I was in the market for a cheap(ish) hybrid that I could convert into a multiple use bike but wouldn't break the bank doing so. I already have a nice road bike, and a full suspension MTB but needed something in between the two. Not a full on gravel grinder, but also not a full on city/urban bike. I wanted flat bars, rigid frame/fork, hydraulic disc brakes, wide range 2x gearing, and the ability to run 40c tires or bigger. After looking around at all the manufacturers offerings, the Escape was the only bike that was close to what I was looking for.
After looking over the line-up I decided to go for the Escape 1 Disc. Tubeless rims, composite fork, and the frame color I liked. Overall I am impressed with the bike. The fit and riding position is almost perfect for me. The wide handlebars give it a very MTB like feel without being overly wide, around 700mm width. The Tektro brakes work much better than I anticipated. I had new brakes at the top of my upgrade list before buying it but I will leave them on and use up the pads before deciding what to do. But as expected there are a few things I'm not so excited about, more about that below.
So there lies the biggest drawback. This thing is heavy. 28.6 lbs. Even of you subtract a pound for the rack it's still heavy for a rigid frame aluminum bike. Another thing I didn't like is the 3x9 Shimano Acera drivetrain. I mean it shifts perfectly, but its uninspiring and cumbersome to use. The biggest problem with this bike is the heavy wheelset. The rear wheel, cassette, rotor, and tire assy weighs in at 2770 grams, or just over 6 lbs. The front I weighed but didn't note the actual weight. The hubs have loose ball bearings, the axle does not move smoothly when spun by hand off the bike.
So I had planned upgrading the drivetrain even before buying the bike. One of the bikes I rode before buying the Escape had a Tiagra 2x10 set up on it. I was pretty impressed with it considering its middle of the road place in the Shimano road drivetrain hierarchy. I didn't want a MTB style drivetrain but buying one might have saved me a few dollars along the way.
Upgrades included: FSA Gossamer 46/32 172.5mm crankset, Tiagra 2x10 shifters and derailleurs, 11-36 Shimano SLX 10sp cassette, a OneUp 40t cassette expander cog kit, a Wolftooth Roadlink, and a pair of Vittoria Terreno G Dry 700x40c tires( I think I could fit some 45c tires on there and still have room).
Overall I'm pretty happy with the bike now. Put about 50 miles on the new drivetrain and I am impressed with the gearing range. The 32x40 climbing gear is plenty for anything but the super steep stuff. No miles on the tires yet but they were recommended on the gravel forum.
So the upgrades netted about a 1.8 lb savings. The biggest improvement was removing the OEM tires. They were 760 grams each and are some type of weird combined tube and tire with sealant.
Overall I am happy with my purchase but if I had to do it over again I might opt for the Escape 2. Use the $230 price difference and invest in a better set of wheels. I did like the composite fork and frame color better so maybe I made the right choice afterall. I plan on swapping the 3x9 Acera drivetrain onto an old early 90s hard tail MTB so that won't go to waste.
In stock form I feel this is great bike for the $750 usd retail price. Plenty of room for upgrades for the type of people like me who enjoy tinkering with their bikes. But also good enough to ride as is for many years to come.