Hybrid bike - Giant Escape?

strtdv

Get a bike off gumtree, you'll likely make a substantial saving over new (I paid £240 for a hardly used bike that was £700 new a couple of years ago)

Don't get suspension on that budget, it'll be heavy, you won't need it for the type of riding you do, and bobbing around on suspension wastes pedaling effort.

Saddles are tricky, what you find comfortable depends on your shape, weight, how much you move around when cycling, and how flexible you are. I've had saddles that had minimal padding that I felt were comfortable, and I've had saddles that were cushy but uncomfortable.

Deadman

I had a Giant Escape 'M1'. It was my first hybrid and just the ability to freewheel so easily impressed me (just what you want for commuting). It was a well made thing. Some horrible scroat nicked it when my wife borrowed it for work (locked up and inside the grounds of a nursery, so they were determined). 

DrJazzTap

I have a brooks b17, which has about 4 thousand odd miles on..they take about 1200 miles to wear on though
 And they have skyrocketed in price, mine was about £30 five years ago..i think they are around £90 now. 

goldtop

Interesting - the Brooks shape/philosophy seems diametrically opposed to the thinner examples suggested above.

drofluf

@DrJazzTap think you've got it the wrong way round; it takes 1200 miles for your backside to adapt to the shape of the saddle Having said that I've had some Brooks that are comfortable out of teh box.

@goldtop there are different models of Brooks; the B17 is quite wide but the Swift and Swallow are closer in shape to a Spoon

axisus

I used a saddle with a hole in it like that for years, everything else was just too uncomfortable. This year I have switched to one of these, I really like it, I think it looks cool, and they are £5.43 new on eBay. As mentioned in my other thread, I did a 5 hour ride with it today.



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Colors-Comfortable-VERTU-CCAV-S-Cycling-Bike-Bicycle-Hollow-Out-Seat-Saddle-UK/184077489163?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

strtdv

People imagine padding=comfort but quite often that's not the case, and padding can hide the fact that the saddle is the wrong shape until you're 20 miles down the road and realise how uncomfortable it is really

goldtop

A few of the guides advise to buy padded cycling shorts instead of saddle. Especially because conventional trousers/shorts have seams in the wrong place.

Not sure...?

Slash'N'burn

My only bike is a Scott Sportster  hybrid which I've had for 10 years, great for roads and tracks, and I've not has to replace anything on it so far except for tyres. Might be worth a look on the used market.

skunkwerx

goldtop said:

A few of the guides advise to buy padded cycling shorts instead of saddle. Especially because conventional trousers/shorts have seams in the wrong place.

Not sure...?

Tbh I’ve been riding mine with a comfort saddle, think its a Selle Royale Lookin’ or something and wear skinny stretch type jeans, mainly because they are so stretchy its not restrictive, and the skinny leg keeps from catching in the chainring as its exposed/cant fit a cover. 

I’ll have to take notice of how I feel next time I’m out riding, I guess as i’ve always ridden that way its not something I particularly thought of.. 

Though with this weather now I really do need a pair of shorts haha.

Schnozz

Any UK made alternatives?

strtdv

If you're doing significant distances on a bike you'll want proper shorts.

skunkwerx

I wouldnt recommend this saddle.

gilby

Slash'N'burn said:

My only bike is a Scott Sportster  hybrid which I've had for 10 years, great for roads and tracks, and I've not has to replace anything on it so far except for tyres. Might be worth a look on the used market.

I was going to suggest looking for a used Scott bike. I'm sure they are the same frame as a boardman but don't seem to hold their value the same way.

duotone

Remember a few years ago looking into which bike to buy & in one of the really useful YouTube videos they recommend Giant as a brand. I believe that they make well made bikes & use standard components, so if you need to do any repairs or changes you can easily replace parts by getting replacements in your local bike shop.

GuyR

I have had a Scott Scale 35 for about 9 years. The only change I have made is fit a Brooks B17. Super comfortable once worn in.

drofluf

Schnozz said:

Any UK made alternatives?

@Schnozz alternative bikes or alternative saddles? The conversation has veered slightly OT...

dchwhite

I have a 29er as my daily commuter - it's a mtb, but I like the sharper disk brakes, and the shocks are very helpful on the generally terrible Cambridgeshire roads - perhaps they are set up fairly firmly, I'm no expert, but there isn't an annoying amount of bounce from them, they just smooth things out a bit. Maybe having the tyres at 60psi balances them out... As skunkwerx said, continental double fighters are a decent compromise - I'm on my 2nd or 3rd set, and they are fast on the roads and have enough grip for light off road stuff (some days I get off the Ely- Cambridge train at Waterbeach & ride into work from there - copes fine with the river path).

I rode it most days for work (hopefully will again soon!), anywhere between 10 & 15m a day, and it's generally first choice for most rides as you can change your mind if you see an interesting bridleway or WHY you feel you'd like to explore.

skunkwerx

goldtop said:

My current bike is an old steel town bike. It cost me £25 (used) about 15 years ago, and it's a bit worn but still OK for road riding around here (Cambridge = totally flat). But now that we're going further afield, and taking in the occasional gravel path and dirt trail, perhaps a hybrid makes sense?

I recently hired a Voodoo Bizango, and didn't much like the road ride. AIUI, a hybrid has some elements of off-road bikes: wider gearing, slightly wider tyres. I don't think I need disk brakes, nor suspension, as this will be used dry weather only and 80% on tarmac.

The Giant Escape series seems to fit the bill. Any views? Alternatives?

Budget: £300 (mostly as bikes get stolen here so frequently; my current bike, if stolen, would be dumped by the thief after 10 yards)

As a bonus Q: I've been recommended a Wittkop saddle, like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Büchel-Wittkop-Medicus-1-0-Trekking-91201-Mens/dp/B01F8Z1XTS

Any suggestions on those?

Can’t believe I didnt ask this already actually, but  what was it in particular do you know, that you didnt like about the Bizango? 

Looking at the latest one on Halfords, it does look very modern mountain, ie short stem, slack geometry etc. 

goldtop

The Bizango that I hired, I rode 80% on the road, 10% on gravel and forest track. It felt fine on the gravel, but the road feel was not as comfortable as the hybrid bike I'd hired the previous week (forgot which one!) nor my partner's tourer. I've no real interest in MTBing per se.

In other news, I'm off to see a used Giant Escape 2 locally. Looks in good condition with just some surface rust on the wheels' chrome QR levers.