I like what you said about not having to buy the most expensive bike. I started with a MARLIN 4 that I love. I upgraded a few things & started heading to the trails with coworkers. These guys have insanely expensive bikes & always falling. We all take a tumble but their confidence is boosted by the price of their bike. I’d say I’m a better rider than a lot of them. #BikeSnobs

Some "must do" upgrades: 1 - change stock pedals - done! - I think RF Chesters are a good choice. I had those on my shortlist but went for Crank Brothers Stamp 1 size Large. 2 - go tubeless - it is not only that you can run on lower pressure, it's the feel. The wheels feel better. Of course a good pair of TLR tires is a must. And then some "optional" upgrades: 3 - cockpit - grips, longer/shorter stem, new wider bars with a different rise - need to test and try what feels better. 4 - dropper post - on Marlin an outer dropper post can be used or a hole could be drilled in the frame for an inner dropper post. Upgrade when you have excess of money or you really like your bike: 5 - new fork - the most expensive upgrade that I would go for only if I destroyed the stock fork, if I got a better used fork for good price or if I had a bike with a perfect frame and a subpar fork.

I’ve been having a lot of fun swapping and upgrading the Marlin 6 lately. Long story: I upgraded my Roscoe 9 to a fox 38, so we took my original fox fork and put it on my son’s Roscoe 7, so I bought a new wheel and headset for the Marlin 6 and put the RockShox Recon Silver RL from my sons bike on it. It slackened up the geometry and now it’s a fun little ripper. I had already gone tubeless and put Maxxis DhF, and DhR on it. I’m 6’1 and normally ride a large but the Marlin is a medium. I slid the seat back a bit and it’s a blast to rip around on. In my opinion it’s now the perfect bike to loan to my buddy’s that don’t have bikes yet.

You'll notice a MUCH bigger difference once you convert to tubeless and run 24-25lbs psi. That was the biggest difference made on my Marlin. Then the fork (Rockshox Recon on mine). Then the dropper post. Then stem and bars (which were my first upgrades along with saddle, grips, and pedals). The sound is probably chain slap. Easy/cheap fix.

If those tires weigh more it would be so little you'd never notice it. The problem with the brakes is either you actually have a problem, they did have both wheels off to replace the tires, or more likely you're just noticing it more now, where you would have just blamed the slipping around on the tires before, now it's the brakes that are the weak link. You were also riding it harder than before because the tires allow it. Then it will be the fork (don't forget if you're going to ride hard you might want to get a beefier stem), then the drivetrain, then the dropper. Remember that better components aren't just about performance and being able to go "full send", they're also stronger and help make the ride safer. Breaking a stem intended for road use while you're headed downhill going over rocks can be a life altering moment...I think it's a fun exercise you're going through now, and it will be informative and inspirational for folks with less expensive (but by no means cheap) bikes. I'd just say, though, to folks looking to buy a Marlin and upgrade everything- it's cheaper to buy a more expensive bike with the better parts on it already, and you'll end up with a nicer bike. Before I get blown up by Marlin riders, I'm not saying the Marlin isn't a nice bike, it is. It's just not a "hard core" offroader, more like the Roscoe is in a similar price point. Think of it like a Jeep...you can buy one off the showroom floor today and off-road it, and it will perform fine on lighter trails if you don't push it too much. If you're a serious offroader, you start upgrading suspension, wheels, transmission and engine, body parts, well in the end you have a very capable offroader that hardly resembles the vehicle it started as in the first place, and to be honest it's no longer very good to ride anywhere but on tough trails. The Marlin is intended for light trails (you can push it if you like but you have to be careful as not all the components might stand up as well to the abuse) and it's also good for roads, which is why it has tube tires that you can inflate hard for good rolling. It has upright geometry, which is very comfortable and good at climbing and pedaling (think on roads or cross country). It's not so great at downhill and you have to be careful to not go over the bars. This will be fun to watch, but if you're shopping for a Trek bike and you want a solid offroader, buy the cheaper versions of the Roscoe and you can upgrade it as you can afford it and your ability requires it. It's similarly priced to a better equipped Marlin and has a better frame, geometry, and components for downhilling. In the end it's about fun, you can have fun on any bike!

