stormrid3r

Currently I use a Schwinn Sidewinder - even thought I never go off road. I want to take my new hobby to a new level. I want to upgrade to a road bike. Giant Deft 5 caught my attention. I want something lighter so that I could at least release some stress on my knees in the long term.

The reason why I want Defy 5 is it's price. It is the cheapest I could find in this category. I love the drop bars.

Does any one any suggestions on a different bike? Please help.

CafeVelo

Buying cheap is rarely a good idea

stormrid3r

Thank you for your reply.

The cheapest one (DEFY 5) is costing about $660 though
Just want to ensure that my investment is good. I don't have much idea on bikes.

TexMac

That's an axcellent entry level starter bike.

rms13

Cheap is relative and the Defy 5 is a great value and provides high quality for the price point.

fietsbob

The one you can afford that is sold by the Bike Shop You Like doing Business with ..

wphamilton

GMC Denali! It's hard to beat in the "cheapest I could find" metric. I'd personally prefer that Defy 5 over it, for the extra cost. There's nothing especially wrong with it, but since you wanted "lighter" you should be aware that at 24 pounds (by some reviewer accounts) it's pretty heavy for a road bike.

ptempel

There's other entry level bikes out there (Trek 1.1, Specialized Allez, etc). Do some research for them here:

Bicycle buyer's guide: entry-level bikes up to £600

and I'm sure many other places. The above is a UK web page but it should give you an introduction to some of them. Also would recommend what @fietsbob said about talking to your favorite LBS. They might have older models that they might want to get rid of this late in the season. Who knows?

NormanF

Leetists like you look down on an entry level road bike. For the OP, that's a solid and affordable value. Its a good place for him to try out road cycling in his budget.

OP, go for it if you like it! You won't regret it.

PepeM

The Defy 5 is a great option. I do not think there is a better option for a similar price from any of the major brands, except Fuji maybe. If you are willing to go to $800 then you get more options (Trek One Series, Specialized Allez and the like) but none of them considerably better.

NormanF

Yup. Freds can't afford a Ferrari. Most of us do just fine on an entry level road bike even if racing a carbon road bike remains only a dream.

NormanF

A good budget road bike is rare. And I would not recommend a GM Denali. Giant builds good bikes and this one of the best ones out there for a budget-minded roadie.

JamesRL

You can buy a decent used road bike for $400 and then have it tuned up professionally and have money left over.

NormanF

OP can find a high-end vintage road bike on eBay and still have cash left over.

Something around $400-600 is a good mid point for buying a used road bike.

bananabacon

For the most part I've noticed that one major difference between beginner bikes and entry level bikes are the components. The Defy 5 may not have to many differences then a Defy 3....

The Left over purchase is a good idea aswell. I have already seen some screaming deals locally for shops wanting to out their 2014-2015 line up!!

RoadGuy

I'd recommend a good used, steel or aluminum road bike with Shimano RX100, RSX, 105 or Ultegra components selling for between $250-$400. These bikes sold for between $700-$1400 when new and are 5-20 years old.

There are some older carbon fiber composite and carbon fiber bikes (Trek, Giant, and Specialized) that fall into this component and price range, but I don't recommend carbon fiber bikes for beginners.

stormrid3r

Thank you guys for the warm reaponse. Glady that I joined this forum. I was initially planning for GMC denali but after I came to know about Defy 5, I changed my mind. Is there anything that I should keep in mind if I decide to buy DEFY? like any additional warranty etc?

Blackdays

Great to see more people hopping on bikes! The Defy 5 is a good choice. You might want to budget an extra $100-$150 for a pair of shoes and pedals.

What size are you (height/feet)? I have some stuff sitting around that I'd be more than happy to send your way to get you started.

rms13

Not only is a Defy 5 or similar entry level bike a good bike to start with, you won't lose as much if you sell it because you don't take to the sport or because you love it so much you want to upgrade in a year. You can probably sell it for $450 in a year. The more expensive the bike is new, the more you will lose if you sell it. But also used bike is the best deal in that sense. You can buy a better than entry level bike that is a few years old for good price and sell it for close to the same money if you move on from it

PepeM

Ask the shop you buy from what they offer. Usually you get some free tuneups for at least a year and up to for as long as you own the bike (that's what the local Giant dealer offers.) Also make sure you get the right size and that the shop does at least a basic fitting.

I don't know where you live and how fit you are, but the Defy comes with a 32 or 34 low gear which will come handy when pedaling up hills the first few months.

Dave Cutter

Nothing wrong with the Defy 5! Even lower priced nice bikes can last for decades. But there are several different brands, that offer entry level bikes. For the handful of dollars in price different between this or that bike.... I wouldn't let the tiny price difference be the deciding factor.

As much as bicycles are all alike.... they are also very different. They feel different and ride different. Even test riding bicycles of the same size.... One could have you feeling cramped, another too stretched out. Bikes can feel twitchy, or sluggish. But the right bike... will FEEL right (whatever that means).

Take a few days and visit every bicycle shop in your area.

12strings

I was looking in this price range all summer. I didn't ride the defy, but did ride the synapse with Sora, as well as the specialized Allez, Sectuer, and Jamis Ventura...all with Claris components...I really liked the sectuer, though I finally ended up with a step up Jamis with Sora components.

But there's nothing wrong with the Claris bikes.

CafeVelo

I sell giant, so I'm really familiar with the range and options. Even going up one model gets you a lot more bike (carbon fork and a two piece crank, 5 still has a square taper bottom bracket and cheap cranks) and going up two models is a fantastic value, especially with the redesigned tiagra group. It's also at that point you get a one piece bb shell rather than threaded cups. If that's an upgrade depends on your focus on weight and performance or home maintainence, but it's a nice thing to have.

my honest advice is to buy used if you can't spend at the tiagra level, since it's my experience that you will outgrow your first bike. You can often sell used bikes at what you paid or even make a profit if you shop carefully.

That said if you're sure you'll stick with it spend way up and grab a midrange carbon defy. We got a ton of the closeouts from 2015 and they're the best deal in cycling. You won't want for more bike for a long time, and the only thing I'd change out of the box is the shifters (but you don't have to, last year's tiagra is just fine.)

NormanF

I agree about Tiagra. I have a Tiagra-equipped commuter bike. ;-)

My view still is the OP should buy the entry level Defy 5 and when he's ready for more, he can always upgrade later.

Its still tons better than the Wallyworld GMC Denali.

That's the difference between a BSO and a real bike.

Maelochs

The Defy is a great choice---used would be a better deal, If and Only If the OP knew enough about bikes to know if the bike was sound, had a good enough relationship with his LBS to get it checked/worked on, and knew enough about how he rides and had enough time to test-ride to know if the used bike was suited to him.

I was going to suggest used because local online classifieds often offer incredible deals on bikes in really good shape that the owners just want to get rid of--often really nice bikes they bought but didn't end up riding much, which have been taking up space int he garage for a while and getting int he way. he could probably get almost as much bike for half the price.

Depends on how comfortable the OP is taking the risk that he might not know enough to get one of the good deals, or a bike which suited him. He says he doesn't have much ideas about bikes.

The next most important thing I could say would be, don't try to save $100 on a $600-$700 purchase and end up blowing the whole $6-700. If the Defy fits you and feels good, great, buy it. If another bike is a tiny bit more expensive but just feels better, (or has much better components) splurge because you might be riding the bike for a few years, and the extra cash divided over the hours of happy riding will be minuscule, whereas the cash saved on a bike you don't ride so much ... there is no cash saved, just money and (more important) good experiences wasted.

Find the bike you fieel best riding around your price point, and save up another two weeks if needed.