Which bike?
 

Choosing between giant escape 1 and cannondale quick 5, any thoughts on which is better, maybe other brands, need to stay in the 500 range thanks

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of differences between those two bikes. With that being said, we bought a Giant Escape 1W for my fiancee this spring, and it has been a great bike thus far.

Bought my son a Giant Escape 2 this year and he loves it. I tried it and enjoyed it also. It does everything he wants it to do.

If I had to choose between those two, I'd opt for the Giant myself. It offers the longest chain stays which helps avoid heel strike if you plan on mounting a rack and panniers. In other words, I just get the impression that the Escape is a bit more versatile.