Trek Marlin 7: Long term report

Haha! And I thought, ‘I’ll be back’ after a month or two. If you’ve read our last issue, you’d remember the promise that I made in Terminator’s voice. Well, ‘I am back’, and soon. Why? All due to the Marlin 7. Little did I know how good it was at shrinking the time!

It’s monsoon and when it comes to cycling, the most important factor is the weight of the cycle, and then comes the resistance it creates. At 14.35kg, the Marlin 7 feels really lightweight. And it isn’t only due to the ‘Alpha Silver’ aluminium frame.

Firstly, the gears and their ratios. The Marlin 7 is equipped with a Shimano Altus M2000 27-speed gear set. No doubt the slick-shifting trigger is smooth, but the best part is the way it works in tandem with the resistance the cycle creates. The gear ratios cut down the resistance created by the cycle, in water, or uphill, be it on a smooth or rough surface. And yes, it does contribute to the cycle’s weight, as the more sprockets you add, the lengthier the chain gets, which increases the weight. And trust me, every gram counts while cycling.

I stay by the highway, and because the Marlin 7 gets a pair of RockShox suspension in the front which comes with preload and lockout, the tiny lockout lever that stops the travel of the RockShox suspension helps me transit from the highway to the city and back conveniently. Oh wait! Does that mean I’ll be keeping my WagonR (and Abhishek’s recently-lent Honda Navi) home and commute to work on the Marlin 7? Hell yeah? Heck no? Let’s find out in the next one!

Km clocked this month: 78km

Fuel efficiency: Err, it’s a cycle!

Repairs: Nil

Cost incurred: NA

Running total: Nil