About to Start - Marlin 6

Sweet.... That bike is as capable as any hardtail on the forum! Decent fork, really decent level drive train, threaded bottom bracket, wide rims, cool rubber... I'd ride it!

Did the shop say if the tires are set up tubeless or not? Not a big deal, but it's something that we all move to at some point if we put in a lot of miles. It can be accomplished at home with a role of Gorilla Tape, some Stans sealant, and a couple valve stems. Down the road...

 

Good point! Depending on what you paid for the bike, in other words, if you paid retail or close to it, ask the shop for your first bro deal to set the bike up Tubeless and pass along the tubes to you in addition to a bottle cage and throw down 25 percent off a helmet and gloves and shoes and pedals and and and lights!

 

It should serve you well, congrats!

 

That's a damn fine looking rig that'll take you any place you want to go...

 

@Faust29 Not sure about the tubeless. I will call to verify tomorrow...
@DangerDirtyD I do plan on getting all my gear from this shop and that will be done the day of pick up WITH a discount included!
@mike Thank you!
@Voodoo Tom Thank you!

Beyond excited to start lol. I haven't had a bike since 1998 when I had a HUFFY mountain bike lol. Don't get it twisted though, I love riding bikes!

 

Everyone on here and MTRB keeps telling me to go tubeless. I emailed the shop asking how much it would cost to have it set up that way. I am impatiently waiting for my new orange baby haha.

 

There’s a guide somewhere on the forum...

But when you decide to do it, we can talk you through it. You’ll need a roll of Stans Tape (Gorrilla Tape works), valve stems (Amazon), a couple bottles of sealant, and a compressor or some other way to inflate and seal them. Stans is the most popular, but there are a few others.

1/2 hour job...

 

Noted. I should probably use up the tires the bike comes with and then go tubeless..

 

You can probably go tubeless with the tires you have.

 

Damn, I'm such a rookie lmao

 

Looks that way... If it comes with the stock 2.6 Trail Boss, they are all listed as tubeless compatible on the website. That would be a fun ride on those monsters.

 

Confirmed. I’m gonna have them set it up tubeless!

 

Way to go! I loved my TJ!

 

Quick rookie question: What is the best way/app/device for me to track the trail I am on and see via a map or something so I don't get lost?

 

As long as you have cell service the Trailforks app worked well for me. You just have to pull your phone out of your pocket a lot until you get a feel for where you are.

 

mtbproject is also very comprehensive, locally anyway..

 

Congrats on the bike, it is 99.9% a good one and will go anywhere you want to take it!

A combination of Trailforks, MTBProject, and Google will take care of you. Cross-reference all of them to see where you want to go.
Then record your rides on Strava to see where you've been, and check out all the trails you rode past that you had no idea were there!!!

 

Copy that, noted, and got it! It would be kinda cool to have a phone holder for the bike so I could have the map running. Either way. I hope you guys don’t mind the tall doofus on the orange bike not going too fast. I want to do those beginner easy trails. Ridge motor way would be one to get a solid feel for the bike. Then eventually promote myself to Angeles crest

 

Those Garmin cycle maps look nice and fancy

 

Rokform has a bulletproof phone mount. I use it for my Galaxy S9 on the gravel bike and road bike. It will not come loose.

https://www.rokform.com/products/v4-pro-series-iphone-bike-mount

 

The others have all given solid recommendations... I’d only add that I check out trails on Google Earth beforehand whenever I’m headed anywhere new. I can get a rough idea of elevation and look for land features. That’s also helped me find stuff that might not be on the map.

 

@Faust29 Copy that.
@Runs with Scissors I like that mount. Saves me some money. Did you say you it has never fallen off and stays firm on there? I think I'm gonna buy it right now.

 

Good answers here, these guys have you covered.

It’s good to be aware that GPS-based apps like Trailforks, MTB Proj and Google Maps will work on a smartphone without phone reception. The GPS function still works, even in airplane mode (if trying to save battery power for example). High res map graphics might not show, but navigation definitely works.

If your phone’s battery life is dicey like mine, a small remote battery and charge cord is easy to carry on longer rides.

 

It works great. It is a case and mount combo, just make sure you get the correct case.

 

Yep... We forgot that part. Off-line mode is a life saver!

You can also... Find maps in PDF form for a lot of the county parks. Before I knew my way around, I had the official trail maps from the county saved in PDF form for Caspers, Whiting and Aliso in iBooks.

 

gotcha. Gotta buy the case now! Lol

 

Call me crazy, but as a beginner, just go out and explore. Stay in the parks and you won’t get lost.

many of us here learned to navigate the trails without the use of the Internet. We just went out and rode. Was our navigation perfect? Not always, but we are still here talk about it.

 

Looking back exploring was the best part of mountain biking.

 

Sure, every new rider should experience the doubt and fear of not knowing where the hell he is and if he'll be consumed by predators before he get back to the trailhead.

Nay... the thrill of victory using the sun is priceless! Watch out for cloud cover!!!!!!!

 

@mtnbikej ur not crazy
I agree!!