giant defy sizing

j0sh123
j0sh123 Posts: 21
edited September 2014 in Road beginners
I know Giant's defy range uses compact,

I'm 5'4'' (165cm) with a 31'' (78cm) inside leg measurement, so am I right to be looking at the 'small' frame sizes?
I will pop into my LBS as soon as possible to have a ride but until i'm able to do that i'm just browsing possible bikes... :lol:
does anyone have any experience with these bikes and how they fit i.e. biggish/ smallish?

cheers
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Comments

  • alxce
    alxce Posts: 12
    I have a Giant Defy Composite 2 and when I bought it I was expecting to need a Large as I am 6'1" with 33" inside leg measurement. I came away with a Med/Large as it turned out to be ideal.
  • I bought the defy 0 - I'm about 6'1 with 34" leg; thought I would need large/extra large, but having sat on them in the shop I ended up with M/L which I think is 53cm and still find it quite long. So I would say their sizing is on the large side...
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    another 6"-er with a M/L

    Go into the LBS to avoid confusion with the sizing.
  • OwenB
    OwenB Posts: 606
    I've got a 2010 Defy XL which should fit bearing in mind I'm 6'3", I've found it very long in the top tube and have shortened the stem by 20mm to cover this.
    I'm looking to get a new bike soon and am looking at a Defy Composite but in a L!
  • Mikey41
    Mikey41 Posts: 690
    At 5'9" - 5'10" the LBS reckoned I would fit a M/L, but the M was the one that fitted best.
    Giant Defy 2 (2012)
    Giant Defy Advanced 2 (2013)
    Giant Revel 1 Ltd (2013)
    Strava
  • mattshrops
    mattshrops Posts: 1,134
    TBH you have realllllly long legs for your height. So your legs would fit a medium/large quite well but your body is going to be well stretched out on that. I'd guess on a small but with your sizing you definitely need to get in to a shop to try some out. I'd actually say that a womens frame would fit you best with your measurements - although not many blokes would want to do that.Get a fitting.
    Death or Glory- Just another Story
  • Wobbit
    Wobbit Posts: 91
    Another 6.2" here on a M/L defy
    Neilpryde Alize - Kinesis 4S - Cube Ltd
  • defycomp2
    defycomp2 Posts: 252
    5'11'' and riding a M. Long legs but short body. Giant says M/L for my height but it was too stretched out on a test ride.
    Summer - Giant Defy Composite 2 (Force 22) (retd)
    Cannondale Synapse Sram Red ETap
    Winter - Boardman CX Team (Rival X1 Hyd)
  • turbo1191
    turbo1191 Posts: 501
    also buying a defy.. im 6'2" with a 35" inside leg so need the large for the leg length.. but im going to need to shorten the stem by 10mm or so as i have a short torso...
  • 6'2 and ride a L. I find this ideal.

    Did expect to need an XL but giant defy's seem to be oversized somewhat.

    Maybee that's why it's a defy, it defies sizing charts.


    Oh and good look getting a new 2013 model anytime soon...just saying
  • RiderUk
    RiderUk Posts: 71
    I'm just over 6ft and ride a M/L Defy 2. My LBS had the large in stock,allowing me to compare both sizes.
    The reach on the large was to long for me.
  • I'm 5' 9", inside leg 31" - Defy 3 composite (2012) size M
    Is the gorilla tired yet?
  • BlakeysFC
    BlakeysFC Posts: 233
    I'm 6ft, with a 32" inside leg.

    My 2012 Defy 1 fits me like a glove and is Medium/Large size.
  • 6' with a 32 inside leg and I'm on a defy Composite 2 in a large and it fits me well. Had an old SCR in a M before and it felt too compact. Giant size rig put me somewhere between a M/L and an L, tried them both but the L is more comfortable (for me anyway!)
  • Briggo
    Briggo Posts: 3,537
    I'm 5' 8 with a 30" leg, lbs said M/L size, M felt so much better.
  • I'm 5'7" with 29" leg so I'm closer to your size than most of the other posts. I got a Defy 1 two months ago in a S frame size and love it. The fit is perfect. I tried the M but it just didnt feel right and sure enough when the LBS mech measured he moved me to a Small. Definitly recommend seeing your LBS to get fit proper.
  • Hi, I'm italian and, in Italy, Defy has very low selling numbers, almost everybody that buy a Giant, buy a TCR.
    Last week I decided to buy a Defy Advanced 2 and I'm in doubt about the size.
    Of course there was no Defy to try out in the shop. The seller phoned to Giant Italy and they said that the correct size was absolutely M. My height is 5' 9" and my inside leg is 33,5".
    I saw that Giant sizing chart says the same; M size.
    But I stay with doubts because I have long arms and now I'm OK in a bike with traditional frame size L with 55,5 cm horizontal pipe and 11 cm steering pipe.
    Maybe a M/L size was better?
    The bike is arriving in February 2014 so I can change if I want.
  • paulorg
    paulorg Posts: 168
    6ft 1" with a 34 IL, riding an M/L sized Defy 1 that fits but I would say is slightly too long for my liking, I sometimes feel like I'm very slightly over reaching but not so much that its particularly uncomfortable unless I start to think about it. And no I don't have arms like a T-Rex ;)
    If you buy it, they will come...








