Hello all,

I have made a final decision on the bike i want. Well somewhat. I am in debate between these 2 bikes. Which bike is more bang for the buck?

They both fit me well. One is at a LBS and the other is at performance bicycle..

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/...6132/#overview

https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...46_-1___000000


Thank you

I vote the Giant because you get to try it in the shop. Looks great!

They are both great bikes. At the end of the day and if I have to make a decision of who to buy from, I ask myself who do I want to give my money to? In this case, a corporation such as Performance, or the local business owner, but that is just one way to make a decision. With either bike you win, since they are both great.

The bikes are quite similar in terms of component levels. Bikes in this price range are pretty low end and shops don't make a lot on the bike sale. They have higher profit margin on service. I still like to give the mom and pop shops my business. Two reasons: (1) keep my $ local and (2) the LBS won't stay in business if they suck, so I believe they will pay closer attention to the people they hire. Same reason I don't take my car to the dealer for service.

Buy the bike you can test ride!

Definitely go with the Giant Escape 2. I've ridden the Escape 2 for a little over two years now - it's brisk, nimble and comfortable for city use. It's a great example of a do-it-all bike.

I too, would factor in the local source to my decision

Service after the sale counts for a lot .. get one from a shop you can go back to.

I'd choose the Giant.

They're very similar bikes. As others have said, buying from an LBS has its advantages, though a good LBS would be happy to service a bike you bought at Performance too (though they'd be more likely to charge you for minor adjustments) and you can still develop a relationship with them over time and support them in other ways. If you have a local Performance store, you can go there for any warranty issues that might come up. If not, you might get the joy of learning how to ship a bike.

I'd like to say the Giant has a nicer frame, but it looks like it has internal cable routing and frankly internal cable routing can be a pain in the butt. That might be enough to make me choose the Fuji. Also, it isn't clear whether the Giant has an "integrated" headset or and "internal" headset. If it's "internal" (i.e. separate cups that are pressed into the frame) that's kind of a nice feature and would be a bonus for the Giant. If it's an "integrated" headset (i.e. the bearings rest directly on something in the frame itself) I'd see that as a negative feature.

In my experience Performance is great. While they do have a big, faceless, corporate mothership behind them, the people working there are honest and love bikes as much as you do.

Edit: this would apply to a brick and mortar Performance. If you don't have a physical location to go to, then definitely go for the Giant.

Ok guys. I ended up getting this one used for $280! Comes with a kick stand and a bike rack!

SCORE! Looks pretty clean. You did well. How do you like it?

It's clean alright! I love it! Smooth, fast and good fit!

sweet, what tires?

Stock tires