Teambayern

I'm in the market for my first roadie and I've narrowed it to these two models of the defy line, and am leaning towards the Defy 2. I understand that the 1 has 10 spd 105 as opposed to 9 spd tiagra and also has upgraded wheels. During a test ride, the difference was noticeable but not overwhelming. My question is whether the extra money is worth it and whether the differences will become more pronounced over the long haul.

I should also say that I know the Defy 1 upgrades would cost more if I purchased them later (i.e. the wheels + 105 set is worth a lot more than the difference in price), but I don't mean "worth" in that sense; my question is more about whether I would actually miss those upgrades if I went with the Defy 2.

Defy 1: $1239 after tax
Defy 2: $1022 after tax

Thanks!

twodownzero

No doubt go for the better bike. $200 is nothing compared to how many miles you're going to ride.

10 speed means you can right a tighter cassette. Once you're out there on the road you'll appreciate it more. That feature alone would be worth $200 to me. 105 over Tiagra is just another benefit on top of that.

KoNP

200 bucks is pretty much nothing over the life of a bike id go for it

pgjackson

You will wish you bought the Defy 1. There's nothing wrong with the 2, but it's one of those deals where $200 is absolutely worth the upgrade. After a month, you won't miss that $200. And the cost of upgrading the 9-speed Tiagra to a 10-speed 105 is A LOT more than $200.

Will you miss those upgrades? If you are a new rider or have never ridden a 10-speed, you probably won't. You don't know what you don't know. But once you ride a 105 10-speed it will be like "Ohhhh, I get it now!" Just spend the extra $200 and you will never have to worry about it.

dgraham2038

I purchased the Defy 1 three months ago and I really like it. I was also trying to decide between the 1 and the 2 but I always try to overbuy so I have no regrets later down the road. Also, I have already upgraded the wheels so dont let that be a "hedging point". Although, I have to admit I like the color scheme on the Defy 2 being a huge Steeler fan.

twodownzero

Also consider the fact that you can get an aluminum Ultegra bike for $900 to the door (and no sales tax) from Bikes Direct. I know the views differ here, but I really love my bike and no bike shop bike compares, at least on price.

But a Giant or a Trek will definitely have awesome paint.

pgjackson

Compare the welds on the Giant and the Trek. That's what sold me on the Giant. Not impressed with Trek's attention to detail.

OP, the Felt Z85 is another great bike in the price range with 105's.

Grasschopper

Not sure what you can afford but I love to spend other people's money for them. I know my LBS has nearly a full size run of the 2011 Defy Advanced 3 Compact that I bet they would let go for around $1500.

baj32161

Get the Defy 1. The extra $200 you spend will not matter over the long haul. Also, take it from someone who went from 9spd to 10spd (although I was forced to), you will not regret it. They are both good bikes but I would much rather be riding 105 if the price is close enough.

Cheers,

Brian J.

Teambayern

Oh man, so the overwhelming consensus is that i should definitely get the 1. I was afraid of that. With pedals, shorts, jerseys, and everything else I was hoping I could squeeze by with the 2, but then again I am prone to buyer's remorse. I have to give both another test ride, am now leaning toward the 1.

twodownzero

You won't get the chance to buy another bike for a really long time, so get the nicest bike you can possibly afford.
I didn't care for the way Giant sizes their bikes.

So long as the frame has a good warranty, I don't really care how welds look. Take it from me (a guy who has made some ugly + strong welds in his day).

travelerman

Another vote for the Defy 1... I've had mine for a little over two months now, and love it. I've just gotten back into cycling after a 21 year hiatus, and am closing in on 700 miles in the past 9 weeks; the ease of use of the 105 components have made this a lot more feasible, IMHO, than if I had stuck with my 22 year old Schwinn.

My eyes were drawn to the blue, black, and white color scheme of the Defy 1 the moment I walked into the LBS, and I even like that Selle Royal Saddle, which I understand others swap out ASAP (the stock saddle, wheels, and tires seem to be what most complain about with this bike, but I'm fine with them - exept I do expect to switch over to Conti G4000s tires sometime next season).

I was worried for a while that the 2011's would be gone before I got mine, but there still appears to be a steady supply of them, at least locally.

unoudid

Proud owner of the Defy 1 here. Well worth the extra money. I'd even take a 2011 Defy 1 over the 2012. You get better components then the newer version.

Dobso

Same story here, got the Defy 1 and love it great bike. I would definitely get the Defy 1 as the 105 upgrade is well worth it.

John_V 

I'm a proud owner of the Defy 2 and I love that bike, but for the difference in the two, I would go with the 1. My Defy was a closeout of a prior years model so the difference between the two was way more than $200.00 or I would have bought the 1 if I was paying full price.

david58

My LBS had pretty much sold me on the Defy 1, and my wife on the Avail. The 105 groupset was what we were after, but the bikes just didn't do it for us as to appearance. Since if I am spending a grand I want to like what I'm looking at, we ended up going with the BMC at Competitive Cyclist ($999, and they will ship free if you ask). But the Giant is a good bike, I have simply never heard anything negative. I would encourage you to go for the 1, with the 105 components - the $200 would be worth it to me.

And you can find shorts and jerseys, and maybe the pedals you need, on ebay. I got a nice pair of Hincapie bibs last week for $30. Some real good deals on accessories on ebay, so the hit you take for the more expensive bike won't be too bad.