The budget hardtail bike battle, Specialized vs Trek, two big brands that have been around forever.
Which one is the best bike for you?
In this article, we are going to compare their highest-end quality bikes together alongside their budget and mid-range models. As each brand offers quite a few bike builds for each model.
The Specialized Rockhopper bike is a heavy-hitting yet lightweight bike that boasts exceptional performance and versatility, regardless of the model or size.
This bike continues the Rockhopper’s 30-year tradition of striving for excellence and refusing to settle for anything less than the best. The frame is made of butted aluminum and comes with modern gearing, versatile geometry, and class-leading equipment.
Additionally, the Rockhopper offers innovative sizing and custom Rx Tune suspension, ensuring that it provides the best fit and handling performance for every rider, regardless of their measurements. The bike comes in different sizes, each paired with the optimal wheel size, further ensuring a perfect fit.
With performance-focused components at every level, such as RockShox forks, tubeless-ready rims and tires, 1x drivetrains on the Expert and Elite, and dependable Shimano parts, the new Rockhopper is an excellent choice for any occasion.
The Trek Marlin bike has always been a popular choice for new riders and seasoned pros alike, but now it’s better than ever.
With a revamped design that offers more trail confidence and sleek looks, this bike is ready to take you on any adventure. Its geometry is perfectly dialed to give you a confident, planted feel when navigating steep and bumpy trails, while still being easy to pedal back up for another lap.
A new Thru-Skew axle provides better rear wheel security, and full-length, full-coverage guards protect your frame and keep your ride quiet.
With big 2.4˝ tires that elevate traction and an upgrade-ready frame, this bike is ready for any challenge.
Plus, it’s available in every size from XXS to XXL, so every rider can find a well-fitted bike with Smart Wheel Sizing that scales the wheel size with the bike size for comfortable standover height.
The Trek Marlin bike truly is a bike for everyone.
But which bike is the best fit for you? That’s the question we’re here to answer! In this article, we’re going to take a deep dive into the Rockhopper and Marlin, comparing their features, benefits, and capabilities.
We’ll help you choose the perfect ride for your goals, whether you’re a seasoned rider looking for a new challenge or a beginner who wants to explore the world on two wheels.
Introducing the Specialized Rockhopper
As mentioned in this article on the best budget hardtail mtb for bike adventures the Rockhopper Expert is a popular bike amongst fellow bikepackers. Considered a cross-country mtb with 100 mm travel and weighing around 30 lbs or 13.6 kg.
It is a bike that has been around for 30 years resulting in the constant redefining of the relationship between value and performance.
The Rockhopper has somewhat of a cult following. If you are after an affordable cross-country mountain bike this might be the one. They have even cheaper options, however, the Expert is preferred if you are looking to go on bike adventures.
When it comes to long-distance endurance events this is a rather popular steed of choice!
Introducing the Trek Marlin
We have reviewed the Trek Marlin previously and here’s what we had to say.
The Trek Marlin 8 is a trail bike designed to boost your confidence on any singletrack, while also being equipped with features for everyday use. The perfect choice which competes directly with The Rockhopper Expert as a potential budget hardtail mtb for bike adventures.
With updated geometry, this bike gives you more control on challenging trails without compromising on comfort or convenience.
The Marlin 8 is built to last, thanks to its 12-speed SRAM shifting and upgraded RockShox air-spring suspension fork.
This progressive trail bike is perfect for building skills and taking on daily life, with premium features in all the right places.
Whether you’re hitting the trails or cruising around town, the Trek Marlin 8 is a bike that will help you progress and build your skills for years to come.
Price – Rockhopper vs Marlin
When it comes to price the Rockhopper offers the most affordable price with the entry-level Rockhopper model starting at $560 and the most pricy option at around $1,400. While the Trek Marlin ranges from $629 to $1,440
| Bike | Price |
| Specialized Rockhopper | $560 |
| Trek Marlin 4 | $629 |
| Specialized Rockhopper Comp | $950 |
| Trek Marlin 7 Gen 2 and Gen 3 | $1,029 |
| Specialized Rockhopper Expert | $1,400* |
| Trek Marlin 8 Gen 3 | $1,299.99 |
Weight – Rockhopper vs Marlin
The Specialized Rockhopper weighs around 30 lbs or 13.6 kg while the Trek Marlin weighs around 31.51 lbs or 14.29 kg (this is for each bike’s highest-end model).
