• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Winning Bike

Buyer's Guides, Reviews & tips

  • Mountain Bikes
  • Road Bikes
  • kids Bikes
  • Beginner Bikes
  • Blog

Trek Marlin 5 Review: Any Good?

January 17, 2020 By JamieMurphy

Trek is one of the world’s leading bicycle manufacturers. Trek is always known for its quality and designs. It is an extremely versatile brand that offers more than 40 premium models across roads, mountains, and hybrid categories with a broad range of Trek and Bontrager parts, merchandise, accessories, and riding gear. Marlin 5 bike is one of the versatile bikes of Trek. It is a trail-worthy daily rider that is perfect for everyday adventures. If you are a new trail rider and want the best entry-level mountain bike then it is an ideal choice.

Key specifications

Frame

The Trek Marlin 5 comes with a lightweight alpha silver aluminum frame with internally routed cables that has a very smooth and modern design with the advantage that the cables will not catch dirt and not get damaged easily.

Fork

It comes with SR Suntour XCE 28 suspension fork with 100mm of travel suspension that’s the same amount favored by most racers. This is ideal for rougher terrains.

Rims/Wheel

It comes with Bontrager connection 32-holed double-walled rims and with varieties of the wheel sizes range from 27.5″-XS to 29″-XXL. Select the best wheel size which could be best for you.

Tires

It comes with Bontrager XR2 27.5/29 * 2.2/2.0″ tires that are of excellent quality for gravel and mountain roads.

Crankset/Chainrings

It offers Shimano tourney speed drivetrain TY301 42/34/24 which is of high quality and most commonly used in this price range. you can change the 3-chain ring in the front to a single chainring to reduce the weight of the bike but you have to buy a new single ring crank.

Brakes

It offers the Tektro HD-275 hydraulic disc brakes which need only one finger to apply the brakes means you will be less likely to strain your hands on the way down. This also means that the children and people with less strength in their hands can also feel safe and comfortable on this bike

Saddle

It comes with Bontrager Avada saddles which ensure that it is comfortable even on cross country trails or commutes.

 

Other Specifications

Hubs

 Front: This hub comes with DC20 alloy.

Rear: It comes with a Dc31 alloy.

Bottom Bracket

 Sealed cartridge, 72mm

Chain

KMC Z51

Derailleur

Front: Shimano Tourney TY300

Rear: Shimano Tourney TY300

Shifters

Shimano Altus M310, 7 speed

Cassette

 Shimano HG200, 12-32, 7 speed

Pedals

VP536 Nylon platform

Seatpost

Bontrager alloy, 2- bolthead, 31.6mm, 12mm offset

Handlebar

 Bontrager alloy, 31.8mm, 5mm rise

Grips

Bontrager XR endurance comp, lock-on

Stem

Bontrager alloy, 31.8mm, 7 degrees, blender compatible

Weight

 M- 14.59 kg/32.17 lbs inculding tubes.

Weight limit

 The bike has a maximum weight limit of 300 pounds/136 kg including bicycle, rider, and cargo.

Color

Matte Trek Black, Volt Green, Teal

The terrain on which the Trek Marlin5 performs well

As The Trek Marlin 5 is a hardtail entry-level bike, it can handle rougher terrains easily but not the one which is equipped with technical challenges. There are many different biking tracks you can try out but you have to check out the difficulty levels before you head out on your trip.

Marlin5 is suitable for:

Trail riding without excessive technical trail feature(TTF)

Trail riding is a wonderful and adventurous introduction into the sports if you focus on multi-use paths and other tracks that require no technical skills.

Downhill (DH)

Marlin5 is featured with an excellent hydraulic brake system which is very suitable for downhill rides. But you have to pay attention to difficulty levels and do not push it to extremes, despite the highly durable nature of it.

Cross country

Cross country ride can be enjoyed if you forego the possible jumps. The bike is featured with a 100mm front suspension.

Everyday commute

The level of stability and comfort is very high in Marlin5 so you can enjoy your daily commute with this amazing bike.

Not suitable for marlin5

Dirt jumping

The Marlin5 is not suitable for dirt jumping, not even small jumping.

Freeride

This type of mountain-biking consists of downhill (DH) with dirt jumping so Marlin5 is not fitted well for this.

Touring

The smooth design and light frame are always perfect for thrilling rid but not for long rides when you need to drag a lot of stuff with you so this is not suitable for touring.

Let's discuss the Pros and Cons of Marlin5

PROS

  • It is an excellent bike for all-round use
  • A lifetime Trek warranty is the biggest pros of this bike
  • Fit for everyone i.e. the choice of seven frame sizes make it fit for every rider. You can choose a perfect bike according to your height and size
  • Shorter reach and easy to apply hydraulic brakes (disc brakes) make it perfect for kids too.
  • The combination of strong and light aluminum with optimally designed tubing makes it a perfect bike for riders
  • The cables are internally routed means less prone to dirt and damage
  • It has separate brakes and shifts levers so you can fine-tune the positioning for comfort
  • Rack and kickstand mounts make it easy to accessorize

CONS

  • This is not suited for any kind of jumps it may cause wheel bending
  • Avoid any kind of hardcore Technical trail feature (TTF)
  • It is not suitable for freerides which consist of downhills and jumps
  • Marlin5 does not have a full lockout suspension

Is the Marlin5 worth it?

The very short answer is YES because this is an extremely capable all-mountain intermediate bike, the Marlin5 packs with absolutely great features as compared to its price tag. Trek is always known for its unmatchable quality and customer service.

Conclusion

The Trek Marlin 5 is a wonderful intermediate allrounder that provides thrill and fun for beginners, children, and adventurers. While not suitable for extreme off-road experiences, Marlin 5 is an excellent budget option with high quality and amazing design and color options which usually find in the expensive models.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Most Popular Content

Best Shoes For Peloton Bike

Are Peloton Shoes True To Size?

Best Cycling Shoes For Wide Feet

Best Cheap Mountain Bikes

Best Beginner Road Bikes

Best Single Speed Bikes

Best Cruiser Bikes

Best Cheap Road Bikes

Best Kids Bikes

Best Balance Bikes for Kids

#Commissions Earned (Affiliate Disclosure)

thewinningbike.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

As an Amazon Associate thewinningbike.com earns from qualifying purchases.

 

 

thewinningbike.com a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Copyright © 2022