Bustaknot

Hello!

Last year I bought a Giant Escape 2 but I've only started commuting to and from work in the past 3 weeks. I've been a little afraid of biking to downtown Toronto and all it's car traffic.



But I love it! Sure beats taking public transit and I have a route with dedicated bike lanes.

I've added a few things to the bike including:
-a rack on the back (and purchased a pannier)
-fenders
-a cheap front and tail light (I don't remove them when I park my bike, expecting them to get ripped off)
-a "king of ding" bell (surprised it's shinyness hasn't attracted theft)
-and a new saddle as I found I just wasn't getting used to the stock saddle.

I'm getting a tune-up in a week and plan on getting my :
-front wheel secured (remove the quick release) to make locking up easier
-getting some bar ends as I find my wrists get a bit sore.
-having them re-fit me for any adjustments to the seat or handle bars.

I would love to do more to my bike, but as a newb, I'm not sure what options are out there. I'm looking for anything useful or fun. To add some style or to make the ride more interesting. New tires? a stylish reflective tape job? new pedals?

EDIT: Cost isn't *too* much of an issue. Being car free and living fairly frugally, I'm excited enough about this new hobby that I'm willing to pour money into it.

I'm all ears and excited to be joining this forum.

NormanF

Try a cruiser bar. I think it makes a bike much more practical in the city. Also called a North Roads bar. In the old days, three speed bicycles came with them.

Bustaknot

Interesting idea. I'm a bit skeptical about them going on this bike though. My posture right now puts weight on my wrists while these bars seem to force me to sit upright on the bike A LOT more. Have you seen the Escape with these handlebars?

I appreciate the reply! Curious about those handlebars now.

PaulRivers

If cost is no object, you could add dynamo lighting. With LED advancements it's pretty cool right now.

Old school dynamo lighting:


New dynamo lighting:


(Note that while this is an accurate pic if you're in the country with no surrounding light, it won't be that bright in city riding)

The dynamo itself is usually built into the front wheel, the light part is screwed onto the bike. So not removeable without tools, but removable with a screwdriver. Their are ways to make it more permanently attached if you read around - like filling the screw head with a substance (can't remember the name right now) that has to be soaked for 30 minutes to remove.

A tail light on your rack - they make dynamo ones as well, though unfortunately no dynamo tail lights that also blink.

P.S. A dynamo light generates power from the wheel spinning when you're cycling. It's a miniscule amount of drag, unnoticeable if you get one built into the hub. I have one on my commuter bike and one on my winter bike - there's never any worry about not having the light with me, whether the light is charged or not, whether the batteries are getting old, etc, it just always provides light.

Bustaknot

Wow. The lights I have right now are pretty dinky as I'm mostly biking in the day. I'm usually biking home around 6pm and it's still light out, but now that the days are getting shorter this is probably something I need to look into.

While I'm mostly biking through a city, side streets can get pretty dark.

Do you have a price for the lights off hte top of your head?

Edit: just realized dynamo is the type, not a brand name. Any brands I should look out for?

Leisesturm

I bought a nice North Road bar from Velo Orange to put on a vintage World Tourist. Now I'm rethinking that. IMO North Roads could work on a Giant Escape but...not easily... I wouldn't do it. Aesthetics matter. I'd send you mine for postage if I thought it was something you might benefit from. To do it right you'd also have to change the saddle. I and others have put considerable energy into changing bikes like your Escape into drop handlebar commuters. A Civia Emerson with Tektro levers would be right at home on your bike. You'd have to go to bar end or downtube shifters. Brifters are prolly too expensive though I hear Shimano has a new low end set (2300?) that might be worth a look. My main commuter has drops and the World Tourist back-up commuter may get them. I think you could benefit from a stem raiser (~$20) instead of bar ends. Whatever you do, do not do the Trekking Bar thing to your Escape. I'd sooner see you get the North Road bars than those... (shudder).

H

Bustaknot

Hah, I was looking at those Trekking bars and don't think they're for me.

Putting drop handlebars is an option but also seems like a big job to convert to. I'd consider switching to them for my next bike.

I was looking into ERGON bike grips. I've heard some good things about them.

spare_wheel

The two biggest upgrades one can make to a low-end hybrid are to buy new wheels and/or buy a carbon fork. Both of these options can be used on a different bike so are always money well spent. Nashbar sells high-quality taiwanese forks with a warranty and a great track record for $100). For wheels, I recommend 32 spoke A23s (flashy) or Mavic open-pros (conservative). Both can be built and purchased for 200-300ish online.

Leisesturm

Seriously, if you have to ask... I think that is my main holdback with adopting the technology. For whatever reason, dynamo lights did not take off in the U.S. There is only a limited choice of hubs and lights and that means high prices. High prices for what you get. A $35 knock off of a MagicShine lithium-ion battery light (itself a knock off) will blind you, it is so bright. You simply aren't going to find that kind of lighting value anywhere in the dynamo world. You just aren't. And even if you are independently wealthy and can afford the ~$300 to get a dynamo hub/wheel, headlight and taillight. If you ride where I do, you would still need additional lumens to stay out of the ditches. In Europe there is more of an infrastructure to supply background light, cars are more bike aware so cyclists do not have to blink, strobe, flash or put on psychedelic light shows to entertain car drivers at night. And since you don't have to pay $500/mo and a $1000 deductible for your health care you might have a chance of coming up with the cash to buy name brand lights that the Chinese aren't interested in cloning. FWIW.

H

Leisesturm

I've never heard anything like that. Ever. Ever!

Bustaknot

Good suggestions, I was wondering about new wheels as I'm still sporting the stock ones. I will put some research time into them.

As for the fork, how much weight is typically taken off switching to a carbon fork? Excuse my newbness, I've never looked into this option.

spare_wheel

The nashbar fork will knock off 0.5-0.7 lbs (depending on the existing fork -- alu/chromoly). (If you are willing to spend $400ish you can knock off more than a lb!)

Wheels are the biggest weight savings. It's often possible to knock off a lb just by spending $250-300ish on wheels and new tires/tubes (folding bead tire+lighter tubes).

treadtread

I'd say, don't upgrade anything at all. Just ride what you have lots, and you may find that "needs" will manifest themselves. So save your money now, and get additional stuff when you identify what you need.

NormanF

I wouldn't upgrade the wheels. Stock wheels are decent if no name.

A carbon fork is a nice upgrade to an alloy bike. If you can't afford one, a cromoly one will do. They have good dampening characteristics.

Like I said, putting on a cruiser bar is the ticket to a more comfortable bike. You sit bolt upright and take the strain off your hands, wrists, arms and back. You can see around you and you can breathe more easily.

I think your Giant Escape makes for a decent city bike. Later, you can add fenders and a rear rack if you want to go commuting.

Medic Zero

.
Agree with both of those. For commuting I love riding upright, I can see over parked cars and catch people creeping out of driveways ahead of me and halt them with my helmet light. +1 on the easier breathing too, as well as helping with wrist/hand strain. I like Soma Sparrow and On One Marys and bars more extreme than that.


Suggestions:

- Airzoundz horn
- replace bell with Crane Suzu
- mirror (I'm partial to the helmet mounted Safe Zone)
- reflective tape accents
- ergonomic grips of some sort

- mudflaps for fenders
- more lights


- what tires are you running?

- are you happy with your pannier, or carrying you load via pannier? Day to day I prefer a large saddlebag on a quick release...

