Giant Defy, do I pull the trigger ?

[J4CKO]

Specifically this,

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/20...

brief is, slightly more new, comfy and lighter bike than my Allez to use my CTW voucher, plus a little contribution from myself.

Was raining so no test ride and they didnt have the specific bike anyway.

[BOBTEE]

Yes, pull it!

[Rich_W]

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/20...

Why not TCR? Better frame so more likely to just upgrade bits as and when

[bigdom]

Because he wanted comfort, a TCR is not as comfy.

[Magic919]

I probably would. But also check out any 2013 Composite 0 bikes that are left. Get Di2 for another couple of hundred.

[DrMekon]

For comfort, an non-aero post would be a better option. Still, a mate did LEL (1400km audax) on one and loved it.

[thenortherner]

I bought that exact model in November last year.

I've been riding mountain bikes on and off for years now and bought it as a bit of a change and to maintain and improve on my base fitness - something which mountain biking doesn't really allow you to do brilliantly.

Anyhow, due to the weather and shortage of daylight, mine's spent much of its life on a turbo trainer. I reckon I've covered around 600 miles on it.

It's hard for me to compare to any other road bike since this is the only one I've owned. However, it is genuinely comfortable, agile, stable and I'm still getting used to how well power/effort translate to acceleration Vs a mountain bike. I wanted something comfortable for long distance / endurance / sportive riding and the bike's ideal for this. I did 80 miles around the Isle of Wight last Saturday and finished without any aches or pains, I also felt fresh the next day.

There aren't many full Ultegra bikes at under £1600 with a decent carbon frame. No doubt the wheels would be a good upgrade in the future, but they'll do me for now.

Re. recommending a 2013 model, this was something I considered when buying mine, but keep in mind you'll end up with the 'old' 10 speed Ultegra and not the 11 speed.

One thing I guess you're aware of is the importance of a bike fit. After having one on this bike from new I can't recommend one enough.

Here's mine:

[Rich_W]

Magic919 said:

I probably would. But also check out any 2013 Composite 0 bikes that are left. Get Di2 for another couple of hundred.

Not personal.

But I have to say I don't want Di2. Or Ui2 for that matter. The whole battery issue puts me off. I'm sure I'd forget to charge it once and it would conk out miles away from home. Is there some kind of emergency mode where you can put it in a gear to get you home?

I'm sure that puts me in a minority. I'll stick with tried and tested Dura Ace please

I don't mind pros having it. I think they should for it's marketing/testing value.

[bigdom]

They only need charging a couple times a year, it tells you how much charge you have left, so it really shouldnt cause any issues.

[Gizmoish]

I don't want it because the batteries and mechs are ugly.

/tart

[bakerstreet]

bigdom said:

Because he wanted comfort, a TCR is not as comfy.

I've ridden bikes from the TCR and Defy ranges and they are both fine for comfort. I would personally go for the TCR as well.

[Magic919]

Rich_W said:

Magic919 said:

I probably would. But also check out any 2013 Composite 0 bikes that are left. Get Di2 for another couple of hundred.

Not personal.

But I have to say I don't want Di2. Or Ui2 for that matter. The whole battery issue puts me off. I'm sure I'd forget to charge it once and it would conk out miles away from home. Is there some kind of emergency mode where you can put it in a gear to get you home?

I'm sure that puts me in a minority. I'll stick with tried and tested Dura Ace please

I don't mind pros having it. I think they should for it's marketing/testing value.

The battery lasts for months between charges, it's not 1990 any more. The speed of change on the front ring is great and the fact it auto-trims when needed.

Like any other bike, it's always in gear. There's no magic neutral. Front changer conks out first (I gather) and rear changer last. You can never be left with no gears, you just eventually lose the ability to change.

You can't really buy much Dura-Ace at this price, so I meant Ultegra Di2. I'd still rather have Ultegra Di2 than the legacy Dura-Ace.

[Ponk]

I did 3000 miles on my Composite 3 last year. The spec is pretty basic on mine (as expected for the price) but it's a great frame. It's no featherlight but for comfort I can't fault it.

[Rich_W]

Magic919 said:

Like any other bike, it's always in gear. There's no magic neutral. Front changer conks out first (I gather) and rear changer last. You can never be left with no gears, you just eventually lose the ability to change.

But if it conks out (or fails to shift judging from some of the reports I've read about failures) whilst I'm in the 53-11. Could I manually set it to the 42/20 so I could have a chance of getting home over the hills

[J4CKO]

Any ideas on weight for the Composite 1 ?

Will it be lighter than my Allez Elite which is about 20/21 pounds I think.

[J4CKO]

I had a change of heart and went for this instead,

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/enduranc...

Gone a size down, a 56 instead of a 58, I am right on the borderline at 6ft, could just get comfier on the 56.

Any suggestions on pedals, have always gone with MTB pedals and shoes, what advantages do proper road shoes give ?

Edited by J4CKO on Thursday 13th February 23:31

[bakerstreet]

J4CKO said:

I had a change of heart and went for this instead,

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/enduranc...

Gone a size down, a 56 instead of a 58, I am right on the borderline at 6ft, could just get comfier on the 56.

Any suggestions on pedals, have always gone with MTB pedals and shoes, what advantages do proper road shoes give ?

Edited by J4CKO on Thursday 13th February 23:31

Hope you enjoy it

Several threads on this. Worth doing a quick search. Two of them have been quite recent too.

[The_Gza]

I'd been looking at the Defy too, and funnily enough was chatting to LBS about the Domane on Weds - any particular reasons you've gone for the Domane over the Defy?

[J4CKO]

Well, the shop is nearer and the reviews about the comfort on the Domane are hard to ignore, the roads roundhere are crap and I am not averse to a little light off roading on my road bikes, plus I prefer the Red/Black colour scheme, oh, and it goes with my Trek 8000 Hardtail.

Even the shop selling the Defy said the frame was better on the Trek but you get Ultegra to make up for it, my thinking is I was happy with Tiagra and can upgrade when it wears out but the fram is a different matter.