tex88

I bought the Giant Escape 2 (2018), a few days ago, acting more on spontaneity than good research.
But I couldn't help myself, and yesterday looked at the 2018 Trek FX 2 and Trek FX 3.
And now I'm unsure which bike is best for me.

This is my first bike in over 20 years, so I have little riding experience. I plan to ride mostly ride for recreation (with my 3rd-grade kid), and mostly on pavement, but hopefully some fun but easy dirt paths too. No commuting, no rain, nothing extreme, and not super often.

The Escape 2 and FX 2 seem very similar, but ...

Giant Escape 2 ($450)
+ has internal cables
+ has nicer color
+ has slightly better grips

Trek FX 2 ($410, yes on sale)
+ is slightly cheaper
+ has slightly wider tires (35 vs 32) -- more comfort??
+ has slightly better Rear Deraileur and Shifter (Acera vs Altus) -- but would a newbie really notice??

Trek FX 3 ($550, yes on sale)
+ has amazing Grips
+ has a Carbon Fork -- more comfortable??
+ has 2x better components -- Rear-Deraileur (Alivio vs Altus), Front-Deraileur (Acera vs Tourney), Shifter (EF65 vs M310), and Cassette (HG20 vs HG31) -- but would a newbie really notice??
. has same tire width (32)
. has great color too
- has external cables
- costs $100 more


So mainly..
- Would the better components of the Trek bikes be hard for me as a newbie to appreciate, and overkill for the fairly light use the bike will get?
- Would a Carbon Fork notably soften the bumps?

Thanks for any insight!

DEW21

- Would the better components of the Trek bikes be hard for me as a newbie to appreciate, and overkill for the fairly light use the bike will get? In my opinion, YES!
I wore out the no name hubs on my 2012 Giant Escape 2, but with more than 5000 miles on it, all the other components are working perfectly. Over the past winter, I built a new set of wheels using Deore XT hubs, Velocity Dyad rims and DT Swiss DB spokes. I think my Escape should be good to roll for many years to come! Go for the Escape Just realized you've already bought it, great choice!

hokiefyd 

You will not know the difference between the Altus and Acera components, so I'd discount the FX 2 right away, especially since you didn't say that you liked the colors.

I think the Trek FX 3 is a much better proposition, though. For only $100 more than the Escape 2, you get a carbon fork and an Alivio 9-speed drivetrain, which is "nicer" than the 8-speed Altus on the Giant (though I personally prefer 7/8 speeds myself). The IsoZone grips are very nice I hear. Though grips are easily changed, that does eat into your savings with the Giant. If you're saving $100 only to shell out $25 on new grips, you've saved only $75, and you still don't have the carbon fork.

An aluminum frame with an aluminum fork (Escape 2 and FX 2) is generally going to be the firmest riding combination you'll find. Steel frames generally ride softer and carbon forks generally ride softer. Giant have the Escape Disc as the next highest model, but then you're looking at close to $700.

I would say the FX 3 is worth the $100 over the Escape 2, but that's components only. It has to fit you well for you to enjoy it, it has to be in a color that you like (in my opinion), and your bike shop has to be willing to do the trade without a fee. If they give you only 75% of what you paid for your Escape 2, then the value proposition becomes weaker.

Bothrops

I checked out the Giant Escape 1 and Trek FX 3 last year before finally deciding on the FX3. I really liked both bikes but went with the FX 3 because it seemed to fit me better. I really don’t think you can go wrong with either but $550 is a super deal on the the FX 3! I paid $100 more. If you feel both ride similarly I would go with the Trek.
BUT, if the Giant fits and feels better riding, stick with the Giant.

BPCycler

I've been going through a similar decision making process myself for the past few months. I have my search narrowed down to:

1) Trek DS 4
2) Trek FX 3
3) Giant Roam Disk 1

Would love the DS 4 but not sure the $1,000 price tag is worth the little difference I'd see over the FX 3.

MRT2

OK, so you have a mild case of buyer's remorse. Relax, you did fine. The truth is, Trek and Giant compete across every price point with comparable products. To paraphrase a BF regular, how thin can you slice the baloney. So one bike has Altus this, while another bike has Acera. Or one bike has 8 speed shifters while the bike that retails for a couple of hundred more has 9 speeds. Even the carbon fork, while an upgrade, is probably not something you will especially notice if you never had one. Put another way. I do club rides regularly and I never hear someone say, wow, that ride really sucked. If only I had a bike with a carbon fork, it would have totally smoothed out those bumps.

