2015 Defy/Avail

[Duck!]

Just appeared on Bike Radar & others over the last couple of days are first looks at the all-new Giant Defy/Liv (as they're now separately branding the women's line) Avail series. Geometry is identical to the current series, but that's where the carry-over ends; tube profiles & engineering are all new.

But the big news is that the carbon-framed models are exclusively disc-braked, while the alloy models remain solely rim-braked. Drivetrains are exclusively Shimano (with the odd FSA crank), and brakes are a selection of Shimano (hydraulic) & Tektro/TRP (mechanical disc & rim).

There are 13 Defy and 10 Avail models in total, but how many of those make up the local range is yet to be determined, as is local pricing. That will be revealed in a couple of weeks.

[Parker]

I bought a 2014 Trinity last year and it's got a lot of really nice finishing touches to it, I think giant has stepped it up a notch in their presentation. What I believed to once being a pretty basic brand is now starting to look heaps better. So much so that I'll probably be deciding between giant and specialized for my new road bike. It'll all come down to which bike feels the best.

The colours on the women's are looking fantastic!

[rodneycc]

Interestingly they have ditched the Composite range in favor of another in the Advanced model. Also going the real budget Defy 5 with Claris group to try and cash in at the very bottom of the market. Also no Dura Ace 9000 mech model? Saving that for the TCR maybe?

Lets just hope for better colours on the Defy than in those Bike radar pictures! But love the Spec on the Advanced SL 0, just need to wait a few years for the price to go down. Who needs a CX bike when you can have one of those. Should fit 28/30c tyres too. Nice. (Apologies to real CX riders which clearly isn't me).

[Cmm]

Agree Rodney I was about to get a tcx advanced on run out but as I am not going to race a new defy with disc running a 28 or 30 will be a much better all rounder for some gravel excursions than a cx bike just need to wait 12-18 months for sales

[Duck!]

Interestingly they have ditched the Composite range in favor of another in the Advanced model. Also going the real budget Defy 5 with Claris group to try and cash in at the very bottom of the market. Also no Dura Ace 9000 mech model? Saving that for the TCR maybe?

I don't know with any certainty yet, but I'm suspecting nothing more than a name change as far as absence of the Composite. There has always been the misunderstanding from some quarters that "composite" implies that it's not a pure carbon layup. My guess is that the "Advanced" name now applies to what was the Composite, while the mid-level frame is now called Advanced Pro. I'll find out at the launch in a couple of weeks.

[rodneycc]

Yeah that makes sense with the Advanced Pro models being the old Advanced and old Comp now being Advanced.

[Cmm]

Have heard that the "advanced" may get a standard steere (1 1/8) where as the pro and the sl get the 1 1/4

I think they have the same type of carbon just the steerer may be different

[Duck!]

Looking at the suggested US pricing, I doubt the steerer to be the only difference. The Advanced Pro does closely align with the current Advanced, and the new Advanced fits the bracket currently taken by the Composite, so it seems logical that they're still different grades of carbon.

It's not the first time Giant have shuffled the names around either. From introduction in 2002 the carbon variants of the TCR & later OCR were called Composite, using the T700 grade of carbon. In '05 they introduced the T800/T1000 blend Advanced as the top-spec frame. Then with a new frame series in '09 they dropped the Composite name, gave the Advanced name to the T700 frames & called the top-spec Advanced SL for the same stuff. Then brought the Composite name back a year or two later on T600 grade carbon.....

[Duck!]

I stand corrected re: Composite/Advanced/Advanced Pro. Had the Giant rep in at work today, and the Composite range is indeed being discontinued. The Advanced has a 1 1/2 - 1 1/8" alloy steerer, while the Pro is a full carbon fork with 1 1/2 - 1 1/4" steerer. The frames are the same.

[Carrots]

Duck any comments from the rep why they're going back to 1 1/8s?

Only can imagine it's due to that small margin per bike which would add up. Or perhaps for differential to higher level models so to speak.


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[Cmm]

Thanks for the confirmation Duck! how big a difference will the alloy vs carbon steerer make? cause if not much the advance are going to be a bloody good buy! the Porpel Advance with 6800 is currently 2300 at some shops!

[Duck!]

Duck any comments from the rep why they're going back to 1 1/8s?

Only can imagine it's due to that small margin per bike which would add up. Or perhaps for differential to higher level models so to speak.

Little (but not incosequential) things like stem availability, not so much OE, 'cos they fit their own brand finishing kits, but aftermarket. They claim 1 1/4" is stiffer, therefore better handling performance, but having ridden it on MTB I can't tell the difference.

Thanks for the confirmation Duck! how big a difference will the alloy vs carbon steerer make?

Stuff all I reckon. You might get a little less vibration damping with the alloy, but with carbon fork blades & frame there's not that much more damping that a carbon steerer can do.

As yet though still no confirmation of exactly what the local range and pricing will be, but the launch is less than two weeks away now, so we'll know then.

[Cmm]

Yeah that's also a good point what bikes will actually make it to aus! Can't wait to see what comes as well as the propel range colours are looking great!

[Parker]

Does anyone know if any of the giant stores have catalogues in store yet?

[Duck!]

No they don't.That will come with the official launch that will make its way around the country from July 28th.

Giant don't print hard-copy catalogues for the public any more, haven't for a few years now, only a single "dealer manual" for the shops. Everything should be on the Giant Bikes website soon after the launch.

[Parker]

I was referring to dealers manual

[Duck!]

No, the dealer manual isn't out yet.

[Cmm]

Hey duck if a bike doesn't make it into the aus line up is there any way for dealers to order the bike that didnt make it? Or would it mean a trip over seas? (I know extreme measures for a bike)

[dale79]

my 2015 xtc advanced 1 MTB is listed as OD2 in the specs but has a normal 1 1/8 steer with a od2 stem with a shim in it.. wasnt real impressed with that but what can you do..

[Duck!]

Hey duck if a bike doesn't make it into the aus line up is there any way for dealers to order the bike that didnt make it? Or would it mean a trip over seas? (I know extreme measures for a bike)

I don't actually know. The shop may be able to do a special order through Giant, but be prepared to wait for it. I know it's been done for frames (typically warranty jobs on 26" MTB models that are still procuced for overseas but not part of the local range), so it may be possible.

my 2015 xtc advanced 1 MTB is listed as OD2 in the specs but has a normal 1 1/8 steer with a od2 stem with a shim in it.. wasnt real impressed with that but what can you do..

Probably a blessing in disguise really... If you want to play around with stems to fine-tune your setup there's a much greater range of 1 1/8" stems to choose from. I haven't been able to detect any handling improvement from OD2, so you're not really missing much.

[dale79]

nah im not to fussed at all to be honest..
as you say makes it easy!

[Parker]

No, the dealer manual isn't out yet.

Obviously

[danny the boy]

Many thoughts but scared to post them..... Without trying to sound like I live in a cave, I'm not sure of the wisdom of the decision here from a sales point of view. Tuning disc brakes can be a bit trickier than dual pivot, if I was buying my GF a new bike, I'd be looking at other brands.

[Duck!]

Disc brakes, especially hydros are the easiest brakes to setup. If you want to see tricky, try fiddling with the v-brake type things on the Propel & other similar bikes.