I'm primarily a long distance trail runner / hiker, and have been cycling as a way of cross training to reduce wear on my joints. I frequently use my bike as a way to get back to my car at the end of a long point-to-point hike. I.e. 20-30 miles depending on the day. One of the main reasons I purchased this bike was to make it easier to get back to my truck at the end of a long day hiking. I purchased this bike today, and took it for a 20 mile loop on a local rail trail with approximately 1,000 feet in elevation gain. I started with 50% battery life, and rode in ECO mode primarily. I completed the loop in 1 hour and 10 minutes. 50 minutes faster than my normal time. What I liked most about this ride is that I still got a great workout, and felt the burn in my quads, but I was moving much faster than usually. The electric motor assist was most noticeable when going from a stand still, to starting, and riding uphill. I found the cycling experience to be very smooth, almost the same feeling as I normally have while riding my non-electric Marlin 7, except the motor assist made the hard parts easier, and I moved a lot faster. As a trained athlete, I think the best part is I can still get a great workout while riding the e-bike, cover terrain much faster, and the extra power from the electric motor fills my thirst for speed and adrenaline.

The Marlin is very smooth when the motor engages to assist . Another E-bike I have really lurches when you touch the pedal . Geometry has you bent over quite a bit . We had another stem installed for a more upright body position.

Some of the roads I ride on are not in great shape. Couple at steep hills and I'm in my mid-seventies, I need some assistance. Only one caveat, at 6ft 220 lbs., my preference is the XL and it's heavy.

I've only been out riding a couple of times thus far but, it's a nice bike. In my limited experience so far it's a lot better than mtb's that I had over 20 years ago.

I never thought I would enjoy riding a bike again. I Just celebrated being alive 60 years, many experiences over that time,,, and I was astounded by this vile from the get go! After a lot of research, I settled on trek. I Was fortunate to find a great Track store, and the staff were and continue to be amazing. Back to the bike-Every time I throw my leg over the bike and give that first push off, the bike makes me feel like a teenager again, full of energy, no limits, no boundaries, just possibilities… There is nothing I can't tackle on this bike. I have ridden places, Climbed hills and mountains, seen spectacular views; That would never have been possible without my new bike. The only thing that holds me back, reins me in, is my instinct for self preservation. Thank you for the ability to return to biking and the pure enjoyment of riding!!!

This bike has such a great natural feel when riding. It motivates you to go out and experience rides you would avoid on my regular bike. I bought the bike for me but my wife keeps "borrowing" it for her rides. I can see another e-bike in the near future!

Have mainly used on the road but I have did a few mountain bike trails. I do look forward to doing more off road riding. The power is surprising for the size helps me take on the steep hills. At 54 year old I can definitely use the help getting back in shape. Love the bike!

After an extensive review and research of ebikes I decided to obtain a Class 1 mid- drive motor ebike. I wanted an ebike that is classified as a bicycle and not as a motorized vehicle in accordance with U.S. Federal Code. This allows for greater acceptability for Class 1 ebikes to be utilized in areas that do not allow for motorised Class 2 and Class 3 bikes. An example would be National Forest areas. Also, the Class 1 does not require vehicle registration or licensing to operate in areas requiring such, leading to greater acceptability of using Class 1 ebikes on shared public paths. Another consideration was buying an ebike that has a local dealer support and a good reputation offered by a brand such as TREK. Admittedly, I found the Marlin +6 a bit expensive for it did not look like a typical ebike as it appeared bare boned as to not be outfitted or tricked out with many accessories like a lot of ebikes that claimed more through their hyper-advertising. Interestingly, on the rides I have had many persons say that they did not think that my bike looked like an ebike and I thought that was really complimentary. As to the Marlin + 6 I must say it is a real joy to ride. Here is what I discovered. As good as it looks, looks are deceiving. Its better. The Marlin Plus 6 is a great Rounder. With the SunTour shocks maybe it is not for real aggressive expert trails but everything else is very good including the 203 mm disc brakes The Bike Flow App opens up the Smart System with the mid-drive motor in ways I believe other touted ebikes on the market do not achieve. Why do I say this? The Plus settings allow for all kinds of tailoring your ride with additional step wattages and an ability to increase the Dynamic setting as well to place power into your startups. The Auto assist is like a narrow AI which allows one to not pay attention changing settings while ride conditions change rapidly. Although the motor is a 50 Nm motor it has an ability to accelerate one every quickly with a feeling of power on terrain that could quickly wear one down. No its not for the very steep inclinations on expert climbs one might try say in Colorado but it does its job on hilly terrain to lessen any leg burn. Using the right settings some hills are not even felt. Another interesting aspect is that the Range is determined by you over a course of rides where the computer (supposedly thousands of times a second) calculates your range. Its not just a battery thing as it depends on the rider finding a optimal use of cadence and artfully shifting and maybe changing rider assistance settings. The battery is only 400 Wh but apparently has a high charge density which gives good ability to last. So, weirdly what starts out as a 59 km range ride could end up after the ride having a 64 km range left. My experience basically brings me to a conclusion that the Marlin Plus 6 is really a Marlin Bosch ebike that really comes together in its form to give a joyful ride with many amenities associated with the Bosch Active Line Plus motor, that redefines how the combination of computerization, motor and a proven MTB frame can perform. Oh, also I mention the LinkGlide shifting is superb. It is very smooth and can double shift with no problem. The problems I read about LinkGlide on line seem to be with individuals who install the units themselves. My understanding is that the LinkGlide system lowers the wear and tear on the chain and cassette so that there are less trips to the shop in the long run. If so, a definite plus for the Marlin + 6. The last thing is that the Marlin MTB frame is of excellent build and of a very good aluminum grade. That there are heavy welds on the frame is of a very comforting safety engineering factor. Although they may be more noticeable than on a heavily advertised ebike they give one confidence that there will be unlikely frame failure even if from an aggressive usage. Thanks for this 'out of this world' ebike that is more than it appears to be. The downtube diamond frame and beautiful crimson red paint job (really great coating and paint ) gives it a classic 1930s knucklehead cycle look.

What's really great about the bike is all of the customization options. You buy mount so many things. I have two water bottles, a rack, a pet holder for my dog, a pannier for shopping , lights and brake lights. This bike is great for an entree level biker that likes to ride on the road and occasionally on mountain trails. The are great for pavement or off roading. Front suspension smooths out rough terrain. Brakes and drive train are very responsive. It's pedal assist with no throttle. Auto mode is great for mountain biking while eco gets me about 60 miles from full charge. The parts are all high quality. I would look into the rail series if you plan on using it exclusively for mountain biking as they have both front and rear suspension.

I use for both exercise and to ride around town