2015 Giant Defy 1 Road Bike with ALUXX SL-grade aluminum and Composite, Alloy OverDrive steerer

 

The 2015 Giant Defy 1 - So much road bike for such an affordable price

The bicycle industry is talking about the Defy. While most of the attention is on the $10,000 pro model, the good news for the rest of us is that the Alloy version of this bike includes all of the engineering wizardry of the higher priced bikes.

The frame design of the Defy has been winning accolades for years, and the design wasn't changed for the 2015. But improvements were made throughout the bike. In particular the frame tubing is far and away best in class.

In fact, the entire bicycle industry has made massive strides in the construction of aluminum alloy frames, bringing them dangerously close to parity with carbon fiber. Giant, who owns their own factories and forms their own aluminum tubing is at the forefront of this technological revolution with Aluxx alloy tubing. And the Defy is outfitted with SL grade alloy.

ALUXX ADVANTAGE

From the manipulation of atomic grain structures to our advanced forming and welding techniques, Giant has been at the forefront of aluminum engineering for more than 30 years. Today, ALUXX Aluminum Technology represents the pinnacle of alloy performance.

A heritage of craftsmanship combined with unmatched manufacturing capabilities gives Giant the unique ability to monitor every step of the aluminum frame-building process. Through our
cutting-edge materials science, proprietary forming techniques, and attention to detail, we are constantly advancing aluminum performance to create bikes that are lighter, stronger and stiffer. The difference can be felt in the ride. Every aluminum bike bearing the ALUXX Aluminum Technology label must live up to the highest standards and meet the tightest tolerances of any aluminum frame in the world. Here is the skinny:

---

Giant's lightest, state-of-the-art aluminum frameset technology featuring our highest strength-to-weight ratios, most advanced forming methods, and unique welding techniques

Materials

• Exclusively features 6011A alloy for unprecedented strength-to-weight ratio

Forming methods

• State-of-the-art butting results in 20 percent thinner (and lighter) tubes than ALUXX SL
• Features extensive FluidForming (sophisticated manipulation of tubeset shaping via an injection of high-pressure fluid) and some PressForming (basic manipulation of tubeset shaping via direct mechanical pressure)

Welding techniques

Features both Smooth (double-pass weld technique with hand-sanding to reduce stress risers) and Slim (custom-fit tube junctures to decrease weld material) welding techniques for minimal weight, maximum strength and the cleanest aesthetics

The defy one offers the best components package of any bike in this class.

Sizes	XS, S, M, M/L, L, XL
Colors	Black/White/Blue
Frame	ALUXX SL-grade aluminum
Fork	Composite, Alloy OverDrive steerer
Shock	N/A

Components
Handlebar	Giant Connect, 31.8mm
Stem	Giant Sport
Seatpost	Giant D-Fuse, Composite
Saddle	Giant Performance Road
Pedals	Caged w/ toe clip and strap

Drivetrain
Shifters	Shimano 105
Front Derailleur	Shimano 105
Rear Derailleur	Shimano 105
Brakes	Tektro R540
Brake Levers	Shimano 105
Cassette	Shimano 105 11x32, 11-speed
Chain	KMC X11L
Crankset	FSA Gossamer Pro, 34/50
Bottom Bracket	Shimano, Press Fit

Wheels
Rims	Giant P-R2
Hubs	Giant Performance Tracker Road, Sealed bearing, [F] 24h, [R] 28h
Spokes	Sapim Race, 14/15g
Tires	Giant P-R3, Flat Guard Deflect 3, Front and rear specific, 700x25

1904 Staples Mill Rd.
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 658-2126
randy@pedalpowerbicycles.com
www.pedalpowerbicycles.com

2015 Liv Avail Advanced 2 by Giant - The Fantastic Reviews Are In

 

2015 is the year that the Liv Avail became a serious racing machine

Giant has created a line of women specific bikes that are branded as Liv. The idea is that they are not a Giant Liv bike. One could say that it is the Liv Line by Giant, as Giant's name is still contained on a decal, and the Liv brand is on the Giant website. This may be distinction without a difference, but the real issue comes down to whether Live is really about the women. On that there seems to be no argument. 

