Trying to choose between Marin Wildcat 3 or Specalized Rockhoppper. Female rider and I will be riding greens maybe blues so I care more about shifting than front suspension.
by SpiteOriginal5193
Trying to choose between Marin Wildcat 3 or Specalized Rockhoppper. Female rider and I will be riding greens maybe blues so I care more about shifting than front suspension.
by SpiteOriginal5193
3 Comments
None of these will hold up to anything much more gnarly than a peaceful forest path with scattered low roots. Though the 9sp one is a bit more durable. The 8sp one is just a cruiser, commuter, weekend rider.
If that suits you, get the 9sp one, because it’ll be possible to upgrade the casette(9sp shimano MT400 is a good option) and it has a good chain already.
To answer your question, they are mostly equal. However the 9 speed is newer and therefore better.
As already mentioned, Altus is not a sturdy mtb component and may get damaged more easily than something like a deore derailleur.
These drivetrains are both low end. Useable but tbh both are so close in how they will perform that you should be more concerned with other components. Brakes are 100% the more important aspect at your price point and the rockhopper, assuming I have the right specs pulled up, will come with Shimano MT200s which are THE best budget hydro brakes IMO.