Originally Posted by CaptainClegg
Well I got to ride a Trek 4500 and a Speicalized HardRock Sport Disc, and I must say that I am do not like the HardRock at all. The bike feels to bulky, in contrast the Trek was responsive and agile. I am still wanting to try the GF Marlin but as of right now I am going with the Trek.
Anyone else have any other bikes that you think I should try before I make my purchase?
I recommend you try out the Specialized Rockhopper. It is a parallel to the Gary Fischer Marlin other than the Genesis geometry. It is similarly spec'ed and is similarly priced. The HardRock, IMHO, is put together as a bike that does a bunch of stuff okay whereas the RockHopper is is a little more specialized (no pun intended) as a XC bike.