by What is the better mountain bike for beginners to start with, the Giant Talon 2 vs Trek Marlin 6?
Trek and Giant both make a number of bikes that are great for those who are just getting started in the mountain bike world. It is easy to get overwhelmed with such a large choice of bikes and brands on the market.
Trek and Giant are two trusted brands that have been making mountain bikes for decades. As such they know a thing or two about what it takes to make a quality mountain bike.
As a beginner your needs and preferences of a bike will be different compared to those who have been riding for years .
It can become confusing knowing exactly what you should be looking for when it comes to buying your first mountain bike. When hearing recommendations from experienced riders with a different set of needs it typically doesn’t help the matter either.
Each bike brings something slightly different to the table. Overall there are a few must haves on a mountain bike that everyone should lookout for.
Lets lay out all the essentials things you should be looking at when buying your first bike and see how the Trek Marlin 6 and Giant Talon 2 rank against one another to make your buying choice that much easier.
Giant Talon Size Chart
| Height | Frame Size |
|---|---|
| 5’1” - 5’5” | XS (27.5") |
| 5’4” - 5’8” | S (27.5") |
| 5’4” - 5’8” | S (29") |
| 5’7” - 5’10” | M (27.5") |
| 5’7” - 5’10” | M (29") |
| 5’9” - 6’1” | L (29") |
| 6’0” - 6’4” | XL (29") |
Trek Marlin Size Chart
| Rider Height | Inseam | Frame Size |
|---|---|---|
| 4'9.1"- 5'0.9" | 27.0"- 28.9" | XS |
| 5'1.0"- 5'4.9" | 29.0"- 30.9" | S |
| 5'5.0"- 5'7.9" | 31.0"- 31.9" | M |
| 5'8.0"- 5'10.9" | 32.0"- 33.9" | M/L |
| 5'11.0"- 6'1.9" | 34.0"- 34.9" | L |
| 6'2.0"- 6'4.9" | 35.0"- 35.9" | XL |
| 6'5.0"- 6'8.0" | 36.0"- 38.0" | 2XL |
Essentials when buying your first mountain bike
Fork lockouts
Fork lockouts are knobs that allow you to either turn the suspension of the bike on or off. You may want to turn off the suspension and stiffen the ride up when climbing uphill or on flat terrain. This is because when pedalling hard your energy can be transferred into compressing the suspension fork instead of being transferred directly to the pedals and wheels.
This will slow you down and tire you out more quickly if you do this for long enough. Suspensions that can’t be locked are great when going downhill to absorb the harsh and fast bumps but will work against you when trying to climb up hills or move faster.
Suspension forks lockouts make mountain bikes more versatile to handle all types or riding. The Marlin 6 and the Talon 2 both have suspension fork lockouts.
Front suspension with 80-100mm
The more travel a suspension fork has the better it is able to absorb harsher bumps on the trail. Bikes that come in sizes extra small or small will sometimes come with 80mm of travel to compensate for the smaller bike size to keep the proportions correct. The Giant Talon 2 and the Trek Marlin 6 both have 100mm travel suspension forks. This reduces to 80mm travel suspension forks for the smallest sizes.
Hydraulic Disc Brakes
Both the Talon 2 and the Marlin 6 have hydraulic disc brakes. When going down hill on rough terrain, you may come across unexpected obstacles and need to stop and stop quickly. Hydraulic brakes will let you do just that and with minimal force required when applying the brake levers to bring you to a stop. Do not go near a mountain bike for serious trail riding that doesn’t have hydraulic brakes. This is an expected standard for mountain bikes in this price range and if you are being offered brakes any worse than that walk away.
Now that we’ve got that out the way lets get into the meat of the matter. Choosing either the Giant Talon 2 vs Trek Marlin 6 as a best buy for a beginner mountain biker.
Choosing the Giant Talon 2 vs Trek Marlin 6 as a beginner
Climbing and Descending performance – Talon vs Marlin
The Trek Marlin 6 will be better at climbing up hills than the Giant Talon 2 will. This is due to the flatter style handlebars on the Trek Marlin 6 over the Giants. They allow you to shift your weight further forward towards the front wheel. Doing this gets you improved positioning and more front wheel traction to power up those steep climbs. This also translates to a faster riding position when on flat surfaces.