All different build options and models weigh differently. But from the numbers above we can see that the Rockhopper is approximately 700 grams lighter. And it makes total sense as this is the bike best for fast and aerodynamic riding
Tire Clearance – Rockhopper vs Marlin
When it comes to tire clearance the Trek Marlin fits up to 29er × 2.4″ mountain bike tires. While the Rockhopper has room for up to 29er x 2.3″ tires.
The Marlin comes stock with Maxxis Ardent (27.5 x 2.4″ or 29 x 2.4″ tires). While the Rockhopper comes with Ground Control (27.5 x 2.3″ or 29 x 2.3″ tires).
Gearing – Rockhopper vs Marlin
When comparing the high-end models, the Rockhopper and Marlin both feature an SRAM SX Eagle groupset which means an 11-50T cassette combined with a 30T crank resulting in a 17.45″ granny gear and 79.41″ largest gear for riding down hills. (this is when running a 2.3″ tire, you can expect this gear ratio to be slightly different with the Marlins 2.4″ tires) But this would be a small difference.
Suspension – Rockhopper vs Marlin
Suspension is where these bikes slightly differ again.
Both the high-end models feature the RockShox Judy fork, however, for some reason, the fork on the Trek Marlin has 80mm of travel while the Specialized Rockhopper has 100mm and all the other bike models, both for the Marlin and Rockhopper all have 100mm of travel.
The entry-level models for both bikes have the Suntour XCE28 fork and the mid-range models slightly differ. With the Marlin featuring a RockShox Judy and the Rockhopper with a Suntour XCM fork.
Handlebars, Seatpost, and other specs – Rockhopper vs Marlin
When it comes to handlebars both the Marlin and rockhopper have a 15 mm rise for Medium sizes and up with a 5 mm rise for the smaller frames.
The main difference when it comes to seat posts is that the Trek Marlin 8 Gen 3 has dropper posts while the Rockhopper doesn’t and all the other models we compared are all rigid.
Geometry – Rockhopper vs Marlin
Geometry can play a big part in the difference between how a bike rides and feels. It is definitely something to consider when buying a bike.
Want to learn more about understanding bike geometry? Read this article which goes through all the jargon and what it means for a comfortable ride!
Here is where we see most of the differences in bikes. All the measurements below are in mm and are for both medium-sized bikes.
The main geometry specs that can paint the picture of the type of bike we are looking at are; stack/reach ratio, trail, chainstay, and wheelbase.
Firstly the stack/reach ratio for the Marlin is average when compared with other hardtail cross-country mtb with 1.44 vs 1.42 for the Rockhopper which is somewhat aggressive.
Suggesting that the Marlin is a more upright bike, in comparison, the Rockhopper is slightly more aggressive.
Chainstay is rather close with only 2 mm in difference with the Marlin boasting 438 mm vs the Rockhoppers 440 mm chainstay.
Along with this, the wheelbase length is 18 mm longer on the rockhopper. considering the chainstay is slightly longer also. I would argue that the Rockhopper may be the better bike choice, especially when it comes to geometry for bike adventures. The numbers mean in theory that it is the better-suited bike to allow for better-suited riding with gear loaded on the bike.
Now we’ll look at the trail. This tells the story of how each bike will corner and what the handling is like upfront.
Both trail measurements for the Marlin and rockhopper are considered very high. The Rockhopper has a 9.8 mm higher trail. When compared to the Marlin this means the Rockhopper in theory would have a slower, but calmer, steering response.
However, the Marlin is still rather high. But when compared together this favours the Rockhopper again as the more superior bike when it comes to bike adventures and carry gear. Especially in situations where you are climbing technical trails and need precision when steering.
Bikepacking – Rockhopper vs Marlin
The fact that bikepackers alike seem to have this cult following when it comes to the Rockhopper means that personally, I would recommend this bike over the Trek Marlin.
Even if the Marlin comes with a dropper post and the Rockhopper is rigid. And 1″ larger tire clearance on the Marlin.
When it comes to geometry it’s obvious that the Rockhopper is the superior bike out of the two.
And it’s also a bonus that the Rockhopper is slightly cheaper across the board.
To me, it’s a no-brainer to get a Rockhopper especially if you’re looking for a hardtail mtb for your next epic bike adventure.
About The Author
