2 bikes 1 couple!
05-20-20, 10:21 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
2 bikes 1 couple!
Hello folks,
My wife and I havent been on bikes for 25 years probably. The last time I was on one was as a youngster down the skate park on my bmx.
We would love to start riding again (not at the skate park lol)
We will be using them to ride together on simple easy dirt tracks and some roads to get there.
I have researched quite abit and have come up with the Marlin 5 for us both. We are wondering if this is a good choice (if we can find 2 bikes, no stock anywhere) and if the Marlin is light enough for my wife? Our budget is under £500.
Any suggestions for what we should go for would be great.
Many thanks 😁
My wife and I havent been on bikes for 25 years probably. The last time I was on one was as a youngster down the skate park on my bmx.
We would love to start riding again (not at the skate park lol)
We will be using them to ride together on simple easy dirt tracks and some roads to get there.
I have researched quite abit and have come up with the Marlin 5 for us both. We are wondering if this is a good choice (if we can find 2 bikes, no stock anywhere) and if the Marlin is light enough for my wife? Our budget is under £500.
Any suggestions for what we should go for would be great.
Many thanks 😁
05-20-20, 10:51 PM
#2
Senior Member
Hi Terry, Welcome to the forum!
I can't thoroughly answer your question as I haven't managed to spend much time on rougher trails, but I do have a Marlin 5. I spend most of my time on a road bike.
It's pretty heavy, weighed mine today at 17 kg with a rack and some other stuff. Its an OK bike, certainly feels pretty solid in mud and stuff, The suspension lockout is nice and the hydraulic disks are nice. The gear spacing is not super intuitive or practical, it's not bad, but it isn't great. Shifting is a little sloppy, the triple is OK,but I think a 2X or even a 1X would be better here (of course at a higher price).
That being said, it's a lot of fun to abuse it in ways I never would with the road bike, or a road hybrid. Maybe with something along the lines of a DS. Jumping curbs, stairs, plowing through flooded trails, shortcuts, loose limestone, etc...
If you think you will really be spending a fair amount of time on dirt trails it would be an OK bike to get into it. It should be something easy enough to sell and get a fair amount back if you decide to go for a nicer mountain bike. It also makes a fine commuter, but better with some smoother tires.
If you can, try it out, you'll learn a lot. If you think you are going to end up spending more time on pavement or well maintained trails, it might be worth checking out the DS series too.
I can't thoroughly answer your question as I haven't managed to spend much time on rougher trails, but I do have a Marlin 5. I spend most of my time on a road bike.
It's pretty heavy, weighed mine today at 17 kg with a rack and some other stuff. Its an OK bike, certainly feels pretty solid in mud and stuff, The suspension lockout is nice and the hydraulic disks are nice. The gear spacing is not super intuitive or practical, it's not bad, but it isn't great. Shifting is a little sloppy, the triple is OK,but I think a 2X or even a 1X would be better here (of course at a higher price).
That being said, it's a lot of fun to abuse it in ways I never would with the road bike, or a road hybrid. Maybe with something along the lines of a DS. Jumping curbs, stairs, plowing through flooded trails, shortcuts, loose limestone, etc...
If you think you will really be spending a fair amount of time on dirt trails it would be an OK bike to get into it. It should be something easy enough to sell and get a fair amount back if you decide to go for a nicer mountain bike. It also makes a fine commuter, but better with some smoother tires.
If you can, try it out, you'll learn a lot. If you think you are going to end up spending more time on pavement or well maintained trails, it might be worth checking out the DS series too.
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05-21-20, 12:33 AM
#3
Senior Member
I can't answer to your Marin bike question. Just wanted to inform you... in my area, and hopefully yours too, there's been a lot if "his/hers" bike listings on Facebook marketplace and offer up. I do hope your area has it too so you can find something to ride and enjoy together
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05-21-20, 07:40 AM
#4
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Welcome to Bike Forums, JT. I have no opinion about the bike you are looking at, but wanted to say that if you were a youngster 25 years ago, you're still a youngster to me.
