The Giant Talon 2 excels as a bike when it comes to descending performance. This also translates to a faster riding position when on flat surfaces. Doing this gets you improved positioning and more front wheel traction to power up those steep climbs. They allow you to shift your weight further forward towards the front wheel. This is due to the flatter style handlebars on the Trek Marlin 6 over the Giants. The Trek Marlin 6 will be better at climbing up hills than the Giant Talon 2 will. Choosing either the Giant Talon 2 vs Trek Marlin 6 as a best buy for a beginner mountain biker.Ĭhoosing the Giant Talon 2 vs Trek Marlin 6 as a beginnerĬlimbing and Descending performance – Talon vs Marlin Now that we’ve got that out the way lets get into the meat of the matter. This is an expected standard for mountain bikes in this price range and if you are being offered brakes any worse than that walk away. Do not go near a mountain bike for serious trail riding that doesn’t have hydraulic brakes. Hydraulic brakes will let you do just that and with minimal force required when applying the brake levers to bring you to a stop. When going down hill on rough terrain, you may come across unexpected obstacles and need to stop and stop quickly. This reduces to 80mm travel suspension forks for the smallest sizes.īoth the Talon 2 and the Marlin 6 have hydraulic disc brakes.
The Giant Talon 2 and the Trek Marlin 6 both have 100mm travel suspension forks. Bikes that come in sizes extra small or small will sometimes come with 80mm of travel to compensate for the smaller bike size to keep the proportions correct. The more travel a suspension fork has the better it is able to absorb harsher bumps on the trail. The Marlin 6 and the Talon 2 both have suspension fork lockouts. Suspension forks lockouts make mountain bikes more versatile to handle all types or riding. Suspensions that can’t be locked are great when going downhill to absorb the harsh and fast bumps but will work against you when trying to climb up hills or move faster. This will slow you down and tire you out more quickly if you do this for long enough. This is because when pedalling hard your energy can be transferred into compressing the suspension fork instead of being transferred directly to the pedals and wheels. You may want to turn off the suspension and stiffen the ride up when climbing uphill or on flat terrain. Essentials when buying your first mountain bike Fork lockoutsįork lockouts are knobs that allow you to either turn the suspension of the bike on or off. Lets lay out all the essentials things you should be looking at when buying your first bike and see how the Trek Marlin 6 and Giant Talon 2 rank against one another to make your buying choice that much easier. Overall there are a few must haves on a mountain bike that everyone should lookout for. When hearing recommendations from experienced riders with a different set of needs it typically doesn’t help the matter either.Įach bike brings something slightly different to the table. It can become confusing knowing exactly what you should be looking for when it comes to buying your first mountain bike. As such they know a thing or two about what it takes to make a quality mountain bike.Īs a beginner your needs and preferences of a bike will be different compared to those who have been riding for years. Trek and Giant are two trusted brands that have been making mountain bikes for decades. It is easy to get overwhelmed with such a large choice of bikes and brands on the market. Trek and Giant both make a number of bikes that are great for those who are just getting started in the mountain bike world. What is the better mountain bike for beginners to start with, the Giant Talon 2 vs Trek Marlin 6?