Trek Marlin 6 Gen 3 vs Trek Marlin 7 Gen 3
A side by side comparison of two mountain bikes available in Australia, on price and specs. The Trek Marlin 6 Gen 3 is the lower-priced of the two.
Which should you choose?
Both have a 125 mm dropper, tubeless-ready rims and the same geometry. The Marlin 7 swaps the coil RockShox Judy for an air-sprung Judy Silver and 10-speed Shimano CUES for SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed.
Trek Marlin 6 Gen 3
Choose the Marlin 6 if the budget is tight: it already has the dropper and tubeless-ready wheels that matter most on trails.
Trek Marlin 7 Gen 3
Choose the Marlin 7 if you weigh more or less than average (an air fork can be set for your weight) or want the wider 11 to 50 gear range.
Desk research by BikeFinder from both bikes' published specs and geometry, checked 2 Nov 2026. Not a ride test.
Key differences
- Price: the Marlin 6 Gen 3 costs $200 less at the prices shown.
- Claimed weight: the Marlin 7 Gen 3 is 0.8 kg lighter (15 kg vs 14.15 kg).
- Gearing: 1x10 Shimano CUES on the Marlin 6 Gen 3, 1x12 SRAM NX Eagle on the Marlin 7 Gen 3.
- Climbing gear: the Marlin 7 Gen 3 has the lower (easier) lowest gear, 0.60 vs 0.63.
Worked out from each bike's published specification and the price shown on its page. The full side by side table and a to-scale geometry overlay are below.
| 2 of 4 bikesDeltas are against the baseline | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price and where to buy | |||
| Current Australian price | $1,299.99Lowest | $1,499.99 | |
| RRP | $1,299.99 | $1,499.99 | |
| Price source | At Trek Australia. Stock not confirmed, checked 16 Oct 2026. | At Trek Australia. Stock not confirmed, checked 16 Oct 2026. | |
| Retailers | trekbikes.com | trekbikes.com | |
| Overview | |||
| Category | Mountain | Mountain | |
| Type | Non-electric | Non-electric | |
| Model year | 2026 | 2026 | |
| Frame and suspension | |||
| Frame | Aluminium | Aluminium | |
| Fork | RockShox Judy | RockShox Judy Silver | |
| Suspension | Hardtail | Hardtail | |
| Front travel | 100 mm | 100 mmsame | |
| Dropper post | TranzX JD-YSI34, 125 mm (size M; varies by size) | TranzX JD-YSI34, 125 mm (size M; varies by size) | |
| Wheels and tyres | |||
| Wheelset | Bontrager Kovee, double-wall, Tubeless-Ready, 28-hole, 23 mm width, Presta valve | Bontrager Kovee, double-wall, Tubeless-Ready, 28-hole, 23 mm width, Presta valve | |
| Wheel size | 29 inch | 29 inch | |
| Stock tyres | 29x2.40 (size M; varies by size) | 29x2.40 (size M; varies by size) | |
| Max tyre clearance | 61 mm | 61 mmsame | |
| Drivetrain | |||
| Groupset | Shimano CUES | SRAM NX Eagle | |
| Shifting | Mechanical, 1x | Mechanical, 1x | |
| Crank | Shimano U4000, 30T chainring, 170 mm length (size M; varies by size) | SRAM SX Eagle, 30T steel ring, 49 mm chainline, 170 mm length (size M; varies by size) | |
| Chainrings | 30 | 30 | |
| Cassette | Shimano CUES LG300, LINKGLIDE, 11-48, 10-speed | SRAM PG-1210 Eagle, 11-50, 12-speed | |
| Cassette speeds | 10 | 12 | |
| Lowest gearRatio of smallest ring to biggest cog. Lower is easier climbing. | 0.63 | 0.60Lowest-0.03 | |
| Highest gearBiggest ring to smallest cog. Higher is a faster top speed. | 2.73 | 2.73same | |
| Gearing character | Very low climbing gear | Very low climbing gear | |
| Brakes and weight | |||
| Brakes | Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc | Shimano MT200 hydraulic disc | |
| Rotors | 160/180mm | 160/180mm | |
| Weight | 15 kg | 14.15 kgLowest-0.85 kg | |
| Geometry | |||
| Size shown | M | M | |
| Stack | 609 mm | 609 mmsame | |
| Reach | 440 mm | 440 mmsame | |
| Stack to reachHigher is more upright, lower is more stretched out. | 1.38 | 1.38same | |
| Head angleLower (slacker) is calmer at speed, higher (steeper) is quicker steering. | 66.5 deg | 66.5 degsame | |
| Seat angle | 74.0 deg | 74.0 degsame | |
| Wheelbase | 1,163 mm | 1,163 mmsame | |
| Chainstay | 438 mm | 438 mmsame | |
| BB drop | 60 mm | 60 mmsame | |
Geometry overlay
- Trek Marlin 6 Gen 3 (size M) is the baseline.
- Trek Marlin 7 Gen 3 (size M): identical on every published figure.
Stack, reach, head and seat angles, wheelbase, chainstay and BB drop are drawn to scale from published charts. Tube shapes are schematic.
BikeFinder Data Profile. Geometry and component figures are researched from published manufacturer and retailer sources, not physical ride tests, and can vary by model year.
Specs and pricing are listed in AUD and sourced from Australian retail listings. Confirm current details with the seller before purchase.