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Went to a bike shop today and looked around. After telling the owner my plans he showed me some Trek bikes. The Marlin 5 is priced at $599.00 right now. It's got the wider tires and a suspension front fork as well as disk brakes. I think I'll go back in a week or two and take him up on his offer to let me ride a few. A note about brands. They are largely indifferent when they come from Taiwan. There are two major plants in Taiwan that produce bikes that carry most of the name brands that we all recognize. Another thing to remember. The brand is just the frame. It's the tubing and welding. Frames rarely fail. The biggest difference in brands is the parts that hang on them. Within a given price point, many of those parts are either exactly the same from brand to brand, or functionally indifferent. All of that was to say, they are all pretty much the same at a given price point. Some brands give a little bit more bang for the buck than others. The highest dollar parts on a bike are generally the rims, the suspension fork and the brakes. If you decide to really start shopping a couple of different bikes, look most closely at those parts. The other mechanical parts are the drive train parts. Shifters, derailleurs, chains, cranksets and bottom brackets. Of those, the crankset is the most expensive and another place you might see a meaningful difference at the same price point. In drive train parts, Shimano and SRAM dominate. Up and comer Microshift is very good and can often give you more for the same money. You have to study the levels/tiers that each company offers to be able to spot the differences. With all of that said, I just compared the Marlin 5 to other bikes in its price range, and part for part, it's a good deal. Thanks for taking a look at it, Paul. He did say the 5 had a better derailleur than the 4 and the 5 also has hydraulic brakes where as the 4 has cable. If it uses a Tourney derailleur just have him replace it with an Altus. It's a $28 derailleur and the very best cheap derailleur ever made. It's a real quality piece at an unbelievable price. There is zero reason for Trek to have ever used Tourney when Altus does it much better at just about $7 dollars more for the part.
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Joined: Jun 2002
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Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
Joined: Jun 2002
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I used to ride quite a bit, about 10 years ago and it seemed to be a good way for me to get in better shape. After a visit to the doc the other day he informed me my blood pressure is edging up and started talking about medication. I'm not in favor of that at all and it seems getting back into a routine of riding would help with that. So I want to buy a new one. Most of my riding will be on graveled county roads. I'd like to find something in between the walmart stuff and the really high end. Any suggestions? A bike shop.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
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If it uses a Tourney derailleur just have him replace it with an Altus. It's a $28 derailleur and the very best cheap derailleur ever made. It's a real quality piece at an unbelievable price. There is zero reason for Trek to have ever used Tourney when Altus does it much better at just about $7 dollars more for the part. It comes with an Altus.
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Joined: Aug 2021
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Campfire Regular
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If it uses a Tourney derailleur just have him replace it with an Altus. It's a $28 derailleur and the very best cheap derailleur ever made. It's a real quality piece at an unbelievable price. There is zero reason for Trek to have ever used Tourney when Altus does it much better at just about $7 dollars more for the part. It comes with an Altus. That's good enough for me. I've put a few thousand trouble free miles on my Marlin 5 after chunking the Altus. I did change the bars to Soma Dream bars. It looks like a beach cruiser on steroids now.
Last edited by RHClark; 12/20/23.
