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For the 2nd year in a row, GIANT introduces another great new Hybrid

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For the 2nd year in a row, GIANT introduces another great new Hybrid

Old 08-09-15, 06:46 PM
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I'm looking at the ToughRoad too. My current commuting bike here in NYC is the Giant Escape, and I love it. Great ride. But I'm looking to do some epic touring in the not too distant future. Actually my Giant Escape 2 with its long wheelbase & chain stay is more than capable to be set up as a touring bike. Its got all the eyelets to rig racks and panniers. The ToughRoad does too. The more expensive version actually comes with racks.

I also prefer flat handle bars over drop handle bars. Hand positions schmand positions! Lol. Seriously. I just prefer the flat handlebar set up, always have...even for long rides. Both the Escape & ToughRoad have flat bars. Yay! But the ToughRoad has disc brakes which will make riding in rain & snow safer. But the brakes on the Escape are easier to maintain. A plus when trouble strikes out in the middle of nowhere.

The tires on the ToughRoad are a beefy 50 compared to the Escapes thinner 32s. I see pluses and minuses for both. The ToughRoad will be able to handle rougher terrain with comfort and ease, especially if my panniers are full of heavy gear...but the Escape will be speedier. I'm wondering if the ToughRoad tires may be too thick for long epic touring? I could always put thinner wheels on the ToughRoad and thicker wheels on the Escape if I wanted. I'm thinking 35s to 40s might be the sweet spot compromise. I dunno. Thoughts?

i was also thinking of a third candidate. The new Giant fastroad. It's got the flat handlebars I like, but the tires are too narrow and it lacks all the proper eyelets for traditional racks & panniers. If I could put 32s or 35 tires on the FastRoad and rig a rack system somehow...then perhaps it could be a contender. but for now, it's between the Escape & ToughRoad.

I know there is the Surly LHT & Trek 520, but what can I say? I'm a Giant Loyalist. :-)
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Old 08-09-15, 10:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Greenmeenie
I'm looking at the ToughRoad too. My current commuting bike here in NYC is the Giant Escape, and I love it. Great ride. But I'm looking to do some epic touring in the not too distant future. Actually my Giant Escape 2 with its long wheelbase & chain stay is more than capable to be set up as a touring bike. Its got all the eyelets to rig racks and panniers. The ToughRoad does too. The more expensive version actually comes with racks.

I also prefer flat handle bars over drop handle bars. Hand positions schmand positions! Lol. Seriously. I just prefer the flat handlebar set up, always have...even for long rides. Both the Escape & ToughRoad have flat bars. Yay! But the ToughRoad has disc brakes which will make riding in rain & snow safer. But the brakes on the Escape are easier to maintain. A plus when trouble strikes out in the middle of nowhere.

The tires on the ToughRoad are a beefy 50 compared to the Escapes thinner 32s. I see pluses and minuses for both. The ToughRoad will be able to handle rougher terrain with comfort and ease, especially if my panniers are full of heavy gear...but the Escape will be speedier. I'm wondering if the ToughRoad tires may be too thick for long epic touring? I could always put thinner wheels on the ToughRoad and thicker wheels on the Escape if I wanted. I'm thinking 35s to 40s might be the sweet spot compromise. I dunno. Thoughts?

i was also thinking of a third candidate. The new Giant fastroad. It's got the flat handlebars I like, but the tires are too narrow and it lacks all the proper eyelets for traditional racks & panniers. If I could put 32s or 35 tires on the FastRoad and rig a rack system somehow...then perhaps it could be a contender. but for now, it's between the Escape & ToughRoad.

I know there is the Surly LHT & Trek 520, but what can I say? I'm a Giant Loyalist. :-)
I often hear about people from NYC complaining about potholed roads, so the ToughRoad with its 50mm tyres would seem the perfect solution for that, plus it has the top of the range aluminium compound in its frame.

Of course you can put on narrower tyres of a higher quality too, if either 50mm is too wide or the tyres that come stock on the ToughRoad isn't of sufficient quality for you.

Other than the FastRoad, of those other bikes you mentioned, the ToughRoad also comes in a double chainring crank, which is mighty appealing to some.

