Originally Posted by
qclabrat
what you didn't keep the saddle? lol
nice work, the marlin was my first mtb. It's now my kid's college commuter
consider a zero setback seatpost so the stem isn't so slammed. Guess the frame is a bit on the large size?
The first saddle is a Specialized MTB saddle that has very sparse padding. That huge saddle that’s on now might look ridiculous but in reality rides like a Barcalounger. I can stay on that one all day. It’s lowered because of its thickness. The frame is a 17.5 and I am 5’7 or so tall. All that might look a tad odd but it’s a perfect fit for me and is a nice fit. This in not a long haul bike, it’s built for moderate day trips as urban excursions and to take out of town to explore more ground when visiting other cities like travels to Savannah and St Augustine. The panniers are perfect because it holds my wife’s loot because a few times, we’d find some stuff we like and would have to go back in our car to get it. Also serves as a grocery getter or for a veggie run to the local Farmers Market. I can even tuck small coolers in them for a picnic stop and to carry cold beverages when we trek to the Everglades.
It’s a 1x9 drivetrain. Not a tall gear at all, not built for a flyer but I can cram in a decent cadence at a comfortable speed for long stretches but the most important part for me is that I can climb some very steep streets without wearing me out. My takeoffs are quick and speedy as needed to get across streets and crosswalks quickly. Easy to raise a front wheel to get over curbs. The geometry is pretty nimble, too. I love this bike and who cares about disc brakes. Hey, at least there’s no quill stem which would be a real showstopper as far as I am concerned. LOL