Just bought this.....What do you guys think?
Discussion
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Giant Defy Advanced 1 2015
Been trying to find an ideal first racing bike so I bought this on Sat. Do not know much about bikes but it seems at this range there was a lot of choice and I could not go to far wrong with going with a brand.
Went for a ride a couple of hours latter and found myself pushing the bike back 10 miles due to getting a puncture! Guess it happens, lesson learned.
Some inital findings:
1. Frame seems really stiff, any riding on the pavement and my teeth start rattling
2. Brakes, espically the back one, do not seem adequate
3. Went down a couple of hills reaching speeds of 27mph (Garmin)
4. Heavy over the back wheel, does not seem well balanced
5. Happy about the purchase, got some clip in pedals but need some shoes
Giant Defy Advanced 1 2015
Been trying to find an ideal first racing bike so I bought this on Sat. Do not know much about bikes but it seems at this range there was a lot of choice and I could not go to far wrong with going with a brand.
Went for a ride a couple of hours latter and found myself pushing the bike back 10 miles due to getting a puncture! Guess it happens, lesson learned.
Some inital findings:
1. Frame seems really stiff, any riding on the pavement and my teeth start rattling
2. Brakes, espically the back one, do not seem adequate
3. Went down a couple of hills reaching speeds of 27mph (Garmin)
4. Heavy over the back wheel, does not seem well balanced
5. Happy about the purchase, got some clip in pedals but need some shoes
Nice bike, cant go wrongs with Giant, great first bike
Get some new tyres with decent puncture protection, tyres that come with most bikes under £2grand are usually quite poor. Always carry a spare tube and Allen keys as the P fairy strikes when you least expect it!
1. Yes this is usual, you have purchased a "stiff" frame that is more "race" focused, the stiffness helps with power transfer . Tyres and psi in tyres might help but the frame is orientated towards performance over comfort
2. In the pic they have disks, if so they should be more powerful than normal road brakes. Learn to ride so you have minimal use of the breaks, breaking technique also takes time to learn. Since following advice on here I now mostly use the front break to stop, rear break is not great on any of my bikes
3. Is that all? Come back when you are nudging 60mph.
4. Not really sure about that, all the gears and chain are on the back hence it is heavier?
5. Find a good shop that has a good range & sizes , as sizes and stiffness varies. Shimano & Specialized shoes are good for beginners I found
Get some new tyres with decent puncture protection, tyres that come with most bikes under £2grand are usually quite poor. Always carry a spare tube and Allen keys as the P fairy strikes when you least expect it!
1. Yes this is usual, you have purchased a "stiff" frame that is more "race" focused, the stiffness helps with power transfer . Tyres and psi in tyres might help but the frame is orientated towards performance over comfort
2. In the pic they have disks, if so they should be more powerful than normal road brakes. Learn to ride so you have minimal use of the breaks, breaking technique also takes time to learn. Since following advice on here I now mostly use the front break to stop, rear break is not great on any of my bikes
3. Is that all? Come back when you are nudging 60mph.
4. Not really sure about that, all the gears and chain are on the back hence it is heavier?
5. Find a good shop that has a good range & sizes , as sizes and stiffness varies. Shimano & Specialized shoes are good for beginners I found
Edited by TwistingMyMelon on Monday 18th May 09:56
Edited by TwistingMyMelon on Monday 18th May 09:57
Welcome to pedal powered.
On the point of the brakes they can need bedding in try a few hard stops with gradual pressure they are similar to car brakes as in they need bedding in normally.
As for the other points to be expected but avoid pavements they really don't mix well with road bikes large ruts etc just bounce you all over the shop.
Lastly enjoy
On the point of the brakes they can need bedding in try a few hard stops with gradual pressure they are similar to car brakes as in they need bedding in normally.
As for the other points to be expected but avoid pavements they really don't mix well with road bikes large ruts etc just bounce you all over the shop.
Lastly enjoy
TwistingMyMelon said:
Nice bike, cant go wrongs with Giant, great first bike
Get some new tyres with decent puncture protection, tyres that come with most bikes under £2grand are usually quite poor. Always carry a spare tube and Allen keys as the P fairy strikes when you least expect it!
1. Yes this is usual, you have purchased a "stiff" frame that is more "race" focused, the stiffness helps with power transfer . Tyres and psi in tyres might help but the frame is orientated towards performance over comfort
2. In the pic they have disks, if so they should be more powerful than normal road brakes. Learn to ride so you have minimal use of the breaks, breaking technique also takes time to learn. Since following advice on here I now mostly use the front break to stop, rear break is not great on any of my bikes
3. Is that all? Come back when you are nudging 60mph.
4. Not really sure about that, all the gears and chain are on the back hence it is heavier?
5. Find a good shop that has a good range & sizes , as sizes and stiffness varies. Shimano & Specialized shoes are good for beginners I found
Thanks TwistingMyMelon. All I think about is getting back on it!Get some new tyres with decent puncture protection, tyres that come with most bikes under £2grand are usually quite poor. Always carry a spare tube and Allen keys as the P fairy strikes when you least expect it!
1. Yes this is usual, you have purchased a "stiff" frame that is more "race" focused, the stiffness helps with power transfer . Tyres and psi in tyres might help but the frame is orientated towards performance over comfort
2. In the pic they have disks, if so they should be more powerful than normal road brakes. Learn to ride so you have minimal use of the breaks, breaking technique also takes time to learn. Since following advice on here I now mostly use the front break to stop, rear break is not great on any of my bikes
3. Is that all? Come back when you are nudging 60mph.
4. Not really sure about that, all the gears and chain are on the back hence it is heavier?
5. Find a good shop that has a good range & sizes , as sizes and stiffness varies. Shimano & Specialized shoes are good for beginners I found
Edited by TwistingMyMelon on Monday 18th May 09:56
Edited by TwistingMyMelon on Monday 18th May 09:57
The Walrus said:
Welcome to pedal powered.
