Commuter bike - Specialized or Giant?

D!armu!d

Hi,

I am looking to upgrade my bike (about 12k commute) and was considering these two:

Specialized Sirrus:
http://www.worldwidecycles.com/pc-43-4-specialized-sirrus.aspx

Giant Escape R1 700c:
http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=20953

They are both priced at €599, so any views on which is better? Any other recommendations for that pay bracket?

Thanks

DirkVoodoo

See if u can test either locally, most will be down to personal preference. Both solid bikes but the sirrus edges it for me.

niceonetom

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

...the sirrus edges it for me.

me too. having not ridden either...

there's very little difference in the spec of those bikes, both would make very good commuters, are from big name bike manufacturers and are reasonably priced. the specialized would edge it for me because it has a road dérailleur and cassette at the back (as opposed to than a mountain bike one on the giant), and skinnier tyres (i'd change 'em anyway), and calliper brakes (just my preference). the sirrus would probably make the better tourer, the escape might be easier to adapt to some light off-roading.

both would be thief magnets so big locks and constant vigilance are recommended.

Easy Rider

Well I looked at both those bikes, however went for the GIANT FCR 2.5 in the end, priced over 600 euro but you can get a 10% discount at cyclesuperstore so brings it under 600....

I felt the Giant Escape was too mountain bikey....I never go off road and the bike was for commuting, looked at the Sirrus also, could not get the price down from cycleways...it also felt a bit heavier than the FCR.....

Whatever you do go into the shop and get measured up for the FCR I was between a M and L size frame, the medium was better for me leg wise but worse for hand stretch, so I got the M and had the handle bars extended out which was perfect for my size....

Howitzer

I chose a Giant escape r2 a couple of weeks ago.

Essentially the same as the r1 except with Acera instead of Alivio on the rear.
€100+ in the difference... surely one component doesn't make sense to spend that much more?

Tyres are wearing well. I had a few punctures - but that could be down to the tubes - I haven't seen anything poke through the tyres yet.

I'm happy with the disc brakes also.

Your 2 bikes look like a choice between disc brakes and suspended seatpost vs. fixed post and calliper.

I prefer the rugged frame of the r2/r1 visually.

pm me if you need more info on the escape.

blorg

@Howitzer- apart from simple bad luck punctures are more dependent on the tyres than the tubes (presuming you are using standard butyl tubes.)

Howitzer

blorg wrote: »

@Howitzer- apart from simple bad luck punctures are more dependent on the tyres than the tubes (presuming you are using standard butyl tubes.)

specifics of the 2 punctures to date are:
1st I banged the wheel into a pothole with a sharp right angle on it. I reckon tyre pressure was too high also. I figure this stressed the tube at that point.

2nd I tried a different size tube than came with the bike (though it is the size for the wheel.) I reckon the tube was just cheapy and split - couldn't see any tyre penetration.
tyre is 700x32 -- but came with a 700x35/43 inner tube which works better than the 700x32 I bought. Think i'll stick with that size - wonder did the original bike shop know a bigger fit was better?

cgc5483

Howitzer wrote: »

specifics of the 2 punctures to date are:
1st I banged the wheel into a pothole with a sharp right angle on it. I reckon tyre pressure was too high also. I figure this stressed the tube at that point.

2nd I tried a different size tube than came with the bike (though it is the size for the wheel.) I reckon the tube was just cheapy and split - couldn't see any tyre penetration.
tyre is 700x32 -- but came with a 700x35/43 inner tube which works better than the 700x32 I bought. Think i'll stick with that size - wonder did the original bike shop know a bigger fit was better?

Hi Howitzer. Have the exact same bike and have had 4 punctures in the last 3 weeks. It's the tyres, they are crap. All punctures have been on the back wheel and the tyre has been pierced as least 5-6 times (lots of glass on cycle lanes :mad:). Bought some gatorskins online yesterday so will hopefully solve the problem. My advice, change the tyres.

blorg

@Howitzer- it honestly is the tyres, not the tubes. More or less any butyl tube is as good as any other as long as you are not using the superlight ones. There may be exceptions but I reckon still unlikely it is the tube. Regarding sizing there is a fair bit of flexibility there and you can generally go at least one size out without problems.

In your no. 1 case above that would be more likely to cause a puncture if you were underinflated, not overinflated. Most cyclists underinflate without realising. No.2 - sometimes you won't find the cause of the penetration but you can have punctures from the tube getting squeezed against the rim, from the spoke holes if not adaquately covered by rim tape, etc.

D!armu!d

Thanks for the feedback, will try & get a test spin before deciding

penexpers

Out of the box the sirrus would run faster and lighter. But disc brakes are a good option for a commuter, as they outperform v-brakes in the wet.