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Talon 4 MTB to Escape 2 Hybrid. Worth it for street riding?

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Talon 4 MTB to Escape 2 Hybrid. Worth it for street riding?

Old 10-18-21, 07:56 PM
  #1  
prime winner
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Talon 4 MTB to Escape 2 Hybrid. Worth it for street riding?

A couple months ago I sold my less than 1 yr old Verve 2 Disc because I was having pain in my testes that I thought cycling caused. The pain has gone away mostly, seeing specialist 11/18 for follow up, and I'm thinking of riding again. If anyone has ever had the prolonged testes pain maybe you'll understand my urge to swear off cycling. So my Verve 2 was very comfortable to ride around the neighborhood, and I usually rode 10-28 miles. I rode my Talon 4 MTB yesterday, 10 miles, and whoa what a difference. I felt cramped and uncomfortable for the first half, second half a little better. No pressure or discomfort on the testes though! Before I bought the Verve 2 I would ride my then Talon 2 for as much as 30 miles around the neighborhood.

So........ LBS in town has a Giant Escape 2 and I'm considering getting it. It's been a few years since I rode a hybrid like that and was wondering if you guys could remind me if the Escape 2 would be worth upgrading to from the Talon 2. This would be for street riding cardio/exercise 95% of the time. I'm not looking for speed, just a nice and easy ride. I did wipe out on my Verve 2 so I'm hesitant to go to narrow tires, but the Escape 2 has 38's.

If I get the Escape 2 for $770 plus tax I'd sell my Talon 4 to recoup hopefully about $400. If I don't upgrade to the Escape 2 I was thinking of adding a few comfort creatures to my Talon 4.

So it's pretty much.....
Upgrade from Talon 4 to Escape 2 for roughly $425-$450 out of pocket (Escape 2 $825 after tax, sell Talon 4 for ~$400), then get cycling computer and other upgrades in a year or so.

Or

Spend about $300-$350 to upgrade my Talon 4 with Ergon GP5 grips, cycling computer, and maybe some more road freindly tires.
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Old 10-19-21, 03:05 AM
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For street riding, talon is out of the question.

Escape is a fine choice for what you need. Check out the market- used and new - before deciding on it.
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Old 10-19-21, 07:34 AM
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I wouldn’t street ride the talon.
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Old 10-19-21, 08:21 AM
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Originally Posted by Moisture
For street riding, talon is out of the question.

Escape is a fine choice for what you need. Check out the market- used and new - before deciding on it.
Originally Posted by BikingViking793
I wouldn’t street ride the talon.
Thanks guys. Just curious why you both say you wouldn't use a Talon for street riding? I'm guessing it's a combination of multiple things but would tires or positioning be a major factor? Just curious since I prefer the wider MTB tires over the thinner 30-38 hybrid tires. But I can definitely understand if its a gear issue, I think my Talon crank offers 38T and the Escape maybe offers 46T.
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Old 10-19-21, 10:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Moisture
For street riding, talon is out of the question.
How so? I see people riding even full-sus MTB's and fatbikes on the street, and none of them has spontaneously combusted thus far.
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Old 10-19-21, 11:14 AM
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You need to look at the geometry on both bikes. You say you feel cramped on the Talon, but have you compared stack and reach on both bikes?

I think the Talon has more stack and reach.

If you are just getting back into cycling and riding around the neighborhood, it probably doesn’t matter. If you can find a good fit on the Talon, change the tires to street.

John
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Old 10-19-21, 11:37 AM
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Originally Posted by 70sSanO
You need to look at the geometry on both bikes. You say you feel cramped on the Talon, but have you compared stack and reach on both bikes?

I think the Talon has more stack and reach.

If you are just getting back into cycling and riding around the neighborhood, it probably doesn’t matter. If you can find a good fit on the Talon, change the tires to street.

John
Wow! John, thanks for bringing up the Top Tube Length and Stack. The Talon 4 has the Escape 2 beat on both, Top Tube Length 24.4 inches to 23.4 inches, and the Stack is 24.8 inches to 23 inches.
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Old 10-19-21, 07:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Moisture
For street riding, talon is out of the question.

Escape is a fine choice for what you need. Check out the market- used and new - before deciding on it.
Complete nonsense.
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Old 10-19-21, 07:50 PM
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Originally Posted by prime winner
Wow! John, thanks for bringing up the Top Tube Length and Stack. The Talon 4 has the Escape 2 beat on both, Top Tube Length 24.4 inches to 23.4 inches, and the Stack is 24.8 inches to 23 inches.
If the bike feels cramped after getting back into riding it for a while, you might be able to “slightly” move the saddle back, (may have to adjust height for the correct leg extension), and if that doesn’t help enough, you can swap out the stem.

John
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Old 10-19-21, 08:19 PM
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Originally Posted by 70sSanO
If the bike feels cramped after getting back into riding it for a while, you might be able to “slightly” move the saddle back, (may have to adjust height for the correct leg extension), and if that doesn’t help enough, you can swap out the stem.

