Trek Marlin 6 Mountain Bike: First Look

We are now firmly in the middle of summer and everyone should be out enjoying the sun and being active. That’s why we chose now to bring you our first look at the Trek Marlin 6 mountain bike. This is the second summer I have been riding the Trek Marlin 6 and I have enjoyed almost all of it. Let’s dig into the Who, What and Why of this mountain bike.

Who is it designed for?

People often want to know what products are being built for when they begin their research into a potential purchase. I was the same way at the beginning of my bike purchasing experience. If you are an extreme sports person or want a bike to race on dirt tracks or down mountains, the Trek Marlin 6 isn’t the bike for you. This bike is referred to as a “Hard Tail” in the bike industry. This means it lacks any rear suspension but does feature preloaded hydraulic front forks, more on that in a few minutes.

If you are a rider who wants a bike that can handle dirt & gravel trails, paved bike paths or everyday urban adventures with confidence and ease, then the Trek Marlin 6 is almost perfectly suited for those environments. A few upgrades would make that experience even better. But we will handle that topic in the Final Impressions section below.

The Marlin 6 is available in 4 colors and 7 different sized frames to meet the needs of riders ranging in height from 4’9” to 6’8”. So there is a version of the Marlin 6 that fits nearly every juvenile or adult in the United States.

Specifications

Sizes Available & Wheel Size 

• Extra Small (27.5” Wheel)
• Small (27.5” Wheel)
• Medium (29” Wheel)
• Medium / Large (29” Wheel)
• Large (29” Wheel)
• Extra Large (29” Wheel)
• 2 Extra Large (29” Wheel)

Weight: 31 lbs

Frame Material: Alpha Silver Aluminum

Colors Available

• Matte Dnister / Black
• Nautical Navy
• Factory Orange
• Rage Red to Dnister Black Fade

Component Specs

• SR Suntour XCT 30 Preloaded Hydraulic Front Forks
• Formula DC-20/ DC-22 Hubs
• Bontrager Connection Rims
• Bontrager XR2 Comp Tires
• Shimano Deore Shifters and Derailer
• Shimano Deore M4100 Gear Cassette
• Bontrager Seatpost, Handlebar, Stem and Grips
• Tektro HD-275 Hydraulic Brakes

Misc. Specs

• Price: $649.00 MSRP
• Warranty: Lifetime
• Country of Manufacture: Vietnam

Initial Impressions

I won’t go into details about my bike selection process, but I will say the first thing I noticed about the Trek Marlin 6 was its weight. Or lack of weight I should say. Previously I have been used to Wal-Mart or big box store mountain bikes that usually tip the scale at roughly 45 lbs. or more. The Marlin 6 hits the scale at 31 lbs. which feels incredibly light when I first saw it in the showroom of my local bike shop. To me the 31 lb. weight was truly eye-opening. When you shave 1/3 of the weight off something you are used to, it honestly revolutionizes the experience and for me, has made riding a bike again an enjoyable experience.

Fit, Finish, Details

Walking around the Trek Marlin 6 you can see plenty of attention to detail. It’s obvious that a high level of quality control exists at the Trek factory in Vietnam. The welds on the aluminum frame tubes were what we hope for from modern manufacturing, clean, even and neatly stacked rows of dimes. There were no sights of voids, splatted or even sharp edges when I ran my fingers over all the welds. I found the same high level of fit and finish when I looked at the other Trek bikes of various lines at my local bike shop, Backcountry Bike & Ski here in Palmer, Alaska.

When it came to the color on the Marlin 6, I chose the orange color and waited the nearly 8 months for it to arrive since I ordered it at the end of the Pandemic. I was not disappointed when it arrived, the overall fit and finish on every aspect of this bike was flawless.

Controls, Seat, Geartrain

A bike can look amazing and be lightweight but if these key areas are not up to par then the bike is just a pile of shiny metal that is uncomfortable and frustrating to own. I’ll start with the top (controls) and work my way to the bottom (drivetrain).