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05-21-20, 11:11 AM
#5
Senior Member
For "simple easy dirt tracks" I'd be looking at a rigid bike that can fit 40mm+ tires vs a bike with lower end suspension like the Marlin 5. I can't think of any suggestions in your market / price range, but feel free to ask about various models here for opinions.
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05-21-20, 12:00 PM
#6
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Hi JT
A year ago I was saying that I had not been on a bike in 25 years either. Today I'm riding 100-150 miles per week. And I'm not yet retired.
A year ago I was saying that I had not been on a bike in 25 years either. Today I'm riding 100-150 miles per week. And I'm not yet retired.
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05-21-20, 05:24 PM
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Hi Terry, Welcome to the forum!
I can't thoroughly answer your question as I haven't managed to spend much time on rougher trails, but I do have a Marlin 5. I spend most of my time on a road bike.
It's pretty heavy, weighed mine today at 17 kg with a rack and some other stuff. Its an OK bike, certainly feels pretty solid in mud and stuff, The suspension lockout is nice and the hydraulic disks are nice. The gear spacing is not super intuitive or practical, it's not bad, but it isn't great. Shifting is a little sloppy, the triple is OK,but I think a 2X or even a 1X would be better here (of course at a higher price).
That being said, it's a lot of fun to abuse it in ways I never would with the road bike, or a road hybrid. Maybe with something along the lines of a DS. Jumping curbs, stairs, plowing through flooded trails, shortcuts, loose limestone, etc...
If you think you will really be spending a fair amount of time on dirt trails it would be an OK bike to get into it. It should be something easy enough to sell and get a fair amount back if you decide to go for a nicer mountain bike. It also makes a fine commuter, but better with some smoother tires.
If you can, try it out, you'll learn a lot. If you think you are going to end up spending more time on pavement or well maintained trails, it might be worth checking out the DS series too.
I can't thoroughly answer your question as I haven't managed to spend much time on rougher trails, but I do have a Marlin 5. I spend most of my time on a road bike.
It's pretty heavy, weighed mine today at 17 kg with a rack and some other stuff. Its an OK bike, certainly feels pretty solid in mud and stuff, The suspension lockout is nice and the hydraulic disks are nice. The gear spacing is not super intuitive or practical, it's not bad, but it isn't great. Shifting is a little sloppy, the triple is OK,but I think a 2X or even a 1X would be better here (of course at a higher price).
That being said, it's a lot of fun to abuse it in ways I never would with the road bike, or a road hybrid. Maybe with something along the lines of a DS. Jumping curbs, stairs, plowing through flooded trails, shortcuts, loose limestone, etc...
If you think you will really be spending a fair amount of time on dirt trails it would be an OK bike to get into it. It should be something easy enough to sell and get a fair amount back if you decide to go for a nicer mountain bike. It also makes a fine commuter, but better with some smoother tires.
If you can, try it out, you'll learn a lot. If you think you are going to end up spending more time on pavement or well maintained trails, it might be worth checking out the DS series too.
You have put me off the Marlin lol
We had a rethink and spoken some more. My wife is not confident at all riding a bike. The tracks we will use are not really dirt tracks. They walkways made through a forest fine gravel. They are man-made so i would not class it really as off roadiing.
Was thinking about budget as i will probably use it alot more than my wife. So what if I said £700 for my bike and £300 for hers. Would this be a better way to get one half decent bike and bike for her that is OK for small easy rides?
Thank you folks 😁
05-21-20, 05:27 PM
#8
Junior Member
Thread Starter
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05-21-20, 05:28 PM
#9
Junior Member
Thread Starter
05-21-20, 08:02 PM
#10
Senior Member
Yeah, not that the marlin is a bad bike it's pretty good for what it is, It's just if you know you want a mountain bike there are better bikes, and most people on the fence about riding off the beaten path tend to do less than expected. You could get one and throw slick tires on it most of the time and its not too bad.
On the other hand...
