VegasTriker

Both bikes you list are in the same weight range, around 28 pounds so that puts them in a much better weight class than most mass merchandiser bikes. The gear range limitations on the 3 speed bike are pretty serious. The 42-16 combination for the gears, 700CX28 tire, and 170 mm crank gives a 69.9 GI for the midrange on the Nexus hub and 51 for low gear, 95 for high. The Giant Escape with regular gearing has a spread of 21.9 to 91.2. It is geared like many mountain bikes, lower than most road bikes but a lot better than the 3 speed hub on the first bike. You get a lot more choices to get a comfortable cadence while riding. The drive train components on the Escape are at the low end of the spectrum but should work acceptably. Lots of people recommend internal hubs based upon maintenance needs for the regular drives but in reality it doesn't take all that much to maintain them, even for somebody who rides thousands of miles a year.