The bicycle industry has primary source for all important information. That is BRAIN magazine. Here is what they had to say:

Liv introduced its 2015 Avail line to media at the event in Scotland. With a goal of making cycling more approachable and appealing to women, Giant recently launched its Liv brand, which is designed, engineered and headed up by women. “Most of the composite frames are made by women as well,” said Amanda Schaper, Liv global marketing coordinator. “So Liv is truly made for women, by women.” 

 Each Liv model is handcrafted by Giant, and a small badge stating that located on the seattube near the bottom bracket is the only reference to the parent company that can be found on the frame. 

Schaper said that Liv is 100 percent committed to the female cyclist, as also proven by the expansion of the Liv soft goods line, which has also been redesigned for 2015.

Female editors attending the event rode the Avail Advanced SL 0. The frame weighs in at less than 900 grams, making it the lightest in the 2015 Liv line. Equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace disc brakes, Di2 shifting, Giant's new SLR 0 disc lightweight carbon wheelset, which it also unveiled, this model is the cream of the Avail crop.  

Many of the Avail Advanced SL's core features are borrowed from the Defy, including the D-fuse seatpost, integrated disc brakes, internal cable routing through one side of the frame and the same thin and flattened seatstays. But the Avail frame is not just a tweaked version of the Defy.

“Instead of taking the men's frame, shrinking the top tube and making the head tube taller and calling it a women's bike, we used three years' worth of body dimension research, feedback from athletes, our target consumers, and our ambassadors to determine the ideal geometry,” said Abby Santurbane, global category manager for Liv. “We also took into consideration the intended usage of the bike to find the ideal body angle.”

Santurbane also said that positive feedback about past iterations of the Avail model led them to only make small changes in the frame geometry, including lowering the top tube for improved standover height. The geometry is optimized for long rides on varied road conditions, with frame seat angles that help put the rider's center of gravity over the bottom bracket and a head tube angle ranging from 70-72 degrees.

 While the Avail Advanced bike range is not just a smaller version of the Defy, the core characteristics, including handling, stiffness, comfort, weight, and components are common to each line. For a complete evaluation of the brother bike to the Avail, see our detailed review of the 2015 Giant Defy Advanced here.

Please come visit us at Pedal Power in Richmond, VA. We will be happy to sit down with you and help you determine which of the Liv bicycles might be perfect for the kind of cycling you have in your future.




1904 Staples Mill Rd.
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 658-2126
randy@pedalpowerbicycles.com
www.pedalpowerbicycles.com

2015 Giant Defy Advance 1 Road Bike Reviews Are Stunning!

The all new 2105 Giant Defy Advance 1 provides tested best-of-class in weight and stiffness

—Defy Advanced 1: Carbon-fiber frame, mechanical disc brakes, D-Fuse seatpost, Shimano Ultegra 6800 mechanical, TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes, Giant S-R2 rims

The stats don't begin to tell the story of the huge revision Giant has put into the new Defy line. Over the years, Defy has been about basic built for comfort and practical road use. With the changes in 2015, the Defy may be more comfortable and practical than ever, but there is nothing basic about it.

The engineers opted to go 100% disc on the advanced carbon-fiber frame end of the line. The chose to stay with quick release rather than move to through axles, feeling that grabbing mountain bike axles wasn't the answer, and preferring to wait until there was more clarity on the road bike standards.

Bicycling.com says:

Giant calls the Defy an endurance road bike—I’m not so sure that such classification is necessary. Much like modern trail bikes are to the world of knobby tires, the Defy seems to me to be a bike you’d choose to ride on almost any ride, any day, on any terrain, and feel confident and comfortable the whole time. 

Specifically, they point out that:

The New Defy Design
The tube shapes are different, subtly in some places and more dramatically in others. The old aero-shape seatmast (or seatpost, depending on the model is gone in favor of a
flat-backed profile Giant calls D-Fuse, which first saw use on the TCX cyclocross model. The seatstays narrow to gossamer thinness, and attach lower down the seat tube to help prevent vibration from traveling up to the saddle.