Yup, go tubeless and lower the pressure, and by the tread those tires you got, they are gonna work better on the edge, not middle way. Change that heavy elastomer fork, there are plenty cheap air forks you can get (Suntour epixon, rockshox, etc) and with a dropper post, you could rip those trails very cheap. Love this riding videos.

The XC pros have been running 17-18psi on 2.4 tires because of the large volume. Running an aggressive tire with stiff side walls gives you a bit more support for lower pressures. 30 is pretty high. Once you go tubeless you can definitely run 22-24psi. Experiment a bit but it will make a huge difference .I have been running those pressures for a long time and it made a huge difference especially the rougher the terrain gets :)

Great Video, I’m a budget bike rider and you definitely inspired me to keep riding without worrying about buying a high end bike🤙🏾

Just got my Marlin 6 the other day and man it’s awesome! I took your advice and I’m glad I did! Thanks bro ✊🏾

Awesome. Started watching your videos a week ago and already I have like 10 different places to check out! Just waiting for my roscoe 7 to come in later this month. So excited! It's cool seeing you make good use of the Marlin, and it would be even better to see you do some of your own upgrades!

Hey Matt. You provide great content. I enjoy watching your channel. BIG UPS. I have the same bike. To stop the rattle inside the frame slightly pull the two lines on the left side of the frame to remove the slack inside and electric tape or zip tie the lines closest to the frame. That should remove most of the rattle inside the frame going over bumps for everyone who has this bike. Deuces.

When you're clacking means you're putting in work! Love the clacking!

I can’t recommend tubeless enough. When I first got into riding I thought I would stick with tubes for ease and convenience but after flatting multiple times and dealing with flats on my rides I finally went tubeless and never looked back! Haven’t flatted on a ride since (knock on wood) and running lower pressure gives loads more grip and ride comfort. One of the best things you can do to any mountain bike IMO.

Really like your commentary and videos overall. I have this bike and love that you are showing the upgrades that can make it better step by step.

I spent $800 for my 4 year old Marlin 7 and have put about $500 into it so far. I will probably put another $500 into it in years to come. - RaceFace Chester pedals ($45 off Amazon.) Sorry but IMO the stock pedals are actually hazardous. - Maxxis Ardent 29" x 2.25" ESO/TR tires (tubeless on the stock rims using Stan's tubeless kit) Tires cost $150 for the pair, the tubeless kit cost about $60. I run them at 23-25psi on trails, 30-40psi on gravel/asphalt. I consider tires to be a "consumable" rather than a true upgrade but they were worth every penny. - PNW Ridge 125mm internally routed dropper post (2019 was the only year with the access hole in the seat post drilled by the factory) with Wolf Tooth lever. The post cost about $100 and the lever $75. Having the dropper has saved me from going OTB, which I did several times on the rigid stock post. - JG Bike 34t narrow wide chainring on the middle position of an old Deore 3x crank with a 104bpd. The ring cost about $30 IIRC. The crank was "free" because I stripped it off an old bike bound for the co-op. The narrow wide has eliminated chain drops but it still slaps; I need to upgrade my drivetrain. - upgraded PNW Range bar/Loam grip cockpit (minus the stem.) I now feel less vibration and fatigue. Total cost: about $90.

More marlin videos! Keep it coming bucko!

Just picked up the Marlin 6, after years of riding Marin bikes. I like this for what it’ll be used for mostly light trails and neighborhood cruises.. I’m more accustomed to clip less pedals but will for sure be replacing the front shock this winter. Ride looked awesome and for sure miss the rides out west. Pedal fast and stay safe.

Took the reflectors off...now he means business

Brotha check to make sure your rotors are clean and not contaminated. Any kinda of lubricant or oil from hands will affect how your brakes perform. Use some alcohol to clean your rotors. If it’s still an issue you may have to sand down your rotors and clean your pads or worst replace them. Also you definitely wanna maintain your bikes better the rust everywhere will start to damage your drivetrain and Fork. Otherwise keep killing it bro. Show these people what a budget hardtail can do💪 Let’s gooo!

