Giant Escape 3 2016

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ChrisV

Formerly CC2014
Location
Falkirk
This arrived tonight. Took more than I thought to set it up, but then I'm not your average technically minded kind of person.

Seems heavy - but then I had a road bike before so not a fair comparison.

Frame is smaller than I thought - but then came from 56cm road bike to M size hybrid - so again will be a marked difference. At 5'11, I was recommended M so that's what I've gone with. The miles will reveal all!

Handlebar needs heightened - how do I know what size of spacers to buy?

Going to be a shock taking it out tomorrow - it is completely different in every way from the road bike - wasn't expecting such a difference. Perhaps I'm a bit stupid.

Really hope I've adjusted everything and tightened what needs tightened.

Oh, don't like the grips on the handlebars. I wonder if a set of Ergon are worth the investment.
 
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ChrisV

ChrisV

Formerly CC2014
Location
Falkirk
Apart from that I like the bike ^_^
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
You cannot just add spacers to raise the handlebars, the stem needs to grip the steerer tube and there is an optimum position for this so you need to work out where you want the handlebars and buy a different stem to achieve this.
As for the grips here are a couple of tips when changing them.
  • To remove them without wrecking them simply move the brake lever/shifters towards the centre of the bars so they're out of the way then slide a long pointy thing underneath the grip (a barbeque skewer is ideal) then insert the tube that comes with WD40 alongside and spray oil in liberally, slide the tube out a bit then spray a bit more then remove everything and twist the grip back and forth until it comes loose and slides off. You can then wash the inside of the grip with neat washing up liquid and rinse out with hot water. Once dry they can be re-used/given away/kept as spares. (or you can just hack em off with a Stanley knife. ^_^)

  • To fit the new grips make sure the handlebar is clean and dry (especially if you used the WD40 to get the old uns off) then use the best grip adhesive going to fit the new ones, Hairspray..............yep genuinely, a good squirt of hairspray inside the grip and onto the bars then slide em on and position them. Ten minutes or so later they'll be stuck firmly so get the position right before that. Then move the brakes/shifters back into position, jobs a good un. (that's the reason for moving the brakes etc out of the way a bit, the new grips may be a slightly different length to the old ones and you really don't want to be trying to move em when you're fitting the grips running the risk of the grip not going on fully and leaving a wiggly bit on the end)
 

Dirk

If 6 Was 9
Location
Watchet
......Frame is smaller than I thought - but then came from 56cm road bike to M size hybrid - so again will be a marked difference. At 5'11, I was recommended M so that's what I've gone with. The miles will reveal all!........
I am the same height as you. I also take a 56cm frame for a road bike. My Giant Defy was a size M and fitted fine.
When I bought my Giant Escape I had to go for a L size frame as recommended on Giant's sizing chart. Hybrids generally come out a size larger than a road bike for the same rider height.
I tried both at the LBS and the M size frame was definitely too small for me.
 
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ChrisV

ChrisV

Formerly CC2014
Location
Falkirk
Going by all the charts on the various sellers websites it placed 5'11 as medium. It doesn't seem too bad.

Don't know what to do now.

Returning it means I need to take it apart, box it up and pay the return carriage:cry:

My plan anyway was to ride it till August, make the decision then if I missed the drop bars too much or if I was a flat bar kind of guy, then use C2W to get a bike of choice. Then at that point sell the Escape on.

I will definitely not get away with two bikes in the house!!!

Decisions, decisions.
 

MikeW-71

Veteran
Location
Carlisle
How much higher do the bars need to be? They're meant to be quite low on these, similar to a road bike. Even my Pinnacle hybrid, which isn't road bike based, has the bars lower than the saddle. A stem with a higher angle would raise the bars.

At 5'11" Medium should be OK, Medium/Large at the most, but Large would be too big.

If you are changing grips, most new ones now are lock-on so you don't need the hairspray trick :smile: I got some Giant ergo grips that come with bar-ends, which I found really comfy, I also have some Specialized Body Geometry ergo grips on the Pinnacle, which are also very comfy (and cheaper). I can't get on with round grips for long periods it seems.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
The joys of buying blind online. You could flip the stem to raise the bars, add a longer stem or a riser stem

Did you not even chuck a leg over one to check the size? Why did you move from drops?

+1 for ergo grips :smile:
 
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ChrisV

ChrisV

Formerly CC2014
Location
Falkirk
Was struggling to go out for wee cycles with my daughter (6 yrs old) and fancied a change.

It'll be ok I think, it's just different to the roadie and that kind of threw me.
 
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ChrisV

ChrisV

Formerly CC2014
Location
Falkirk
Took it out there and it does feel much more compact than what I'm used to.

The 56cm road bike was harder to get onto, but once moving I felt I was stretched out and actually riding the bike.

This I can just hop onto and feels like a small bike under me.

Might try a longer stem - I'm actually over the top of the bars and feel like I need to stretch myself out a bit.

Failing that, might just punt it for £240 cash or something as new and write it off as costly f**k up on my part.

Definitely prefer road bikes:blush:
 
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ChrisV

ChrisV

Formerly CC2014
Location
Falkirk
(Can't be bothered with the messing about of trying to return it - I've assembled it and posting a bike last time was stressful. Too much stress in my life at the moment!)

At least the sun is shining.
 
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