On the point of the brakes they can need bedding in try a few hard stops with gradual pressure they are similar to car brakes as in they need bedding in normally.
As for the other points to be expected but avoid pavements they really don't mix well with road bikes large ruts etc just bounce you all over the shop.
Lastly enjoy
Good point about the brakes.On the point of the brakes they can need bedding in try a few hard stops with gradual pressure they are similar to car brakes as in they need bedding in normally.
As for the other points to be expected but avoid pavements they really don't mix well with road bikes large ruts etc just bounce you all over the shop.
Lastly enjoy
Thanks.
The brakes? If it isn't simply that they need to 'bed in' a bit, then they may well need a little attention to get them set up 'just so'. If you're not confident about tweaking things yourself then go back to the shop (or if it was mail-order, to a decent local shop) and talk to them about what you perceive the problem to be. They might be able to adjust the cable tension, either by pulling some cable through the clamp, or by using the barrel adjusters within the cable run. The TRP Spyre mechanical discs are quite well regarded from what I've seen, as they move both pads toward the disc, unlike almost every other cable operated disc calliper on the market, where one pad is 'static' and requires constant attention with an Allen key to keep things adjusted. You will need to tweak the cable tension periodically on the Spyres, to take account of pad wear, but that's usually nothing more than a couple of turns of the barrel adjuster. You then back it off when you fit new pads.
The pun***res thing? No tyre is pun***re proof, so at some stage you WILL get another visit from the Pun***re Faerie.
Carry a minimum of:
Spare Tube
Instant Patch Kit
Pump
Tyre Levers
...and you should be able to get yourself back on the bike without too much trouble, and save yourself a long walk back. Having said that, 'TwistingMyMelon' is right about the 'stock' tyres fitted to even quite expensive bikes. They are often a component where the manufacturer saves money, and investing in a decent set of upgraded tyres may also improve the ride 'feel' as well as being more resistant to perforation. The own-brand Giant tyres are marketed as "Flat Guard" though, so it may just be bad luck to have flatted on your first outing. If it were me, my choice of tyre upgrade would be Continental GP 4Seasons (700 x 25mm size), as they're reasonably well protected, and will ride well, with decent grip, in cold and wet weather. BUT! Ask ten cyclists to recommend a tyre, and you could well get ten different answers
As for the jarring ride on pavements? Simple solution - keep off the pavements. Bikes have been banned from footways since a judgement in an 1879 court case (Taylor v Goodwin) defined a bicycle as a 'Carriage' - bringing bicycles into line with carriages (and later motorised carriages, or 'cars' for short ) as governed by the Highway Act of 1835. Unless there is a cycle way, or shared use path governed by much more recent legislation, then you must, by law, ride on the 'carriageway'.
Nice bike, by the way. Enjoy!
The pun***res thing? No tyre is pun***re proof, so at some stage you WILL get another visit from the Pun***re Faerie.
Carry a minimum of:
Spare Tube
Instant Patch Kit
Pump
Tyre Levers
...and you should be able to get yourself back on the bike without too much trouble, and save yourself a long walk back. Having said that, 'TwistingMyMelon' is right about the 'stock' tyres fitted to even quite expensive bikes. They are often a component where the manufacturer saves money, and investing in a decent set of upgraded tyres may also improve the ride 'feel' as well as being more resistant to perforation. The own-brand Giant tyres are marketed as "Flat Guard" though, so it may just be bad luck to have flatted on your first outing. If it were me, my choice of tyre upgrade would be Continental GP 4Seasons (700 x 25mm size), as they're reasonably well protected, and will ride well, with decent grip, in cold and wet weather. BUT! Ask ten cyclists to recommend a tyre, and you could well get ten different answers
As for the jarring ride on pavements? Simple solution - keep off the pavements. Bikes have been banned from footways since a judgement in an 1879 court case (Taylor v Goodwin) defined a bicycle as a 'Carriage' - bringing bicycles into line with carriages (and later motorised carriages, or 'cars' for short
) as governed by the Highway Act of 1835. Unless there is a cycle way, or shared use path governed by much more recent legislation, then you must, by law, ride on the 'carriageway'.Nice bike, by the way. Enjoy!
Funk said:
neilbauer said:
Funk said:
neilbauer said:
I looked at these in the Giant store in Shoreham, very nice
Hello fellow local!
Black can man said:
Funk said:
Same - we probably do the same commute every day! Do you ride in? I would if I had somewhere I could shower at work...
You Ride Mr G ? Webby here i was out with Marcellus last weekend .Haven't seen him in ages (or you for that matter!), we should arrange a get together.
AndStilliRise said:
4. Heavy over the back wheel, does not seem well balanced
Try taking weight off the saddle and onto your feet when you can see that a bump or pothole is approaching. If you stay seated the bike will feel heavy as all of your weight is centred over the rear - is that what you mean?Funk said:
Black can man said:
Funk said:
Same - we probably do the same commute every day! Do you ride in? I would if I had somewhere I could shower at work...
You Ride Mr G ? Webby here i was out with Marcellus last weekend .Haven't seen him in ages (or you for that matter!), we should arrange a get together.
See Young Lucy got married last weekend.
Funk said:
Black can man said:
Funk said:
Same - we probably do the same commute every day! Do you ride in? I would if I had somewhere I could shower at work...
You Ride Mr G ? Webby here i was out with Marcellus last weekend .Haven't seen him in ages (or you for that matter!), we should arrange a get together.
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