I have a cannondale trial 6 and have minion dhf tires tubeless and the brakes feel better more power and also more traction. And as a hardtail rider I recommend putting insters when going tubeless if you want to go faster downhill.

Hey just wanna say, thank you. Your content is amazing. Definitely getting me very into MTB

You may need to do a top bleed on your brakes. Pretty common for air to get in the lines once in awhile

Awesome ride!

I've been told the first thing if anything to upgrade would be the tires which virtually would be like getting another bike.

My everyday hard tail I still run tubes. On the dirt I run 26 front 28 rear, 28/30 when on paved paths. One puncture in 2 years and I’ve worn through two sets of tyres. I run the Aggressor, my preferred all round tyre, as it has a bit more bite for the sandy trails in my area.

“The Reflectors are coming OFF” 👏👏

The fork is probably rattling. I would go with a RockShox Judy air fork 130mm if you don't want to drop to much money. I installed one on a GT avalanche and it made a world of difference.

I ride Chester’s pedals. I also love Maxxis tires after 6 months of the stock Trek Bontreger tires still lots of life left in them. My stock tires were 2.6 but went with 2.5. I went Assegai front and rear. I’m preferring tons over the stock ones. I did set these up tubeless.

I juat picked a marlin 5 my first mtb and havent had a bike since i was a kid wanted to start with something affordable to see how it goes got pnw grips on way next pedals and a better saddle

I upgraded to DHF and Aggressor on my Marlin 6, both 2.3, both DoubleDown so kinda heavy. I don't have braking issues so far even riding above average gnarly rocky terrain DH. To be fair, I'm kinda light at 145 lb. This tire setup is so good, if you guys like to beat down your Marlin and plan to upgrade anything go for new tires, night and day.

A new fork would help but what would really help is being able to air the tires down. For the rattles, on my Hardtail I got a pure rubber bike grip and wrapped it around my chainsaw and that helps with the noise a lot!

Nice upgrade try 27psi in the front 30 in the back see if you like the ride. Nice pedal choice… Might need to bleed the breaks or clean the rotors after the tire service . Great video Matty 💪🏾

The annoying sound are the internal cable rattling inside, pull them hard then zip tie together by the frame the sound with go away, might have to put 2 zip tie so it doesn’t slide, it’s what I did with my marlin 6

Love that you were shredding man I’m looking too get a rim set on my 6 I only have new pedals so far but the brake cords are gonna be your man noise problem which you probably know and make sure that derailer lock is on ,I’ve been using muc off too clean my bike once a month or whenever it gets too dirty and Grimey you should check it out it’s worth it

Dhr/aggressor combo are my fav for Hardtails!

Perfect size and tire on the rear. Not bad front but have you thought of getting the same size or larger Maxxis Assegai for the front?

Recon fork, you won't be disappointed. Thanks for the content you put out, it's awesome

I have the same marlin 6 and running tubes. I have minion DHR II in the front and aggressor in the back. 28psi in front and 26 psi in back. This setup has worked well for me.

Upgraded my tires...Kenda Kozmik Lite PRO II K942 super great tire

Tubeless and faster rolling tires makes a big difference. Try an oval chainring it really made a difference for me. If you have a creaking noise that you can't find try greasing the dropper post in the frame. Your noise sounds like a coil shock to me. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy the ride

It would interesting to know what do you have to upgrade in order to make the marlin as trail ready as your Roscoe. Or even more trail ready as your Roscoe

2.5 is a really wide tire for the inner rim width, I hope it doesn't give you problems by deforming and potentially dismounting while turning aggressively. Keep an eye on its behavior while turning. I enjoy your videos, just concerned about other riders safety. Regards from Mexico!

I run 10 on my roscoe tubeless setup. 30psi seems pretty high to me.

Yes sir!

id recommend bigger brake disc and more powerful brakes with the bigger tires.