Giant is almost without competition with the ToughRoad from all the other big manufacturers.
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Old 08-11-15, 05:48 AM
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Well no - according to Giant, its a crossover of the MTB and the CX bike:

"If you tend to ride off wherever the wind takes you, or just want something that offers a new level of road, gravel or touring versatility Giant’s new Toughroad bikes may be the answer. The Toughroad series were designed for people who want to ride varying terrain, but on something lighter duty than an MTB. Fitting into Giant’s X-Road Performance category, they are intended to bridge a gap between a heavy mountain bike and a Cyclocross bike (or their gorgeous Anyroad models!), which tend to be outfitted for competition level riders with drop bars and lightweight components. Giant says the Toughroad bikes are essentially entry level CX bikes with MTB handlebars and versatile options for racks, fenders, and storage bags. Time to get carried away…"

Essentially, the ToughRoad SLR is a CXified 29er with balloon tires. Talk about being carried away, indeed.
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Old 08-11-15, 09:06 AM
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Originally Posted by NormanF
Well no - according to Giant, its a crossover of the MTB and the CX bike:

"If you tend to ride off wherever the wind takes you, or just want something that offers a new level of road, gravel or touring versatility Giant’s new Toughroad bikes may be the answer. The Toughroad series were designed for people who want to ride varying terrain, but on something lighter duty than an MTB. Fitting into Giant’s X-Road Performance category, they are intended to bridge a gap between a heavy mountain bike and a Cyclocross bike (or their gorgeous Anyroad models!), which tend to be outfitted for competition level riders with drop bars and lightweight components. Giant says the Toughroad bikes are essentially entry level CX bikes with MTB handlebars and versatile options for racks, fenders, and storage bags. Time to get carried away…"

Essentially, the ToughRoad SLR is a CXified 29er with balloon tires. Talk about being carried away, indeed.


It's basiclly an old fashioned "all terrain bike" which in the 90's was a rigid mountain bike ( no shocks) with 700c tires/wheels
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Old 08-11-15, 09:09 AM
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A good deal lighter than an MTB. People are looking for something more suited to off-road recreational riding and touring and that is where this new bike fits the bill.
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Old 08-13-15, 10:05 AM
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My biggest issue with this bike is that, currently, it isn't available in Canada. It would be a great replacement for my 2012 KHS Tempe, which is still in great shape but I may be losing it to my son. I tend to use the KHS, modified with relatively smooth 700x47 Continental Town and Country tires, for commuting and riding out to the cottage (70km, 45km paved, 25km hard pack to loose gravel) and this bike would be perfectly suited for that type of riding.
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Old 08-15-15, 02:55 PM
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This is almost exactly what I have been hoping a manufacturer would make for a long time - fully rigid (with appropriate rigid geometry), disc brake, fat tire clearance, wide gearing range. Basically a lightweight, affordable, non-suspension corrected 29er. Hopefully a 2.1 tire can fit... Would also like to see a SLX/XT equipped version without racks... Or as a frameset...
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Old 08-15-15, 03:58 PM
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Marin already has the Marin Muirwoods 29er. And it can fit up to 2.0 tires.

I can take it on the hardpack and crushed gravel trails around my town. Don't be misled by the marketing.

You can get your bike to do anything you want it to do.
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Old 08-16-15, 11:40 AM
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Originally Posted by NormanF
Marin already has the Marin Muirwoods 29er. And it can fit up to 2.0 tires.

I can take it on the hardpack and crushed gravel trails around my town. Don't be misled by the marketing.

You can get your bike to do anything you want it to do.
Out of curiosity, can your Marin fit a 2.1 with any sort of clearance? Not that .1 is gonna make the difference of traction/no traction for me, but more tires are available in that size.
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Old 08-16-15, 03:41 PM
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No.

Its limited by the fork and seat stays.

It came with 700 X 42 tires or 29 X 1.6. The maximum is 700 X 52 or 29 X 2.0.
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Old 08-18-15, 08:58 AM
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Originally Posted by NormanF
No.

Its limited by the fork and seat stays.

