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giant escape 3 decent bike?

  • 05-01-2014 07:07AM
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭


    hi im a 25 year old male who wants to take up cycling a s a personal hobbie and lose some weight nothing major.

    im planning on going cycling a few times a week starting off small at 5 miles and building up.

    ive seen the giant escape 3 for 337.50euro on marrey bikes website which is handy as i live in mayo and i wonder will it be sufficient for small to medium length cycles and last me a while?

    i would rather a hybrid as i dont want to dive into a racer quite yet id like to put some miles on the clock and gain some fitness and just have fun for now


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,479 ✭✭✭rollingscone


    To answer your first question: Yes it is a decent bike.

    A perfectly good commuter that will take mudguards and a rear rack, ideal for going to work at distances up to 25km each way.

    But and it's a pretty big but, it's going to rapidly become a frustrating and limiting bike if your main (or even 50/50) effort is going into fitness and leisure I strongly suggest you start off with a roadbike.

    It's likely that things you think will be difficult or find intimidating will rapidly become second nature, including dropped handlebars and narrow tyres which are every bit as stable on tarmac as wider hybrid/or MTB tyres and still give you the option of sitting up high with your hands on the hoods (the tops of the brake levers/gear shifters on drop bars), you should be able to pick up a good second hand road bike for around €400 and there is a world of free advice here on boards.

    I foolishly wasted my Bike To Work scheme on an Escape 2 and spent the time between the first couple of months before I realised I wanted more and and the couple of years it took me to get my hands on a roadbike regretting it.

    Nowadays modifying my escape is a hobby in itself but it is not and never will be a road bike (it's still a solid commuter and carrier of shopping/camping equipment etc) although it's appearance and workings have changed considerably with time.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,527 ✭✭✭✭Darkglasses


    It was my first bike and I still love it, the wider tyres and upright position are a bit more comfortable for me than my road bikes when going shopping or other utility cycling, and I also enjoy taking it off-road. Survives well cycling through forests, not great on loose shale.

    Here's mine - https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/400579_10201154079323389_1919836467_n.jpg


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,479 ✭✭✭rollingscone


    Actually Darkglasses makes a fair case, if you can have more than one bike, having an Escape be one of them is no bad thing...I have a wife, which makes it very difficult to add to the fleet.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,527 ✭✭✭✭Darkglasses


    Actually Darkglasses makes a fair case, if you can have more than one bike, having an Escape be one of them is no bad thing...I have a wife, which makes it very difficult to add to the fleet.

    It's a little tank, everyone should have a bike like that. Very versatile, it's survived being dropped umpteen times and carries me over boulders, but also rides better than a mountain bike on the roads.

    In fairness if I had the money I would probably get a cyclocross bike instead, but I think the Escape is an excellent cheap alternative.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭12gauge dave


    Thanks for helpful replies would I be aswell to spend 200euro more and go upto a flat bar race bike like a giant rapid 4?

    Speed wise and for longer journeys would the giant rapid 4 be a wiser choice in the long run?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,479 ✭✭✭rollingscone


    My escape 2
    IMAG0102.jpg

    My Escape 2 now:
    20140106_090202.jpg

    Rapid is going to be faster and offers more hand positions which helps with comfort but again I think you might find it worth your while to jump in with a road bike...that said depending on the drivetrain a later conversion to drop bars on a Rapid might effectively get you a basic road bike...it probably isn't bombproof the way the escape is though.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 16,018 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    It was my first bike and I still love it, the wider tyres and upright position are a bit more comfortable for me than my road bikes when going shopping or other utility cycling, and I also enjoy taking it off-road. Survives well cycling through forests, not great on loose shale.

    Here's mine - https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/400579_10201154079323389_1919836467_n.jpg

    Pretty much what I use my hybrid for these days as well, great for forest tracks in crap weather and general hacking about. I got through the WW200 in a deluge on it, and I'd dispute you can't do long distances on a hybrid, just that it is easier, faster, and more fun on a road bike. @OP: I think quite a lot of people start on a hybrid and move to a road bike later on, and reckon on a budget of ~€350 the Escape would serve you well as an entry level bike. As RollingScone said, don't go wasting your BTW on the Escape though, as if you get into cycling, you'll need it for a road bike later on.


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