The Trek Marlin+ 8 is constructed with an aluminum alloy body, what Trek calls Alpha Gold aluminum. It is a comparatively thin-walled aluminum that’s butted—tubes are thicker on the the place they’re welded—and in addition hydroformed to present the tubes the shapes they take. What this provides as much as is a body that’s lighter and stronger than what we discover at lower cost factors.
Trek produces the Marlin+ 8 in 5 sizes to really match almost anybody. Two sizes, the small and further small, roll on 27.5-in. wheels to maintain the standover peak and attain cheap for individuals of modest peak. The medium, giant and further giant roll on 29-in. wheels, which permits them to take advantage of this eMTBs potential to roll over rocks and roots. Trek says that the Marlin+ 8 ought to match everybody from 4 toes 9 as much as 6 toes 5 and that could be a vary you’ll be able to imagine … thanks to 5 sizes. The 2 smallest sizes additionally get a narrower bar than the larger sizes.
The fork is RockShox’s Recon Silver RL, which is an air-spring fork with adjustable damping, adjustable air stress and preload, plus lockout. It additionally presents 120mm of journey; examine that with the 60, 80 or 100mm of journey we regularly see on extra cost-conscious e-bikes. The distinction between this fork and the suspension forks with coil springs we see on value-targeted e-bikes is important; it should do extra to absorb little bumps whereas additionally doing a greater job of absorbing greater hits.
For riders trying to trip singletrack trails who additionally want to stay to a price range that received’t max out a bank card, the Trek Marlin+ 8 is an excellent possibility. It’ll supply a degree of efficiency that’s unlikely to be matched by something going for lower than $3000. It is a completely different world of efficiency from the fat-tire, all-terrain e-bikes which might be so closely marketed. And whereas it’s made for off street use, there’s nothing to say you’ll be able to’t commute to work on the Marlin+ 8.
One element that may be straightforward to miss that may undoubtedly have an effect on the trip high quality is their tire selection. The Bontrager Gunnison Professional XR tires are tubeless prepared which signifies that a motorbike store can take away the tubes and set the tires as much as be run tubeless. This does a number of issues in your expertise. First, it improves the trip high quality by permitting the tire to flex extra. It additionally permits you to run decrease tire stress, which additionally improves trip high quality. Working tires tubeless additionally cuts rolling resistance which signifies that operating decrease tire stress received’t sluggish you down. Lastly, it improves flat resistance as a result of ought to the tire be punctured, sealant contained in the tire will often plug the opening earlier than it goes flat.
We’re starting to see some eMTBs at lower cost factors and one factor they don’t supply is the flexibility to arrange the tires for tubeless using. It’s straightforward to underestimate how this improves an eMTB’s trip high quality.
One final element to not overlook is the presence of a dropper put up. Of the numerous technical improvements in mountain biking during the last 25 years (and there have been many), dropper posts modified the expertise of taking place steep descents by permitting the rider to press a lever with their thumb and with their physique weight push the saddle down, permitting them to get their physique all the way down to decrease their middle of gravity, making downhills fully extra enjoyable than they might be with the seat all the best way up.