The Trek FX series, and other similar flat bar road bike type hybrids, are great for most day to day riding. That type of bike should have no problem going for 40+ mile rides on good condition crushed limestone(fine gravel?) (but maybe not coarser looser gravel gravel) trails, streets, and the occasional detour once you get back into cycling.
They tend to be lighter weight, faster rolling, and very versatile bikes. Many people suggest getting at least the 2nd tier version, and I would agree, you get away from the versions that are difficult to upgrade sensibly in the future. If you can, at least an 8 speed cassette is nice, it gets away from a triple up front. If you get one for your wife, the stagger/step through version is annoying to get a water bottle into out of and lacks a 2nd mount, is annoying to hang and has some other minor annoyances associated with this feature (my wife has one). I'd suggest the regular women's version if possible.
If you want to go faster and do it in style, you could go the drop bar gravel bike route or maybe a cross bike. Maybe not to start, maybe as an N+1, or you could. I want one, but I want a lot of other bikes too... It might stretch you budget a bit but everyone I know who has a gravel bike loves it.
On the other hand...
The Trek FX series, and other similar flat bar road bike type hybrids, are great for most day to day riding. That type of bike should have no problem going for 40+ mile rides on good condition crushed limestone(fine gravel?) (but maybe not coarser looser gravel gravel) trails, streets, and the occasional detour once you get back into cycling.
They tend to be lighter weight, faster rolling, and very versatile bikes. Many people suggest getting at least the 2nd tier version, and I would agree, you get away from the versions that are difficult to upgrade sensibly in the future. If you can, at least an 8 speed cassette is nice, it gets away from a triple up front. If you get one for your wife, the stagger/step through version is annoying to get a water bottle into out of and lacks a 2nd mount, is annoying to hang and has some other minor annoyances associated with this feature (my wife has one). I'd suggest the regular women's version if possible.
If you want to go faster and do it in style, you could go the drop bar gravel bike route or maybe a cross bike. Maybe not to start, maybe as an N+1, or you could. I want one, but I want a lot of other bikes too... It might stretch you budget a bit but everyone I know who has a gravel bike loves it.
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05-22-20, 09:00 PM
#11
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I think Mista Sparkle has summed it up well. I live in an area where we have it all, everything from flat as a pancake rail trails to rural roads with hills to highly technical single track.
I'm in good condition but still I would say that a challenging (hilly) single track will take quite a bit of time to work up to. I can do them now but I couldn't do them this time last year. And there is zero chance I'm getting my wife on anything like that. So unless you think that you will be riding serious road biking, a gravel bike is worth considering.
I have a hybred Trek 4500 that is 16 years old. It is basically stock but I put "street" tires on it. I have been once a week doing a 60 mile rail trail ride where I pull a a total of 800 feet of climbing and I do this ride non-stop. What I'm trying to accomplish is keeping my cadence at 90+ RPM, a minimum of 85 RPM. My speed is not what I want for road biking but the bike (heavy) and the trail surface (mixed packed gravel) makes it a more difficult ride than a typical road metric century.
I'm not trying to advocate for a hybred. But I would like to say that mine is a 26" wheel and has V brakes. Most mountain and hybreds today have 29" wheels and disk brakes. I went through a period of time where I thought about upgrading either my bike to disk brakes or getting a new one. I really thought hard about this but then it dawned on me that none of this in itself would make me a better rider. No one is asking me for my autograph but my riding is reasonable these days and I pass way more riders than pass me and so no, I really don't care about disk brakes or 29" tires.
If you OP get started riding and you find it enjoyable then you are going to go through phases where you will say that I really like trails or I really like roads or something along that line. If you stick with it then expect to own several bikes for different kinds of riding. You don't have to spend a ton of money but you will want something that is fun to ride. Like others have said I don't have an opinion on the Marlin but I'm certain that they are good bikes as long as the model you choose is a good fit for the kind of riding you are doing. It shouldn't be this complicated but it is.
I'm in good condition but still I would say that a challenging (hilly) single track will take quite a bit of time to work up to. I can do them now but I couldn't do them this time last year. And there is zero chance I'm getting my wife on anything like that. So unless you think that you will be riding serious road biking, a gravel bike is worth considering.
