Trek Drops Dirt Cheap 2022 Marlin 6 to Initiate You in the Ways of the Bicycle

Folks, the bike you see is known as the Marlin 6 MTB from none other than Trek, and before you jump to conclusions about how this bike is some inaccessible monster meant to tame mountains, don't; it's priced with an MSRP of 830 USD (723 EUR at current exchange rates). That's all you need to buy into the Trek family.

About Trek, there really isn't much to say. Heck, ever since I could comprehend what a bicycle is, I could see the brand all over the place. From backyards to mountains and cycling tournaments, Trek seems to have a bike for everyone. After all, that's what you must do if you want your product to reach as many hands as possible.

As for the Marlin 6, this bike is built to not only handle a ride around town but seems to have the capabilities to take on light single tracks too. Trek achieves this by using an Alpha Silver Aluminum frame, offering a light and sturdy ride. With internal cable routing and the addition of rack mounts, the Marlin seems to be full of promise for newcomers.

The first feature that should pop into view is the bike's geometry. The top tube is dropped nice and low near the seat tube, offering clearance if you get a bit adventurous. This tube also blends nicely into the seat stay, yielding a bike that seems to invite you to a ride. Don't bother looking for a dropper post, as you should keep this bike away from large drops and big downhill tracks.

Now, hardtails like these rely heavily on two features for suspension. The first is tires, and the second, a fork. For the Marlin, Trek uses a basic Suntour XCT 30 fork with 100 mm (3.9 in) of travel. As I mentioned, it's not a bike to be taken into the woods, but it will do just fine for taking you off the asphalt and kicking up some dirt. A 42 mm (1.65 in) offset is available with 27.5 in wheels, while 29 in wheels will receive a 46 mm (1.81 in) offset. Tires are a set of Bontrager XR2 Comp, a basic MTB tire, so if you have something else in mind, go ahead and change them out as tires are relatively inexpensive to replace.

As for the drivetrain for this sucker, Trek equips Marlin with nothing more than Shimano Deore. Sure, it's not the best of the best that Shimano manufactures, but for a bike well under 1,000 USD, what were you expecting? As it stands, this drivetrain is tuned to 1x10 speeds and features a cassette with 11-46T, enough to give you an idea of how the bigger kids ride their bikes.

On the other hand, brakes are a set of Tektro HD-M276 hydraulic disc with 160 mm (6.3 in) rotors. Enough stopping power, even if you do end up putting a rack on this bike. All other components are provided by in-house Bontrager. This means the seat post, handlebar, stem, grips, and anything else you can think of.

Overall, with the aluminum frame, Deore setup, and every Bontrager component you can find, the 2022 Marlin 6 comes in with a weight of 31.11 lbs (14.11 kg). Not bad at all, considering you would be buying an all-around bike meant to give you a clear idea of what Trek can do. Did anyone say Christmas present?