My BRAND NEW 2023 Trek Marlin 8 Gen 3!!! (Review + Ride)
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- Check out the Marlin 8 here: bit.ly/3osTLdk
Big shoutout to Travis Ott from the Trek MTB team for helping me get this awesome bike!!
In this video I unbox, build, and give my thoughts on the brand new, just released 2023 Trek Marlin 8 Gen 3. This bike was released today in North America, so in this video I go over the build process, all the components from the suspension fork and brakes to the drivetrain, including the shifter, cassette, and more. I also go over the frame geometry, color options, sizes, and more information to give you an in depth introduction to the new Trek Marlin lineup. Hope you enjoy!!!
Follow my Instagram for in-person bike content! @talalipop_mtb
0:00 Intro / Background
2:38 Build Process
3:14 New Frame
4:48 Components
8:52 Ride / Thoughts - Zábava
Man I can't believe it. I'm getting a Trek thanks to you!! I'm sorry to hear what happened. Glad to see your energy is still the same. Honestly wish you all the best!
Aw thank you! I appreciate that :)
Broo video was so beautiful. I love it Thank you so much❤❤❤❤
You’re welcome!!
Wow, Trek should 100% hire you directly. You are absolutely the best marketing and most informative channel about them. Being able to get all this information has been an invaluable benefit to increasing my knowledge and helping with buying decisions about TREK bikes. Being able to feel like I’m making informed decisions has been keeping me buying Treks. I have 5 recent Trek bike purchases sitting in my garage as we speak and a co-worker friend is doing the same thing of researching things before buying, most of which is your channel.
Wow I’m flattered, thank you so much! I definitely appreciate your support
Man, you are the reason I bought 3 trek bikes!! and probably I will buy only trek bikes in the future. you are the Michael Jordan of Trek!
I’m flattered!! Thank you :)
Why you didn't bought santa cruz or Yeti
Which bikes did you buy. I'm currently waiting for my fuel ex to come in.
I am planning to buy a road bike next but not anytime soon.
Your comparison videos are awesome. I like Trek as well just by design
Thank you!!
Sorry to hear about the job loss. Sure you will be just fine. I am still enjoying my Gen 2 Marlin 8. Thanks for the update.
Thank you as well for watching!
When you and James the Bike Guy post a new video I always watch it. Keep on Keepen on!
Hahaha James has a pretty awesome channel for sure. Thanks!
Great video Great Bike ! I have the marlin 8 2nd generation And Man I put lots of miles on it,from last year to today I only changed the chain. This 3rd generation looks Awesome!
Thanks!! And yess the gen 2 is still definitely a good bike, love my gen 2
Sorry to hear about your job…. I always enjoy your reviews & have learned so much on Marlins, DS & FX series bikes.
Thank you! I appreciate you watching :)
Congrats on the new bike. Live in S.America and we’ve had the Marlin 8 Gen 3 now for several months. I got the matte grey Gen 3 and love it. At $1800 here and no Roscoe model available, the Marlin 8 was about as much as I could stomach currently. My only complaints on this bike would be: Dropper post is nice, but sticks a bit and could have been better quality. Would also have been nice to see a 32-34T chainring. On my 1st race, I was left wanting more speed on the downhills and flats. Have since upgraded to a 34T and have gone tubeless. If you plan on racing this bike or doing any city riding, would definitely recommend 34T. (Most MTBs higher in class/price than the Marlin 8 will have 34-38T chainrings.)
Nice!! Glad you’re liking the M8 so far. And good advice on upgrading the chainring, I’ll keep that in mind as well during my trail rides to see how it feels
I just Ordered this exact Marlin!
Sadly Trek decided to let me go as well, it’s a bummer because I loved working in the shop helping customers. But I will have more time to ride bikes again!
I hope more brands send you bikes to review, because your content is great!
Nice!! And sorry to hear you got let go too :( but I like the positivity! Thank you :)
Interesting upgrades/updates! Geometry is very much in line with what other brands have been doing for a few years, that is slacker head tube angle, steeper seat post angle, longer reach. Good to see Trek following suit. I wonder how long until they try it as a mullet...
Yes! Finally we have some great geo changes. A mullet would be interesting for sure
Sorry you got let go but onto new adventures bro. Great to see the gen 3 in USA. I'm expecting my Marlin 6 gen 3 next week. Would love to see your comparison video o the gen 3 series.
Yess!! Currently making that video now
Thanks to your reviews I will be picking up a Trek Marlin today for one of my kids. Either a Marlin 7 or 8 in my local shop..
