Trek Marlin 7 - My First Mountain Bike

I've been wanting a newer mountain bike for a while. The timing was right this summer, especially after avoiding a busy lakefront trail and seeking solitude, feeling settled in a new house, and beginning to search for a new job. Plus, I had pared down to 4 bicycles (possibly deleting one more depending on upcoming job location). It also seemed fortuitous that we have a nice local wooded trail system 2 miles from our house. After experimenting with 1X gearing on fat bikes and a rented mountain bike, I wanted easy peasy shifting. Only prerequisites: 1x gearing, hardtail, and a colorful frame. Our youngest son, who loves mountain biking, was back up support, and technician (to help me learn disc brakes at the very least). He has a full suspension bicycle, so, of course he's an all-around ace to help me choose a quality, beginner's mountain bike. I love when our children teach us about new things!

My new toy: a Trek Marlin 7

I was prepared to wait a long while before finding the right bike. I'd heard about low inventory, backorders, etc. Maybe I'd get one sometime next year...

Kind of weird that I got rid of one Trek and bought another in 2020.

However, the last bike in a local shop that met my criteria - in the best colorway ever - in my opinion was available. With my son's blessing, I came home a day later with a Trek Marlin 7. 

I immediately swapped the seat for a more plush version, added a water bottle cage, and squeezed in a frame bag - all items from my stash. 

Now that it's cooler, and autumn splendor has arrived, I get out 2-3 times a week, plodding and exploring, sometimes with my son, but often alone - sometimes it's better setting my own pace on gentle trails. Lately, I tell my son about areas he's yet to explore!

Trek Marlin 7 Handlebar Update - Ritchey Kyote

Taking comfort up a notch with Ritchey's Kyote bar.

I've owned the Trek Marlin 7 hardtail for more than a year. After dialing in the perfect seat, the next step was to gain more comfort in the cockpit. Also, it's become apparent that I can no longer tolerate flat bars for prolonged periods. Priorities were: seeking a comfortable hand position, more forward reach (if at all possible), with more rise - all without compromising leverage required to snake through the woods.

whatbars.com - curvy Ritchey Kyote compared with existing flat bar.

I used whatbars.com to help confirm the bar switch on my Clem-entine so I felt confident applying the same process on the Trek. First, I researched several handlebars before leaning towards Ritchey's Kyote handlebar. The Kyote's price and reputation, confirmed with online reviews and YouTube videos, sold me. Then, whatbars.com was proof that the Kyote bar's forward curves and sweep put my hands along a similar if not slightly forward reach, seemed ideal, all while possibly using the existing stem. 

Voila! The Kyote bar looks like it should work.

Our son talked me through the replacement, even teaching me how to use a torque wrench! We agreed to cut the bar one inch on each end for starters (he did that), then with further testing I may want the bars shortened further. 

I'm pleased with how nice these new bars look on my bike!

There's no question the Kyote bars will be a huge improvement. I'm sure there will be further adjustments once spring mountain biking season rolls around. At least the difficult portion of the project is finished. Currently, we're navigating snowy bike paths on studded tire bikes!

2020 Rewind

Rolling into 2020, I knew our lives would change - plans were underway to relocate to a new home by May/June, which eventually happened, so it has been a bittersweet year. In fact, for most of 2020 I've been full of gratitude.

I spent January and February bike commuting to work, per usual, not minding the cold but wary and careful of slick surfaces. Looking down the road, I was mentally and physically prepared for a future double-the-length commute, and in fact I applauded a challenge, primarily because of cycling on a flat, car-free path with Lake Champlain views.

"Furloughed" in March, I busied myself with old and new home tasks and regularly checked in with my mother's household. I exchanged regular commuting miles for bicycle challenges to keep the wheels turning - a savior in an upside down year: Burlington Historical signs, Visit Little Free Libraries, visit Burlington Parks, and my annual Coffeeneuring Challenge. 