I have a hybred Trek 4500 that is 16 years old. It is basically stock but I put "street" tires on it. I have been once a week doing a 60 mile rail trail ride where I pull a a total of 800 feet of climbing and I do this ride non-stop. What I'm trying to accomplish is keeping my cadence at 90+ RPM, a minimum of 85 RPM. My speed is not what I want for road biking but the bike (heavy) and the trail surface (mixed packed gravel) makes it a more difficult ride than a typical road metric century.
I'm not trying to advocate for a hybred. But I would like to say that mine is a 26" wheel and has V brakes. Most mountain and hybreds today have 29" wheels and disk brakes. I went through a period of time where I thought about upgrading either my bike to disk brakes or getting a new one. I really thought hard about this but then it dawned on me that none of this in itself would make me a better rider. No one is asking me for my autograph but my riding is reasonable these days and I pass way more riders than pass me and so no, I really don't care about disk brakes or 29" tires.
If you OP get started riding and you find it enjoyable then you are going to go through phases where you will say that I really like trails or I really like roads or something along that line. If you stick with it then expect to own several bikes for different kinds of riding. You don't have to spend a ton of money but you will want something that is fun to ride. Like others have said I don't have an opinion on the Marlin but I'm certain that they are good bikes as long as the model you choose is a good fit for the kind of riding you are doing. It shouldn't be this complicated but it is.
Last edited by Thomas15; 05-22-20 at 09:19 PM.
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05-24-20, 06:33 AM
#12
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Hello folks,
My wife and I havent been on bikes for 25 years probably. The last time I was on one was as a youngster down the skate park on my bmx.
We would love to start riding again (not at the skate park lol)
We will be using them to ride together on simple easy dirt tracks and some roads to get there.
I have researched quite abit and have come up with the Marlin 5 for us both. We are wondering if this is a good choice (if we can find 2 bikes, no stock anywhere) and if the Marlin is light enough for my wife? Our budget is under £500.
Any suggestions for what we should go for would be great.
Many thanks 😁
My wife and I havent been on bikes for 25 years probably. The last time I was on one was as a youngster down the skate park on my bmx.
We would love to start riding again (not at the skate park lol)
We will be using them to ride together on simple easy dirt tracks and some roads to get there.
I have researched quite abit and have come up with the Marlin 5 for us both. We are wondering if this is a good choice (if we can find 2 bikes, no stock anywhere) and if the Marlin is light enough for my wife? Our budget is under £500.
Any suggestions for what we should go for would be great.
Many thanks 😁
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05-24-20, 12:25 PM
#13
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Folks something is very wrong with this site. It will not let me upload any photos and it keeps deleting my posts. Its painful to use the site. I did write twice now long replies and its gone....
Shortened version below with no pictures lol
Sorry for the late reply. I attached a picture of the type of tracks we would be doing. This is all right outside our front door. So after speaking to the wife we were wondering if we should just get mountain bikes for the comfort and stability as we will not be using them on the roads really?
My wife is very nervous about riding so if we just stick to riding around these tracks what would you guys suggest? She wanted a tandem lol
If you guys had around £700 for my bike and around £300 for hers bearing in mind she is nervous what would you suggest make and model wise to look at?
Flat handle bars as you mention I think might be best as we she wants just comfort and we will not be doing any speed for the drop downs.
Cheers everyone for taking the time to help us 😁
Shortened version below with no pictures lol
Sorry for the late reply. I attached a picture of the type of tracks we would be doing. This is all right outside our front door. So after speaking to the wife we were wondering if we should just get mountain bikes for the comfort and stability as we will not be using them on the roads really?
My wife is very nervous about riding so if we just stick to riding around these tracks what would you guys suggest? She wanted a tandem lol
If you guys had around £700 for my bike and around £300 for hers bearing in mind she is nervous what would you suggest make and model wise to look at?
Flat handle bars as you mention I think might be best as we she wants just comfort and we will not be doing any speed for the drop downs.