Ive 3 teenage kids so buying 3 expensive MTBs and then 3 expensive road bikes for them is not feasible. I already have a Trek Excalibur 8 for one of them.
Im liking the Marlin 7 cos it comes with Deore, Im old school Shimano and Trek (I have a 2500 and 6500 still rocking) but too many reviews of the Marlin 8 complain about the Sram SX groupset.
Sorry to hear you lost your position at Trek, you were and still are a great ambassador for them
I hope someone in the business picks you up , you have great energy . Stay safe friend.
What an idiotic decision by Trek to let you go. This channel is one of the real pluses to owning a trek, you're to the point with all specs and updates.
I'm flattered! Thank you :)
Same, I wasn't even considering Trek until I found this chan. Maybe you can work for corporate?
@@TalalipopMTBWatch another competitor snatch you up.
@@TalalipopMTB I worked for over 20 non-union machine shops, earned 3 college degrees while working (all in manufacturing, 2 engineering), and was still just above poverty as an employee. Finally, I started my own business and got out of poverty. Always think about your own business (recreational industries is all we have left for that opportunity, as communism left us something to play with.), and use your employers as a education that you actually get paid for. Because JOB stands for "Just Over Broke".
And if your business takes off,----you will have just discovered "freedom" and happiness, (where it really comes from), from personal achievement. (until tax day).
Beautiful bike love the red (my dual sport is red) ... you should be a company spokesperson. .. you really helped trek sales , you will be better and a better door wil, open for you. .. love your videos
Thank you! I appreciate that :)
This Marlin 8 is an interesting model, I think it's great that they're bring back the internal dropper routing and also not mentioned but the handlebars are definitely an upgrade that goes hand in hand with the slacker head tube angle. It's everything I'm trying to do with my aging Marlin 7, but if I were to go with an additional bike (N+1) I think I'd look at either the XCaliber 8 or 9 or Roscoe 7.
PS: Sorry to hear you got let go. I hope you are at least able to ride more and focus on your content like many other content creators have done because of similar changes in their lives. There are always possibilities and really this couldn't have happened at a better time as this is the start of the riding season.
I agree on all your points about the marlin. I'd go with a roscoe personally as an extra bike since the x-caliber seems to be more dated now with the updated marlin and roscoe bikes that have been released. And you're right! Hope to focus on the channel more during this spring/summer.
@@TalalipopMTB Sounds like you don't think the X-Calibers will get updated this year? The big knock on them was the outdated frame geometry, and looks like the Marlin got the updates customers were asking for.
Yeah marlins definitely got the updates; I thought Trek would’ve had to update the x-calibers soon as well since I don’t think they’re a great buy anymore, but seems like they’re holding off for some reason. Maybe they’re just trying to get rid of all the stock first but not sure
TREK Managers are idiots for letting you go. You’re the best Trek reviewer on CZcams! Crazy update for sure.
Aw hahaha thank you!! I appreciate that :)
I'm sure they let him go for a reason that he doesn't want to share with us.
Haha nope, I’m pretty open on the channel with you guys. It was mainly because our store’s sales weren’t doing well enough to support as many employees. As things pick up again this summer I may actually be able to return so we’ll see!
Such a pretty bike!
I have my Trek as well.. however, need to put it in the shop tomorrow.. see what happens.
I live in México and im poor but i saved for years and went many days without food ,but i bought a marlin 8 2ndo gen..i also made several upgrades..i dont like the back axel for the gen 3 , because geting replacment could be a problem because no other bikes have it..i love my malin ,its great ,pure luxury 🚲👍
I have bought marlin 7 yesterday gen3
So sorry that you got let go from Trek. Yours is the primary Trek channel that I always come back to for new bike reviews and new information about Trek bikes, overall. This world is so messed up. They should reward the folks that bring value to the brand. If I buy another Trek…it won’t be from Trek Sacramento. I’ll drive to LA or San Diego. Best of luck!
Aw I really appreciate you watching the channel!! And no you should totally go to Trek Sacramento! Me being fired has nothing to do with that store, I was let go by the district manager who’s in charge of a lot of California stores :/ Sacramento is still great!
You should go back and review the Marlin 5 you originally had, and compare what you think about it now after riding more mid-premium line bikes. Interesting to see if you change your view.
Honestly I still love the marlin 5, has a special place in my heart since I started riding on that thing. I'll always love the marlins for what they are; I understand there's better bikes out there but on their own they are pretty cool :)
I bought a Marlin 5 Gen 2 2 months ago and think I am already ready to upgrade the bike. Im debating if I should go to Marlin 8 G3 or the new Roscoe 7, I cant decide.
