Giant Defy Advanced 1 review

Giant's Defy moves into more versatile territory with an updated frame and bigger tire volume

Best endurance carbon road bike
Giant Defy Advanced 1
(Image credit: Daniel Gould)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

Barring the untidy cable routing issues, there's no doubting that the Defy Advanced 1 has one of the best ride qualities in the endurance category. We found that it's best at balancing performance and comfort , with the longish wheelbase making for a stable ride while still allowing the bike to be nimble enough when needed. Tire clearance also aids comfort and means the bike can also handle some light gravel, too. The spec list, which includes an Ultegra groupset, at this price point is almost unbeatable.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Value for money compared to rival bikes

  • +

    Comfortable ride thanks to sensible geometry and component choice

  • +

    Versatility - performs on road and light gravel

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Untidy cable routing

  • -

    Saddle - although may suit some riders

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Giant's Defy has long been the brand's go-to endurance machine, aimed at delivering a more relaxed riding position than the TCR and graced with a frame that intends to deliver comfort with minimal impact to performance.

Like the rest of Giant's road range, it has been through several iterations culminating in this latest Defy Advanced 1 on test. Giant actually has two Defy Advanced ranges, with six models in total. Both ranges share the same frame and fork but the critical difference is the lower range (in which this model sits) foregoes the integrated stem and cable routing to keep costs down.

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