It came with 700 X 42 tires or 29 X 1.6. The maximum is 700 X 52 or 29 X 2.0.
Thanks Norman. I wonder if the new Giant is able to squeeze in a 2.1? I should clarify the purpose of my interest... I am looking for a flatbar bike to ride fire roads, smooth single track, and paved bike paths. I like the idea of a 29er, disc brakes, and threadless headsets - which are my only objections to just updating an older MTB. I don't need or want suspension, which it seems that most bikes that can clear a 29x2.1 tire have suspension. I dont want to go through the hassle/expense of converting a hardtail to a rigid fork, and end up with a bike that is obviously kludged/compromised to make it work. Essentially, I want my old 1992 Cannondale M2000, but with 29er wheels, disc brakes, and a threadless headset.

So far, I think this Giant and the Marin are the two closest bikes available. There are a few singlespeed MTBs out there, but the trails I ride usually include a fair bit of climbing, and I need gears. The Surlys (Ogre, KM, Krampus) seem a bit overpriced for the build they come with, and a custom build/smaller brand bike will probably be too expensive. I doubt my wife would be OK with anything more than $1000, so this bike is definitely looking like a solid option. Now to go find one in person!
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Old 08-18-15, 09:12 AM
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With the ToughRoad you might be able to.

With either that or the Marin, you could mount Schwalbe Big Ben Tires and you have 29er wheels, disc brakes and a threadless headset.

What you want to do is ride them and see what works best for you and they're sensibly priced.
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Old 08-27-15, 05:28 PM
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I wasn't sold on this bike from the product specs, even though I'm always a proponent of having nice, voluminous tires on pretty much every bike (without going full fatbike). But I built up our first one this week, the SLR 2 model, and I gotta say, this thing is super fun. That perfect blend of sporty 'snap' to the handling, but seems stable enough. It does remind me of the more well sorted rigid MTBs of their day in that regard.

I would feel much more confident taking this on extended rough trails compared to my CX bike. And I'm honestly thinking about selling my TCX worth twice as much and getting one of these. Certainly not revolutionary, but a VERY well sorted bike. Plenty of clearance up front too, to put a more aggressive front tire on it to handle looser terrain. I'd probably keep it near the 2.1" mark, but you can find some with serious meat in that range.

Edit: and the color selection on the SLR 2 is on point. I mean, I'm a niner fan and it's pretty much blatant Seahawks colors and I don't even care, it looks so good. Haven't seen the nicer model in person yet, but I'm less of a fan of the black/red combo on bikes.
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Old 08-27-15, 09:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Wanderer
For every day, heavy duty use, it should have 36 spoke wheels, right out of the barn..... For heavy duty touring, for all of us clydes, 32 spokes just isn't enough. 36 works!
I agree with Wanderer! 32 spokes are not enough for us heavy guys and are not good enough for loaded touring. I broke a spoke on a 32 spoke wheel when doing loaded tour _miles_ away from any city. It never even occurred to me to buy/carry a spoke repair kit, because I had never broke a spoke before in my life. Luckily my friend had a kevlar spoke kit in his pack and I was able to repair the wheel to get me in to the next town. 32 spokes may be fine to ride on, and I still have that wheel set, but I built a 36 spoke wheel set after that trip!
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Old 08-28-15, 09:56 AM
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New guy here.
I was in Boston a few days ago at the Giant company store, they had just gotten a SLR1 in, quite the bike I must say! I would have bought a SLR2 on the spot if they had one. Patiently waiting for the 2 to become available.

Great forum y'all have
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Old 08-30-15, 10:33 PM
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Just weighed our Large sized Toughroad SLR2. 25.5 lbs as it comes. If anyone was interested. It was also nice riding the large instead of the medium as it gave me a better idea for how it fits me. Really fun bike. Still almost want to ditch both bikes and get this as a do-it-all.
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Old 08-30-15, 10:53 PM
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It fills a gap between road bikes and touring bikes.