This isn't to say these things never matter. IMO, every $100 or $200 spent up front on a new bike beyond entry level (around $500 is what I would call entry level), gets you some small improvement that when added up with a bunch of other things makes for a nicer overall ride. So, the Escape 2 comes with 8 speed shifters, which is pretty much entry level these days. Another $100 or so gets you 9 speeds and slightly upgraded back shifter. After that you have better fork, disc brakes, and maybe better wheels and tires. Above that and you are north of $1,000 and into more performance oriented bikes, and the process continues up into the many thousands of dollars.

So what do you do? Stick with what you just bought. If you decide in a year or two you want better performance, chances are you will be looking for a bigger upgrade than a Trek FX3. Or you might find the Giant is all the bike you ever want, or need.

rumrunn6

bought 2 hybrids last year. a '90s Schwinn for $50. then a Trek FX 7.0 Alpha for a cpl hundred. in the end, it doesn't matter so much what you have, but rather, what you do with it. you've passed the milestone of deciding & making the purchase. the next bunch of milestones are also important, such as setting it up, adjusting fit, accessories & riding, riding, riding. my older bike works fine & fun to whip around on. the shifters are weird old shifters but you know what? they shift fine, never any trouble. the Trek shifters are modern & snappy. so what? in fact, the rear cable got cranky when I developed a little corrosion. cleaned & lubed it so it works better now. my suggestion, turn your head & spit & ride what you got. hope that helps!

Scooty Puff Jr

Just my 2 cents on the ISO Grips: they’re no better or worse than any decent “wing” handle grip. My biggest complaint with the ISO Grips is that they’re proprietary to the ISO bar, so if you don’t like them, you can’t replace them with another brand grip.

tex88

Thanks for all the replies here everyone! Much appreciated.

I tried the FX 2 and FX 3 yesterday.

The FX 2 -- felt basically the same as the Giant Escape 2, so I agree with @hokiefyd.. no reason to switch.

The FX 3 -- felt VERY different -- not so much the carbon fork or better components (lost on me, as a novice, test-riding on residential streets), but mainly in the grips / handlebar / steering. Those IsoZone grips are big, so my wrists were higher and angled in a bit. And the handlebar seems slightly shorter (I later looked it up.. its 580mm, but I couldn't find that spec for the FX 2), so my hands were bit closer in too.

Overall, the FX 3 steering felt.. tighter, maybe more sporty.. aggressive.. powerful.. hard to describe. A (very exaggerated) analogy is like a sports-car with a small steering wheel (FX 3), vs a truck with a big steering wheel (FX 2 .. and every other bike I ever rode).

I think I really liked it. It was awkward for a minute, then fun. But it was so different.. I wonder if it'd get annoying after awhile.

Am I nuts.. and it's not really all that different? Has anyone tried the FX 2 and FX 3, back to back, and noticed this?

DowneasTTer

If it were me what I would do is first purchase a set of Ergon grips and try them on your current ride. Then I would try riding this season and see if you even enjoy the sport. If so then maybe the need to upgrade to a different bike. There really isn't a big difference in any of the bikes you have listed. The big changes happen when you start looking at higher end bikes over the $750 range of so. But, that only applies if you actually ride the thing. So get out there and see if riding is something you really enjoy. Good luck with. whatever you decide.

MRT2

I can't imagine there is much difference objectively, but you can change out the grips on your Escape, if it makes you feel better. You really need to put a couple of thousand miles on your bike to get a sense of what you like, and dislike about your bike. Contact points, including grips, saddle and pedals can be switched out at not much expense, so those you can play around with to see what you like.

ColonelSanders

Are you able to take your Giant Escape 2 back to the store for either a full refund or as full credit against the FX3(if the store sells both brands)???

zaxmalloy

I'm a big fan of the Giant Escape though I no longer own one because a car hit it (and me) last year but at that point I had probably 5,000 all-season Minnesota miles on it and it was still going strong...

I think DowneasTTer has something to consider here - switching out the grips on the Escape to Ergons - and when you do, consider putting bar ends on at the same time - they do wonders for giving you variations for hand position and comfort, especially as a novice.