 The trick on this bike was to come up with lightness, stiffness, and still get performance and comfort that this bike is noted for.

RoadBikeReview.com interviewed Jon Swansan, global road category manager:

Weight was also a huge design driver. Swanson says the top end frame is the lightest road frame Giant has ever produced. “The perception is that with road disc you have to pay a weight penalty,” said Swanson. “We approached it as how do we offset that weight. And we actually dropped 50 grams on our top end frames, which is pretty significant when you see our competition having to add 40-50 grams to get disc tabs on.”

That weight was shed in part by using hollowed carbon dropouts, eliminating the brake bridge, and generally minimizing the need for reinforcement frame material by reducing the number of holes in the carbon frame. The front brake hose is routed externally; all other cables/hoses go into one side of the frame because when you punch a hole in frame you have to add weight with reinforcing material. Instead Giant made a single slightly larger hole on the non-driveside.

 Giant took this bike to the lab against it's most relevant competitors. They looked at weight, stiffness, and compliance, where compliance is the comfort to feet, hands, and rear end. The lower the amount of vibration that comes from the road, through the bike, to the three points of contact on the bike, the better for comfort in a longer ride.

As you can see, the Defy handily beat the others in both weight and stiffness.

When it came to compliance, the best number was chalked up by Cannondale's Synapse. However, if you look at the stiffness data above on that same model, you'll see that the bike performed very poorly in that category, apparently preferring to compromise on the side of comfort.

2015 Giant Propel Advanced 1 Review — "Just You Against The Wind" — Aero Road Bike

Best-In-Class Aerodynamics Meets Superior All-Around Ride Quality.

Engineered with AeroSystem Shaping Technology and Advanced-grade composite, this race-ready machine delivers lightweight performance and a stiff chassis for sprinting and solo riding situations. The Propel uses a combination of both tube designs to achieve what Giant claims to be the fastest aero road bike on the planet. That claim is based on the higher-end Propel Advanced SL, which differs from the Advanced frame in the type of carbon used, and the fact that it uses an integrated seat mast and one-piece handlebar/stem combo. All the Propel frames share the ability to facilitate either mechanical cables or electric wires.

Image Credit: RoadBikeAction

The seat tube is dramatic looking, with an extreme cutout for maximum rear-wheel shielding, and a sharp profile where it meets the Vector SLR seatpost.



"In the quest for reducing all possible drag, the Propel’s most unique feature is its brake integration. Linear pull brakes built by TRP are positioned behind the fork and on the seatstays. The arms of the V-style brakes help maintain the smooth lines of the frame and fork. Spring-tension adjustments for centering are made via a 2.5mm hex screw on each independent arm. Making adjustments was easy, especially compared to a chainstay-mounted brake" - RoadBikeAction.com



An OverDrive steerer tube and PowerCore bottom bracket help improve its sharp handling and pedaling efficiency-the perfect combo when you’re off the front of the pack. Normally, this high BB would make this bike feel twitchy since it raises the center of gravity. Giant have avoided this problem by giving it a slightly slacker head angle and that massive steerer eliminates any torsional flex that's present in most other bikes.

Giant’s entrance into the aero-road market not only brings a bike with a striking appearance, but also some of the best advancements we’ve seen of the genre so far. The Propel’s brakes don’t sacrifice power in the name of aerodynamics, and its frame design offers stiffness throughout.


Giant offers six versions of the Propel—three with the Advanced SL frame and three with the Advanced frame. There is also a women’s-specific model called the Envie, which comes in three build options. 

