Confused between Giant and Specialized - HELP!!

Whistlers

Hi All

I'm a keen rower/runner/MTBer - and am about to purchase a decent road bike to enable me to do 30 mile evening rides plus a few sprints plus a few sportives hopefully.

I feel I'm being lured towards the Giant Defy 1 (2012) - and I want to know if the marketing is getting to me, or if it really is worth paying £400 more than a Specialized Allez for example?

I like the look of the Allez - but some reviewers suggest it might not be good for longer distances. Does anyone have a view?

The other bike I looked at was a Ribble 7005 Sportive - but I am put off by the extruciating Ribble website.

Steve

TommyEss

Is the £400 extra Allez a comparable level of groupset - I'd have thought that Trek, Giant and Specialized all had bikes at almost identical pricepoints, and pretty much identical spec levels as well.

In terms of frame geometry, the Defy is slightly taller at the front than the Allez, the logic being that that's more comfortable over longer distances. Having said that - 30 miles will only take you a couple of hours, so you're not really into ultra endurance or anything. And your first proper hilly sportive will hurt no matter what.

The key thing is to get fitted - for all the marketing blurb in the land - if the Defy doesn't fit you it won't work well. Simple as really.

alihisgreat

The Giant defy 1 is actually £200 cheaper than a similiarly spec'd Allez -> the Allez Comp is the one you want to compare it to http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/allez-comp-compact-2012-road-bike-ec030708 as it has a 105 groupset, comparable wheels etc.

The Giant is also lighter.. and gets better reviews. (and I've got a Defy 1 and can confirm that its superb)



But as a first road bike, its probably not necessary to go in at that spec level -> maybe look at the Defy 2 which has the new 10-speed tiagra groupset, worse wheels and finishing kit etc. but still has pretty much the same excellent frame at its core (although it has a different bottom bracket which makes it slightly less stiff), and its only £800.

It all depends on your budget though -> because the Defy 1 is the best riding bike you can get for under £1k according to the Bikeradar review... and you have to start looking at mail-order bikes like Rose and Canyon if you want to beat the Spec.

TommyEss

Wow - hadn't looked at the prices but am surprised there's such a difference! Agreed, 105 is perhaps a higher level than strictly necessary for an entry level bike, but people buy to a budget, particularly if they do the bike to work path.

As you can see from my signature, I've got a Defy myself (2009 model) - I believe they have tweaked the frame a little since then, but it is a very good frame for the money, and I've been very pleased with it - so much so that having worn out all the Sora componentry I'll be doing a bit of chopping and changing with some other bikes of mine and bringing her up to 105 level!

Whistlers

Great - thanks for the advice......particularly the 'get it fitted' bit. Any tips on the best way to approach this? Do I get the right size for my height and then tailor it to me afterwards, or go to the shop and get fitted before I order one? Dumb questions I know - but there you go!
Steve

TommyEss

I would go to a shop for a fitting - preferably the shop you intend to buy the bike from, as they normally charge you, say £50 for fitting which is then discounted off the cost of a bike if you buy one. So buy a bike and get free fitting in effect. There's only so much you can do from reading sizing websites and looking at the geometry numbers - if it's your first road bike in particular, then it's really quite a different position to any other bikes you'll have ridden, so the sizing is quite different, and hard to second-guess.

I bought my first bike online after comparing geometry to a bike I'd ridden on a holiday. Then bought my second bike and got fitted - turns out the first bike is too small - so now that's my time trial bike!

g00se

The Specialised "Secteur" is the more relaxed version of the "Allez" - so is probably more comparable in geometry.

Whistlers

Thanks all - I'm still 'erring on the Giant Defy 1 side - there is a Giant store in bristol so will give them a call and see if they can fit me to a bike.

The reviews are undeniably glowing - although the 2011 model is so much cheaper.

It's just that with all of these things you begin to feel like 'market fodder' - had the same issue when buying my MTB and Concept 2 rower.....and my company car !!!! in the end it's good to get the decision made and just get on with it!!

Any other considerations, I am all ears

Thanks
Steve

alihisgreat

Whistlers wrote:

Thanks all - I'm still 'erring on the Giant Defy 1 side - there is a Giant store in bristol so will give them a call and see if they can fit me to a bike.

The reviews are undeniably glowing - although the 2011 model is so much cheaper.

It's just that with all of these things you begin to feel like 'market fodder' - had the same issue when buying my MTB and Concept 2 rower.....and my company car !!!! in the end it's good to get the decision made and just get on with it!!

Any other considerations, I am all ears

Thanks
Steve

I'm not sure that the Giant stores themselves do proper fitting; I know that the one in Cambridge doesn't.

Its worth looking in the local area for a shop that will do proper fitting, and buy from there because its generally included in the price of the bike.

If not then try and get a discount off the Giant store, the worst they can say is no -> and i managed to get a 10% discount on the Defy 1 in January when i started talking about price-matching online stores. Then you can put that £100 towards a proper bike fit (which is 100% worth it in my opinion, I'm so much more comfortable on the bike after my fit).

Whistlers

thanks - who did your fitting for you?

alihisgreat

I got it done at one of my local shops: http://www.trisports.co.uk/ourstory/

They used the Trek system and it feels great.

Crankbrother

If you have a mountain bike that fits you then buying a road bike without a 'fit' should be a doddle ... You'd be better spending the cash getting better wheels ...