Giant Defy 1 Road Bike Review

Many who know me know that I am kind of addicted to running and cycling.  I started running about a year ago in an effort to lose some weight.  Little did I know it would evolve into long distance running, racing and cycling.  I have lost 50 pounds since the beginning of this adventure and have also won and placed in some half marathons and 10k’s.  I am now venturing into triathlons which has given my wife the idea that I should share with her readers some of the interesting tips and tricks I’ve learned and the products I am currently using to obtain my new goals.  That being said, here is my very first guest post: 

 

 

I recently switched from an aggressive-framed bike to this new 2013 Giant Defy 1 road bike, and I have been pretty impressed so far.  This bike is the Aluxx aluminum frame but it does have carbon forks and a carbon seat post.  As you can see from the pictures it has a very clean look to it.  My initial draw to the bike was that it wasn’t flashy and didn’t have a lot of colors.

 

There was a lot of research that went into making this purchase of a new bike.  I found out that Giant makes a lot of the frames for other bicycle companies.  Giant stands behind their frames 100%.  The frame has a lifetime warranty!!  Any company willing to stand behind their product with that kind of warranty means they’re really confident in their product.

 

This bike is an entry level bike, meaning that everyone from the casual rider to the commuter or weekend racer will find that this bike would suit their needs.  The bike is set up with more of a touring feel meaning the top tube slants upward as it goes from the seat post towards the handlebars.  The purpose of this is to prevent the cyclist from being hunched over in the race position, allowing the cyclist to ride longer distances more comfortably.  

 

Having an aluminum frame, however, gives a little bit more of a stiffer ride as compared to a composite frame (carbon fiber).  Giant tried to take care of the stiffness by using carbon forks and a carbon seat post to give the bike some flex.

 

Giant did a very good job by putting decent components on this bike.  The Defy 1 comes stock with Shimano 105 shifters and derailleurs (front and rear).  It has a Shimano Tiagra 12×28 cassette (10 speed).  My favorite component of the bike is the Shimano R565 34/50 compact crank set.  This size crank set has become more of an industry standard.  This type of crank set is great for climbing hills and pedaling fast.  The bike’s components all work very well together to make for a smooth ride.  

 

 

 

I have had this bike about a month now and have put right around 500 miles on it.  I’m going to provide some hits and misses about the bike because there are a few things that are great and some things to watch out for.

 

HITS: