RE: https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/...le/2345/32164/

I first saw the Giant Seek in a catalog at a LBS. Then, I checked it out at Giant's website. It looks like a nice commuter package. The price is not too bad if one uses the bike as a main means of transport.

I asked the LBS if they will have any in stock and the answer was that they will probably not. As the only Giant dealer in the area, they require a 50% deposit on special orders. Well, so much for me test riding this thing. But if any of you ride the Seek (preferably the 1), please feel free to tell me about it here. In case you do not, your opinion is still welcome.

I don't have much to say about the bike, but you know, I like that Giant is listening to those of us who don't like all the boy-racer swoopy graphics, decals and crap on our bikes. Nice clean look to that bike.

I really like it. Although for a lower MSRP, the new Transend EX has the disk brakes, and interna hub, but it also comes with full chain guard, fenders, and rack.

I do love the look of the Seek though. Good find!

I'm not sure about the 20T cog, though. I have a Civia w/ Alfine that has an 18T and I still feel like its missing some top end gearing. The 1st gear on my bike is way too low even for spinning up steep hills.

It looks like the IRO Jamie Roy i built up once but mine was much cooler.

Not bad at all. When I go for a new bike though I'm going to try for an SRAM hub, because I ride in weather down to far below zero F, and word is that the Shimano grease-filled hubs shift for cr*p in those temps, and SRAMs with synthetic oil in them still work well. Is there such a thing as synthetic grease? Does it stay loose in those temps, and is it rated to use in the Shimano Alfine?

The disk brakes and internal gearing look good, but why can't we have a bike with a rack, fenders, and chain guard as well? This is clearly geared toward urban cycling, yet these very practical components are routinely left off these bikes. I'm also not a fan of the mountain bike handle bars.

Here ya go!

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/...le/2306/32160/

Thanks. Why the hell would I buy the Seek then?

The seek looks higher end in several respects.

They both have vertical dropouts, but the Transcend uses a chain tensioner, whereas the Seek looks like it uses an eccentric bottom bracket.

The headset looks pretty cheap on the Transcend.

The Seek has hydraulic disc brakes, the Transcend, mechanicals. That's a matter of preference I guess.

The Transcend does have a very nice looking rack, chain guard and fenders. Still, I think I'd only be tempted by it if it were priced more around $600 or so. It really looks like a $350 bike with $100 worth of fenders and such, and a $200 hub (minus normal deraillers/cassette/etc) so ISTM this should be a $600 or $700 bike, not $900+.

Agreed 110%. Hence my link to the Transend EX in post#3.

In my experience, Giant's MSRP is significantly higher than street price. I'd bet these actually sell for around $700-$750. I have a 2008 TranSend DX and I like it. The fenders are good (about the same as SKS) and the rack is awesome. I love it. The only problem with the rack is that the finish on the wood isn't very waterproof, so I needed to sand and refinish. I think that at $700 these would be solid competitors.

Edit to add: My bike had an MSRP of $465. I got it for $380 at the beginning of this season. Just to give you an idea of the MSRP vs. street price.

They killed the TranSport to bring us the Seek.

Because some people would rather pick/choose their own accessories based upon their own personal taste and not some marketing executives perception.

Giant doesn't use MSRP. They prefer Average Retail Price. The LBS sets their own pricing depending on the local economy. Most bike shops cater to either the roadies or mtber's. The shop owner/manager might have given you a deal just to get that bike off of his books.

I'd wager that most people shopping in this category of bike will be happy with what is spec'd. Give us a basic set of fenders, rack, lights, etc. and most will be happy with what they get. A few will want to upgrade to specific brands. Let them do it. If a bike is made for city/urban/utility let's spec it that way instead of making everyone guess their way to what they need. These items aren't on there because the bike company is trying to make some arbitrary price point for a certain drive train spec instead of making a bike that is useful out of the box.

He special ordered it actually. I am a friend of his so he does give me discounts though. But the discount he gave me at the beginning of the season is the same discount that they give on every single bike starting in the second week of August.

This bike shop caters mostly to the hybrid crowd, and the hardcore MTB crowd.

What about tire clearance on the Seek? It sure looks like the front fork has gobs of clearance, but I couldn't tell about the rear. I am interested in running 40mm studs and fenders in the rear, so I need some space. My LBS Giant deeler didn't have one to inspect.

No, MOST people shopping in this category of bike don't want fenders and a rack to begin with. I'm assuming that most casual bikes are sold as greenway cruisers/garage ornaments rather than transportation.

The Seek is the "hybrid" and the Transend is the "city bike". Giant just manages to sum it up in a handful of models where as someone like Trek thinks they need 25-30 models.

Hey, I test rode a Giant Seek 1 last week. A sales guy at "The Hub Bike Coop" in Minneapolis, MN was able to borrow one from a Giant rep. It seemed like a solid bike. The bike shop threw on some 40c studded tires and they fit with some additional clearance. I rode it for about 20 minutes, including over quite a bit of snow, ice and all that stuff you find on trails and sidewalks.

