JediBiker

Hello everyone,

So I'm about to buy a new bicycle that I plan to use for long distance commute, fitness training and touring on vacations.
Looking for a fast well-balanced bike, I thought about a hybrid or a flat bar road bike.

Which of these you think is more suited for touring while being fast for my other activities?

Thanks for your the sage opinion.


Scott Sub Speed 40 Men 2014 $670

Giant Seek 3 2013 $750

Giant Escape 2 2014 $750

Scott Metrix 30 Bike 2014 $830

Giant Rapid 3 triple $1100

bradtx

JediBiker, The first bike listed looks good for light to medium touring weights.

Brad

robow

What's the largest tire that can be fitted for each model? Has it got low enough gears for touring when carrying a load in the terrain that I anticipate? Rack attachment braze-ons are nice but not necessary if you are willing to use a trailer. Finally, which bike can you ride comfortably for hours on end? These are the questions you need to answer

Bezalel

for touring, I like he Escape 2 best. The features I liked were the lowrider mounts on the fork and the longer chainstays.

indyfabz

+1, especially if you have large feet and will be carrying panniers as opposed to a trailer.

And Robow poses some important questions. I will add wheel strength to the mix. How much of a load do you intend to carry and how? (E.g., Trailer? Four panniers?).

JediBiker

I'm still deciding but I like the idea of a trailer instead of panniers, although as I don't have experience and I don't know the pros ans cons of each. But I like the trailer because you don't put the weight ON the bike so that would allow me to go for a more lightweight bike.
Nice questions Robow I guess my final decision should be after I test ride each one.
Also I noticed that the Scott Sub and Giant Escape are more stretched out in their geometry and has a longer chainstays as Bezalel said. What impact does this geometry has on the ride oppose to the others bikes?

fietsbob

"Touring" is the trip .. the bike just gets you down the route , on the trip.



A hybrid with a triple crank is good, maybe change the stock 3rd cog for smaller tooth count

Keeping all the controls & swapping the stock straight bars for figure-8 bend trekking bars is simple.*


dealer knocks 10% off accessories at point of sale, so get the racks, etc. fitted by them , then ..

*Ergon GR5 are good too,, though the 8 offers more hand positions..
(drop bars are expensive conversions involving more parts buys)

mulveyr 

With longer chainstays you'll have a more sedate, stable ride. And for touring purposes they can help eliminate heel strike on panniers. ( There are ways of getting around this with short chainstay bikes like panniers cut with angles at the contact point, moving the panniers back and up, etc, but they're not really great solutions. )

I borrowed a trailer for a short while when I was trying to decide between panniers/racks and a trailer, and it didn't take long for me to decide "Nope, not for me." I really disliked it when cornering and going down hills. Lots of people feel otherwise, though.

Personally, I love touring on my Sojourn with 38mm tires, very low gearing, and cushy ride, especially since I do a fair amount of riding on old rail trails/etc. At 33 pounds all-up weight it is however quite the heavy beast compared to many other dedicated touring bikes.

the sci guy 

might be out of your price range, but take a look at the Surly Ogre

GamblerGORD53

Easy Question.... NONE of them hybrids.
700 bucks or less = Windsor Tourist.