by So you’ve narrowed down your search to the Trek Marlin 7 vs Trek Marlin 6 but still aren’t sure if spending the extra amount is really worth the upgrade. So you’ve landed here, and we’re here to help you make an informed choice.
First of all let’s lay out exactly what you’ll be getting by paying the extra over the Marlin 6.
Now while the Marlin 6 is a perfectly good bike, there is a reason (in general) an upgraded model cost more. More often times than not the bike is better in several departments. What you really need to know is; is it that much better at what you’ll be primarily using the bike for to justify the increased price?
Lets dig into the main upgrades and which of them will be most noticeable depending on the style of riding you do.
The Bike grips – Marlin 7 vs Marlin 6
The Trek Marlin 6 uses comfort style grips over traditional grips seen on the Trek Marlin 7. The Bontrager XR endurance comfort style grips are flattened off towards the ends of the grip to allow you to release your grip and rest your palms. It is also more ergonomically friendly and conform to the natural shape of the palm. Will you or do you often find yourself laying your hands at rest for long periods while riding? Or do you ride in a way where you’ll need to have full control of the bike the majority of the time? If its the former then the Trek Marlin 6 could potentially be the better buy when it comes to the grip design.
Alternatively the grips on the Marlin 7 are designed to give you maximum grip and take a beating. These Bontrager XR Trail lock on style grips are secured by a nylon clamp to the handlebar to remove the potential of small movements or the grip coming loose from the handlebars, which is the last thing you want when flying down a trail at speed. While these grips are also comfortable they are designed primarily for function. If you’re doing any serious trail riding then lock on grips are something that you should strongly consider.
Why make such a big deal out of grips you may be asking. Remember, the main contact points that you need to stay safe on a mountain bike are through your hands. If all else fails in an emergency, as long as you still have your hands on the grips you’ll be able to hit the brakes.
You can always upgrade the grips on your mountain bike for more style or functionality.
The Drivetrain – Marlin 7 vs Marlin 6
Do you need a higher top speed with a greater selection of gears or does a simpler 1X system sound more appealing?
The Trek Marlin 6 has a front and rear derailleur, allowing you to switch gear ratios on the front and back. This gives you more gears to choose from with smaller increments between each. One downside to this is there are more moving parts with both a front and rear derailleur meaning you’d have to do more maintenance as there are more points of potential failure in the drivetrain. The idea behind the 1X drivetrain is simplicity of gear selection. When on technical trails you want to be fully occupied with the obstacles in front of you and less on messing around trying to find the correct gear.
With the Trek Marlin 7 the downside to the 1X style is the higher jumps between the gears. You’ll have a bigger jump between gears which can mean you could be further outside the most comfortable cadence for the situation as you’ll have fewer speeds to choose from.
The fork – Worth the Upgrade?
Do you plan on doing lots of off-road riding and require a plusher feeling fork? Or will you do most of your riding on pavement/roads where the fork is no real demand on the fork to perform close to its maximum capacity.
If you’re going off road, doing any kind of drops or jumps and the like then the quality of the fork matters. It is one of the main components where an improvement in quality can completely transform the ride. As noted you’ll feel this transformation most when the fork is at work, that is compressing and taking the edge off of bumps and impacts.
The Trek Marlin 7 is equipped with the Rockshox Judy Silver coil spring fork which is a step up from the SR Suntour XCT 30 spec’d on the Trek Marlin 6. To sum up, if you want a more comfortable experience when riding primarily off-road, then the Trek Marlin 7 mountain bike is well worth the upgrade.
The colours
It may sound superficial but the way the bike looks is highly important to some people. Its subjective whether the Marlin 6 has the better colour schemes than the Marlin 7, so we’ll let you decide on that. Sometimes the only reason needed to buy a higher model is because you like the colour on the upgrade over the lower model. Hey we’re not judging. If you’re going to pay all that money for a brand new bike it isn’t too much to ask to enjoy looking at it.
The conclusion on if the Trek Marlin 7 vs Trek Marlin 6 is worth the upgrade
The marlin 6 is geared towards all styles of riding and more comfort. Road, off-roading, leisure and racing. The Trek Marlin 7 is more purposefully designed to be used more for off-road trail use. The Marlin 7s main upgraded features are mostly done so to excel more in off-road settings. The 1X drivetrain, the lock-on grips and plusher fork make the Marlin 7 a more enjoyable dirt road machine. If you’ll be doing a mixture of riding such as in the city on paved roads then the upgrade will not be made full use of in these settings. You would actually lose out on potential top speeds on road by going from the 2 front ring drivetrain to a 1X style. If this is your main type of riding you could be better off buying a hybrid bike such as the Trek FX.
