Cycling Plus editors wrote that the Defy range “defined a genre” when it was introduced in 2008, taking the best elements from the TCR race bike and adapting them for a rider position that’s better suited for comfort on long rides.
Tester Warren Rossiter rode the 2020 Defy Advanced Pro 2 test model, which features a D-Fuse seatpost and handlebar to dampen road vibrations for a more comfortable ride quality.
“The D-shape of the [seatpost] maintains lateral rigidity but allows the post to move enough to smooth vibrations from poor road surfaces,” Rossiter wrote. “Giant has rolled the D-Fuse technology into the handlebar. Here the D-shape is orientated so that it has compliance when there’s force coming from above, such as when you hit a pothole, rut or bump. But when you pull on bars when sprinting they are claimed to be 30 percent stiffer than a standard bar.”
Describing the bike’s ride performance, Rossiter wrote: “On the road the Defy is gloriously composed with a wonderful ride quality. I ventured onto a few gravel road sections and the Defy excelled here as well as it did on tarmac roads.”
Rossiter also praised the Defy’s Giant SLR 1 tubeless wheels and 32c Gavia Fondo tires: “When climbing, the Defy has plenty in its armory,” he wrote. “First up is the carbon wheelset … that’s 1500g for the pair, plus tires that run without inner tubes.”
Summing up the test, Rossiter wrote: “The Defy Advanced Pro 2 is a stunning machine that packs in value, great looks and a wonderful ride.”
For more, check out the February issue of Cycling Plus.
And to learn all about the full 2020 Defy Advanced Pro series, click here.