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2017
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The two I liked were the black one and red one. I really like the red one. Bar ends? I already decided the seat will have to be changed. Too small and narrow for me. Google "mountain bike bar ends" There are a lot of sizes and shapes. They will allow you an alternate hand position that you'll appreciate having. If you were going to be trail riding, your natural movement would give your wrists/hands occasional breaks. On a gravel road you won't get those shifts in pressure. If you get them, I'd bet money you spend most of your time with your hands on the bar ends rather than the bars. These are huge bar ends. They make them much smaller. ![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/7LGgv9B6/IMG-20180818-172246162.jpg) I will be getting some of those bar ends. On my old bike I never had them and with carpal tunnel my wrist would hurt. I can see where these will help. Thanks again Paul
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Joined: Dec 2017
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Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2017
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Went to a bike shop today and looked around. After telling the owner my plans he showed me some Trek bikes. The Marlin 5 is priced at $599.00 right now. It's got the wider tires and a suspension front fork as well as disk brakes. I think I'll go back in a week or two and take him up on his offer to let me ride a few. A note about brands. They are largely indifferent when they come from Taiwan. There are two major plants in Taiwan that produce bikes that carry most of the name brands that we all recognize. Another thing to remember. The brand is just the frame. It's the tubing and welding. Frames rarely fail. The biggest difference in brands is the parts that hang on them. Within a given price point, many of those parts are either exactly the same from brand to brand, or functionally indifferent. All of that was to say, they are all pretty much the same at a given price point. Some brands give a little bit more bang for the buck than others. The highest dollar parts on a bike are generally the rims, the suspension fork and the brakes. If you decide to really start shopping a couple of different bikes, look most closely at those parts. The other mechanical parts are the drive train parts. Shifters, derailleurs, chains, cranksets and bottom brackets. Of those, the crankset is the most expensive and another place you might see a meaningful difference at the same price point. In drive train parts, Shimano and SRAM dominate. Up and comer Microshift is very good and can often give you more for the same money. You have to study the levels/tiers that each company offers to be able to spot the differences. With all of that said, I just compared the Marlin 5 to other bikes in its price range, and part for part, it's a good deal. Thanks for taking a look at it, Paul. He did say the 5 had a better derailleur than the 4 and the 5 also has hydraulic brakes where as the 4 has cable. An excellent explanation by Paul B. With regards to the saddle just be aware that “comfort saddles” generally aren’t. The saddle is just one of the components that support your weight along with the pedals and the handlebars, a common rookie mistake is to actually sit on the saddle. Switch out the saddle if you want but don’t go full on soft. Far and away my own favorite saddles are Brooks leather saddles from England. The more that gets said on this thread the more I find out I didn't know about bike riding. I appreciate the advice and tips.
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 4,576
Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 4,576 |
Went to a bike shop today and looked around. After telling the owner my plans he showed me some Trek bikes. The Marlin 5 is priced at $599.00 right now. It's got the wider tires and a suspension front fork as well as disk brakes. I think I'll go back in a week or two and take him up on his offer to let me ride a few. A note about brands. They are largely indifferent when they come from Taiwan. There are two major plants in Taiwan that produce bikes that carry most of the name brands that we all recognize. Another thing to remember. The brand is just the frame. It's the tubing and welding. Frames rarely fail. The biggest difference in brands is the parts that hang on them. Within a given price point, many of those parts are either exactly the same from brand to brand, or functionally indifferent. All of that was to say, they are all pretty much the same at a given price point. Some brands give a little bit more bang for the buck than others. The highest dollar parts on a bike are generally the rims, the suspension fork and the brakes. If you decide to really start shopping a couple of different bikes, look most closely at those parts. The other mechanical parts are the drive train parts. Shifters, derailleurs, chains, cranksets and bottom brackets. Of those, the crankset is the most expensive and another place you might see a meaningful difference at the same price point. In drive train parts, Shimano and SRAM dominate. Up and comer Microshift is very good and can often give you more for the same money. You have to study the levels/tiers that each company offers to be able to spot the differences. With all of that said, I just compared the Marlin 5 to other bikes in its price range, and part for part, it's a good deal. Thanks for taking a look at it, Paul. He did say the 5 had a better derailleur than the 4 and the 5 also has hydraulic brakes where as the 4 has cable. If it uses a Tourney derailleur just have him replace it with an Altus. It's a $28 derailleur and the very best cheap derailleur ever made. It's a real quality piece at an unbelievable price. There is zero reason for Trek to have ever used Tourney when Altus does it much better at just about $7 dollars more for the part. I'll ask about that, thanks.
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 4,576
Campfire Tracker
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OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 4,576 |
I used to ride quite a bit, about 10 years ago and it seemed to be a good way for me to get in better shape. After a visit to the doc the other day he informed me my blood pressure is edging up and started talking about medication. I'm not in favor of that at all and it seems getting back into a routine of riding would help with that. So I want to buy a new one. Most of my riding will be on graveled county roads. I'd like to find something in between the walmart stuff and the really high end. Any suggestions? A bike shop. Went to one yesterday TRH and looked at several and plan on going back after all the holiday stuff is over and ride some then likely buy what fits. He told me the price might be coming down by then too.
