Hi. I'm wanting to get a bike for just the odd weekend ride. I've currently got a very cheap "mountain" style bike. I find that tiring to ride because the suspension soaks up so much energy it just seems a real effort to get anywhere, and I don't ever ride anywhere more off road than a canal path. Hence I'm thinking of getting a hybrid of some sort.
I won't do enough riding to justify spending much on a bike, but I want something that's not going to put me off riding by being too rubbish. What I'm looking for is something that's only slightly more expensive than getting a bike from somewhere like sportsdirect, but that offers quite a jump up in quality (like the NAD 3020 of the bike world). I'd also prefer to buy a new bike than have the hassle/uncertainty of buying a secondhand one when I really don't know what to look out for. Ideally I'm not looking to spend more than about £300.
I've had a try yesterday on a Giant Escape 2 (£399) at a local cycle store. The Escape 3 (£299) is more in my price range, but the 2 was the one they had in the showroom in my size. That seemed nice, and the guy said the 3 would ride very similarly. I've also had a look online at a 2013 Dawes Discovery 301 (£259), and there a shop 30 minutes away that I could take a look at one next weekend.
So, I've a few questions:
Are these bikes a sensible choice, or is there some other brand that's better for the same price or less?
For very light use, is there any reason to be looking to spend more? The guy in the store yesterday said the Escape 3 sounded fine for what I'd said I'd use it for, but if I got into it and did longer rides or more frequent then you'd start getting failed components. However, I had a bike when I was a teenager (a Puch Prima) that I rode everywhere, mistreated, had it for years, and nothing ever broke. Are components more fragile these days?
Assuming these bikes are a good choice, how would the Dawes 301 compare to the Giant Escape 3?
Which would be better, a 2013 Dawes 301 or a 2014 201? Do the bikes just get a new paint job each year, or are the components actually upgraded?
I won't do enough riding to justify spending much on a bike, but I want something that's not going to put me off riding by being too rubbish. What I'm looking for is something that's only slightly more expensive than getting a bike from somewhere like sportsdirect, but that offers quite a jump up in quality (like the NAD 3020 of the bike world). I'd also prefer to buy a new bike than have the hassle/uncertainty of buying a secondhand one when I really don't know what to look out for. Ideally I'm not looking to spend more than about £300.
I've had a try yesterday on a Giant Escape 2 (£399) at a local cycle store. The Escape 3 (£299) is more in my price range, but the 2 was the one they had in the showroom in my size. That seemed nice, and the guy said the 3 would ride very similarly. I've also had a look online at a 2013 Dawes Discovery 301 (£259), and there a shop 30 minutes away that I could take a look at one next weekend.
So, I've a few questions:
Are these bikes a sensible choice, or is there some other brand that's better for the same price or less?
For very light use, is there any reason to be looking to spend more? The guy in the store yesterday said the Escape 3 sounded fine for what I'd said I'd use it for, but if I got into it and did longer rides or more frequent then you'd start getting failed components. However, I had a bike when I was a teenager (a Puch Prima) that I rode everywhere, mistreated, had it for years, and nothing ever broke. Are components more fragile these days?
Assuming these bikes are a good choice, how would the Dawes 301 compare to the Giant Escape 3?
Which would be better, a 2013 Dawes 301 or a 2014 201? Do the bikes just get a new paint job each year, or are the components actually upgraded?
Neil.
