I'm looking into buying my first proper mountain bike. This is the front runner, I can get it about $650
What is /n/ opinion of marlin7? I like the hydraulic brakes, double wall rims, adjustable shock and lockout. I'm having trouble finding anything with a comparable component set out of the box. What you guys think?
>hydraulic brakes
Whole life of v brakes m8 ready for that upgrade
>>959853
The Marlin is a pretty decent entry-level bike, about the same as a Giant Talon or Specialized Rockhopper. If you rode it and liked it, and it's in your budget, I see no reason not to buy one.
I would recommend against getting cheap hydros like I did. They are nice to have (even if you don't really need them), but when they leak it's a huge pain. If you can't step up to Deore-ish quality or better, just stick with mechanicals or V-brakes.
>SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
So as the only person in the shop who actually knows how to overhaul a hydraulic system, I feel confident in saying that all of my customers who I've sent out on hydros within the past 3 years haven't needed any service on them other than the usual caliper alignment. Which is one of the easiest adjustments to do anywhere on a bike at home.
Marlin 7's a good bike, it's got a lot of proper modern features on it and is as capable as any trail bike until you get into full suspension. The only thing that you may want to upgrade later on if you think it necessary is tubeless for the tires and wheels, if you ride often on the trails it's a proper upgrade that only requires new sealant to be added every couple of months.
>>959853
You have to spend about 3x that to get a new mtb that isn't pure shit. Good news is you can get a pretty nice used mtb for that price at pinkbike.com/buysell
>>959869
Hmm... fair point. How much better is hydraulic (functioning properly) than mechanical? Although even the m6 has hydraulics..
I rode a size large gt backwoods today, is that on the same level as trek and giant and specialized ? There are still a lot of nuance things I don't know a lot about like different models of shifters and derailleurs etc.
>>959872
>The only thing that you may want to upgrade later on if you think it necessary is tubeless for the tires and wheels, if you ride often on the trails it's a proper upgrade that only requires new sealant to be added every couple of months.
Eh, only if OP lives in an area with lots of thorns. If there's not thorns then there's no reason not to run tubes imo.
>>959874
Hydros feel nicer and crisper, but they can be looked at kind of like a luxury. Functionally, mechanical disc brakes work just fine, and mechanicals are also easier to work on and maintain. I have a bike with each, and I love my hydraulics, but my mechanicals are great too.
>>959875
I always carry a spare tube and a tire boot on me even though all my bikes are set to tubeless. You can also get away with lower pressures on a tubeless tire as well, which may suit them if the trails they ride are softer terrain.
That's why I proposed if they thought it necessary, it's certainly not going to make or break their ride but it may be worth the benefit to them to think about it.
>>959879
>I always carry a spare tube and a tire boot on me even though all my bikes are set to tubeless
Yeah, of course.
>You can also get away with lower pressures on a tubeless tire as well, which may suit them if the trails they ride are softer terrain.
>That's why I proposed if they thought it necessary, it's certainly not going to make or break their ride but it may be worth the benefit to them to think about it.
Fair point, but I think on a hardtail, tubes would let him run as low of pressure as he would ever want. Most people are not going to want to go really soft unless they're doing more enduro/dh style riding, which OP won't be doing on that thing. At least that's my assumption. I'm pretty new to mtb so maybe I'm mistaken.
>>959882
I ride in Florida, specifically near the beach. The trail workers out here build fantastic features that I love to hit and ride aggressively. However in the more extreme cases where it doesn't rain for a week, the trails turn into 4 inch deep sugar sand that you will not be able to stick anything on. Wider tires, bigger wheels and low pressures out here means you are the fastest on the trail and you're having the most fun. Outfitting your bike properly to how you like to ride is key to focusing less on what the bike is doing and more on what the trail is throwing at you.
>>959873
Fuck all those overpriced used bikes
>>959885
TIME TO BRING OUT THE FATTY!
>>959894
Yeah, pretty much.
I remember riding with my coworker at my former shop I was on a Fuel EX 8 with 2.35 29er tires, I went over the bars twice half way through the trails during a two week drought. My buddy was on the Farley 8 and we traded half way, then he went over the bars twice.
Thanks for the great replies, gents.
>Capable as any trail bike until you get into full suspension
Awesome, good to hear
>Tubeless tires
Have to check into this
>>959869
>If you can't step up to Deore-ish quality or better, just stick with mechanicals or V-brakes.
I have the lowest of the low tier Shimanos (I think they're called 395) on two of my bikes and never had a single issue with them).
>>959853
>adjustable shock and lockout
A suspension fork that actually works costs $650 ALONE.
>>959877
>but they can be looked at kind of like a luxury.
This poster is a retard or a troll, do not take anything he says seriously.
>join promotive
> get like 50% diamondback or Raleigh bikes
>get better or same bike for less
> masturbate fuirously into your tires
>now tubeless
>profit
>>960161
Oh, bullshit.
There are lots of decent forks at the $250-450 range.
You can't even get a bike with mechanical brakes anymore unless you go super lowend so forget that shit.
The fork is what will start being a problem the faster/better you get. Suntour has an upgrade program and later on down the road you can upgrade to a decent air fork for around $200 and get another year or two out of the bike before feeling like you really have to upgrade to a new bike.