The ToughRoad SLR takes the best of both and distills them into a very practical bike.
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Old 08-31-15, 10:59 AM
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Originally Posted by SpeedyStein
Thanks Norman. I wonder if the new Giant is able to squeeze in a 2.1? I should clarify the purpose of my interest... I am looking for a flatbar bike to ride fire roads, smooth single track, and paved bike paths. I like the idea of a 29er, disc brakes, and threadless headsets - which are my only objections to just updating an older MTB. I don't need or want suspension, which it seems that most bikes that can clear a 29x2.1 tire have suspension. I dont want to go through the hassle/expense of converting a hardtail to a rigid fork, and end up with a bike that is obviously kludged/compromised to make it work. Essentially, I want my old 1992 Cannondale M2000, but with 29er wheels, disc brakes, and a threadless headset.

So far, I think this Giant and the Marin are the two closest bikes available. There are a few singlespeed MTBs out there, but the trails I ride usually include a fair bit of climbing, and I need gears. The Surlys (Ogre, KM, Krampus) seem a bit overpriced for the build they come with, and a custom build/smaller brand bike will probably be too expensive. I doubt my wife would be OK with anything more than $1000, so this bike is definitely looking like a solid option. Now to go find one in person!
Edit: The guys at Giant said they successfully fit 2.2" knobby 29er tires on it. But I'd worry about mud/rock clearance a bit.

Rode some older iterations of the Muirwoods and always felt pretty neutral to me. The Toughroad definitely seems to ride better for me. But keep in mind these are short test rides, and swayed by personal opinion before I even get on them. But specs show the Muirwoods seems to weigh 4-5 lbs more, and I'm not usually impressed with standard cromoly frames for ride quality. I'm very impressed by my extensive use of Giant's SLR grade aluminum, and the hydroforming different shapes can really give it a great blend of comfort while maintaining efficiency and great handling. I'd choose ALUXX SLR over standard butted cromoly any day of the week. Even if the weight was the same, which it's not.

Geometry wise the Toughroad has more relaxed headtube angle and seattube angle, not a bunch but could be noticeably better in rougher conditions. Very close in wheelbase and chainstay length, with the Toughroad having shorter wheelbase("quicker" handling?) but longer chainstays (pannier/heel clearance). Once again, very small differences.

Muirwoods just seems more geared for on road, straight line commuting, the Giant seems just a bit more capable of being a sporty commuter with fun capabilities on easier single track.

Last edited by AlTheKiller; 08-31-15 at 11:05 AM.
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Old 08-31-15, 03:02 PM
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Originally Posted by AlTheKiller
Edit: The guys at Giant said they successfully fit 2.2" knobby 29er tires on it. But I'd worry about mud/rock clearance a bit.

Rode some older iterations of the Muirwoods and always felt pretty neutral to me. The Toughroad definitely seems to ride better for me. But keep in mind these are short test rides, and swayed by personal opinion before I even get on them. But specs show the Muirwoods seems to weigh 4-5 lbs more, and I'm not usually impressed with standard cromoly frames for ride quality. I'm very impressed by my extensive use of Giant's SLR grade aluminum, and the hydroforming different shapes can really give it a great blend of comfort while maintaining efficiency and great handling. I'd choose ALUXX SLR over standard butted cromoly any day of the week. Even if the weight was the same, which it's not.

Geometry wise the Toughroad has more relaxed headtube angle and seattube angle, not a bunch but could be noticeably better in rougher conditions. Very close in wheelbase and chainstay length, with the Toughroad having shorter wheelbase("quicker" handling?) but longer chainstays (pannier/heel clearance). Once again, very small differences.

Muirwoods just seems more geared for on road, straight line commuting, the Giant seems just a bit more capable of being a sporty commuter with fun capabilities on easier single track.
Double butted cromoly steel is nice - the Muirwoods is built with a mountain bike-tough frame so taking it off road isn't an issue. What comes down to it is the choice of frame material and I like alloy for the light weight and it feels fantastic. The ToughRoad can take even wider tires but unless you intend to ride in muddy conditions, I wouldn't worry about it. Few bikes can stand up to dealing with washed out dirt roads anyway.

