[dial21]

I recently purchased a trek marlin 5 and was wondering what upgrades would make it a smoother ride for me without spending a ton of money. I’ve already purchased a different fork and grips. Thanks!

 

[Sickmak90]

What fork did you get?

Maybe go tubeless and run a lower tire psi.

 

[acedeuce802]

Agreed on what Sickmak said above, give us the whole story.

Have you tried riding some else's hardtail? It's possible that you're just not accustomed to riding on trails, sometimes you're just not going to float over rough stuff.

 

[dial21]

I bought the RockShox Judy silver tk.

 

[dial21]

Yes I may need to ride another hardtail. I haven’t done that yet. I tried saving money by getting a cheaper bike but then I heard that the marlin 5 isn’t the greatest bike to have gotten.

 

[Sickmak90]

The marlin 5 isn’t bad per say, but it isn’t the best either. If you want a cheapish bike with a more plush ride a roscoe might have been better.

Full squish is the way to go if you want a smooth ride.

 

[regiobike]

check my old thread:

https://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/...is-havoc-handlebar-raceface-stem-1045174.html

 

[frdfandc]

I agree with the above. A Roscoe probably would have fit your requirements for a plush ride much better than a Marlin.

You will be limited on tire width. Maybe get a 2.4 up front, but the rear of the bike is pretty narrow, so you may be limited to a 2.3, maybe a 2.35 in the back, depending on the tire.