Giant ?

[AlisterJ]

Hi New boy here ! I would love to hear some experienced views regarding a new bike (i'm guessing this is one of the most asked questions on here !) I have been looking at the giant defy 4 2011 at £439 or the giant tcr 2 2011 £729 or cannondale caad 8 sora triple 2011 at £499. I am now taking up cycling to complete some triathlons (hopefully) and the only cycling experience i've had over the past couple of weesks is two 20 mile rides at 13 and 15mph average,so i'm not fast. Would the two 'cheaper' bikes be more than enough for someone of my ability or would I go noticably faster on the tcr.
p.s what a buzz you get when you put the hammer down and stretch those legs for a sprint !!!

 

[Berties]

I like giants they suit my build ,defy 4 a nice entry bike depends on the milage a bit more relaxed than the tcr which is a great bike for the money hard to get something comparable,but their are other bikes out there,problem is if you are looking for distance a higher spec defy and if you want more speed the tcr is more aggressive,I have just bought a defy 3 advanced and have looked at all the giants and commute on a rapide

 

[AlisterJ]

Thanks Berties...never thought i'd have such a dilemma until I actually got into the market for a new bike.I thought it would be a case of 'oh,that one will do' but when you start looking into it in detail you really want to make sure you get the right one!

 

[festival]

Cannondale are fine bikes but do you needed a triple c/set for what you are doing? No.
Giant are renowned for the quality of their frames and the Defy will serve you well.
Its just as important that you find a good bike shop where you can chat to the staff and they guide you to the right bike and help you in the future.

 

[defy-one]

I'm biased - but did a lot of research and tested a lot of bikes before settling for the Defy. The frame is one of the very best.
I would go for the 4 or possibly the advanced 3.
These bikes will benefit from any upgrades you do in the future,such as wheels,because the frame is that good

 

[jowwy]

Ive got the defy 4 2012 model and its a super bike for the money.

And i looked at quite a few bikes before picking the defy.

 

[cbs]

Another vote for the Giant - I have a Defy 3 and it serves me well. I wasn't looking for a specific brand, but visited my LBS with a budget in mind and narrowed it down to the Giant and a similar spec Trek. Although the Trek had a Tiagra rear mech (the rest being Sora) against the Giant's all Sora drivetrain, the latter has a Hollowtech BB/crank and a tapered headset, which to my mind were better uses of the budget, so I went for the Giant.

I've ridden about 1200 miles on it so far, including a couple of Sportives, and apart from an upgrade to the brakes, it's been great.

 

[Berties]

I'm biased - but did a lot of research and tested a lot of bikes before settling for the Defy. The frame is one of the very best.
I would go for the 4 or possibly the advanced 3.
These bikes will benefit from any upgrades you do in the future,such as wheels,because the frame is that good

The problem with the advanced 3 is its over a grand more than tcr 2 he has looked at,but the frame is the dogs and full 105 set is entry to the good stuff!

 

[AlisterJ]

Thanks for all your replies...got my new bike this morning! Cannondale was the winner! I tried out both and the giant was good but the cannondale 'felt' right.........right lets get some miles on this baby!!!!!

 

[defy-one]

Best way to buy a bike. A bit of research followed by how it feels. Enjoy

 

[postman]

That's what's so good about this place.So many of us have gone through the same as you.And sometimes bought the wrong bike.Ask,ask and ask again,then you get what you got a lovely bike.Enjoy it and have a great time.

 

[Arjimlad]

I have a 2011 Defy 2 which cost me £550 in February, and I am very pleased with it. The Cannondales look lovely too though, so the best advice would be to sit on both at the very least and if you can ride one, do so. Defys always seem to do well in the reviews.