Need input on purchase decision.
 

Looking at starting to commute to work. I currently have a 9 year giant mountain bike that is no fun to ride for this task.

I have been looking at Specialized Crosstrail Disc, Trek 7.2 FX Disc, Giant Roam 2, and the Giant Seek 3.

The terrain I will be traversing will vary from nice paved road, to trail, to grassy field. The majority of the ride will be on fairly descent roads. The commute is about 6 miles each direction.

I have thus far only ridden the Crosstrail Disc and plan to ride the Roam and Trek tomorrow (June 6th). No LBS carries the Seek, but it was suggested to me that the Giant Escape would be comparable for sizing, so may try that and then order the seek if I like that.

I would like to stay under $700, but am willing to go slightly above that price point.

Thanks for any feedback and suggestions.

Will you be commuting in most weather or only when it's dry?

I will be commuting in all weather, except snow.

I test road all of the bikes on the list now, I even tried a Trek Crossrip Comp which was a great feeling bike, but might be a bit more than what I want to spend on a bike at this point.

Still looking for any feedback from anyone.

Specialized Sirrus, Trek FX, Giant Escape............... MHO

Trek DS 8.2 or 8.3 ... great dual purpose bike in your price range. Nothing wrong with the FX at all, but DS might give you more flexibility on trails and grass, and be more forgiving in weather.

When you say trail,what exactly will the trails be like?

Love my Giant Roam. Comfortable and absorbs potholes, large cracks and wore torn city streets very nicely. It works well on trails as long as it's not too hard core. I take it almost everywhere.

I would say get the Roam 2 or as high spec as you can afford.

Crushed limestone mostly, with some light offroad/singletrack stuff. Nothing too extreme, I have a mountain bike for that purpose.

The Roam 2 was the bike I was really looking at, still just looking for some good insight and maybe some things I have over looked.

Good suggestions, I honestly didn't even take notice of these bikes at all. They look similar to the Roam 2 from Giant, am I wrong in this assessment?

I actually like the Escape quite a bit, but there isn't a model that has Disc brakes, so that is why I was looking at the Seek 3. I am pretty firm on having disc brakes, I have them on my Mtn Bike and they are real life savers, and since I am going to be riding in wet weather they really are just more reliable.

If you like the Roam, the Trek DS is more comparable than the FX, IMO. Go ride one. 8.3 is likely most similar to Roam 2, as far as components/features. I agree with Slow Bro ... get the highest spec you can afford. My 1998 Cannondale hybrid is still going strong, but I'm anal about maintenance. It wasn't cheap at all then, but seems like a bargain 17 years later. Paying the extra $ for best components at the time was well worth it.

Yes, this is what I am starting to lean towards. Spending a little more up front to save money in the long run. See these are the types of things I would have overlooked w/o some good rider feedback. Commuting will be something new for me and it has been quite some time since I have looked into anything about cycling. Got my mtn bike and it has treated me well and havent really looked at bikes in 6-7 years. A lot has changed in that time.

So thank you for the feedback and information.

One last thing since you are still shopping. If you are going to be primarily commuting, be sure to think about the bike with regards to racks and bags/panniers that you might want to add later. How are you going to carry your stuff? What are you going to carry? Lugging a laptop? Rain jacket? Stopping for a six-pack on the way home?Unless you're sure everything will always fit in a backpack, think about what the bike can handle, where you'll put it, and how it will attach. Enjoy! :thumb:

Thanks!

Yup have asked on all of the bikes I have tested, about racks and panniers. Riding to the local shop to get beer is actually faster on a bike than by automobile, so having something that can carry a 12 pack is always in my thoughts, cuz it sucks carrying it one handed on the way back thru the field. :)

If you're mostly riding on paved stuff the majority of the time, and maybe a little bit of crushed limestone, grass, smoother offroad, then you may really want to seriously consider a solid front fork bike like the FX or Seek, especially since you already have a mountain bike for offroad. The FX and Seek can handle that stuff fine and would make good commuters. If you want to have a good on road commuter while still having as much mountain bike capability as you can, then the DS or Roam may be what you're looking for. I would ride the FX and DS back to back, as well as the Seek and Roam, and see which you like the best.
If you go with a DS, or Roam, make sure to get a model with a lockout in the front shock. Riding on paved surfaces a lot without a lockout on the shock is a pain and wastes a lot of energy.

+1 on the lockout

+2 on the lockout

I'll +3 the lockout, my mtn bike doesn't have a lockout and I notice it while going uphill and man it sucks. So far all of the bikes I have looked that that have had suspension forks have had lockouts.

I just don't understand why Giant doesn't offer discs on the Escape - they are missing out on a lot of sales.......

Got a chance to test ride a Trek 8.4DS today, it was a nice bike and I would say very much like the Roam 2. They did not have the suggested 8.2 or 8.3 in either my size or in stock, so tried the 8.4.

One thing that was pointed out to me was that on the Giants, the cabling runs thru the frame which helps for weather protection. Whereas on some of the other comparable bikes some do and some don't. Has anyone really noticed if this makes a decernable difference in longevity?

I have the exact same complain, I loved Escape 0 except the brakes. I even wrote to Giant asking if newer models will have it but they suggested to look at fastroad or seek instead. I think escape with disc could be a perfect package for me. If you are looking for something like Escape with disc take a look at Trek 7.4 fx disc or specialized sirrus sports or elite disc

I have a Giant Roam 1 (2015) and really enjoy the bike. The cabling on my bike runs exposed under the main tube for the derailers and rear brake. I ride on both gravel/asphalt water canal trails and city streets and it does very well on both (it does have the lock out fork). So far it has had no problems except for some flat tires.

My 8.5 has the cables running thru the frame. Haven't had it long enough to comment on longevity, but one thing I've noticed is that I'm not pinching any cables when I mount it on my car rack. Nice.

So in talking to a guy at the LBS he reccommended an FX for commuting over the Roam 2 or DS. Does this sound like a good piece of advice.?

I would concur, that the FX is a better platform for commuting.