This is my opinion as an owner of both a 2019 marlin 7 and aa new Roscoe 9. If you already have a marlin. And you're looking at second bike I would go with the Roscoe. Throw some gravel bike tires on the marlin for a pavement grinder and the Roscoe always dirt ready. If you're trading in the old marlin I would say it depends on what you ride more of, pavement or dirt, on which bike to get.
I want to get a new bike and I’m 13 I love nature and the outdoors and really love riding bikes my bike now has had both of the tires punctured and I have outgrown it I want to get a new one thanks
Would you say that this bike is lighter and faster than the Marlin 5? How does it compare to the Dual Sport 2? I ask because I like the wider tires and overall size of the Marlin.
Your Roscoes review was good. In the end no surprise u favored Roscoe matching price performance. Perplexed why u have so many similar bikes. Other than review benefits , discounts
Hahaha I just love Trek bikes and want to compare different models and see what Trek is trying to do with models that seem similar. Hoping to make some nice comparisons between my marlins and roscoe soon
Great review. Need your opinion. Not sure your about stats. But I'm 5'9" with a 30" inseam. But I'm stocky and over 220lbs. What frame size would you suggest.
Thanks! And a M or M/L size would fit you well. Considering the inseam, the medium size seems to be better, and usually for mountain bikes people prefer sizing down if they are between sizes since it makes the bike more maneuverable and easier to handle. But if you prefer higher speeds or a little more stability, the M/L size could be better. Trying both sizes out on a test ride would be the best way but I know that's not always feasible.
The Marlin is a fantastic bike. I'm not sold on the new geometry though. Maybe XC bikes aren't selling as much as trail bikes and since they don't have a short travel trail hardtail it only makes sense they would use the Marlin to fill that gap.
They actually do have a short travel trail hardtail (x-caliber). But those are more expensive for sure
The x caliber is a full blown XC bike. The head tube angle is almost identical to the Marlin gen 2, and actually less slack than the pro-caliber and super caliber.
Oh my bad, I misinterpreted “trail” and wasn’t thinking XC. Yeah Xcal is xc for sure
Hi, I have Trek XCaliber 8 Crystal White 2022 the new one, I watched your video and I bought it. Is it better than this Marlin? This is more trail bike true? And XCaliber is more XC bike. Can I ask you, why on the fork the XCaliber doesnt have the red ring like many bikes have? Can you explain me? Thank you.
Salut , il faudrait une vidéo sur le nouveau trek dual sport haut de gamme 😊
As a 2023 Roscoe 7 owner i think this bike looks incredibly like the roscoe and still looks very impressive as its a bit cheaper! I still wouldn't swap my roscoe for it
Agreed! Looks and feels like a mini roscoe, but the roscoe is still better it seems. Gonna make a video on both together to really tell the difference
I own a Roscoe 7 also and I feel like this frame kinda resembles the Roscoe 6 ones
The gen 2 marlin frame definitely resembles the roscoe 6 frame, this one may look similar but side by side I’d say it looks more like the new roscoe with the geo updates
Ya, I'd live to see a Roscoe vs marlin comparison! Love watching the channel as I'm a big trek fan
Marlin 8 gen 3
X caliber 9
Procaliber 9.6
Please help me choose one. Which 1 would you reccommend?
Hi what size should i Pick ? I am 5'8 height so I have on my Mind is Large or Medium idk what is the best that fit on me ?
Hi . Love your channel , good to hear detailed info from someone who has indepth knowledge on Trek bikes. I am in a situation here , need help. I got my Marlin 8 gen 3 , but now I feel I should have gone for Roscos 7. What is your opinion.
Thank you! And I personally prefer the Roscoe 7, but you do save some money with the Marlin 8 and it’s a great mountain bike so not bad. Roscoe has more potential for upgrades biliary and is a more robust frame with better geometry for trail riding, but marlin is better if you want to ride your bike on the road or on gravel too, or if you’re more on a budget
Thanks a lot for that info.
Does the Rosco 7 come with hollow tech BB ?
Yes it has a hollowtech II BB (Shimano BB52)
Thank you. We would like to see a long term review of this Marlin 8 gen 3 of yours. Plz post a first trail ride impression video something like what level of beating this can take. And does this Marlin 8 have Hollow tech BB?
i know this question is not related to marlin, what do you think of trek 4500 alpha i found used one. Thank you in advance .
Hey, great video! How tall are you and does this size M fit you well?
Thanks! I’m 5’7” - 5’8” and the M fits great! I have a M/L marlin as well and that’s great too, but medium is a bit more comfortable to throw around
Review more bikes! I hope you can make good living with these videos. You’re one of the best, try to do more bikes, not just Trek :).