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,218 Likes: 1
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2005
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Too close for irons, switching to scope...
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,218 Likes: 1
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,218 Likes: 1 |
Went to a bike shop today and looked around. After telling the owner my plans he showed me some Trek bikes. The Marlin 5 is priced at $599.00 right now. It's got the wider tires and a suspension front fork as well as disk brakes. I think I'll go back in a week or two and take him up on his offer to let me ride a few. A note about brands. They are largely indifferent when they come from Taiwan. There are two major plants in Taiwan that produce bikes that carry most of the name brands that we all recognize. Another thing to remember. The brand is just the frame. It's the tubing and welding. Frames rarely fail. The biggest difference in brands is the parts that hang on them. Within a given price point, many of those parts are either exactly the same from brand to brand, or functionally indifferent. All of that was to say, they are all pretty much the same at a given price point. Some brands give a little bit more bang for the buck than others. The highest dollar parts on a bike are generally the rims, the suspension fork and the brakes. If you decide to really start shopping a couple of different bikes, look most closely at those parts. The other mechanical parts are the drive train parts. Shifters, derailleurs, chains, cranksets and bottom brackets. Of those, the crankset is the most expensive and another place you might see a meaningful difference at the same price point. In drive train parts, Shimano and SRAM dominate. Up and comer Microshift is very good and can often give you more for the same money. You have to study the levels/tiers that each company offers to be able to spot the differences. With all of that said, I just compared the Marlin 5 to other bikes in its price range, and part for part, it's a good deal. Thanks for taking a look at it, Paul. He did say the 5 had a better derailleur than the 4 and the 5 also has hydraulic brakes where as the 4 has cable. An excellent explanation by Paul B. With regards to the saddle just be aware that “comfort saddles” generally aren’t. The saddle is just one of the components that support your weight along with the pedals and the handlebars, a common rookie mistake is to actually sit on the saddle. Switch out the saddle if you want but don’t go full on soft. Far and away my own favorite saddles are Brooks leather saddles from England. The more that gets said on this thread the more I find out I didn't know about bike riding. I appreciate the advice and tips. Regarding the seat, the proper width is determined by the spacing of the "sit bones" of your pelvis. A bike shop can have you sit on a piece of memory foam and then measure the indentations. I have found it best to have padding in the shorts vs the seat.
Too close for irons, switching to scope...
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,560 Likes: 17
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,560 Likes: 17 |
I have flats on all of mine but one. I wouldn't recommend clipless for the OP given his situation and intended use.
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Joined: Apr 2007
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Apr 2007
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I used to ride quite a bit, about 10 years ago and it seemed to be a good way for me to get in better shape. After a visit to the doc the other day he informed me my blood pressure is edging up and started talking about medication. I'm not in favor of that at all and it seems getting back into a routine of riding would help with that. So I want to buy a new one. Most of my riding will be on graveled county roads. I'd like to find something in between the walmart stuff and the really high end. Any suggestions? It’s the golden age of bikes made to do exactly this! I like Specialized and if you go with 105-level components (aka groupset aka gruppo) you’ll never regret it. I have Ultegra on my road bike- next step up from 105- and it’s an awesome groupset, but save your money and go 105. 105 is awesome too, just a tad heavier. They’ve adapted the Roubaix to be a better gravel bike and the Roubaix is a great frame. That said, I’m sure there’s a dedicated gravel bike that’s cheaper given how much the niche has exploded. Get hydraulic disc brakes, or rim brakes. Don’t get cable discs.
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Campfire Tracker
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OP
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I have flats on all of mine but one. I wouldn't recommend clipless for the OP given his situation and intended use. What are you guys talking about?
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,560 Likes: 17
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,560 Likes: 17 |
Regarding the seat, the proper width is determined by the spacing of the "sit bones" of your pelvis. A bike shop can have you sit on a piece of memory foam and then measure the indentations. I have found it best to have padding in the shorts vs the seat. For me and most people I know, a little padding in the shorts does substantially more good than the same amount of padding would in a seat. My butt still needs more padding in the seat than a lot of riders. I bought a specialized Tarmac many years ago. I had been riding quite a bit and wanted an upgrade. The guy that ran the shop was a friend. I told him I wanted to ditch the stock seat and go with one that had more padding. He convinced me that I would love the seat that was on it and offered to let me exchange it it I rode it and didn't like it. A 20 mile ride later I was exchanging it. I had bruises in the tissue over my sit bones. My sweet spot is a Cobb Randee and an ISM Adamo recreational models.
