Review - Giant Defy Advanced:
Just An Ordinary Race Bike? No Way!
Traditionally road bikes have been engineered with one focus… create a bike that is as fast as possible from one point to another. Everything else goes out the door! This is great if you’re a Pro Tour rider, but for 99% of us it is highly impractical. To achieve the desired ride with these race machines we have been required to swap, switch and modify components with varying degrees of success.
Now we can avoid all that!
Giant identified the fact that the aggressive nature of these traditional road racing frames was inhibiting the enjoyment of many serious road cyclists. So rather than re-inventing the wheel, Giant engineers took the proven TCR race geometry (a bike designed to satisfy the needs of the serious road cyclist) and made some minor yet highly effective changes. By doing this they have produced a bike that is ideal for those of us that want a great bike, but have no plan to race.
In a nutshell, the top tube length is slightly shorter, with a higher head tube. This results in a remarkable improvement in comfort (much easier on the back and neck), yet one can still get down on the drops for a sprint. In addition the handlebars have a shallower drop. This is to provide a much greater degree of comfort while doing sprints or those longer periods battling headwinds. The final little feature is a flattened upper section on the handlebars to give a greater surface area for the palm contact and reduce hand fatigue.
Just imagine what it’s like having a bike that has ride qualities more reminiscent of a hybrid, because of the amazing suppleness and energy absorption of the Advanced frame but with the incredible performance of the TCR. For me it enables me to forget a few of those 50 odd years, and ride as though I was years younger. This comfort is further improved with a slightly larger tyre (2mm wider), enabling the bike to soak up some additional shock on those rougher patches of road (doesn’t cause your teeth to chatter over every road imperfection).
A great feature of the new bike is that the race bike “twitchiness” is gone. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a few scares, when avoiding an obstacle (like a pot-hole) that suddenly appeared in my path. By extending the wheelbase by 15mm and slightly altering the head angle they have made the bike much easier to handle. It is still very responsive, but much more forgiving in the steering. I feel much more confident when my attention wanders to that pretty girl or another great looking bike.
When you come across those steep ascents, the addition of a compact crank-set, plus adding a few extra teeth on the rear cassette make hill-climbing a breeze (well for some of us, less daunting anyway).
So how does this translate out on the road?
You can now have a bike that is every bit as stiff as a TCR race bike in the critical power & handling areas, yet doesn’t require a youthful, supple body, that will bend to the most aerodynamic riding position.
A bike that is every bit as light as the TCR Advanced, a bike that is unmatched for stiffness, weight and overall ride quality. But most importantly a bike that allows you to ride faster for longer.
This is a bike that will enable you to ride in a more appropriate position (remember those drops and higher handlebar position) that sacrifices nothing in road handling and is more stable, requiring less rider input in corners. Overall it is a bike that is a pleasure to ride, and really is a far more suitable bike for the majority of us. This is really a great bike!
Best go and try one!