2020 was also full of wrenching, getting to projects earlier than anticipated. In April I upgraded my Clementine, swapping handle bars and tires, and a bit later dismantled the Trek Antelope, plus swapped the Peugeot commuter's bars for a more swept back version.

Along with new home sewing projects, I took a deep dive into more creative bikey things. I researched and figured out how to repair old panniers, added a custom bar bag to the Dahon, sewed 3 stem bags, and had fun with a pink reflective vest.

Bicycles and the freedom they provide took on special meaning in a socially distant, brave new world. I was thankful to ride the folding bike for transportation and exercise - or any bike at all - due to a thumb injury, but the Dahon's grip shifters allowed me carefree miles. After a wonderful staycation, quite unexpectedly, I purchased my first hardtail mountain bike, a Trek Marlin 7, in September. The bike added a new dimension to fall foliage rides and avoiding crowded MUPs: meandering in nearby wooded trails alone or with my new dirt-loving, live-in buddy. I'm dreaming of future adventures aboard the Trek. It's bizarre (fortuitous?) that I replaced one Trek bicycle with another in the same year! I have the desire to keep on trucking throughout a Vermont winter - even without a regular commute - recently adding studded shoes on my Peugeot St. Laurent.

For so many, 2020 has been tough, We're fortunate to have secure housing and plenty of food. But it has taught us to be humble, to be giving, and be thankful. Though I'm still seeking a safe employment situation, learning and creativity has been my salvation on top of regular cycling. I've completed an intro to Excel class and have started a personal project, tailored to track my bicycle mileage and specific statistics. 

And, somewhere amidst all the life changes, I almost overlooked two milestones: I've been blogging for 10 years and surpassed 3000+ riding miles in 2020. 

Be well friends.

Separation Anxiety or is it Just Winter?

The Trek Marlin 7, Specialized Hard Rock, and Bassi Rachel in dry dock until spring.

Late fall, my husband organizes our garage to accommodate both vehicles, which means deciding which bicycles must be stored in the basement. I primarily use the Peugeot commuter  (eventually shoed with studded tires) and the folder as backup throughout the winter. I like alternating between a heavy but sturdier bike and a lighter, small-wheel counterpart because of riding diversity, plus the latter is easier to clean in wet weather.

And so, every time I descend the stairs to our basement, I see my most colorful bikes and I'm wistfully longing for the day to ride them all again! It may be I'm not ready for winter, or each one is a reminder of adventures to come. I've only ridden the Hard Rock a handful of times but it's scheduled for a 2024 tour. The Rachel is a magical touring wonder and my hardtail reminds me of fun times in the woods. 2023 infused me with hope, the first time since 2020 that my husband and I rode bikes on two vacations in one year - it's no wonder I'm dreaming of the same for 2024!

The Bicycle Journey

The Trek Marlin 7 outfitted with stem and triangle bag, just enough storage for local rides.

From a touring bike to early 80's mountain bike to step through bicycles to folding bike to hard tail mountain bike, even an old revived Peugeot with 27" tires has contributed much to this 40 year old journey on two wheels.

This is only a brief synopsis, of course. The nuances of each bike seem to take on a life of their own as I adapt each one to fill a certain role. That's where the real magic happens. Outfit a bike with rack and fenders for office commuting. Use one voluminous pannier for easy toting inside, filled with lunch, clothing, purse, and alternate footwear. Or, get creative to equip a folding bike for long distance rides: how to carry a significant volume with limited space to fit a tiny frame? It's these type of challenges and creativity involved that have fueled my interest in cycling for many years. 

My greatest love is bicycle touring. But it's not only about the miles these days, it's about the mission. Where can I go to maximize the experience of discovery? What brewery do I want to visit? What campground would be interesting to stay at? Where can I go via Amtrak to boost the distance traveled? What museum have I always wanted to visit? And Atlantic beaches - don't get me started! 

What has been the greatest impact that has affected your love of cycling? 

