I help coach a NICA mountain bike team. We have a decent amount of team Trek Marlin bikes for kids to ride (more kids on bikes!).
This season we have more younger kids than usual and we've run out of small Marlins.
One girl on the team has her own bike, it's a Trek 820. We have a small 2015 Haro Calavera 27.5 she could use. I also have a 2004 Trek Fuel 90 that's doing nothing in my garage.
These are the only options. She isn't going to buy a bicycle and the team management is working on getting more Marlins but it might not happen soon. She's a very capable rider.
Which would you sit her on? If it's important, the Fuel 90 is fully serviced and has slightly wider bars than stock.
by Ready_Cartographer_2
10 Comments
100% the old fuel
I’d put her on the haro, it’s more modern than the trek and it’ll be way easier to find parts if things get broken. It also doesn’t make her look like she got the full suspension special treatment.
The Haro. Wayyyyy cheaper/easier to maintain for a couple seasons. Can the parents afford maintenance on a FS?
The haro is by far the best bike for a kid who will be putting a lot of miles on the bike. The trek is potentially more capable, but it won’t be ideal for most NICA courses, and keeping up with shock maintenance and pivot bearing replacements will either take a substantial amount more time or money than looking after the haro.
Did you guys get donated the Marlins? Just curious because my team doesn’t have anything like that but even the young kids all have some nice bikes.
I love a FS but the Haro is probably the better option. Do her a favor tho and throw a cheap(ish) 1x on it.
1 or 2
gotten paid fixing bikes for 16 years the Haro is the one to go with
Harp, has disc brakes and it is best to start on a hardtail to learn good biking technique early on. Also lighter/easier to maintain. In my opinion the most common bad bike decision people make early on us buying a cheap heavy full suspension bike over a lighter, higher spec hardtail.
Reading these comments, and reflecting. I had a feeling that the Haro was better choice. I think I’m trying to find a use for this tiny Fuel that I have in my garage. 🙂