Giant Escape Review
- Lightweight alloy frame
- Wide gear range
- Quality parts spec on every model
- Only 3x drivetrains
- Only Escape 3 comes in X Small
- Steel fork on base model
Discipline:
Hybrid sports bikeUsage:
Commuting and city ridingWeight:
Coming SoonThe Giant Escape range is accessible for near any rider looking for that do-it-all city bike.
2020 Update
The Giant Escape review remains largely unchanged for 2020. While the bikes have new colour schemes, the frames, forks are the same. All the bikes now roll on Giant wheels, but the rest of the component specification is unaltered.
Updated: 6th January 2020
Overview
Giant’s Escape is a hybrid bike built for city riding at its best. It’s a hybrid sports bike that features a lightweight ALUXX-Grade alloy frame, which puts you in an upright and comfortable riding position. The Escape is great for commuting, weekend rides around the country and even fitness training, making a great mix between road bike efficiency and mountain bike comfort.
There are six models in the range, all sharing the same comfortable geometry and ALUXX-Grade alloy frame material. They all have triple chainring drivetrains from Shimano, as well as 700c road-sized wheels. The first three models come with V-brakes and more modest parts spec, where the top three models feature disc brakes and more premium parts.
There are three versions of the Giant Escape, the standard Escape, the Escape Disc and The Escape City. They all share the same frame design, with the exception of brake mounts, with the City getting the disc brakes like the Disc models. Giant’s ALUXX-Grade alloy is used on every frame, giving a lightweight and comfortable ride, while also maintaining strength for everyday use over the years.
All Giant Escape models above the base level 3 have internal cable routing, keeping a neat and tidy look. The frames all have two water bottle mounts as well as mud guard and pannier rack mounts for city riding convenience. The Escape 3 gets a steel fork, while the Escape 2 to the Escape 2 City Disc get lighter alloy forks. The top two models receive properly lightweight carbon forks with alloy steerer tubes, which also give greater comfort thanks to their vibration absorbing properties.
Good frame design with great features – including standover clearance and internal cable routing -
Cycling Weekly
Throughout the Escape range you’ll find high quality Shimano groupsets. They all get a super wide range of gears with triple chainrings in front and between 7-10 gears out back. The highlight of the range is the 10 speed Deore mountain bike groupsets found on the Escape 0 Disc. The two base models get v-brakes, which have great stopping power. The disc models, however, all have hydraulic disc brakes for even greater stopping power and control, even in the wet.
For convenience at its best, the Escape 2 City Disc comes complete with full length mudguards and a pannier rack. The components like the saddle, handlebars, stem and seatpost are all from Giant. This allows Giant to keep the overall price of the bikes reasonable, while still providing exceptional quality products.
Out on the commute, I’d always opt for disc brakes. The assured stopping power and increased control are a must have in heavy traffic, especially when you throw rain into the mix. -
Cycling Weekly
The combination of road sized 700c wheels and the sturdy construction makes for efficient and worry-free rolling.
Balancing rolling speed and comfort, the Escape range is designed around road-sized 700c wheels. These are great for rolling efficiency and maintaining speed on paved surfaces. Both V-brake models have Giant double wall rims laced to Formula hubs, making sure they can withstand everyday use. Every Disc model, including the City, has Giant WheelSystems wheelsets, which are both strong and lightweight.
Giant tyres are specced on every Escape, coming in 32c size. They are fast rolling on paved roads, but have enough tread for gravel road or canal path riding, allowing you to ride on a great variety of surfaces, and making sure rough roads aren’t an issue. Should you wish to upgrade in the future, the frame and fork both provide room for even wider tyres.
The Giant Escape range is accessible for near any rider looking for that do-it-all city bike. The Escape makes for an ideal commuter with its comfortable, upright riding position, wide range of gearing and quality Giant components.
From the budget friendly Escape 3 with its v-brakes all the way to the Escape 0 Disc with its carbon fork and powerful disc brakes, there’s an option to suit every price point. Get riding with confidence during your commutes, weekend adventures and leisurely cycles.
