Interested in an entry level bike ~$500What do you guys think of the Trek Marlin 5 29er?

Edit: I'm mostly going to use it for smooth trails and some road.

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>>902495
OH WOW IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S A FUCKING PERMATHREAD DEDICATED TO THE AGE-OLD QUESTION OF OBTAINING A BICYCLE THROUGH THE EXCHANGE OF CURRENCY.

Please reloc8 to /bbg/ >>898150 the friendly fellows there will be happy to help.

If you want a mountain bike for $500, buy used. A new mountain bike that price is going to be pure shit. pinkbike.com/buysell is a good place to buy. Possibly Craigslist too, but pinkbike is generally better for mountain bikes (unless you want a really old mountain bike without suspension).
Post in >>>/n/bbg

>>902497
Also, it sounds like you want a cross country bike. Probably a hardtail (front suspension, no rear suspension). Or possibly even a rigid (no suspension) bike, if you'll only be doing really mellow trails. Won't be as comfy as having front suspension though.

>>902527
no. hybrid. smooth trails and road? lol at a XC bike

>>902976
Are you OP? The bike you posted is not a hybrid. It is a low end mountain bike. If you want a hybrid, get an actual hybrid. Sirrus, Big Rove, Dew Plus, Muirwoods 29er, etc

>>902495
Is alright, will certainly suit your purposes as mentioned here >>902497

It's a good frame apparently, so next year/season/whenever you can happily upgrade components and get even more life out of your bike. Currently, they'll all be at entry-level standard, as you'd expect. According to some bike magazine I read, the Marlin 7 is tippity-top best entry-level hardtail bike. The only difference is in components I think.

I have a Trek Marlin 6. It's good, but I treat it badly and as a result have problems with the drivetrain and hydraulic brakes. I should really do a better job of of cleaning and maintenance, I let my bike get way too muddy.

>>903008
I also have a Marlin 6. I wish there were cooler colors, but I really enjoy it. It's comfy as fuck.

>>903008
>the Marlin 7 ...
I read that, too; however, that article's price limit was just a few dollars below what the X-Caliber 6 cost. The X-Cal 6 was a better frame AND components all around for only a few dollars more, but Trek did away with it for the 2016 model year. It makes me sad because I honestly don't like the Marlin 7 compared to the X-Cal 6 for the price.

>>903112
Agree. X-cal has a better frame. Similar like the superfly. I don't know but a think that x-cal is the old gary fisher genesis