Funny you should mention the Giant Escape 1. That's the bike my wife bought a few weeks prior to me getting the Trek. I like the Giant Escape, but that model is only offered in one colorway, and being nearly 6' tall my wife could not get a frame large enough for her in the women's offerings. And we don't want identical bikes, so I opted to go with an entirely different brand. Thus the Trek 7.3 FX.