Things I liked:
1. Handling seemed very solid and predictable.
2. Loved the bare bones look - almost no decals, doesn't look "flashy".
3. Liked that it was NOT black. So many commuter bikes are clothes are black or grey - it's a little easier for a car to see a white bike at night. (Yes, I have lights, to, just seem rediculous)
4. Liked that, other than the disc brakes, it didn't "look expensive".
5. I didn't even notice the brakes - they just worked, a huge plus.
6. 700c tires, and since it comes with 32c tires I figured it could handle somewhat skinny tires for summer riding.
7. Clearance for 40c tires.
8. Internal Hub, Disc Brakes, fully enclosed cable housing, rust proof chain - all great for winter riding.
9. No chain tensioner.

$1,000 seems to be the average price for a decent bike with full alfine + disc brakes without carbon fiber or a super slim frame and stuff like that - all the other bikes I've read about are priced like that.

Things I didn't like:
1. I was never 100% comfortable riding it. I suspect it's the stupid handlebars - they're wide like a cruiser, but they're almost completely straight like a mountain bike. The bars should really be one or the other - personally, I like swept back bars a lot more. If you like the short moutain bike style bars, you might check out a Specialized Globe Centrum (I think it's called the Globe San Fransisco or something this year). But I wanted swept back handlebars and 700c tires.
2. The rear stay fit 40c tires, and it *might* have fit a fender on there to. But it would be pretty tight with that setup. It has this bizzare piece of metal that sticks out at the top of the rear stay that cuts a few cm off the clearance, for absolutely no apparent reason (though like I said, I actually had 40c tires on there and and they fit fine). The frame is clearly a bigger, bulkier frame, and it's clearly not a road bike with straight bars, so why on earth would you not just give it huge clearance that could accomodate anything?
3. This is really subjective - I was working really hard riding it, but I wasn't going very fast. BUT it was also my first ride on studded tires. I hear they're way, way slower than summer tires.

In the end, it was a real debate between the Giant and the Hyland Civia they had on clearance for $1700 (sorry, that was the last one they had other than the way more expensive rohloff version). I was right on the fence - if the civia had been at it's normal 2008 price of $1980, I would have bought the Giant and switched handlebars. It's just that the Civia came with a certain number of things that I would have had to pay for seperately on the Giant, narrowing the price gap - 28c panaracer tserv messenger tires ($80 for 2, for summer), swept back handlebars (probably $80 installed), fenders and a decent looking rack already installed, dynamo hub and light ($40 for a "see me" light + batteries). And I had ridden the Civia in the summer before, so I knew I would like the ride, and would be really unlikely to find any bike that was faster with upright handlebars.

It was close, though. The Civia was lime green (probably part of why it was the last one to be sold). I convinced myself that it made it less flashy so it would be better for locking up somewhere, but with disc brakes I'm probably just fooling myself about that. If someone stole my Civia, I'd probably go down and buy the Giant Seek 1 to replace it.

fyi, maybe this is the store you're talking about and they don't actually stock it, but I did a search for:
giant "seek 1" michigan

And I found this listing for the bike:
https://aebike.com/itemdetails.cfm?LibId=48797

Maybe they have one in stock, and it's not to far? Maybe not?

The rack on the Giant Trans Send Ex that people linked to is exactly why I'm not fond of manufacturers putting racks on stuff on the bikes - look at that thing. It's tiny. It's wood - in addition to the "wood panelling" effect, is that going to hold up in the winter?? And I can't tell if it actually has a place to attach a rear bag to...

Yeah, probably not the Seek's fault....I am always amazed at how slow my studded tires make my bikes.

Wow, thank you PaulRivers. I also got a look at a Seek frame today. A seek1 I think. After measuring, I actually went home and pulled my studded wheel off my beater and went back to the LBS to check the clearance of the Seek frame. As far as I can tell, my Nokian 240 studded tires in 40mm will fit with fenders on the Seek. The LBS agreed. I also cursed the manufacturer for that stub that protrudes into the rear, stealing precious cm's of clearance. But I got the impressing that I would have at least 10mm of clearance between the studded tire and the fenders. Seek3 IS my next bike.

You weren't imagining things, 40mm studded tires ARE slow! But they do inspire a lot of confidence over the ice.

40mm studded tires certainly do inspire confidence on ice.

The question is - with so little clearance between the tires and the fender, will the fender clog up with snow when you're riding in the snow? I have no idea! - it's a question...

I have more than 10 mm on my current beater, and I don't have any problems. I will know for sure about the Seek next week! But I have sought professional advice on this:

https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

From Peter White:

I actually think that the clearance will be in the 12mm to 15mm range in the rear, but won't know for sure until it is built. The front will have lots more clearance, and that is where a jam up could be disastrous. A rear wheel lock up might cause a spill, but not a gnarly faceplant endo into the curb! I really haven't had the tires clogging with snow so far, and I have ridden in fresh snow as well as soft packed and hard packed snow. Perhaps that is a function of the Nokian 240 tread pattern.