The Giant Talon 2 excels as a bike when it comes to descending performance. Thanks to its rising handle bars you’ll have more stability and confidence when riding descending trails. The frame design also improves downhill performance, as the angle of the head tube also gives it improved stability downhill over the marlin 6.
Riding in Different Conditions – Talon 2 vs Marlin 6
The Marlin 6 uses the Bontrager XR2 tires . These are great for grip in dryer conditions on all types of trail and mountain terrains especially looser dirt roads. In wet, muddy conditions it can sometimes struggle for grip. This can be explained by the smaller tire width of 2.2 that offers more speed in exchange for slightly less grip.
The Talon 2 uses Maxxis Rekon tires. These are a great all around tires that performs well in all but the most extreme conditions. Maxxis are one of the most favoured and trusted tire brands amongst mountain bikers. The 2.4 width tires inspire confidence with increased grip but will slow the bike down slightly with a bigger traction area. The Talon 2 gives you a choice of either 29 of 27.5 tire size. For more speed and obstacle rollover ability go with size 29. For more manoeuvrability and a lower centre of gravity go with the size 27.5.
Usability and Comfort – Talon 2 vs Marlin 6
The Trek Marlin 6 makes a different frame for the extra small and small bikes sizes. The top part of the frame has a curve to allow easier access onto the seat to make getting on and off the bike a breeze. This may not sound like a big deal, but if you ride a bike long enough the minor annoyances such as having a hard time getting onto the seat of the bike to start riding will soon start to drive you crazy. In no time you’ll be ready to get rid of the bike for something else.
Both the Talon 2 and the Marlin 6 have a 2 x 8 drivetrain giving you 16 gears in total, more than enough to find the perfect pedalling speed for every situation.
The Giant Talon 2 has internal dropper post routing. This means if you ever want to upgrade your bike with a dropper seat post in the future then Giant this upgrade much easier. The internal routing allows you to avoid unsightly external cables along the frame, keeping your bike looking sleek.
To learn more about dropper seat posts and why you may want to upgrade your seat post to a dropper seat post click here.
Styles of Riding – Talon 2 vs Marlin 6
Trek comes out on top for longer rides with a mix of climbing, downhill, and flat terrains. Thanks to the combination of the flat handle bars, head tube angle and seat tube angle puts you in a better position for putting the power down effectively while riding all types of terrain. The neutral seat angle puts you in good position especially when primarily seated on the saddle for long periods. The bike will have faster steering and give you more control when climbing uphill. Treks frame has better standover numbers which implies that the frame won’t get in your way when your out of the saddle.
The Talon comes out on top as a bike for single track trail and downhill riding. This is due in part to the favourable combination of rising handlebars, headtube and seat tube angle. This combination is geared for those quick uphill climbs to get to the downhill trail rides. The headtube angle and rising handle bars will give you more stability and confidence to attack descents.
Trek Marlin 6 vs Giant Talon 2 Specifications
| Trek Marlin 6 | Giant Talon 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension Fork | SR Suntour XCT 30, coil spring | SR Suntour XCT 30, coil spring |
| Front Derailleur | Shimano Altus M315 | Shimano FD-M315 |
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano Altus M310 | Shimano Acera |
| Tire Size | 29 x 2.20 | 29 x 2.25 or 27.5 x 2.25 |
| Maximum Tire Width | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| Brakes | Tektro HD-M275 hydraulic disc | Tektro TKD 143, hydraulic |
| Colors | Radioactive Red / Alpine Blue | Red Clay / Concrete |
| Shifters | Shimano Altus M315, 8-speed | Shimano SL-M315 |
| Weight (Unofficial) | 31.97 lbs | (31.3 lbs with 27.5 tires) |
Conclusion – Should you choose the Talon 2 or the Marlin 6?
Its best to keep it simple and know that most big brand manufacturers have been in the market for years. Amongst them there really are no ‘bad’ bikes being made as they would have been made obsolete years ago.
There are subtle differences between the Giant Talon 2 vs Trek Marlin 6 however the best bike for you is the one that will make you get up, go out, and ride as much as possible. So not matter which one you go with or why the end goal is to get out there and have a blast on you new bike.