Yes!! I would definitely love to do that, Trek just has so many bikes out there that I never got around to making videos on all of them, but it would be cool to branch out more
I wish in the gen 4 of that bike they actually put the sram udh with insert for that thru skew system.
Oh yeah that would be cool!
Cunragleion it's a good biek. I liked
Where are you living bro?
I went with a rockhopper elite 29 2022 ver.
Between a Marlin 8 G3 and X-Cal 8/9, for someone who does a mix of both beginner trails and long travel cross country travel bikes, no flying flipping trail type, which one should I go for?
I compared both and decided to pay a bit extra money and take x-cal 9 eventually. In terms of components x-cal is definitely better. I am just an amateur rider and probably would be completely satisfied with Marlin abilities, but still decided to invest slightly more into bike and avoid future doubts about upgrading)) But I was not limited that much with my budget and was ready to pay ~€1800 for x-cal9.
I really like the marlin. But in Gen 3 they must go for tapered frame specially on their highend marlin 7/8
Cooooll!!!! 😊 😊
:DDD
@@TalalipopMTB
Red is beautiful, but why can't it be imported into South Korea? 😢
Hi, I want to ask what is your height? I'm looking for this bike but it seems like size ML is only in stock or 2xl and I would like to you know how tall you are because that bike looks perfect for you
I’m 5’7” - 5’8” and the bike is a size medium. I’ve ridden medium and M/L for the gen 2 marlins and like both but I think medium fits a little better
Looks much faster and smoother than other Marlin bikes. True?
So far it does seem that way, but I’ll make a more in depth comparison between this and other marlins soon
Talalipop…what’s the bike stand you are using?
The Shimano Pro bike stand. I modified mine a bit with sheet metal to have it fit mountain bikes, but I think they make one now that's for mtbs
Which color you think is better ?
No hollowtech ??? Isn't that weird at this price point ? I want to buy this bike for my gf as entry level mtb, but now I am not sure. I ride the new Fuel Ex gen 6.
Do you think SRAM is inferior to shimano? I feel like shimano is good at all levels if not amazing (at higher end) and very smooth
I think both are great, but I just don’t like this drivetrain specifically as much. I don’t have a hard preference on one over the other overall.
Any idea what the M6 gen 3 costs? I don't see it on the US website yet
$899.99! I'll release the video on that one soon. They should be on the US website now since I see them there.
Eu tenho uma marlin7 só alegria.
Hi , I am a 5'8" medium built and thorn on getting an M or an M/L bike, what you would recommend for me?
I have the same problem hahaha, my Trek coworkers I usually go for the medium size if we’re in between since for mountain bikes it’s typically better to size down for better maneuverability. You could size up if you prefer having a larger or longer bike, But i’d say medium is fine
@@TalalipopMTBthank you, i’ll keep that in mind, hopefully I can possibly bike fit at my chosen bike shop.
The Trek Marlin 8 Gen 3 looks similar to my 2021 Trek Roscoe 7
Yeah it definitely looks similar!
It went together easily in less than an hour. czcams.com/users/postUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Make sure the front fork is forward or the pedals will hit the front tire. Tires are both a little soft so it needs air before I ride it. The rear wheel didn't come with a clamp regular bolts hold it on. The front had the clamp. No scratches out of box. Rims are a little off with a slight wobble. They could have spent more time with the spoke tool fixing the run out. So far out of the box I'm happy with it. I did replace the pedals with a nice aftermarket set. After riding it a bit my A$$ is a bit sore so I ordered another seat. Overall I'm nearly 60 and didn't ride a bike in 30 years. I like my new 29" Schwinn. It will be used for casual rides with my friend.
Should I worry about upgrading the sram right away or ride it till it goes out? I think it’s dumb that a 7 had Shimano and 8 has sram now.
I think you can ride it till it goes out, that’s what I’m doing
@@TalalipopMTB thanks for the response, and you’re not really seeing any defects?
I haven’t been riding it too much unfortunately so so far I have not. I’ve built a lot of bikes with that derailleur though and sometimes it’s great and sometimes it comes bent and never really shifts that well. Somewhat luck of the draw on this one but if you don’t crash it it should be fine for a while. Upgrading to the NX derailleur for $100 or even GX does seem expensive but that shouldn’t need upgrading for a long time. I’d say just ride it out
@@TalalipopMTB cheers
Cheers!
Why it has Maxxis tyres not Bontrager?
Not sure, but Maxxis makes better tires overall in my opinion since they’re a big tire manufacturer so I’d say it’s an upgrade in this case. Some of the marlins still use bontrager tires though.