Cheers everyone for taking the time to help us 😁
05-24-20, 03:48 PM
#14
Senior Member
A higher resolution version can be found in your gallery - https://www.bikeforums.net/g/picture/17942453
I'd personally be looking for a no suspension bike that can fit at least 40mm (1.75") tires. These can be marketed as mountain, hybrid, touring, adventure or gravel bike.
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05-25-20, 05:36 PM
#16
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Lol
It wasn't the picture uploading that was painful. It was everytime I got a blank alert with just ok visible. When I push ok and go back everything I had written vanished lol
Do you have a suggestions for which makes and or models specifically we should stick to for mountain bikes? Or which not to go for?
I will probably get a hybrid further down the line for myself once we have got into it more.
cheers everyone 👍
It wasn't the picture uploading that was painful. It was everytime I got a blank alert with just ok visible. When I push ok and go back everything I had written vanished lol
Do you have a suggestions for which makes and or models specifically we should stick to for mountain bikes? Or which not to go for?
I will probably get a hybrid further down the line for myself once we have got into it more.
cheers everyone 👍
05-25-20, 05:57 PM
#17
Full Member
Hello folks,
My wife and I havent been on bikes for 25 years probably. The last time I was on one was as a youngster down the skate park on my bmx.
We would love to start riding again (not at the skate park lol)
We will be using them to ride together on simple easy dirt tracks and some roads to get there.
I have researched quite abit and have come up with the Marlin 5 for us both. We are wondering if this is a good choice (if we can find 2 bikes, no stock anywhere) and if the Marlin is light enough for my wife? Our budget is under £500.
Any suggestions for what we should go for would be great.
Many thanks 😁
My wife and I havent been on bikes for 25 years probably. The last time I was on one was as a youngster down the skate park on my bmx.
We would love to start riding again (not at the skate park lol)
We will be using them to ride together on simple easy dirt tracks and some roads to get there.
I have researched quite abit and have come up with the Marlin 5 for us both. We are wondering if this is a good choice (if we can find 2 bikes, no stock anywhere) and if the Marlin is light enough for my wife? Our budget is under £500.
Any suggestions for what we should go for would be great.
Many thanks 😁
My biggest problem with the bike is that he will absolutely outgrow it by the end of this summer and I'm not convinced my wife will ever ride it once he's done.
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05-25-20, 08:02 PM
#18
Senior Member
Edit: The Giant Toughroad is another bike in this category.
Last edited by katsup; 05-25-20 at 08:11 PM.
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05-26-20, 01:44 PM
#19
Junior Member
Thread Starter
My spawn rides a Marlin 5, he's 5'4" 110lbs (45-50kg?) soaking wet and loves the thing. It is fairly heavy, but not obnoxiously so. I chose it over the 4 because of the hydro brakes and the cables being internally routed. The thing is a tank, he nearly destroyed a parked car and the only damage to the bike was a warped rotor. He does a heavy mix of road and rail trails with no issues. It's also fairly hilly around here and the gearing is decent for him.
My biggest problem with the bike is that he will absolutely outgrow it by the end of this summer and I'm not convinced my wife will ever ride it once he's done.
My biggest problem with the bike is that he will absolutely outgrow it by the end of this summer and I'm not convinced my wife will ever ride it once he's done.
05-26-20, 01:54 PM
#20
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Its just wiped my responses again......
Sorry too painful to write again. Thank you everyone for all your help. Stay safe and happy riding.
The admins should really sort that spam thing out. It even does it when you quote. Its so off putting.
Cheers 👍
Sorry too painful to write again. Thank you everyone for all your help. Stay safe and happy riding.
The admins should really sort that spam thing out. It even does it when you quote. Its so off putting.
Cheers 👍
05-27-20, 04:23 PM
#21
Senior Member
If you tried to quote my reply, it had photos....
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05-27-20, 05:09 PM
#23
Senior Member
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05-27-20, 05:59 PM
#24
Junior Member
Thread Starter
05-28-20, 07:30 AM
#25
Senior Member
I like Katsup's suggestions. Something like that looks like it checks all the boxes.
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