Not that I think the Trek is better or worse - clearly has some better equipment and the price tag to match, but the Escape will be a joy to ride and as you can tell from the comments of others, it's a durable investment. Good luck with your choice...

Oilsausage

I've not personally rode a trek fx, but I'd bought a Giant Escape City (2) last year and cut an inch off each side of my handlebars and added Ergon GP3 grips off of Amazon and it made a HUGE difference in ride quality. You made a great choice with the Giant, mine has taken a serious beating and I still pick up groceries one day and do trail speed runs the next.

Simon714

No, you are not nuts. I was in a similar situation to you last fall. I ended up deciding between the FX 2 and FX 3 (and then to confuse things more, between the 2017 and 2018 models). I test rode both FX 2 and FX 3 back to back two different times and I think that "sportier" describes the difference well. I did notice better handling. I attributed it to the carbon fork, probably because the Trek employee suggested it, but I wasn't paying attention to the handlebar length. To me, it felt like a different bike, and I ended up spending the extra $100 for the FX 3. I picked the 2017 because although I liked the red/black color scheme of the 2018 and the matte paint, the 2017 has internal cables (the 2018 does not) and the shop gave me a better deal on the older model.

I love my FX 3 and have no complaints about the ISO grips, but I am in the market for bar ends because I do get a little hand numbness on longer rides.

JK007

This thread is getting old but just to continue the thought here...

After you bought a bike..you bought a bike. You ride it and they cannot sell it for new anymore and therefore you just can't go return it; it's now a "used bike". Don't expect to get anything for it - keep it. Riding a hybrid, you won't "feel" all the upgrades as much as a road bike and you can always buy another bike later.

I just bought 2018 Giant Escape City with the nice rims and disk brakes...but I noticed the Escape 1 has the carbon forks.

Been thinking I should've bought the Escape 1 and put a pannier and fenders on it - but that bike (If the shop had it and I knew it existed at the time) cost $100 more (695$) with no rack or fenders, and I would've spent another $100 on that plus the higher cost of the bike. That's $200 more in total. My point is, it's like buying a TV - you walk in and this one is good..this one is a little better refresh rate..this one is a bit bigger with UHD ...it goes on and on until you're looking at a TV 10 times the cost. Be happy with what you have and the upgrade to a $1300 or more bike later.

I admit I have searched for carbon forks for my Escape but it seems a money pit.

The Escape came with nice grips but because of wrist surgery on a nerve (hence the carbon fork obsession) I bought some Ergon grips, they were rock hard. Bought some Giant Max Ppo wide grips and they are nice and soft and a bit longer with bars at the ends for a different position and they were cheap. Add in some $10 gel bike gloves and I switched to 38m tires. I don't feel any "road noise" at all. But the bike is inbetween a MTB and road bike so hitting bumps or holes will still be jarring. A carbon fork won't stop that. Actually carbon is more stiff, it just is supposed to kill the micro vibrations (so they say anyway).

Aslo I have a cheap Altus RD that cost about as much as a pizza... but reviews say everyone thinks it's great and has a short cage with big wheels. And the bike is 8 speed so most of the high end stuff doesn't even fit from what I've seen, and my bike shifts better than any bike I've owned. It's very tempting to upgrade to a Deore or higher but those go on mid-high end bikes. If you look at other components that go on expensive bikes you wouldn't necessarily want them for a knocking about town bike.

Again...returning a bike after paying and walking out the door is probably not going to happen after you use it.... so your craigslist sale of it will net about half.

Also I read a LOT about people that return things they "don't like" and I just don't think that's right. If you buy and use something, you own it.

People have to pay for shipping and repackaging and having items showing sign of wear etc...

That's more of an Amazon rant but applies here too.

Imagine that you read that a Tourney FD was the top of the line...and Alloy was the smoothest...you would LOVE your bike!

It's a lot of suggestion that goes on...plus the web is full of opinions (no offense) from people that have invested thousands in their bikes - are they going to tell you an Altus is "ok"? Maybe some...not all though.

Last thought...A $600-700 bike is not that much to worry about. A simple car repair will cost that. Enjoy then sell it for $200 later and put that money towards maybe a Giant Toughroad or something that looks interesting. BTW the Escape is a VERY comfortable bike and the best fitting (XL) bike I have had.

I have the Army Green City model and the green and black look awesome..very nice looking and sturdy.

Cheers!