Submitted by
BluesHarpBiker
a Weekend Warrior
from Lafayette, CO
Date Reviewed: December 23, 2010
Strengths: Fairly lightweight, strong, good price. Components get the job done.
Weaknesses: The Bontrager Jones XR tires are terrible for anything but hardpack. They have ZERO cornering ability on loose terrain.
The stock Wellgo pedals were junk, as the plastic spindle actually sticks out above the pedal cage if the pedals are upside down, making the bottom side very slippery. I don't think this is a big weakness because most riders would probably put on their preferred after market pedals anyway. Why have the additional expense of higher quality pedals included with the bike when you're probably going to just replace them right off the bat?
The Deore rear derailleur is apparently very delicate, because I managed to turn mine into an "auto-shifting" version on my 3rd ride without even crashing. I guess I must have clipped a rock with it since I always lay the bike down on the left side to protect the drivetrain.
Bottom Line:
You get a good frame with decent componentry for a reasonable price. It climbs and handles really well. Switching to Excavators completely changed the riding experience for me. I went from sliding out on every turn to pinning it around corners, even in loose gravel.
I've ridden it all over the CO front range, and it's handled just about everything really well, with the exception of the rockier parts of the Ponderosa loop at Heil Ranch, which I think would be pretty rough on any hardtail. I did find it took a while to get used to the geometry, but I'm sure that was partly because my old 4500 was a size too small.
I'd recommend this to anyone on a budget because you get a good frame and you can always upgrade components down the road. It's not fancy, but it is a solid rig that can tear it up on most any XC terrain if you're a good rider.
Only 4 chilis overall rating because of the stock tires
Favorite Trail: Strand Hill in Crested Butte, Hall Ranch
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At: Boulder Trek Store
Similar Products Used: '00 Trek 4500 (the Marlin is a gigantic step up from that), '95 Fuji Sandblaster, Norco Fluid 2 (demo'd in Moab)
Bike Setup: Time ATAC pedals, Kenda Excavator tires (26x2.1 rear, 26x2.35 front), Stan's sealant in the tubes
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
loudy13
a Weekend Warrior
from st. cloud mn
Date Reviewed: May 7, 2010
Strengths: Great price, tough as nails, my second Gary Fisher and I wasnt let down. Handles great and takes a beating
Weaknesses: Set up from store, brakes were horrid, shifting was unreliable
Bottom Line:
I picked this bike up due to the almost halfprice sale the local store was having and wow did I get my money's worth. This bike is light enough for the Weekend Warrior and plenty reliable, the tires weren't the best and new tires made a big difference. I was about to replace the brakes til I learned to set them up correctly. I am very pleased with this bike and it has taken quite a few beatings on the trail. I would suggest this bike for anyone who wants a bike they can ride as a commuter and an occasional Black Diamond
Submitted by
Bhong
a Weekend Warrior
from Illinois, USA
Date Reviewed: September 17, 2009
Strengths: Price,good geometry and responsivenss.
Weaknesses: Stock tires has poor rolling abilty.
Bottom Line:
A very good bike for the price. Climbs like a goat. Good geometry, good components. Thanks to the Mythos IRC tire that my buddy gave me. Gary Fisher Marlin disc 2008 did not fail me. If you plan on buying this kind of bike first thing you needto upgrade is the tire. Then just replace any broken parts wlong the way.
Similar Products Used: Specialized hardrock,specialized rockhopper,cannondale f5.
Bike Setup: As is when I bought it exceptfor the wheelset.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
EJS
a Downhiller
from Rogers, Arkansas
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2009
Strengths: Lightweight, Good Geometry, Durable, Comfortable, Handles Well
Weaknesses: Pedals
Bottom Line:
Great bike. I went back and forth before purchase between the Marlin Disk and Cannondale F5. In the end I decided on the Fisher. The bike climbs well and the G2 really allows you to stand-in and grind up those hills. Balance is excellent and the bike is very stable during high-speed descents. I have seen a fair number of complaints regarding the tires being prone to pinch flats, but haven't encountered any problems thus far. The only (and I mean only) complaint I have are the small platform pedals. The teeth are the same size on the top and bottom so I frequently end up riding with my feet on the bottoms of the pedals. Will swap out for SPDs soon and that should remove my complaint. All-in-all, fantastic bike. So far it's taken whatever I've thrown at it and begs for more!!!!
