The Marin Wildcat is a hardtail designed for women.
The bike is available in size XS, fitting riders as short as 4’ 10”. This presents the bike as an option for teenagers looking for a mountain bike.
Marin offers the Wildcat in sizes L and XL, which is rare for a women-specific mountain bike.
The bike is available in three models. The Wildcat Trail 1 is the most budget-friendly of the three.
Marin utilizes a durable aluminum frame on the bike.
Each model of the Wildcat is specced with a reliable SR Suntour fork, providing 100mm to 120mm of travel.
The bike’s colors are gender-neutral, so young men looking for a size XS bike will not be discouraged by its appearance.
Marin has specced the Wildcat for beginner riders, with easy-to-operate trigger shifters.
Wide 780mm bars offer stability over obstacles on the trail, to riders of the Wildcat.
A low standover height makes this bike easy for more petite riders to utilize on the trail.

3 reasons not to buy

The trigger shifter paddle on the Marin Wildcat felt heavy and was difficult to operate for one tester.
One expert noted the WTB Trail Boss tires that come on the bike do not offer enough traction. They suggested upgrading to a knobbier tire for greater grip.
The bike is heavy. Size XS weighs in at over 30lbs.

Bottom line

The Marin Wildcat is a women-specific, entry-level mountain bike. It is available in sizes XS to XL. With 27.5” wheels and tires, one expert highly recommended the bike for teen riders transitioning from a 24” bike. Size XS fits riders as small as 4’10”. The bike’s low standover and 780mm wide handlebars offer riders of all sizes stability riding on singletrack. Complaints were few from users and testers regarding the Marin Wildcat. The most notable is that the bike’s weight exceeds 30lbs. Overall, riders looking for an affordable and durable hardtail will find the Marin Wildcat most acceptable.