# Giant Bike Advice



## grandmike

Hi there,

I have been contemplating in getting a GIANT bike so here is what I am thinking. I have been riding bike for as long as I remember which is long long time ago but mostly on BMX and Mountains never road.

1. Giant Anyroad 0 (2013)
- Comfort
- I might occasionally ride on some gravel road

2. Giant Defy Composite 2 (2014)
- Substantially cheaper than Giant Defy Advanced 2
- I am contemplating on this as in how much pros and cons does it have over the Defy Advanced 2 ?
- It seems round 1Kg ish difference

3. Giant Defy Advanced 2 (2014)
- Needless to say its one of the best priced bike for its performance but will it be recommended for an rookie on road bike like me ?

4. or any other model recommended ?

Any comments is much appreciated.


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## mmpotash

First of all, ride various bikes from different manufacturers, and from various bike shops that know how to fit you to the bike. They all ride differently and you will probably find that would help you decide. That being said, if you still like the Giant's best, (which I did and my girlfriend also), figure out what you can afford to spend and if you think you will ride regularly. Generally, if you want to ride a lot, buy as much bike as you can afford.

There isn't a 2014 Giant Defy Advanced 2, only a 1 and a 0. I ordered my girlfriend the women's version of the Defy Advanced 1, the Avail. The only thing that I wanted her to have was a lighter wheelset, so I also bought her a super light tubeless wheelset from Stan's. I will sell her Giant P-SL1 wheelset, which at 1775 grams isn't bad at all but she is a light person who loves to ride and wanted to lighter set. The Defy Advanced 1 is a great deal and you should be able to find it at some discount, although you may have to order it. 

The Composite 2 rides well, but it is heavy. Both these bikes will not work well on very rough roads, but relatively smooth gravel is fine as they come with 25mm wide tires.

The Anyroad would be the heaviest by far but fine for offroad, (not single track mountain bike trails). For riding any distance, most bikers have different bikes for different uses.


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## Carverbiker

It might help if you provide a bit more info on your objectives for the purchase. Each of the bikes could be great or only ok based on your objectives. 

Having said that, let me try to give my perspective on your choices. I own a Defy Advanced full Ultegra from 2010 which I ride on daily and has performed flawlessly. I love the bike and it has won numerous awards for the comfort/ plush/endurance geometry category. I recently upgraded to a TCR Advanced SL as I wanted a more aggressive geometry.

Objectives:

Serious road riding (50+ mile rides, significant climbing, fast descents, 100+ miles weekly)>>>> Defy Advanced

Casual/recreational (2-4 rides per week, 15-30 miles per ride, flat to rolling terrain)>>>Defy Composite

Commuting/year round/adventure/offroad ( 1-2 road rides per week, flat terrain, unpaved trails but not mountain biking, wet weather)>>>>Anyroad

Defy Advanced will be lighter, stiffer, full carbon steerer, and has better ride feel/bump absorbtion, frame will accept 28c tires no problem.

Defy Composite has the same geometry as the Advanced but uses T600 carbon vs T700 carbon fiber for Advanced. The T600 fiber has a lower strength to weight ratio so they need to use more to get the required strength. This means more weight and in my opinion less road feel and harsher overall ride. Not terrible but if on the bike longer you would appreciate the difference IMHO. Also has aluminum steerer which adds weight and harsher feel.

Anyroad has a more relaxed geometry and wider tires (32c) which will help with rougher surfaces but will hinder faster road riding and climbing. The disc brakes are great for control in wet weather but also add weight. I could not tell if it had bosses for fenders and racks this style of bike would be well suited to utility/commuter applications vs other two.


Giant makes very good bikes, but so do many other companies so I would recommend trying as many as possible to make sure the fit is comfortable for you. Road biking is much more time in the saddle than either BMX or mountain and little issues can add up over time.


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## albert owen

I would add the Giant Revolt and the new TCX SLR to your list.
I quite like the look of the Revolt myself.
The nice looking AnyRoad only has a single bottle cage mounting point - deal breaker for me.


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## tangerineowl

4. Defy Comp 1 (2012) if you can find a new one still around. Full Ultegra.


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## grandmike

Thank You to all, specially to mmpotash and carverbiker for the valuable info.


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## Carverbiker

grandmike said:


> Thank You to all, specially to mmpotash and carverbiker for the valuable info.


Your welcome, but curiosity is killing me what did you get?


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## damian75

I posted a thread for help with this in another section before I found this thread, anyway I just purchased a 2004 TCR C3 as the frame for a build project and it has not yet arrived but trying to get all the ducks in a row and I can't seem to find information on the steer tube. The frame needs a fork and I don't know if it is 1", 1 1/8, straight or tapered. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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