OK gang,

I have now had my 2016 Fastroad CoMax 2 for a couple days. The first thing I want to say is that if anyone is waiting for a 2016 Giant bike it appears "the boat has landed". My LBS had tons of 2016 Giant bikes in stock.

Now on to the "comparison". 2015 Fastroad SLR 1 vs. 2016 Fastroad CoMax 2. On paper the two bikes appear very similar. But here are the REAL differences:

1. SLR 1 has an aluminum frame. The CoMax 2 has a composite frame. Sorry to point out the obvious. More on this later.
2. SLR 1 has 28mm tires. CoMax 2 has 25mm tires and they are front/rear specific.
3. The spec sheet missed it but 2016 CoMax 2 has a 160 front rotor.
4. The 2016 CoMax 2 has a 11-34 rear cassette. The 2015 Fastroad has a 12-30 rear cassette. I like the 11-34 better.
5. The 2015 SLR 1 is gloss black. The 2016 CoMax 2 is matte black. It is tough to pick up on the spec sheets and pictures.
6. Most importantly, Giant changed how the cables are routed and I like the 2016 design MUCH better.
7. I didn't catch it until later but the CoMax2 has a nicer seat.

Now on to what most people probably care about. The ride quality of a composite frame vs. an aluminum frame. Obviously these two bikes are a very valid comparison. I like the CoMax 2 better. It is less nervous and less twitchy. It appears to do a better job of being stiff where it needs to be and flexing where it needs to flex. It seems more "stable". As the owner of my LBS said "the CoMax frame knows where and how much to flex" and I agree.

If anyone cares I will post more as I put more miles on the CoMax 2.