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[PLuKE]

Evening folks, I have be questioning my decision on the Giant Rapid 3

Tomorrow I am going to the shop to test ride the bike, and possibly a Trek 7.4 FX.

I will mainly use the bike on road/cycle paths, and gentle trails, at a steady pace with the dogs and the missus. The Rapid 3 uses 25c slick tyres, which I am guessing will be ok when it's dry? The rims seems to be strong as the Defy has the same wheels.

Any advice?

 

[PLuKE]

Sorry, didn't complete the title, and can't edit.

Luke

 

[Cyclist33]

The Rapid will handle all those applications but you will need to tread gingerly with it off road. I imagine the Trek with its wider frame would suit you better.

Why not also look at the range of Giant Escapes? There are lots and some are more racy than others but all are more akin to the Trek 7.4 than the Rapid is.

Eg http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/2014.giant.escape.0/14980/66555/#specifications

 

[MikeW-71]

Bear in mind that the Rapid is a flat-bar road bike. It will handle a mild trail, but the slick tyres aren't best suited for that, you'll have to be careful. The Escape is similar but it is using V brakes which allows clearance for fatter tyres, it also comes with a more general-purpose tyre. You could even put a cyclocross tyre on it if you needed to.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

The suggestion of the Giant Escape looks good to me too - much more like the sort of bike that would suit the mix of on and off road.

The Trek FX range should also handle this well. My brother's FX7.1 managed pretty well on Lake District trails back in the summer.

 

[PLuKE]

Thanks again!

I looked at the Giant Rapid 3, and loved it. The Trek 7.4FX is still a nice bike! But the Rapid has my heart! I won't be doing any crazy off roading with it, once I saw the Defy with the cyclocross tyres on that made me smile and knew the Rapid could do it.

Will the rims be able to cope and not buckle?

Luke

 

[vickster]

It's more it'll be a bit rough and slippy. The roads frankly are in worse nick than most paths!

Why not get a CX bike?

 

[PLuKE]

I don't want something that focused, I want something I can just potter on with the dog and the missus also. I like the race looking frame and wheels and the flat bars. Which is what my motorbike is like.

Luke

 

[MikeW-71]

The rims will cope fine

 

[vickster]

I don't want something that focused, I want something I can just potter on with the dog and the missus also. I like the race looking frame and wheels and the flat bars. Which is what my motorbike is like.

Luke

You can always put some chunkier tyres on the Rapid If you can drive from Suffolk to Essex, or buy online, ashcycles have the 2013 bike on special

http://www.ashcycles.com/site/giant-rapid-3-2013

 

[MikeW-71]

Might be limited on the Rapid if the brake clearance is the same as the Defy though. However, pop some tougher tyres on and it wold do it.

 

[Cuchilo]

A Defy with CX wheels ? Oh mannnnnnn don't give me stupid ideas

 

[PLuKE]

You can always put some chunkier tyres on the Rapid If you can drive from Suffolk to Essex, or buy online, ashcycles have the 2013 bike on special

http://www.ashcycles.com/site/giant-rapid-3-2013

Thanks!

That's a good price, spec doesn't seem different from the 2014 model.

Luke

 

[Cyclist33]

You can always put some chunkier tyres on the Rapid If you can drive from Suffolk to Essex, or buy online, ashcycles have the 2013 bike on special

http://www.ashcycles.com/site/giant-rapid-3-2013

think the rapid's frame would preclude too much in the way of extra width of knobbliness!

 

[vickster]

Thanks!

That's a good price, spec doesn't seem different from the 2014 model.

Luke

Looks the same...shame it's black