Lost newbie: front suspension, tyres, sitting position?

Maga

Dear all,

I'm about to buy a new bike and my main needs are are a comfortable bike for longer distances (eg 4h along the coast) on paved roads but also for dirty roads/light off-road, and good control of the bike/steering. I have no need for speed but would like something light that would make long distances pleasant and more effortless.

I was hoping you guys could offer your opinions/insights/pros & cons on the different bikes, please? Due to budget constrains and difficulty in finding smaller frames, I narrowed down my search to 3 bikes, please see links below.

Also, I read several posts here saying "front suspension should be avoided". Why is it so?

Thanks a million for your help!

1. Giant Rove, which has thicker tyres and front suspension
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/2013.giant.rove.4/11874/56929/#specifications


2. Giant Escape, which seems super light and nice but I'm hesitant about its thin tyres
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-in/bikes/model/escape.3.w.v1/11631/56230/#specifications

3. Giant Cypress, with the upright sitting position - seems more comfortable but possibly harder to control for off road/steep areas?
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-in/bikes/model/cypress.w/11635/56236/#specifications

Thank you so much in advance!

awec

Front suspension is pointless for that sort of cycling. At low price ranges you'll get heavy (and possibly crap) parts. And then there is a cost of maintenance which is unavoidable.

And then it sucks away energy - there's no point wasting precious energy

If you are getting it because you think it'll be more comfortable if you go over bumps then save yourself the hassle and just stand up when going over one.

smacl

Sounds like you're after a tourer, something like a Dawes Galaxy would fit the bill. A good selection of tourers here but most local bike shops will have some on offer. Yes, avoid the front suspension, only adds weight, noise, and something extra to go wrong. While Giant make some great bikes, I don't much fancy the ones you've linked, something like the Rapid would suit better over the longer distances if you want a flat bar bike. Best thing is to try out a few and see which suits you the best. AFAIK, ThinkBike in Rathmines offer a try before you buy option, where you can take a long spin on a number of sample models.

Maga

Thanks a million for clarifying it, I had no idea about that!

In fairness, I was only going for the front suspension bike because it was the only hybrid I found (in XS frame and low crossbar) that had tyres above 40mm.

I tried tyres in the 30mm range and found them quite daunting. I wonder how well it would work trying to fit wider tyres on the Giant Escape... wonder if it would change somehow the geometry/biomechanics of the bike?

Thanks a lot again!

Maga

PS. I forgot to mention I also use the bike almost everyday for commuting in heavy traffic and quite often carrying lots of weight on it (rucksacks etc)... hence my need for a bike with quick steering/good control, and why I didn't think the racing bike type would be suitable for me.

awec

Be careful with buying a bike with the view of upping the tyre size. You might not be able to fit them on.

smacl

My wife has an earlier version of the Giant escape with 37mm tyres, and an 8 speed cassette. Great bike, though the new one seems undergeared IMO. I rented a similar 21 speed bike last year, and even with a heavy rucksack I seemed to have to pedal pretty fast to hold a low average speed. For longer spins, this can really take the joy out of it. You've linked the Escape 3, for my money and a few euro more*, the Escape 2 is a far better bet.

(* general rule of this cycling forum, when someone wants something and is on a budget, start by telling them to blow the budget!)

cdaly_

Maga wrote: »

I tried tyres in the 30mm range and found them quite daunting. I wonder how well it would work trying to fit wider tyres on the Giant Escape... wonder if it would change somehow the geometry/biomechanics of the bike?

awec wrote: »

Be careful with buying a bike with the view of upping the tyre size. You might not be able to fit them on.

I'd recommend you go for the escape of that lot. The 32mm tyres are plenty big for city riding, heavy loads and a bit of off-road. As with the suspension, fatter tyres soak up energy so the narrower the better. The Vee-brakes suggest that you'd be able to fit fatter tyres if you really need to.

You'll get used to the 32mm quick enough.

