naterock810

I'm looking for a bike to commute to work in the city and exercise in the park nearby. I found 2 pretty good deals, but I'm unsure about the difference in quality. The first is a used Giant Escape 3 with about a year of mild use, with a helmet and bottle holder for $300. The second is a New Specialized Sirrus for $425. I was told that the Specialized is a much better bike than the Escape 3, but is it enough better that I should pass up the cheaper used bike? Whats the real difference between these bikes?

hokiefyd 

Hi, and welcome. The used Escape 3 doesn't strike me as that good of a deal. You can buy a brand new one for $340 from Giant.com or likely any Giant dealer. I'd probably prefer to pay well under $250 for a used one in good shape. In either case, the Sirrus does look like a higher quality bike. The Escape 3 uses Shimano Tourney components (entry level) and a freewheel hub. It also uses entry level trigger shifters. The Sirrus, even the base model, uses Shimano Altus drivetrain (a step up in grade from Tourney) with a cassette hub (stronger than a freewheel) and nicer trigger shifters. At $425 new, I think it's a better value than the $340 Giant Escape 3 new. The $415 Giant Escape 2 is a more direct competitor to the Sirrus.

All that said, I would strongly recommend you ride both models (Sirrus and new Escape) for as long as the bike shop will let you ride them. Get a feel for the fit and finish and how the saddle and grips feel and how the shifters feel, etc. All of this is easily changeable for other/better parts, but then the cost starts adding up quick and a $425 bike turns into a $500 or $550 bike. It'd be good to buy the one that feels best to you out of the box -- you'll likely find you'll need to change fewer parts as you grow into it.

What type of riding are you planning on doing with this bike purchase?

Wanderer

And, with a new Sirrus, you get a warrantee, and prob more perks from the dealer. Such as free adjustments, maybe a tuneup, etc. Plus, goodwill!

Skipjacks

I have a brand new Specialized Crosstrail this year. It's a very similar bike to the Sirrus (I was also considering the Sirrus)

Very similar frame geometry (not the same, but similar) and most of the same parts are used on both bikes. (Brakes, shifters, etc....but that also depends on the model as there are 5 or 6 sub-models for both the Sirrus and Crosstrail)

Anyway...point is that I love my Crosstrail. It's similar to the Sirrus. As long as the Sirrus is a comfortable ride to you I think you'd be happy.

That said if you test ride both and the Giant just feels better and it easier to ride, go for it!

However, don't use someone's old helmet. Those are only good for 1 hard BONK and you have no idea if that helmet has been hit, dropped, left outdoors to degrade, etc. Also...someone else's head has sweated in it and 'ewww'

Buy a new helmet. Get one that's right for your head size and shape. Second hand helmets are a bad idea. A decent helmet can be found for $50. Your bike shop that sells you the Specialized bike might even give a discount if you buy one with the bike.

MRT2

Never, ever buy a used helmet of unknown provenance. In other words, if you don't know the person who used it, don't buy it. A bottle cage is cheap. You can get one for about $5 and if you can screw in a lightbulb, you can install a bottle cage. (alternately, a Giant dealer will probably just throw one in for free if you buy a new Giant)

Others are correct. $300 is no great shakes for a used Escape 3 as they only retail for a bit over $300. So if those are the choices, go with the Sirrus for $400.

cs1

I was thinking the escape 2 myself.