    ...up to you and say, you didn't want to buy one of them!!!
  • Mikey41
    Mikey41 Posts: 690
    Hi, I'm italian and, in Italy, Defy has very low selling numbers, almost everybody that buy a Giant, buy a TCR.
    Last week I decided to buy a Defy Advanced 2 and I'm in doubt about the size.
    Of course there was no Defy to try out in the shop. The seller phoned to Giant Italy and they said that the correct size was absolutely M. My height is 5' 9" and my inside leg is 33,5".
    I saw that Giant sizing chart says the same; M size.
    But I stay with doubts because I have long arms and now I'm OK in a bike with traditional frame size L with 55,5 cm horizontal pipe and 11 cm steering pipe.
    Maybe a M/L size was better?
    The bike is arriving in February 2014 so I can change if I want.
    Your height and inside leg suggests a M, you're about the same as me. If your arms are longer then you may simply need a slightly longer stem to fix the reach.

    I have both a Defy 2 and an Advanced 2. I found that the reach on the Advanced is slightly longer than the Defy as Giant set the bars lower.
    Giant Defy 2 (2012)
    Giant Defy Advanced 2 (2013)
    Giant Revel 1 Ltd (2013)
    Strava
  • Mikey41 wrote:
    Hi, I'm italian and, in Italy, Defy has very low selling numbers, almost everybody that buy a Giant, buy a TCR.
    Last week I decided to buy a Defy Advanced 2 and I'm in doubt about the size.
    Of course there was no Defy to try out in the shop. The seller phoned to Giant Italy and they said that the correct size was absolutely M. My height is 5' 9" and my inside leg is 33,5".
    I saw that Giant sizing chart says the same; M size.
    But I stay with doubts because I have long arms and now I'm OK in a bike with traditional frame size L with 55,5 cm horizontal pipe and 11 cm steering pipe.
    Maybe a M/L size was better?
    The bike is arriving in February 2014 so I can change if I want.
    Your height and inside leg suggests a M, you're about the same as me. If your arms are longer then you may simply need a slightly longer stem to fix the reach.

    I have both a Defy 2 and an Advanced 2. I found that the reach on the Advanced is slightly longer than the Defy as Giant set the bars lower.

    Thank you.
    So, probably medium is the correct size.
  • wrlcs
    wrlcs Posts: 3
    Hi, I'm 5'6" and 29 inch and fit a small Defy 1. I tried a Trek Domsne as well and would be hapoy with a 50 or 52cm but would have chosen a 52.

    Brendan
  • Surprised to see people at 6foot 1 inches riding the M/L got me wondering now!
    Mine feels perfect on a large frame with 33leg and 6ft 2in in height.
    There is plenty of post showing probably 6 inches!
  • I'm 6 foot and I'm riding a large Giant Defy 5. Seems a bit different to most of you lot, but the bloke in the shop said that I had the biggest arm/leg length to body ratio that he'd ever seen. My proportions are odd very odd, so that's probably why I'm on a bigger frame.
  • I'm 177cm with a 32in inseam. I just bought a medium Defy 0 and it fits perfectly. Had it professionally fitted at Velosport in Putney (highly recommended btw)
    '14 Supersix Evo HM
    '13 Defy 0
  • 177cm (5'9.5") and 32" inseam. Was sold a M/L Defy which always felt too big. Sold it and now on a M Ribble 872, feels so much better. Had neck pain, back pain, numb hands on the Giant despite it supposedly being a "comfortable bike". Obviously the fit was all wrong as I sold it to a guy at least 4" taller than me.
  • I'm 182cm with 34" inseam and ride M/L Defy. The fit feels just about spot on (now that I have dropped the stem a cm or so) although from time to time I do feel slightly stretched out when on the hoods, but nothing that shortening the stem 10mm wouldn't fix.
  • 5'10 with 31" inseam, and rode a M Defy 2
  • So I can hope that M size is OK for me. 5' 9" and 33".
    The only doubt is because I have very long arms (6' 2") from the end of left fingers to right, with orizontal arms.

    Excuse my english.
  • Jon_1976
    Jon_1976 Posts: 690
    I'd say a medium would be fine. I'm 5'10" tal with a 32.5" inseam and ride a medium. I definitely wouldn't want a m/l as the reach was right on the limit of what I found comfy on the m. I swapped the bars to some cheap compacts (dead rhm02) to reduce the reach and drop, plus I don't like the ergo bars that came fitted. Great bikes.

    Going off your arm span, I think you'd find the medium comfy straight from the shop. As mentioned, I swapped the stock bars as the reach was borderline for me. My arm span is slightly less than yours. Still toying with the idea of trying a slightly shorter stem.
  • I fitted the exact same bars to my mediumm Defy too (Deda RHM02)