Last edited by NormanF; 09-03-15 at 09:30 PM.
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Old 08-31-15, 11:47 PM
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Where I live it's rocky, rocky, rocky. There are very few "gravel grinder" type roads like are so popular in the midwest. When you get out on gravel around here, you're pretty much a quarter mile away, max, from huge patches of sharp rock. And it's also rarely flat for any length of time off road, you're either going up or down. Geometry has a lot to do with it. More than sheer frame material, IMO. A degree here or there can absolutely make a huge change in how it handles in rough corners, and the Giant just seems to lean towards a nice mix of off road handling, while losing a bit of the "road" geometry which goes with the Marin. Both are still blends. Both can still handle all the same stuff. But I feel I'd have a lot more confidence and fun with the Giant's set up when taking an off road shortcut.
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Old 09-03-15, 09:23 PM
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Originally Posted by AlTheKiller
Where I live it's rocky, rocky, rocky. There are very few "gravel grinder" type roads like are so popular in the midwest. When you get out on gravel around here, you're pretty much a quarter mile away, max, from huge patches of sharp rock. And it's also rarely flat for any length of time off road, you're either going up or down. Geometry has a lot to do with it. More than sheer frame material, IMO. A degree here or there can absolutely make a huge change in how it handles in rough corners, and the Giant just seems to lean towards a nice mix of off road handling, while losing a bit of the "road" geometry which goes with the Marin. Both are still blends. Both can still handle all the same stuff. But I feel I'd have a lot more confidence and fun with the Giant's set up when taking an off road shortcut.
I'm with you. Your profile says you are in Napa, and I am down in Concord. I imagine your local "fire roads" look a lot like mine – really rocky in some places, really dusty for the rest. The main reason I am interested in a bike like this is so that I have a fast bike to explore with other than my cyclocross/gravel bike. I ride 40mm tires on my cross bike, and those just aren’t wide enough to tackle the steep climbs in loose material – think 16-20% climb in 2” deep dust/sand. I would LOVE to find a cyclocross bike that can take a 29x2.1, but such a beast does not exist as a standard production bike (therefore not within my budget). I think a hybrid that can take wider tires is probably the best bet – the Giant seems like a good fit. In the mean time, I scored an awesome buy on a second hand Trek 7.1 FX – haven’t seen it in person yet, but I have heard reports of some 29x2.0 tires squeezing in.
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Old 09-03-15, 09:31 PM
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Al, thanks for providing info on the Toughroad - I am definitely going to check one out in the not so distant future!
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Old 09-03-15, 09:33 PM
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Originally Posted by AlTheKiller
Where I live it's rocky, rocky, rocky. There are very few "gravel grinder" type roads like are so popular in the midwest. When you get out on gravel around here, you're pretty much a quarter mile away, max, from huge patches of sharp rock. And it's also rarely flat for any length of time off road, you're either going up or down. Geometry has a lot to do with it. More than sheer frame material, IMO. A degree here or there can absolutely make a huge change in how it handles in rough corners, and the Giant just seems to lean towards a nice mix of off road handling, while losing a bit of the "road" geometry which goes with the Marin. Both are still blends. Both can still handle all the same stuff. But I feel I'd have a lot more confidence and fun with the Giant's set up when taking an off road shortcut.
I think upgrading in either case from the stock tires to tires more appropriate for the kind of riding you like to do will make either bike handle the way you want. I would say if you decide to get the Giant, to discuss your concerns with the bike shop and they could assist you to select more suitable tires for the demands of your area's ride.
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Old 09-07-15, 08:44 PM
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flying back to Maine tomorrow,,,,am i excited about getting back to the beautiful weather? how bout getting back to the boat and living in the harbor? heck no I'm really excited about getting my new 2016 (large) toughroad SLR2 waiting for me in Boston, paid in full
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Old 09-07-15, 10:04 PM
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Originally Posted by roguewave
flying back to Maine tomorrow,,,,am i excited about getting back to the beautiful weather? how bout getting back to the boat and living in the harbor? heck no I'm really excited about getting my new 2016 (large) toughroad SLR2 waiting for me in Boston, paid in full
Pics and a report on how well it rides when you get the chance, please.
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