Newbie seeking advice, Liv Alight 2, Giant Escape 2, other???
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Newbie seeking advice, Liv Alight 2, Giant Escape 2, other???
I am brand new to this...haven't been on a bike since I was a kid.
I am looking for a bike to ride on paved and possibly unpaved trails with my kids. And also to ride by myself for fun & fitness.
I went to a well respected, local bike shop that came highly recommended.
If possible I would like to buy from them. They are conveniently located for me and offer free tune ups for the life of the bike.
They recommended the Liv Alight 2/3, or the Giant Escape 2/3 for me.
I have some questions...
Is there a reason I should choose the women's version over the men's or vice versa?
I am 5'4" with a 29" inseam..from everything I have read it seems like I should be on a "small" frame. I was testing that out at the store today...they said it looked "pretty" good, but they also want to try me on a medium (they are getting one in for me). They said I might be right on the edge where I could go either way. If that's the case...do I go bigger or smaller? Since I really haven't ridden as an adult...I am not sure I will be able to tell what feel "right" and most comfortable....especially just testing it out for a short time vs. a long ride.
Are there other bikes that I need to consider in this price range? Really do not want to go over $450 on the bike itself.
Does anyone have one of these bikes? I would love to hear the pros and cons.
Thx!!!!
I am looking for a bike to ride on paved and possibly unpaved trails with my kids. And also to ride by myself for fun & fitness.
I went to a well respected, local bike shop that came highly recommended.
If possible I would like to buy from them. They are conveniently located for me and offer free tune ups for the life of the bike.
They recommended the Liv Alight 2/3, or the Giant Escape 2/3 for me.
I have some questions...
Is there a reason I should choose the women's version over the men's or vice versa?
I am 5'4" with a 29" inseam..from everything I have read it seems like I should be on a "small" frame. I was testing that out at the store today...they said it looked "pretty" good, but they also want to try me on a medium (they are getting one in for me). They said I might be right on the edge where I could go either way. If that's the case...do I go bigger or smaller? Since I really haven't ridden as an adult...I am not sure I will be able to tell what feel "right" and most comfortable....especially just testing it out for a short time vs. a long ride.
Are there other bikes that I need to consider in this price range? Really do not want to go over $450 on the bike itself.
Does anyone have one of these bikes? I would love to hear the pros and cons.
Thx!!!!
#2
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My wife has a Giant Escape. It's a good bike. Ask the bike store if you can ride each one around the block. I would guess you would fit on a medium but for sure try and ride both. I think the frames are setup different for women or men.
#3
aka Phil Jungels
Forget the terms woman's or men's .... Buy the one that is comfortable to ride, and that you fall in love with.
I'm not familiar with the Liv, but Giant makes nice bikes, at a reasonable cost.
Which one do you like? The one that is the most comfortable to ride, will be the right size.
I'm not familiar with the Liv, but Giant makes nice bikes, at a reasonable cost.
Which one do you like? The one that is the most comfortable to ride, will be the right size.
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My female other half preferred the fit of many "men's" bikes over the "women's" design. In particular she like the ride of a couple of Specialized bikes linked below.
Specialized Bicycle Components
And the Bianchi linked below.
Cortina Dama | Bianchi USA
There was a Cannondale that she really liked as well.
She tried all the Giants, Trek's, Jamis, Cannondale etc as we have a good selection in the area. In the end she bought the Bianchi, though I honestly think that looking back she had rather stayed with the Specialized, but that is just my opinion.
Be sure to look to see if they have a couple of last years models sitting around as well. You usually get nice discounts on those.
As for size, I'm a tween on the sizes as well. I ended up going with the larger frame as it just felt better. I have also since rode a few miles on the company bike at work that is the smaller size, and I just felt crunched up after a few miles. But I had to that a qualifier. I ultimately changed the stem (a part on the handle bars on many bikes) to be shorter so as to make my larger frame bike fit me better. This was not expensive, and if I were not riding more than 4-5 miles would not have mattered. So whatever you get if you are planning on distances of over 5 miles or so, then might be a consideration. BTW, suitable Trek's, Giant's, Specialized, and Cannondales have the type of handle bar attachments I'm typing about. The Bianchi does not, which makes it tougher to adjust.
Probable more than you wanted to know, but it is relevant.
QT
Specialized Bicycle Components
And the Bianchi linked below.
Cortina Dama | Bianchi USA
There was a Cannondale that she really liked as well.
She tried all the Giants, Trek's, Jamis, Cannondale etc as we have a good selection in the area. In the end she bought the Bianchi, though I honestly think that looking back she had rather stayed with the Specialized, but that is just my opinion.
Be sure to look to see if they have a couple of last years models sitting around as well. You usually get nice discounts on those.