Mark Stone

Hi Bustaknot from a fellow Escape 2 rider!! I've had my Escape for two years now and am still stock on all the parts (except tires). It's a nice city bike, sturdy, fast and strong. I named mine "The Black Knight" and have dressed it up a number of ways, with panniers, with a coke crate, nekkid, bullhorns, everything. It's the type of bike you can do pretty much anything you want. Don't listen to these guys that call it a low-end bike - you're not going to win a Tour de France on it, but you can talk it into 20 mph on a flat surface with no wind. It's pretty strong. Here's pics with my different configs:

With Panniers:


With Coke Crate:


You can do a lot with it. Fenders? Do it. Lights and Mirrors? Go for it. Playing cards in your spokes so it sounds like a motorcycle? Well, maybe not that.

Point is, a City bike like this is the type of bike you can personalize any way you like. Except playing cards.

BTW welcome to the forums . . .

spare_wheel

or you can actually upgrade it...

elephino

Maybe this is too basic and just assumed, but I didn't see it on your list:

frame-mounted pump
seat bag with patch kit, spare tube, multitool, etc

Mudflaps on the fenders, if yours don't have them already, are a good idea. And even with the pannier, you might find a bungee cord useful if you have to strap something oddly-shaped to the top of the rack.

If you are planning to commute in the rain, invest in some serious rain gear for yourself. It will make the trip a *lot* more comfortable. Winter commuting is an entirely new world of clothing (and bike tires) that depends a lot on commute distance, road conditions and possible riding speed. Winters where I live are more or less comparable to Toronto, and yes, a 4-season bike commute is possible for the brave and/or foolish.

Tundra_Man 

Plenty of people have made good suggestions for accessories. As far as bike upgrades, rather than making major changes to your current ride I would save money for another bike. Not to replace your current bike, but to supplement it. I have several bikes: my regular commuter hybrid, my road bike, my fixed gear, my triathlon bike and my winter bike. They all do their own thing. My commuter and my road bike get 90% of my April to November usage. It's fun to switch bikes for a day or two and helps keep things fresh for me.

Might as well learn the N+1 rule early.

Bustaknot

The pannier I got has quick release and I quite like it except that it's a bit small if I'm lugging more than my usual stuff to work. It can fit my helmet if I'm not juggling a lot. This is the pannier which can convert into a backpack (which is why it's pricey I guess).

I have a much larger one I don't regularly use but plan on using it for grocery runs. This is it.

I carry a bike pump in there as well as a multitool, spare tshirt, sunglasses, bike lock when I'm moving.

I have a under-saddle bag for carrier tire repair tools but I odn't have it strapped in. Currently the placement of my back light is in the way of it and I'm not completely worried about doing repairs while on the road.

I'm running the stock tires.

I would love to do a cool reflect tape job. I noticed this thread but I don't think I could pull of such a good job.

Bustaknot

Nice bike! I think we need some kind of Escape 2 secret handshake. I've encountered other escape owners on the road and I just want to talk about our bikes. Thanks for the welcome and the advice.

I have some fenders with mud flaps on there and they've come in handy. I've got a decent pannier on right now but like the idea of an old wooden crate to strap on the back! How about some streamers from the handlebars?

Bustaknot

The Crane Suzu is pretty much teh same as my "king of ding" bell. It has a nice ring to it (the name and the sound of the bell!).

Any advice on ergonomic grips? The bike came with some stock ones but I'm always fiddling with them, I can't get comfy with them and I'd be interested in upgrading.

Bustaknot

Hah what's funny is after signing up on these boards yesterday I started thinking about getting a second bike. I would love to get my hands on a used road bike to just tinker with. My commuter bike is my commuter bike to get to work, to do shopping runs, but a road bike on the side to play around with would be fun!

I'll be keeping my eyes out for one.

Tundra_Man 

Another nicety of having more than one bike is once you fully immerse yourself in the commuter lifestyle, it gives you something else to ride in the mean time if you should suffer a mechanical problem. I've broken spokes/chains/etc and it's nice to not have to re-arrange my plans for the evening to quick fix a bike for the next day's commute. I can just ride a different bike for a while until I get around to repairing the issue at my leisure, or if I have to order parts and wait for them to come in.

DVC45

+1000