Trek Marlin 5 29er

Love my 2020 marlin 5, great for the price and amazing on the trails, all cable are hidden making it clean looking, easy to tune aswell, great on jumps but you will be tuning the bike often enough and your chain will jump up and get stuck, just stick your landing and dont peddle right away, id recommend moding the bike for dirt jumps if its what you like doing rather then hitting the trails, the bike doed have a light weight frame for easy control on the air and great handling when you land the jump, my buddy also has the 2019 marlin 5 and really enjoys it, the bikes are well built for the price, worth upgrading to better parts if needed

Good entry-level XR bike for the price. Replace the unnecessarily long 10.5-inch stem with a shorter one for comfort. Get a bigger size than what the size chart recommends. Buy in a store that offers free maintenance. Marlin 6 with Shimano Altus instead of Tourney may be worth the extra $100.

Pros
Much more comfortable than Specialized bikes. Despite what other reviews say, I have no problems with suspension/rims despite heavy use on 2,500 ft ascents/descents on a rocky road. Durable frame. Tires provide better traction than more expensive Ibex. Brakes and shifters work very well.

Cons
Chainsuck in the front. After 2 years, the rear derailleur sometimes refuses to switch from 5 to 4. Original chain lasted less than 6 moths. Original 2.0-inch rear tire is no longer offered; I replaced with a 2.25-inch tire but there is barely enough space for it; it tends to touch the front derailleur or the kickstand. Brake fluid tends to leak when the bike is up-side-down or hanged vertically.

Good entry-level XR bike for the price. Replace the unnecessarily long 10.5-inch stem with a shorter one for comfort. Get a bigger size than what the size chart recommends. Buy in a store that offers free maintenance. Marlin 6 with Shimano Altus instead of Tourney may be worth the extra $100.

Pros
Much more comfortable than Specialized bikes. Despite what other reviews say, I have no problems with suspension/rims despite heavy use on 2,500 ft ascents/descents on a rocky road. Durable frame. Tires provide better traction than more expensive Ibex. Brakes and shifters work very well.

Cons
Chainsuck in the front. After 2 years, the rear derailleur sometimes refuses to switch from 5 to 4. Original chain lasted less than 6 moths. Original 2.0-inch rear tire is no longer offered; I replaced with a 2.25-inch tire but there is barely enough space for it; it tends to touch the front derailleur or the kickstand. Brake fluid tends to leak when the bike is up-side-down or hanged vertically.

Great bike for the money, has a frame that's worth upgrading the not so good bits. I would probably buy the next Marlin up if I was buying again.

Pros
Good brakes and excellent frame

Cons
Plastic slippery pedals and tourney gears are pretty rubbish.

This is not my first bike but I got it for commuting on the road and gravel in town. I recently used it on trails when my FS Cannondale was getting service. It does well on the road but I am not comfortable on the trails. On the trail rides it fell victim to chainsuck twice and ended one of my rides short. The front wheel is hard to align and the disk brake is not aligned properly. These are issues I hear front many Marlin owners. Other than the saddle, I do like it for my commuter. I fear to make any jump on it and take down hill rooty sections slowly. It is what it is for the price.

Pros
Looks nice, 29" wheels

Cons
Saddle, front brake rub, frequent chainsuck

Great value bike, handles single trails and XC with ease. Upgrade the grips to some lock-ons and fit some grippier pedals to tackle more advanced trails. For fast downhill trails and big jumps I woruld upgrade the forks and upgrade the drivetrain to a 1x setup. This bike is perfect for beginner and intermediate trails, but it will also be fine on advanced lines if you ride smooth and don't case jumps or slam into rocks.

Pros
Good geometry, hydraulic brakes, fun and easy to ride, nice looking bike.

Cons
None for a bike in this price range.

Beginners should start here and build up by replacing forks, brakes, and wheels to get a excellent hardtail.

Pros
Excellent affordable beginner MTB. Definitely a good Hardtail starter for anyone who doesn't have $1000 to get a good MTB.

Cons
Coil shocks, cable disc brakes

bought this as an entry-level bike and quickly destroyed it. I ride on rocky Texas ground and bent both rims(one irreparable) and blew out the bottom bracket bearings within 6 months. The front fork is a spring and weak. Also, the steering is loose (possibly bearings again). Would not recommend if you are going to use it on fairly aggressive trails. Better suited for dirt paths and roads.

