Spanish · 5 years on Samui
Spanish cycling enthusiast and eco-travel advocate on Koh Samui for 5 years. Carlos covers all bicycle and e-scooter content with a focus on sustainable exploration.
Updated: May 2026
I completed the full ring road on the Trek Marlin 5 last January - 50 kilometres, three hours, three significant climbs. The ring road is the defining Samui cycling route: a complete island loop with consistent tarmac, sea views on the north and east coasts, and the mountain pass section above Nathon as the main challenge. The Marlin 5's 21-speed Shimano drivetrain handles every gradient on the ring road without requiring the rider to dismount. For a rider doing one definitive Samui cycling day, the ring road on the Marlin 5 is the answer.
Cycling the north coast from Mae Nam to Chaweng last March at 7 a.m. - flat road, Gulf of Thailand to my right, fishing boats at anchor - the Trek Marlin 5 was in its ideal environment. The north coast section runs approximately 18 kilometres from Mae Nam to Chaweng with minimal gradient and consistent coastal scenery: the Fisherman's Village at Bo Phut, the Big Buddha approach, and the beach road through Chaweng. For riders who want a moderate circuit without the mountain pass gradients, the north coast loop from Chaweng to Mae Nam and back is the most scenic flat route on the island.
Turning off the ring road at the Na Muang junction last February and following the inland track to the lower waterfall - 3.5 kilometres of laterite and rock - the Trek Marlin 5 shifted from highway tool to trail bike without any adjustment needed. The trail is gravel and packed earth, accessible to any confident rider on the Marlin 5, and ends at the waterfall pool where the surface becomes impassable. Adding the Na Muang trail to a ring road circuit extends the day's distance by 7 kilometres return and adds the most interesting terrain the island's trail network offers.
Above the Nathon market last November - following a rubber plantation track through the interior hills - I found 6 kilometres of compacted dirt road that connects to the ring road further south. The interior plantation roads are not on tourist maps; locals use them for plantation access. On the Trek Marlin 5, the surface is comfortable at 15 to 20 km/h: the RockShox fork manages the corrugations, and the 29-inch tyres maintain grip on the clay surface when dry. The plantation road network above Nathon is Samui's best off-tarmac cycling for riders who prefer exploration over signposted circuits.
Five years of cycling the Trek Marlin 5 on Koh Samui has produced four consistent route recommendations: the full ring road loop for riders who want the definitive Samui circuit; the north coast road for riders who prefer flat coastal cycling; the Na Muang trail addition for riders who want a trail section; and the interior plantation roads above Nathon for riders who want genuine exploration. All four are achievable in the morning window before the heat builds. All four use the Marlin 5's specification in ways that lesser bicycles cannot match. These are where the Marlin 5 belongs.
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First-hand road and trail guides written by our local team - where to go, when to ride, and what to watch out for.