5 Years after The Pandemic - the Beauty of Exploring

The Trek Marlin 7 continues to provide comfortable meandering on nearby wooded trails. It's a perfect vehicle
for discovering flowers.

Since 2020, I've learned to take nothing for granted, a feeling that still resonates: not our health, our 2020 move to a beautiful location, the ability to travel, or the natural world that continues to provide peace and connection. I have so much to be thankful for. 

Riding with my adventure buddy on the Colchester Causeway; our home and backyard view.

I love to travel by bike, whether driving to ride rail trails or carrying gear for multiday excursions. 

Brewery in North Hampton, NH. Tacos at a food truck in Fort Collins. Real maple creemees only 3 miles from home.

Stops for food and beer are destinations themselves.

Visiting our son in Fort Collins, Colorado, and riding Soapstone Prairie's trails. Riding Pine Creek Trail with my husband in Pennsylvania.

Riding with family is always an opportunity to connect and explore.

After work or on weekends, rides rejuvenate me, whether pedaling along Lake Champlain during daylight or at sunset, even year-round. I frequently visit an icefall to watch its spring-fed metamorphosis. We discovered a local sugar house this spring!

Amtrak fuels adventure opportunities. Take the train to a new locale or use the service one-way and pedal back.

When our axis shifts and world events spiral faster than seems possible, I try not to feel hopeless. In some respects, we've been here before, 5 years ago. Instead, I remind myself, how truly lucky I am.

Ideas for 2022

While plans could change in an instant, I expect 2022 to be similar to 2021, so it's important to roll with whatever situation arises. But that doesn't mean we'll be stagnant. On the contrary, there are plenty of ideas to be creative, get outdoors, and ride!

I have a few fun bike projects on the agenda, focusing on further fine-tuning bike setups and go on more bike overnights, whether close to home or planning mini-vacations. Amtrak is set to roll into Burlington sometime in 2022, so close proximity for a one-way adventure is always a possibility!

• Replace rear panniers on my commuter bike. I appreciate smaller panniers for shorter rides, reserving large capacity bags for touring. While the Delta panniers have held up well for low-cost storage  for 10+ years, they're falling apart. I'm interested in trying Vincita's economical roll top version. The bags are offered in a variety of colors and include a rain cover.
• My goal with my folding bikes is figuring out a solution to carry additional gear on the handle post. I'm limited to bags attached in this manner (without a frame block), so I'll need to pay attention to upfront weight. I'm considering a bag with Klickfix handle post adapter setup in addition to my purple bag. At present, I'm interested in the thoughtfully designed Head Tube Bag by Downtube Nova. As a fallback, there's always the option to carry a small backpack. For rear loads, I'm attracted to Downtube Nova's low cost rear Coconut Bag with foldout pockets. While I currently use the retrofitted sling bag converted panniers, the trunk bag may offer larger capacity at a nominal cost plus consolidate rear bags into a one piece design.
• Replace handle bar on Trek Marlin 7 for more comfort. I plan to swap the straight handle bar with an ergonomically friendly version. I was initially interested in the Tumbleweed Persuader, Soma's Odin and Dream Riser. I'm currently leaning toward Ritchey's Kyote. The Kyote seems like the sweet spot between comfort, affordability, and correct width. In addition to a more enjoyable hand position, my son has already purchased a beefier front tire for me so I'll be shredding mountain bike trails with more traction and comfort in 2022.
• I hope to commute to work part-time at some point if our current health situation improves. I'm looking forward to pedaling to an office again!
• We're attending a wedding on Cape Cod in June, where I hope to spend a few extra vacation days to enjoy riding on trails to more Atlantic beaches.
• I have a new camping stove, which makes me want to expand my local overnight camping horizons. It would also be an opportunity to test the new setup on the Dahon.
• And, quite the opposite, I'm also dreaming of riding to a cabin or hotel for an easy, pampered overnight experience. That would be a fun, novel adventure for my husband and me!