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 24,249 Likes: 4
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 24,249 Likes: 4 |
I used to ride quite a bit, about 10 years ago and it seemed to be a good way for me to get in better shape. After a visit to the doc the other day he informed me my blood pressure is edging up and started talking about medication. I'm not in favor of that at all and it seems getting back into a routine of riding would help with that. So I want to buy a new one. Most of my riding will be on graveled county roads. I'd like to find something in between the walmart stuff and the really high end. Any suggestions? It’s the golden age of bikes made to do exactly this! I like Specialized and if you go with 105-level components (aka groupset aka gruppo) you’ll never regret it. I have Ultegra on my road bike- next step up from 105- and it’s an awesome groupset, but save your money and go 105. 105 is awesome too, just a tad heavier. They’ve adapted the Roubaix to be a better gravel bike and the Roubaix is a great frame. That said, I’m sure there’s a dedicated gravel bike that’s cheaper given how much the niche has exploded. Get hydraulic disc brakes, or rim brakes. Don’t get cable discs. Jeff you're on tax payer funded disability and claim you can't work due to disability. yet your on here bragging about your hikes and biking have you no shame ripping off tax payers? lol of course not
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 131,700 Likes: 17
Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 131,700 Likes: 17 |
Went to one yesterday TRH and looked at several and plan on going back after all the holiday stuff is over and ride some then likely buy what fits. He told me the price might be coming down by then too. Makes sense.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,560 Likes: 17
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,560 Likes: 17 |
I have flats on all of mine but one. I wouldn't recommend clipless for the OP given his situation and intended use. What are you guys talking about? Platform pedals are the kind of pedals that you have to click into with special shoes. You'll start with flat/platform pedals.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,560 Likes: 17
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,560 Likes: 17 |
I used to ride quite a bit, about 10 years ago and it seemed to be a good way for me to get in better shape. After a visit to the doc the other day he informed me my blood pressure is edging up and started talking about medication. I'm not in favor of that at all and it seems getting back into a routine of riding would help with that. So I want to buy a new one. Most of my riding will be on graveled county roads. I'd like to find something in between the walmart stuff and the really high end. Any suggestions? It’s the golden age of bikes made to do exactly this! I like Specialized and if you go with 105-level components (aka groupset aka gruppo) you’ll never regret it. I have Ultegra on my road bike- next step up from 105- and it’s an awesome groupset, but save your money and go 105. 105 is awesome too, just a tad heavier. They’ve adapted the Roubaix to be a better gravel bike and the Roubaix is a great frame. That said, I’m sure there’s a dedicated gravel bike that’s cheaper given how much the niche has exploded. Get hydraulic disc brakes, or rim brakes. Don’t get cable discs. 3 of my 4 bikes have cable discs. They are friggin' awesome. What do my cable disc brakes need to do for me that they won't do? More importantly, given the OPs intended use, what wouldn't they do for him? ![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/g2v5zb5Y/IMG-20200717-094523348.jpg)
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Joined: Aug 2021
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Campfire Regular
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All you need is some good peddles that won't slip with wet shoes and not so aggressive that you will tear your legs up when you make a mistake.
I like the cable discs on my Marlin 5 except that they occasionally squeak. I prefer simplicity and low maintenance to perfect modulation and one finger control especially when you lose all that if anything goes wrong with your hydraulic seals, fluid or maybe if you find an air pocket.
Last edited by RHClark; 12/20/23.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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My old bike was simply worn out and I was looking for something similar 2 years ago. Due to supply chain issues the Walmart junk, and some in the 4 figure range were all that I could find. Quite by accident I found one at Costco priced at around $400. I have used it for 2 years now and it has served me well. I don't see the same bike on their website now, but it was similar to this. https://www.costco.com/diamondback-overdrive-27.5-bike.product.100744715.html
Most people don't really want the truth.
They just want constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth.
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