Tonyandthewhale

Giant escape is probably best out of these. You don't want suspension for 4 hour road rides (ideally you would probably want a road bike or touring bike with drop handlebars if you want to stay comfortable for that kind of time in the saddle). If you feel nervous on tyres under 30mm then you're not going to be confident enough to take on the kind of terrain that requires suspension or tyres any larger than 32mm.

I would be of the opinion that 32mm is about as big as you want to go with tyres when it comes to road riding. Maybe 35mm if you're touring with a very heavy load (and you're maybe a bit heavy yourself) and on very bad roads (think third world conditions). Bigger tyres take some of the bumps out of the road but once you go beyond a certain size the benefits are quickly outweighed by the increased amount of drag and friction and poorer aerodynamics which make cycling a lot harder.

As regards a racing bike not being suitable because of the need for quick steering/good control, there's nothing wrong with the steering on a road bike. If anything I feel my road bike is more responsive than my mountain bike or touring bike.

smacl

Tonyandthewhale wrote: »

If anything I feel my road bike is more expensive than my mountain bike or touring bike.

Calling Dr Freud to the 410, we've had another slippage over here!

Maga

Guys, thank you very much for all your suggestions and recommendations. I didn't realise the front suspension was such a hassle and since I have no need for it, I'll probably go for the Escape as you suggested.

Smacl: thank you very much for the link, yes, indeed I thought the tourers would be exactly what I’m looking for, especially with the structure for the pannies etc. But I couldn’t find any tourer with a low crossbar (women style) and XS small frame

Thanks a million for the suggestion about ThinkBike, I got in contact with them today about the Escape 2 and it seems like they can order in and give the 2 days trial which is ideal. Brilliant suggestion.


Awec: good point about the tyres. The shop says they would fit it for me and there's enough room for slightly bigger tyres, but I'm worried that may change the geometry of the bike and make riding it more awkward.

As for the thin tyres... I have ridden a 24 wheel mountain bike for the past 15 years so even though I'm very petite (4'11, <100 pounds), I still have the impression that I'll slip/lose balance with the thin tyres (32) and big 700 wheels once I have my front basket full with books/groceries, an extra backpack on my back and a dirt uneven road back heading home... what would you guys with more experience think of it?

On the other hand, it will be much more enjoyable having the thin tyres for longer rides on paved roads with no traffic, so I'm hoping it's more a matter of getting used to the new style...?

Thanks again for all of your suggestions!

Best,
Maga

Brian?

Don't fear the tyre width. You'll get used to it in no time. 30mm isn't particularly thin, 23mm is fairly standard on a road bike.

I'd reccomend a touring bike with drop bars as linking above. You can add panniers to it and carry whatever you want that way. I am fairly sure you can add panniers to most hybrids as well I suppose but you'll get more pleasure from a touring bike on the longer spins.

It boggles my mind sometimes how much people can fit on touring bikes:

Maga

Dear all,

This is a rather late reply, but I just wanted to thank you all for your help and suggestions!

I [finally!!] got my bike and I couldn't possibly be happier with it!!! I can't believe how much I love it already!

Many thanks to all of you who encourage me to try the bigger wheels and said it was gonna be ok having the "thinner" tyres (32), they are soooo much easier to cycle on, I can't believe how much quicker and further I can go with this new bike!!

I also must say the suggestion to go with ThinkBike in Rathmines was great, the guys there were fantastic allowing me the two days trial to see if I could get used to the bigger bike and thinner tyres and now I'm forever loyal to their shop and service

Brian, you were spot on, in the end I got a bike with a rack and got two panniers, and my bike already looks very much like the one on your post, haha. Great for shopping in Lidl (which I probably will be doing for the next 5 years to make up for the money I spent on the bike and cycling gear ) And the drop bars is a great suggestion, it's the only tiny thing that is bothering me a bit with the new bike, the super wide straight handlebar.

Thanks again everybody, you were great!!

Happy cycling everybody!!

PS. In the end I went with Giant City Escape W XS, although I did try a Specialized Globe and it was very good too.

PS2. I ADMIT IT!!! It's been only a month since I migrated from the mountain bike to the hybrid and I'm already agreeing with many of you guys and contemplating getting a racer to go to the likes of Wicklow and other uphill/further areas!