Weaknesses: Jones XR Tires, BB5 Breaks Tough to Dial-In, Rock Shox Dart 2 opposed to the Dart 3 Shock.
Bottom Line:
After doing extensive research on the internet and at local bike shops between various Trek's, Gary Fisher's and Cannondale's, I finally narrowed my search down to a Trek 6000 or Gary Fisher Marlin Disc. Both bikes are pretty comparable aside from the Trek having the newer Dart 3 front shock. Overall the feel, ride, and fit 17.5" (5'9" x 165 lbs.) was perfect for me with the Marlin over the Trek. I think most of that is attributed to the geometry of the G2 frame design on the Marlin since I am a lanky type with long arms and legs.
Upon taking the bike home I was a bit disappointed with the BB5 disc break set up as trying to dial them in proved to be a bit challenging. The rotors on the front and back were rubbing a bit when the bike shop delivered the bike to me, but a bit of tweaking and a little bit of saddle time to break the bike in properly has seemed to cure the rubbing problem for the most part. Here is a good write up with pictures on how to adjust the BB5 breaks. http://bluecollarmtb.com/2006/10/30/how-to-dial-in-avid-bb5-mechanical-disc-brakes/ .
The only thing that I really wish is that the Marlin Disc came with is the newer Dart 3 Rock Shox, but I can see that they opted for the Dart 2 to keep the price under a respectable $800.00. The Dart 2 does quite well on the roads and Trails around town, and all in all this bike is perfect for someone looking to do some mild single track riding and have something that they can still ride around the city and commute in comfortably. For the price I paid on sale it was a steal!!!
Submitted by
Tones23
a Weekend Warrior
from Park Ridge, IL
Date Reviewed: May 27, 2009
Strengths: Rigidity and handling, Deore all around, Sticky BB5's (if adjusted properly)
Weaknesses: Grips, stock cable stretch
Bottom Line:
I had the luxury of thoroughly testing a Trek 6000 Disc and a Felt Q620 in addition to the '09 Marlin Disc. Here's the rundown on these three similarly priced bikes...
The 6000 felt loose and the SRAM X5 shifters were clumsy and slow. I felt like I was wasting a lot of energy taking off. The Q620 felt amazing, but I was wary of the Alivio setup and low end Tektro hydroulics. It was a rocket.
The Marlin feel was slightly below the Felt in responsiveness and quickness, but way above the 6000. In the end, the Marlin won out over the Q620 due to the Deore setup and the BB5's ($70 cheaper also). I know hydraulics should win out, but if adjusted properly, the BB5s are more than capable of easily stopping the bike. They're a bit touchy in the modulation department, but it just takes a little getting used to.
I've had the bike only a few weeks, but I've put over 300 miles on it in a mix of pavement, leasure trails, technical single tracks and a little jumping.
The bike feels like it's in the mud on pavement, but seems to really be at home on trails. I average about 4mph faster through technical singletracks than I did on my old tank (98 Performance M407), which averaged about 3mph faster on pavement.
The bike seems to lean right a little bit more than usual, though that may just be me getting used to a different balance than my old bike. My first jump on it of only about 3ft resulted in a whole lot of scratches and bruises.
One word of warning... Due to the G2 geometry, when test-riding make sure you test the correct frame size for yourself. On most bikes, you can get a good idea what a 17.5" frame feels like by riding a 19" frame... not so on a Fisher G2. If you test-ride the wrong size, you'll think I'm nuts in praising this bike.
Bike Setup: Stock with inconsequential add-ons - bar ends, etc.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Oldradioguy2
a Weekend Warrior
from Severna Park, Maryland
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2009
Strengths: Light, nimble, climbs hills like a goat, shifts as smoothly as butter, and the G2 frame results in a comfortable, confident position. I have a grade 2 Spondylolisthesis (a vertebral slip) at my L4 vertebrae, and the G2 was the only bike frame that I could use that was comfortable (translation: if you have sciatica, this frame will put you in a riding posisiton that will not aggravate your sciatica). I can ride this bike 30-50 miles without the least amount fo discomfort. I liked the Cannondale G5 and a couple others, but their more upright position bothers my back.
