droidus

I am looking at buying a Hybrid bike for general, recreational use. I am looking at the Giant Escape 3 and the Cannondale Quick 8. When I rode the Giant one, I liked the gearing system, but the build did not feel as comfortable as the Cannondale. The Cannondale felt like when I switched between 1 and two on the right-side gear switching mechanism, it felt like I pedaled from doing nothing and spinning in circles, to a very high gear, and much harder to pedal. In general, the transition/gear switch did not feel as incremental as the Giant one. I asked the guy about it, and he said they have the same gearing system, so that couldn't be. Just curious if there could be anything different about them that could cause this, or maybe it is just me?

RonH

Visit a few bike shops and test ride several bikes. Then buy the one that you like best. If you don't like the bike or it doesn't fit you'll never ride it.

deapee

It's tough to say based on the information you've given us. If the gearing is the same, then he's right -- it had to be something else.

Maybe the rear shifter was in a higher gear setting than the rear derailleur was in and not adjusted properly, so when you shifted, it went two gears?

Maybe on the Giant you shifted from second biggest to third biggest and on the Cannondale you shifted from third biggest to fourth? Some of the gear changes are going to feel a lot different based on speed...

--

If the Cannondale felt more comfortable, that's the one to get...but you need to figure out why. If it's just the saddle or reach or something similar, that can be replicated on the Giant. If it just overall fits you better, then that's your guy.

Were both frames the same size?

jforman

No, no. no, the two bikes are different. The Cannondale has a 8 speed nexus internal hub while the giant has a seven speed conventional hub. So the Cannondale will require less overall adjustment and more speed selections with a weight penalty. This is like Chevy compared to Ford, in that both bikes will function. Which one you want is up to you. I'll include spec sites for both. Please ride both and use your criteria to choose.

Cannondale Quick 8 review - BikeRadar USA

Escape 3 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States

Retro Grouch 

Forget, for now, about buying a bike. Start your search by shopping for a bike shop. Audition a few shops in your area until you find one that you think you'd like dealing with. If you're asking here if what the shop guy is telling you is true, you haven't found the right one yet.

Flip Flop Rider

leave it on the big ring

Maelochs

I'd say, the best thing to do before dropping some serious cash on a ride is to do more research. That's the joy of the Internet .... yeah, some of us recall those days long ago where you actually had to leave your home to get a fiftieth of the stuff you can find without leaving the couch.

If you are looking at a bike with an internally-geared rear hub and comparing it to a bike with external gearing and a derailleur, you haven't done enough research. This will matter after you have ahd the bike for a while and start to learn about it and about how you like to use it ... and then, if you find you have made a choice which limits further options, you will wish you had known in advance.

I'd suggest that you decide on a few bikes that seem to be good to you, and then look upo the bikes and their major components online. Read reviews (of course, as with anything trade magazine reviews are always glowing and need to be read really carefully, and customer reviews are often the product of ignorance and also need to be read really carefully.)

Read about the different components, so if a bike shop employee says "This bike has Claris and this one, Sora" you won't be thinking he is talking about diseases or something. read about how to shift, so when you take a test ride you can actually test stuff.

You will also want to know where different manufacturers scrimp on quality to save cash. If you look around, you might find that some bikes have weak, heavy wheels or something ... so you know you would be looking at replacing them in the next year or so, likely.

Read a little about sizing (Bike Fit Calculator | Find Your Bike Size | Competitive Cyclist) so some salesperson doesn't stick you on whatever s/he wants to sell, as opposed to what you need to buy.

Read about different models and types, knowing that all the major manufacturers make approximately equivalent bikes for about equal prices---if you really like that trek, probably Giant makes a bike almost exactly the same. Your local bike shops might not carry every brand but they probably can get a bike that is almost exactly what you want.

Almost any entry-level bike from almost any of the major brands is going to cost the same, function the same, and will be a perfectly good bike which could last you (with minor maintenance) for the rest of your life. What matters most is fit. if you are not comfortable on the bike, you will not ride it.

Second is probably acceptance. You know you are not buying a diamond-studded, gold-plated ultra-amazing miracle bike. If you know what you really are getting before you buy, you are more likely to be satisfied, and less likely to be stricken with buyer's remorse. Even the entry-level components used on major-brand entry-level bikes work as well as the good stuff from 15-20 years ago ... there is no real junk on the market. But of course, the really good stuff (where a couple components cost more than your whole bike) will probably work a little better ... but if you know that up front, and don't obsess over it, you can be absolutely happy with the cheaper stuff which still gets the job done.

intbiker

Agree with Maelochs, do a ton of research and learn more about bikes in general. Not saying you're just a total ignoramus or anything, but I used to think I knew a lot about bikes, and then I started reading Bike Forums. That mindset changed pretty fast. So yea, read up and welcome to the forums!

bmthom.gis

The C'Dale certainly does NOT have an IGH. Same it has the exact same drivetrain as the Giant, except for a slightly better rear derailleur. The only bikes C'Dale offers with an IGH are the Hooligan and Bay Boy 1. They might have had the Quick 8 as an IGH in 2010, when the article you linked was written, but that is definitely not the case nor has it been the case for a couple of years now.

@droidus - for all intents and purposes both bikes have the same drive train. In fact, both bikes should operate much the same. The other major differences are the fork and handlebars. The Quick 8 is a little bit of a better bike in those regards, but the Escape 3 would also make a great first bike, and has a lower MSRP.