Pros
Price, aesthetics

Cons
Weak rims, cheap bottom bracket, wears out quickly

Awesome bike for the price. I am new to mountain biking and this bike is perfect for me

Pros
Nice bike. Great for beginners, which I am. I got the 2018 Marlin 5 which have hydraulic disc brakes which makes stopping excellent. Nice feature of locking front shocks for uphill climbs and road riding. Overall very nice bike.

Cons
None yet.

Pros
Great for riding over things with the 29" wheels

Cons
Front break rubs

I would definitely recommend this bike for a beginner just wanting to get into trail riding.

Pros
Easy to ride. 29" wheels make for a smooth and easy pedal.

Cons
None yet.

My front brake keeps rubbing no matter what I do, and I am pretty sure it has warped after only a year of casual riding. Also, the fork is very stiff and the gears don't shift well. However, at $500, it was a pretty mediocre bike. Probably will have to upgrade soon, however.

Pros
cheap
good intro to casual biking

Cons
drivetrain
fork
brakes

I really love mine. The color schemes are cool and it's a very sturdy bike overall.

Pros
Very tough bike. Gears are smooth and easy. Very comfortable. Great color schemes.

Cons
Brakes are just ok.

I've had this bike for about three months and I've already had to have the front rim trued, the bottom bracket rebuilt (loose again already) and I need a new free hub for the rear rim. I live in New england where most of the trails have a substantial amount of rocks and roots. The bike shop where I bought this bike said that the components are not made for this kind of riding after I purchased the bike. It looks like I'll be replacing all of the components eventually. if you're riding this bike on anything but pavement or packed dirt trails, you would be better off buying a more expensive bike. It would be cheaper than replacing all of the components over a very short period of time. I guess you get what you pay for.

Pros
29 inch wheels
Good color options
Solid frame

Cons
Front brake is shaky.
Single walled rims that bend easily.
Hubs are not made for New England terain.

I rode this as a rental to ride desert trails. The tires could not grip much of anything beyond bare rock and were constantly sliding sideways, off the trail. Descents were treacherous. And the fork was junk. There is a rebound dial, but I think it is only for show. This was a floor model and new. Not worth looking at. Trek should be ashamed to sell a bike this poorly equipped. Might be a good Walmart bike.

Pros
Lightweight frame. Stock drive train shifts smoothly and quickly. Stock bars are good width. Stock seat not too bad

Cons
Fork=Junk, mechanical spring, no real rebound setting Tires might be suitable for bike paths and grassy trails. Stock rims are single-wall.

good bike overall

Pros
built like a tank
lightweight
shifts good

Cons
suspension fork couldbebetter

Upgrade the Fork (I ordered the Raidon through suntour upgrade program coming Tuesday!!) Upgrade Brakes, and change out the tires. Then you'll have a solid hardtail with more room for improvements later on. Overall awesome bike for the money!! Happy riding

Pros
Awesome starter MTB, G2 Geomotry, Fairly light weight, upgradable hardtail frame

Cons
Zoom brakes..(oof)...Very entry level SR suntour M3030 Fork

right off the bat get rid of the bontrager XR1 tires, horrible for anything but hard road surface. I went with continental mountain king and x-king. A lot more confidence inspiring tires. The front fork being coil is a lot heavier than a air shock but for a 500$ bike you can't complain to much. A good front fork along with new tires and you've got a very good bike. Hydraulic disc's would be great but for the price they work. Overall I would recommend to anyone to find another bike with these same features for the same price. You won't find it. You're also getting a lifetime guarantee on the frame. That's a big plus.

Pros
Looks Great & built like a Abrams tank
Price
It's a TREK!

Cons
Brakes could be better
Front fork
Stock xr1 tires

I only started getting into mountain biking last month even though I've owned some pretty sweet mountain bikes in the past. The Marlin 5 is a great entry-level mountain bike and it looks really cool. I suggest changing out the front shocks and upgrading your tires to a grippier rubber. The stock tires are horrible in the wet. I said the bike has decent brakes and they're really good for the price but hydraulic brakes with the stock rotor would be awesome. Overall, this bike is worth more than what you pay for it. Just change out the shocks, brakes, and tires and you'll have yourself a 29er that can keep up with the best of them.

Pros
Built Like A Tank
Smooth Shifting
Decent Brakes

Cons
Suspension
Heavy
Handling
Stock Tires