The components on this bike are quite adequate, although I would have liked Avid BB7's instead of the BB5's. But the BB5's do a great job. I love my old Ross Mount Hood, but when I get on my Marlin, the comparison is like an old ranch horse to a thoroughbred or a pony. The light weight makes this bike a breeze to ride on trails.
Weaknesses: Two things: The pedals ($10 Wellgo's on an $800 bike?), and the awful Bontrager Jones XR tires. I just broke down in desparation and bought a tube with goo in it because I have a flat almost every time I go off road with these tires, despite the fact that my son is riding right in front of me on Kendas, and he NEVER gets flats with cheap K-Mart tubes.
I replaced the Wellgo's with my old Suntour XC II beartraps, and the difference is astounding. The bike climbs much better, and my feet never slip now.
Two minor points: Lightweight aluminum bikes require more effort on pavement when riding into the wind, and sometimes when climbing a real steep grade, the front end tries to rear up on me. But I imagine all light bikes do that. I just have to adjust my position.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike, so far. It's a little flashy, the unusual frame shape makes mounting it on a bike carrier a pain, and I wish Gary Fisher hadn't pasted his name in 8 places on the frame, but everyone who sees the bike says "Nice bike," so I guess it's me. The silky smooth Deore shifting makes it easy to run into a hill and then gear down when the terrain starts heading toward the sky. And when the going gets impossible, it's as easy to carry as a briefcase.
This probably deserves a 5 rating for value, but the poor pedals and tires force me to give it a 4. Overall though, it's a 5.
Bike Setup: Stock with underseat bike bag, lights, pump and Cateye CC-HR200DW
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
prox
a Cross Country Rider
from Kharkov, Ukraine
Date Reviewed: August 6, 2008
Strengths: Fast, beautiful and light. Clear work of deraileurs, good brakes, easy motion is all does a ride on him pleasant.
Weaknesses: Bontrager Jones tires are very good at a ride on a park or forest, but so much make noise at a ride on an asphalt. Hard saddle. On beginning was unusual, but now as though disturbs not so.
Bottom Line:
Excellent bicycle! In the future possibly will buy in addition half-slick tires for a ride on an asphalt.
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross Country Rider
from Tupelo, MS, USA
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2008
Strengths: The bike climbs like a goat and descends wonderfully. It's very stable at extremely low as well as very high speeds. Cornering is great as far as the bike is concerned, although the stock tires hider the bikes ability. Mine is ridden 15-20 hours a week and I have yet to have any real problems.
Stock components are very good, but not perfect. (think trail/recreation not race/competition) Either replace some of them immediately and sell the stock ones or wear them out and replace with better components later. I?ve opted to upgrade when the components actually need to be replaced, because there is nothing really wrong with them to begin with. I read the reviews that say toss the stock parts anytime I read about a MTB. I wonder why a pro rider doesn?t just build from the frame up with the components they desire.
Weaknesses: The tires, Bontrager Jones XR, should perform great on hardpack. But I would suggest replacing them if you are in an area with thorns, loamy/loose soil, mud or standing water. They do not grip well in cornering, which has caused a few falls for me. They also have next to zero puncture resistance. I was changing tubes after literally every ride. The thorns we pick up are black berry thorns and are about 1-2mm long, something that you might miss in your own skin? but they puncture these tires like they were hot tacks. I replaced my tubes with self sealing tubes (Slime or similar product) and have had no problems so far. I?m upgrading the tires once I get these worn down or after the new tubes fail a few times. Bottom line if you plan to ride where you might get a thorn or hit some loose soil, consider investing in a better set of tires.
The cables need to be routed so that there is very little touching the frame itself. I have a huge spot rubbed to the aluminum frame on the front of my bike as does a few of my friends with the Marlin Disc setup. The brake cable rubbed through the paint after about five hours of riding. If I did it again I would place a frame protector type patch on the frame where the cables touch and where they could touch.
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