trek fx 2 2022 vs giant escape 3 vs pinnacle neon 1 vs pinnacle lithium 3

[sasquath]

It's a lot of bikes, my budget is £700 with front shock retrofit.
yes, I want to retrofit shock to new bike, I've only tried pinnacle neon in medium(need XL - I'm 6'3") and it is super squirrelly on the road, just like my old piece of crap was before shocking up.
No one in 100 miles radius even has a giant roam or trek dual sport to try, but judging by same 72 deg head angle will be similarly squirrelly.
No idea who decided that bike impossible to control one handed on gravel road is a good bike .

I'm leaning towards pinnacle neon as evans are only shop willing to refund online order if I don't like it other local shops want 30% restocking fee...
Price of neon brakes is worrying though - clarks clout 1 retail at £45 including rotors and i can't find any review of them.

any advice?

 

[vickster]

If you want a bike with a suspension fork (is that what you mean by front shock), better to buy a bike designed with one.
why do you need to cycle one handed? Disability?

 

[sasquath]

If you want a bike with a suspension fork (is that what you mean by front shock), better to buy a bike designed with one.
why do you need to cycle one handed? Disability?

Sometimes I like to take a sip from the bottle while on the move, even munch on a protein bar .
I like my bikes to be stable enough to ride them hands free, not that I do it, just easier to control full stop.

More to the point has anyone rode trek fx or giant escape and is willing to share opinion on their ride?

 

[vickster]

I’ve had an FX in the past, not really designed for proper off road, although they do come with fatter tyres these days (mine was 28mm IIRC, carbon fork, rim brakes)
These are more flat bar road bikes than mountain bikes.
A number of other brands offer front suspension 700c hybrids, Whyte, Merida, Fuji from Wiggle, Ridgeback, Boardman, Cube for example although stocks are low all over

 

[Cycleops]

Don’t know why a hybrid without a suspension fork would be ‘super squirrelly’, perhaps any owners on here could comment if they’ve encountered this phenomenon. A suspension fork isn’t going to change the head angle. The last thing I’d be doing is fitting one.
Why are you worried about the price of the Clark’s brakes on the Neon? MBR and Bike Radar have done reviews. XL should be fine for you.
Ride comfort will be down to tyre size and pressure.

 

[sasquath]

Don’t know why a hybrid without a suspension fork would be ‘super squirrelly’, perhaps any owners on here could comment if they’ve encountered this phenomenon. A suspension fork isn’t going to change the head angle. The last thing I’d be doing is fitting one.
Why are you worried about the price of the Clark’s brakes on the Neon? MBR and Bike Radar have done reviews. XL should be fine for you.
Ride comfort will be down to tyre size and pressure.

Compared to my good old cro-mo road frame all modern bikes are squirrelly.
Fitting suspension fork lifts front by 80-100mm, that alters head angle a bit and is enough to make bike more stable. From my experience with cheap viking bike it turned it from, "I'm scared to have drink on the move" to let's stretch my back for a while and ride for a mile hands free"

Cheap as dirt brakes tend to be shite too. Mbr review I've seen looks like a sale pitch from someone who saw them only in a plastic bag, I'll search for bike radar.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

The Lithium comes from the MTB end of the spectrum, so if I were going to fit suspension to any of them (and I wouldn't), then that's probably the best suited to your requirements.

 

[Leemi1982]

I have a trek fx 2 probably my fave.. I tend to do a lot of cycling down back ruff country roads I find the bike can takes the bumps and handles well in bad weather also feels very easy to ride can go on long rides with it.. seems to roll forever. where as my road bike when I go over a bump I know about and slips around at bit on poor roads in bad weather, but fx2 not as fast if speeds a thing.

Fx feels very relaxed and stable to ride

 

[sasquath]

Thank you all for chipping in, decided to test on large bikes, as no store had xl in stock this narrowed it down to giant escape 2 Vs Trek fx 2.

In the end bought second hand FX 3 for whopping £400.

Bike was advertised as needing new headset bearings and rear brakes.

Headset needed adjustment.
Rear pads were dipped in oil . Quick ultrasound wash in pure isopropanol for pads and 800grit wet and dry on disc and they are good as new...

Fantastic bike.
Shaved 2 minutes off of my commute - 25 Vs 27.

 

[si_c]

Bit of a bargain there. Just need some pics now.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Bit late now since you bought it already but I've got both an older FX3 and a newer Giant Escape, I'd describe niether of them as squirrelly and in fact they're both really benign in handling.
Neither are an off road bike but they'll both do tracks and they're both loads of fun. My FX was my London commuter years back.

I'd never think to retrofit a suspension fork, if I wanted to do proper off road I'd have bought a bike that was designed and fitted with one, but it's niether here nor there as you'll have your reasons, anyway it sounds like you're enjoying your new Trek, so have fun!

 

[sasquath]

Tbh it is squirrelly when compared to 1982 steel road bike. But miles better than lithium, that thing was build for navigating ant swarms without killing one.

 

[kayakerles]

It no longer matters now, @sasquath, as you have made your purchase, but I hope your Trek turns out to be everything you want it to be. My current FX 7.6 (2009) sounds very similar to the bike that @Vickster previously owned. Straight bars with rim brakes and 28mm tires. Certainly not as solid on trails as my old school Chrome Molly Bianchi MTB with 1.5” tires, but I can still ride it on light trails. I am not interested in speed at all, so if anything, I would’ve been even happier if it did not have a carbon front fork. Riding on a parkway (35mph road here in the States) I stopped to ask a cyclist if I could be of assistance with a flat fix or something as he was holding his bike up with one hand, his front wheel in the other. He was very kind to me. He just held his front wheel up high for me to let me see that both sides of his front fork (whatever they are called) we’re attached to his WHEEL, not his bike! This was on a flat paved road. I was so embarrassed that I hadn’t noticed this at first that I didn’t even ask how it happened. The “or something” was definitely not something I could help him with. (I obviously could not then take a picture of his bike even though I want to do, I had never seen such a thing in real life, and hoped that I never would.)

Now when I ride my carbon fork Trek on light trails, in the back of my mind I wonder if I’ll be in that situation some day. Anyone else ever see this happen beforeAnyone else ever see this happen before?

But Sasquatch, I love the bike. Bought it for only $350 right before the first round of the pandemic hit. Well cared for, new cassette, cables, chain and almost new tires. Always kept garaged. Now my pride and joy.

Happy riding to you! Share some pics when you’re done with your transformation. Here's mine…

 

[sasquath]

@kayakerles I broke a steel fork about 20 years ago, but I did take road bike(flat bar converted) to a MTB racing event, and next day on a pothole front wheel run away from me!! steerer tube snapped on the bottom bearing.

 

[kayakerles]

Dang, @Sasquath! That must have been a flying experience. I'm quite surprised a steel fork would snap. If not defective, you must have really gotten your money's worth out of that one.

Hopefully you were not seriously injured. Perhaps steerer tubes are a possible weak point on most bikes? I don't know about these things. Thanks to your enlightenment I think I'll stick to my MTB for my slightly rougher trails.

1997 Bianchi Ocelot