On Braking Power.. Im not sure what you feel , for example IF you equate locking up the brakes to the power, it is possible these tires provide much more grip so locking them up is harder to do but better grip does slow you dont more. Those tires probably are a bit heavier but the stock tires are wire bead and not super light. Or all those Squats in the Gym are making you heavier and working the brakes more.lol

gonna put a rockshox recon on my kona lava dome. It will be 120mm and looking forward to it

Got an identical Marlin 6 last week! Love your videos and input. I’m doing more light trails and gravel roads helping my kid train for XC season and feel I could use a tad more speed on top. Has anyone ever put a 32t crank wheel on to replace the 30t?

The tire upgrade should've improved braking performance, though those 2 pot Tektros are lacking in power in general. I have the same brakes on my hardtail and what helped for me was going to metallic brake pads, they still pale in comparison to the XT 4 pots on my full squish, but it's still a noticeable improvement. I would definitely convert your wheels to tubeless and look into getting a dropper post if you don't already have one on that bike. The only real issue I see upgrading budget hardtails like the Marlin or Giant Talon is by the time you've gotten them decent you've spent the same money as a better hardtail like the Trek Roscoe.

Great videos!!! I'm looking for one bike that will ride road and medium single track. Any thoughts? Looked at the Scott Scale 925 and Spark and Trek XCaliber and Procaliber. Like the Roscoe but a little hard on the road.

I run 21 psi front and 27 psi rear. Assegai 2.5 F and Minion DHR2 2.3 R. Not tubeless tho.

And another thing I’m having bad lag in my chain pedaling my cassette needs too be tightened really bad

Tubeless with CushCore inserts.

check out MTB Trail Hawks noisy cables fix $9 fix and a must on a Marlin

My marlin 8 2nd gen has maxiss minon dhf 2×50 not much space but doesnt rub

Yo why is your crank spindle showing on the non drive side? You gotta put spacers in between the frame and crank arm to help support the bottom bracket from getting dirt and water in. It rusting over

Hello friend, I have a Marlin 6 gen2 track bike. Shimano Deore M5120 rear derailleur with 11-46 cassette, On the front sprocket 30T. Can I swap 30T for 40T on this bike?

I have a marlin 6, changed the groupset to sram NX eagle, clipless pedals, and rockshox fork (recon). The fork upgrade is far greater than tubeless, trust me

When u go tubeless you should get more breaking power lower pressure more Traction

I can't believe you ride with 30 psi !!! Try 24 front and 27 rear. Then when you go tubeless go down to 21 front and 24 rear. With the plus size tires on your Roscoe you should try 18psi

I got the sr suntour RAIDON XC-LO-R

Hey bro! Unfortunately, as I learned with the Marlin 7,the bontrager wheels on the marlins are not tubeless capable 🤷‍♂️ Tubed though I ran 28 front 30 rear

Did you ever find out what the rattling was and how to fix it? I just bought a marlin and have been experiencing the same thing.

Hi Matty. I am going to get a new Marlin eight and want to add a dropper post, upgraded pedals. Can you give me some recommendations for the dropper post and pedals?

did you install the tubeless system with the stock wheels (rim)? (Bontrager connection)

Maybe it's the color of the dirt ya riding, but that chain looks a bit rusty.

This is not a 'Budget' bike in Canada. It's still $1,100+tax. So $1,200CAD. Luckily I got a slightly used one for only $750CAD.

What gloves are you wearing?

Where are you located? I live in my RV fulltime; if I'm ever in your area I'd be happy to show you how to work on your bike if you like. Meanwhile, I just got a new Rockhopper Elite 29 so like you, I'm doing some upgrades. The tires seem decent so far (Specialized Fast Trak)... I added a dropper post, seat, cheap carbon bars and taller stem, and I'm trying to figure out what to do about a fork. All the good forks require a new wheel, or at least a new hub, so that could get expensive. The current fork is a Judy. It's..... passable. If it was any stiffer it'd be a block of wood. But I'm spoiled by the Zeb Ultimate on my Turbo Levo ebike. This hardtail only has 100mm of travel up front so I'm very limited in fork choice.

Hello from westminster! What trail is this?

Tubeless is the way #upgrades

Never send a Marlin to do a Job the Roscoe was meant for.

Hi! Is that a L or M?

Definitely drop your pressure…. I’m 265# and run 30 in the same size tires. I’d say try 25ish or a bit under. Definitely go tubeless. So much nicer