John
thank you, I’ll try the saddle side and stem off that doesn’t work.
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Old 10-20-21, 01:52 PM
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https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/talon-4

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/escape-2-disc



The Escape is obviously a lot more road-oriented and seems to have a slightly better (higher-quality) drive train but for the sort of riding the OP described, either should work. If I already had the Talon I’d probably invest in some fat slicks and maybe a taller stem and just ride the thing.
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Old 10-20-21, 03:03 PM
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1. Bottom bracket height. Unless you ride with 200mm crank arms, its too high for pavement use.
2. Fork length, weight, offset (again, not for pavement)
3. Tires.. obviously
4. Head tube angle. Slack for stability on rougher terrain.

If you replaced the fork with something rigid and suspension corrected, and replaced the tires with something more pavement friendly, in the same diameter/size, it would work fine for your needs.
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Old 10-20-21, 03:37 PM
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Your Talon 4 should make a fine street bike if you can get comfortable on it. Adjusting the seat set back and height correctly is a good start, Then work with handlebar height, maybe a higher, longer stem and even different bars.

Many folks here on BF find their hard tail mountain bike just fine for street riding once they install some narrower road or hybrid bike tires and crank the suspension forks pretensioner up.

I hated my old mountain bike for street riding, but it had nothing to do with instability due to geometry or weight, or even the tires because these weren't
the knobby kind. I just couldn't get comfortable. It was too old anyway to make the effort so in 2018 I bought a new Giant Sedona comfort bike. Basically a mountain bike frame and wheels with tall handlebars.

Last edited by xroadcharlie; 10-20-21 at 04:03 PM.
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Old 10-20-21, 03:42 PM
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With the teste pain, consider a recumbent? I am having prostate issues, and it makes a world of difference. Don't buy new, get used for 20-50% of new. Take your time and scan craigslist a few times a week or more.
Recumbent bikes are a dying breed, but tons out there used. .Tadpole trikes are the latest fad in recumbent,
I just scored a 2002 Rans Stratus classic for $300 with tons of gear to go with it.
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Old 10-20-21, 03:43 PM
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None of the things some folks complain about Really matter ....

For people who want a comfortable ride to just ride around, there is no need to min/max and optimize everything. Sure you don't need ten inches of clearance ... but it won't hurt. Sure the bike will be heavier ... heavier than a lighter bike. Not everyone really cares.

Sure those big tires will eat up energy ... but not everyone cares.

I'd say you can slap a set of 1.5" slicks on there, pump them up hard, and have a fun around-town casual cruiser.

Sort of like the guys with the lifted pick-ups or jeeps ... they have three-foot-tall tires with tread that could dig the Erie Canal, and are tall enough to run over a playground full of toddlers with disturbing a hair on a head .... and the toughest terrain they face is the speed bumps at the fast-food drive-through. They don't care.

As I said, the Escape is a lot more road-oriented ... but even it is heavy and low-geared and (relatively) fat-tired. If you had presented it as your best option, some wet posters would have complained that you don't need tires fatter than 32 mm, and the bike weighs too much, and you need higher gearing.

Fact is, you can ride a mountain bike on the road .... because IT IS A BICYCLE.

Many many years ago, I got into a bad spot where I didn't have a road bike ready (probably a few untimely breakages and waiting on parts from the bike shop) and needed to go to work. I just road my mountain bike. I hated tearing up the knobby tires on pavement, and it weighed a lot more and was under-geared and the suspension ate up some of my power .... So What? I needed to get to work. I didn't need to win a race or impress anyone or whatever.

I got to work. And if you want to save money, slap some slicks on that Talon and ride it for fun, and later down the road you can buy a bike you might like better .... It is an Option. A Valid option.

In a lot of places in this world, there are a lot of people who will never see a bike as nice as the bikes we call junk. We are so spoiled it is not even comical, it is pathetic.

Ride your bike if you want to. Screw what everyone else says ... forget what I say too. Just live your life.
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Old 10-20-21, 07:59 PM
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^^^ This ^^^

There's a reason that MTBs took over the cycling world 30 years ago; they're damn effective bikes for the way most people use bicycles. I'm not talking about specialist weaponry like XC racers or DH/Freeride rigs, but recreational "trail" bikes like that Talon4. They're what most people would come up with if you asked them "Imagine a Bicycle". Straight handlebars, upright seating, and a decent spread of gears; does most of the things, for most of the people, most of the time.

This being BikeForums, it's a road bike group, so they'll tell you to put skinny slicks on it, but I'd go with a ~2.0" BMX tire like the Maxxis DTH, it's got a little bit of tread, for mixed surfaces, and plenty of air volume for dealing with obstacles and other irregularities.
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Old 10-21-21, 03:52 AM
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If you're uncomfortable and feeling cramped on it, then is it the right size? Road/trail dynamics aside, any bike should be comfortable to use. There seems to be a real tendency lately for people to be riding bikes that are a size too big.

I'd see about getting a bike fit at a local store first, they'll be able to advise and adjust the Talon so that it's comfortable, or give you recommendations on another bike if it's too far out to fit properly.
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