The Shimano produced M4100 gear selectors of the Marlin 6 are mounted on the handlebar next to the right handgrip. These shifters are well-known in the bike industry and are featured on dozens of different models of mountain bikes from various manufacturers. No cheap disposable parts on this bike, all of the parts are well known with a proven track record, but also readily available if the need arises to repair them.

The Shimano 4100 is a simple two trigger system that I found very easy to operate with little force. Pull one trigger to advance the gear, pull the other the retard the gear ratio. The faces of the controls are smooth which didn’t affect my use of them, it’s just a design feature that I wanted to mention. In my testing I found that even trying to cycle through the gears fast didn’t cause any hesitation or binding in the controls or gear train.

Bontrager Seat

A bike seat can make or break any bike or rider. An uncomfortable seat can punish a rider no matter the riding conditions and unfortunately, the stock seat on the Trek Marlin 6 was very uncomfortable. After a year of abuse, I recently upgraded to the Bontrager Commuter Fluid seat. The factory seat is the Bontrager Arvada and a quick internet search shows mixed reviews for it, but it’s an entry-level seat and I think swapping seats is one of the first things many riders do. I understand the company putting a cost-effective seat on the bikes to get them out the door, especially considering the highly personal impact of the right seat for the right rider and riding style. The seat wasn’t a make-or-break issue, just one I wanted to mention.

Geartrain

The Shimano 4100 geartrain features the Deore 4100 cassette and it’s a 10 gear set up coupled to the single Prowheel 30 tooth crank. This set up was very different for me because when I was younger mountain bikes came in models with as many as 27 gearing combinations. What this caused was a lot of frustration switching between different combinations and gear selectors on both sides of the handlebars. It made riding a mountain bike a complicated experience overall. The new generation of single sprocket setups takes away all the childhood frustration and makes riding enjoyable again.

After riding the Trek Marlin 6 for a bit, I now know my comfortable gearing for hills, flatlands, bike paths and all the usual terrain. Switching gears is as simple as selecting up or down with my right hand. Nothing to over analyze. This allows me to focus on the task at hand and not wreck due to fiddling with my bike and not focusing on the hazards in front of me.

I can’t overstate how much better it is riding a modern streamlined bike than it was years ago. I’ve tried to explain it to people who haven’t had the pleasure of riding a modern mountain bike and I find it’s just easier to hand it over to them and let them take it for a spin.

Overall Experience. Buy or Not?

At the end of it all any review comes down to this. Is the product worth the money that the company is asking for it? It doesn’t matter if it’s a firearm, a flashlight or any piece of outdoor gear. It’s all the same mental equation. With the Trek Marlin 6, I can say absolutely yes, it was for me. Now it’s an even better value considering the company dropped the price of this bike by nearly $200.00.

Despite the issues with the seat which cost me $79.00 to replace, I feel the Trek Marlin 6 offers a great price point for what it is. This isn’t a fully articulating downhill racing-style mountain bike and the price and features reflect this. My video above speaks to who this bike would best suit in my opinion. The casual family rider or someone wanting a solid form of commuting or exercise.

I’ve seen great build quality, with high-quality components, simplicity of use, and good styling for almost any size or shape rider. When you compare this bike to its competition, I think it’s one of the best on the market. I would still recommend readers go to your local bike shop and try the Trek Marlin 6 and see if it fits your needs. I’ve found that local shops, at least here in Alaska, are more well-informed and helpful than certain big box outdoor stores. They listened to my needs without making me feel stupid and helped make sure the ergonomics of the bike were set up for me personally, not just a store that unboxes bikes and sells them with little thought to the consumer/rider.

If you have any questions about the Trek Marlin 6, reach out to us here and we might be able to answer them, or stop by your local bike shop and begin to research what type of bike will best fit your lifestyle.

Get out and enjoy the Summer.