As for size, I'm a tween on the sizes as well. I ended up going with the larger frame as it just felt better. I have also since rode a few miles on the company bike at work that is the smaller size, and I just felt crunched up after a few miles. But I had to that a qualifier. I ultimately changed the stem (a part on the handle bars on many bikes) to be shorter so as to make my larger frame bike fit me better. This was not expensive, and if I were not riding more than 4-5 miles would not have mattered. So whatever you get if you are planning on distances of over 5 miles or so, then might be a consideration. BTW, suitable Trek's, Giant's, Specialized, and Cannondales have the type of handle bar attachments I'm typing about. The Bianchi does not, which makes it tougher to adjust.
Probable more than you wanted to know, but it is relevant.
QT
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Forget the terms woman's or men's .... Buy the one that is comfortable to ride, and that you fall in love with.
I'm not familiar with the Liv, but Giant makes nice bikes, at a reasonable cost.
Which one do you like? The one that is the most comfortable to ride, will be the right size.
I'm not familiar with the Liv, but Giant makes nice bikes, at a reasonable cost.
Which one do you like? The one that is the most comfortable to ride, will be the right size.
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I am brand new to this...haven't been on a bike since I was a kid.
I am looking for a bike to ride on paved and possibly unpaved trails with my kids. And also to ride by myself for fun & fitness.
I went to a well respected, local bike shop that came highly recommended.
If possible I would like to buy from them. They are conveniently located for me and offer free tune ups for the life of the bike.
They recommended the Liv Alight 2/3, or the Giant Escape 2/3 for me.
I have some questions...
Is there a reason I should choose the women's version over the men's or vice versa?
I am 5'4" with a 29" inseam..from everything I have read it seems like I should be on a "small" frame. I was testing that out at the store today...they said it looked "pretty" good, but they also want to try me on a medium (they are getting one in for me). They said I might be right on the edge where I could go either way. If that's the case...do I go bigger or smaller? Since I really haven't ridden as an adult...I am not sure I will be able to tell what feel "right" and most comfortable....especially just testing it out for a short time vs. a long ride.
Are there other bikes that I need to consider in this price range? Really do not want to go over $450 on the bike itself.
Does anyone have one of these bikes? I would love to hear the pros and cons.
Thx!!!!
I am looking for a bike to ride on paved and possibly unpaved trails with my kids. And also to ride by myself for fun & fitness.
I went to a well respected, local bike shop that came highly recommended.
If possible I would like to buy from them. They are conveniently located for me and offer free tune ups for the life of the bike.
They recommended the Liv Alight 2/3, or the Giant Escape 2/3 for me.
I have some questions...
Is there a reason I should choose the women's version over the men's or vice versa?
I am 5'4" with a 29" inseam..from everything I have read it seems like I should be on a "small" frame. I was testing that out at the store today...they said it looked "pretty" good, but they also want to try me on a medium (they are getting one in for me). They said I might be right on the edge where I could go either way. If that's the case...do I go bigger or smaller? Since I really haven't ridden as an adult...I am not sure I will be able to tell what feel "right" and most comfortable....especially just testing it out for a short time vs. a long ride.
Are there other bikes that I need to consider in this price range? Really do not want to go over $450 on the bike itself.
Does anyone have one of these bikes? I would love to hear the pros and cons.
Thx!!!!
Giant makes fine bikes and is a very good value. That said, there are other makes and models to consider. Trek and Specialized are the other two huge brands, though IMO not as good a value as Giant. Jamis and Kona make some fine bikes and are at least worth checking out for comparison shopping.
$450 is about the least I would consider spending on a new bike retail. That said, if you can find a $600 or $700 bike on sale for $450 that would be worth considering. $450 should get you a fine entry level hybrid that should last you many years, with at least 7 speed shifters or preferably 8 speed, entry level Shimano or SRAM components, aluminum frame, double walled rims, and either a hi tensile steel or aluminum fork. Jump up in price to the $700 to $800 range and you get 9 speed shifters, slightly higher quality frame, lighter and more comfortable carbon fiber fork, and somewhat upgraded Shimano or SRAM components.
The $450 to $500 price point should be fine for what you want to do. If you become a cycling enthusiast, you will likely be shopping for a new bike in a couple of years. that said, you don't know which way your interests will go. Some move towards road bikes, others mountain bikes. And still others are just fine with their entry level bikes for a decade or more before they consider an upgrade.
Last edited by MRT2; 01-31-15 at 11:24 AM.
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Im going to disagree and suggest going for the smaller size. As long as you are between sizes, its easier to make a smaller frame fit and they are a bit lighter.
Most beginners choose frames that are too large.
Most beginners choose frames that are too large.
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I also recommend getting the Liv over the Giant. As someone has already pointed out, Liv is a Giant brand and their focus is on women and designing/making bikes that fit women. I wouldn't pass that up unless the Liv bikes simply don't fit you.
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