Time to move to Giant retail work? That seems to have been a bit of a low blow.., especially w/ the direct/Indirect marketing help from just doing your hobby thing w/ heavy leaning on Trek.
Yeah I feel pretty bummed about it all, but I may explore other opportunities at Trek in the future too if they come up. We'll see!
Good luck! I hope it goes well. I LOVE Your videos.
NOTE: I would love to see your take on the entry level Giant Revolt. Most reviews on Revolts are on "Advanced" models.
Again.., Good Luck, & Thank You for Your videos!
Thank you!! I appreciate that :) and I haven’t actually looked into the revolt much since it’s a road bike, but I’ll keep it in mind!
I don’t understand why they didn’t just go with a thru axle. Didn’t trek invent the boost standard?
It was too expensive for them is what I heard, considering how thru axles also require more expensive hubs / wheels and frame machining etc
@@TalalipopMTB it wasn’t too expensive, it was their margins.
Sorry about the job. Thanks for the video though. Hope you find something fun soon.
Thank you too! Much appreciated :)
Weight ?
The roscoe 7 is still dominant am i right?
So far that's what I think, but I want to ride both bikes back to back and make a video on that so I'll give my final thoughts on it later.
@@TalalipopMTB Yes thats the exact video im asking for!
Awesome! Hopefully I can make that soon
I hoped they let you go , because they have better plans for you within the company your knowledge and enthusiasm are 💯
Thank you! I hope they do as well :)
Can it serve as a daily commuter type bike???
Oh yeah it totally can. If you are mainly commuting on these though I would go for a less expensive model like the Marlin 6 since it’ll be pretty similar in terms of comfort on the road
I just switched from a Marlin 5 to the Duo Sport 2; I love it! Very smooth and faster. However, I’m finding that I really miss the Marlin 5. What are your thoughts!
Yes the dual sport is definitely better for commuting in my opinion, unless you live in an area with really bad roads. What’s the reason you miss your marlin?
@@TalalipopMTB …I was a long time road bike rider but today they are way too expensive to purchase, so I tried the Marlin 5 and loved the larger tires, the ride without having to focus on road surfaces so much as I would a road-bike.
Oh gotcha! Well the dual sport should give you that feeling as well but it’s a little lighter and faster on the road than a marlin is. I’d say stick with the dual sport if you’re mainly on roads or gravel paths, the marlin would only be better if you also want to trail ride or have really rough roads
show us hub sound
hmm... why do you need so many different bikes? dont you already have like a procaliber? what is a point of having a marlin? im just curious
I just love marlins personally so I've been really excited to test out the new one. I do hope to make in person comparisons on these similar bikes to really highlight the differences in feel, both for myself to know, but also to help out people who are trying to decide between the models
@@TalalipopMTB fair enough, with so many bikes how do you decide what to ride? Do you always levitate towards your most high end enduro or do you ride em mostly equally?
Actually I ride the enduro the least since the trails around me just aren’t hard enough for that. Mostly ride the marlin and roscoe right now, definitely gotta get around to traveling to bigger and better trails to utilize the enduro bikes
is this large size bro?
No it’s M/L
I'm a 268lb guy is this strong enough, using for cardo
Yes it’s rated for up to 300 lbs
bro just test the bikes in legit mtb trails not in regular smooth hills ...btw loved the review
hahaha fair point. I'll definitely make a trail riding video on it
All that geo changes and it's still using 135/100 QR standard...
I thought about this too, but from what I've heard they decided not to add thru axles since it would make the bikes too expensive for marlins
Still a square tapper BB! Soo disappointing from Trek. This will always place the Marlin in the hybrid category for me. A hollowtech II BB costs 30 quid, simply no excuses for still going square taper.
Go work for Santa Cruz. 😉
hahaha XD
It’s too bad they didn’t use a Deore 12 speed drivetrain. I just purchased a Niner Air 9 with the Sram SX drivetrain and it truly is garbage.
Yeah deore 12 speed is so much better for sure
Why on earth would you have so many Marlins?
hahahaha because marlins are the best!
Sorry, parts spec
Oh yeah the parts spec is similar to that one for sure
Your are advertising a product for a company who fired you, wow what a great idea !!!!!
Also a 1300$ bike with a non tapered head tube?!!!!!
No thanks
It's not Axle. This is marketing bullshit. 2023yr trek... come on. Where is normal axle?!
Trek bikes are crap, they don't honor their warranty
Lol they should've hired you into head office as a VP of marketing or equivalent. Their loss.
That would be so awesome!