons view point who has ridden normal big retailer bikes...this bike absolutely blows alot of bikes away...there is way too many snobby bike people on here its really strange.
Anyone notice these bikes cost as much as motorcycles and dirt bikes?
Just bought a used/brand new M8 gen 3 for $500 of msrp. 😅
Is this the Gen 2 or Gen 3?
Gen 3
Rip off pricing for outdated technology. Same as Specialized-there are loads better bikes out there.
Can you name a few ? I'm still a wee bit of a newbie and looking for an upgrade from my marlin 6 which I will be keeping as my commuter!
I actually cancelled my order for 1 of these and put extra £170 and got the X Caluber 9..... Better Components and better all round for the £
What year is it?
It's the latest 2023 model that's in the review 👍
Is that you Kyle Reese?
I think it's great to see reviews of 'entry-level' bikes, but sorry, £1200 is not a price for 'beginners'. That's ridiculous. Something is stinky in the bike industry with pricing. We used to get more for much less.
A beginner bike should be about £500.
A bike you can use to seriously participate in competition riding should cost £1000 and up.
In my opinion we need to vote with our wallets and boycott these overpriced bikes.
I mean to say we should either boycott 'beginner' bikes that cost £1000 or stop calling them 'beginner' bikes.
i've got mine for 720 pounds, way cheaper than advertised
@@Dopamine-87 695 here
I say a slacker head tube angle (more progressive geometry), is a negative. There is no problem with bike stability of the Gen 2 models, and a slacker angle just does not turn as well. "Different" or "new", is not always better. But it sells.
with the price...you can just get the xcaliber 8...or 9.
Zero reason they can't use a tapered head tube and boost spacing. Even Walmart bikes come with these features nowadays. I have a 2021 Marlin 7 and it is next to impossible to upgrade with anything worth spending the money on. New riders, like i was, will quickly be disappointed to learn they will need an entirely new bike when they want to do any meaningful upgrades.
There is no logical conclusion other than Trek is purposely making this bike bad in order to drive customers into another bike sooner than that customer had planned.
Walmart bike is a beginner bike 🚲
Not true at all just unsafe and don’t last 🥱🥱🥱👎👎👎👎
Just me or does the voice audio sound blown? Keeps distracting me
Seriously, a harsh review of a great mountain bike. Trek is an amazing company. What was this dude expecting.
This is a sub $1000 bike with a Gucci belt.
Compare this to the Polygon Xtrata 7 and you'll quickly see how this is NOT a good value bike. The lack of boost spacing (Frame) for the money they want is unacceptable. Stay away in my view.
Orientated?
Do not buy a bike fro YT
I received a damaged and unsafe bike and they are refusing to do anything
Soulless cash grab, very disappointed
I think trek released this bike at the wrong time
The M8, like all Marlin's is sh1te, the QR fork, square taper BB, straight head tube, and wierd hybrid rear axle are just very poor choices by Trek. Not a proper mtb, sorry Marlin fanboys.
Middle class family not afford this bikes sry
Speaking from experience. Those wheels are absolute trash. Bontrager 108 rapid drive wheels are cool but those particular wheels on that marlin suck so bad
Not pretty bike. I hate Trek