1904 Staples Mill Rd.
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 658-2126
randy@pedalpowerbicycles.com
www.pedalpowerbicycles.com

Frame
Sizes	XS, S, M, M/L, L, XL
Colors	Red/White/Black
Frame	Advanced-grade composite, Electronic ready
Fork	Advanced-grade composite, Hybrid OverDrive steerer

Components
Handlebar	Giant Contact, 31.8mm
Stem	Giant Connect
Seatpost	Giant Vector, Composite
Saddle	Giant Performance Road

Drivetrain
Shifters	Shimano Ultegra
Front Derailleur	Shimano Ultegra
Rear Derailleur	Shimano Ultegra
Brakes	Giant SpeedControl SL
Brake Levers	Shimano Ultegra
Cassette	Shimano Ultegra 11x28, 11-speed
Chain	KMC X11L
Crankset	Shimano Ultegra, 36/52
Bottom Bracket	Shimano, Press fit

Wheels
Rims	Giant P-A2, Aero
Hubs	Giant Performance Tracker Road, Sealed bearing, [F] 16h, [R] 24h
Spokes	Sapim Race, 14/15g
Tires	Giant P-R3, Flat Guard Deflect 3, Front and rear specific, 700x23

2015 Giant TCR Advanced SL - Precision Boosted and Faster than Ever

Giant Packs the TCR Advanced SL With Features and The Latest Technology 

It’s no secret that the TCR Advanced SL wins a lot of pro races. But the reason for its dominance is something our competitors do keep secret: Giant is the only major manufacturer that controls every stage of design and production, from raw carbon thread to this finished racing machine. 

The others don’t—and the results speak for themselves. Tests show that TCR Advanced SL is the lightest, stiffest, best-riding road bike in its class. 

The all-new TCR Advanced SL shatters the mold of every composite bike that came before it. It uses Advanced SL-grade composite and innovative manufacturing techniques that make it the lightest, stiffest, and most efficient road frame ever produced by Giant.

Steering precision is boosted by the new oversize OverDrive 2 headtube/fork combination. The MegaDrive downtube and PowerCore bottom bracket improve power transfer and efficiency. And the integrated seatpost, a hallmark Giant innovation, reduces frame weight and adds compliance. Ridden to countless victories by Giant pro riders, the TCR Advanced SL is a pure racing machine.

1. Giant's innovative oversized fork steerer-tube design increases front-end stiffness and enhances steering performance. The tapered steerer and oversized bearings( 1 /14" top - 1 1/2" bottom) boost torsional steering stiffness so you can sprint and corner with supreme precision.

2. As the pioneer of the integrated seatpost, Giant continues to improve its design with lighter weight (approximately 45 grams of weight savings, compared to a standard composite seatpost), improved aerodynamics and an even greater "tuned" forgiving ride feel. An adjustable saddle clamp offers 10 or 23 mm of offset for precise saddle position

3. Advanced SL toptubes are "grafted" to the seattube using filament winding and co-molding. This complex process involves hand weaving the two tubes together, then re-molding the area under heat and high pressure to unify the junction — resulting in a lighter, stronger junction than with traditional molding.

4. Carbon Nanotube Technology refers to a microscopic polymer added to Giant's custom-blended resin. Acting like miniature buttresses, CNT particles strengthen the layers of composite. Frames treated with CNT are 14% more impact resistant than those that aren't.

5. Continuous Fiber Technology is a new manufacturing process that allows Giant to construct the front triangle of Advanced SL bicycles with larger — and therefore fewer — sections of composite material. With fewer pieces and junctions, the frames are up to 100 grams lighter and significantly stronger.

6. Giant's all-new chainstay integrated wireless data transmitter is called RideSense. The fully integrated, removable transmitter sends wheelspeed and cadence information directly to any ANT+ compatible computer.

7. Giant's all-new composite bottom-bracket shell saves 15 grams over its alloy-reinforced predecessor, while all-new composite dropouts save an additional 15 grams. High-compression, multidirectional composite ensures long life.

8. Free of alloy tips, Giant's all-new composite fork and frame dropouts save 15 grams over their predecessors. High compression, multi-directional composite ensures long life — even after repeated clamping

Come check out our great selection of Giant, Fuji, and KHS Bikes today!



1904 Staples Mill Rd.
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 658-2126
randy@pedalpowerbicycles.com
www.pedalpowerbicycles.com