Thanks for the great info, everyone.
I took into consideration the feedback from this thread, and then I went to talk to my Giant rep again.
When I was younger, I always hated drop handlebars. Perhaps I still do, but I haven't ridden a bike in some years, so I'm not sure. I will keep in mind that I should test drive some bikes before I purchase them. However, right now I do not yet have enough money saved up to get a bike and the other things I need to put me on the road. So I am going to wait until I have enough money before I test drive bikes...especially since if something goes wrong during a test ride, my credit card would be charged for that bike.
Because I have in the past much preferred riser handlebars, I asked my Giant rep if I could potentially order a Defy 1 yet change the handlebars to riser handlebars like on the Giant Escape models. He said that they could do that, but he does not recommend it, because the geometry of the Defy 1 is designed to work with drop handlebars.
I then asked him if, in his opinion, I would probably be more comfortable during long paved trail rides on a Giant Defy 1 with its drop handlebars, or on a Giant Escape. His opinion was that I would be more comfortable on the Defy 1 because I could go lower to combat wind, and because I have a wider variety of possible positions that I can put myself into with drop handlebars.
Do you guys concur with that line of thought? Or might I be more comfortable on long paved trail rides on an Escape with its riser handlebars? Would test drives allow me to be on each bike for long enough period of time in order to determine that?
I also asked the Giant rep about replacing the CF fork on the Defy 1. I am wary of CF because many members here claim that UV radiation will damage it over time and that can lead to catastrophic failure.
Moreover, I am especially reluctant to use CF forks after reading this thread and seeing the pics in its OP:
Giant Warranty Issue - CyclingNews Forum
Can you guys please tell me what you think about the CF fork that got sheared in half in that situation? Is that indicative of a problem with CF material itself possibly being unsafe?
Even if that CF fork broke due to the OP of that thread abusing of his bike, I still would like completely to avoid CF forks if something like that might happen to my bike and thus possibly cause me to endure great injury or death. Do you think me not wanting to use a CF fork is reasonable based on the CF catastrophe detailed in the thread to which I linked?
When I asked my Giant rep if they could replace the CF fork with a non-CF fork, he said it is possible, but problematic, because he would have to find a compatible steel fork that will fit into the Defy 1's headtube (I forget his exact words and the precise technical explanation that he gave me to point out why this is a problem), and he didn't seem to know of any off the top his head. Does this problem make sense to you guys? Do you know of steel forks that would work with the Defy 1?