TREK Marlin 8 GEN 2 2023 controversial mountain bike. Why? скачать в хорошем качестве

TREK Marlin 8 GEN 2 2023 controversial mountain bike. Why?

Today we have a rather controversial hardtail in our review - the Trek Marlin 8 2023 mountain bike. Why controversial? Well, here's the thing: the Marlin 8 is the top model of Trek's most budget MTB line (only kids' bikes are cheaper than these bikes). That is, it turns out that in its design the manufacturer was forced to use inexpensive to produce and purchase components, but at the same time to make the bike so that it was advantageously different from all the other models in the line. A kind of Lamborghini on minimum. Did Trek succeed? Let's find out. The frames of all Marlin line bikes are made of Alpha Silver aluminum, which is cooler than only Alpha Gold aluminum. It's hard to say what the difference is. Most likely, there is almost no difference: both use double batting and hydroforming. All this in total says that the bike will go well uphill and on straight sections, but here on steep technical descents with it need to be careful. By the way, about wheel size - not all Trek Marlin bikes come with 29" wheels. XXS size bikes come with 26" wheels, and XS-S size bikes come with 27.5" wheels. Fork. For shock absorption on this bike is responsible air fork with 100mm travel Judy Silver TK. By the way, Marlin 8 is the only bike in the line with air fork. The other models are equipped with Suntour or RockShox spring forks. The advantage of the air fork on this bike will be that the owner will be able to adjust its operation to his weight and rebound preferences. The fork is simple, relatively unpretentious and reliable. The legs are made of steel and coated in black anodized finish. The left fork leg has an air spring, and the right leg has a TurnKey damper that allows full lockup. Transmission The transmission is another component that sets the Marlin 8 apart from the rest of the line, as it's the only bike without a twin in the front and with 12 speeds in the back. It has a Sram SX Eagle groupset. The brakes here are hydraulic. Shimano MT200 or Altus, as one is more accustomed. There is nothing special about them. Two-piston, works on mineral oil. Brake rotors are also from Shimano - 180mm in front and 160mm in back with a standard 6-bolt mounting. The wheels here, too, are not like all the other bikes in the line. First, there are already wider aluminum rims Bontrager Kovee TLR, which can be used for tubeless. They have an inner width of 23mm and, unlike the rims on the Marlin 5, for example, they have a hole for the Presta nipple instead of the Schrader. Bottom line. So what's the bottom line? Tough question. As we noted at the beginning, the bike is extremely inconsistent. There are definitely positives to it and it's undoubtedly the best bike in the Marlin lineup, but it's still an amateur segment no matter how you look at it. Whether or not you should invest your money in this particular bike is up to you to decide. You can see the whole story in front of you!