![]() The Giant Defy model - available in a range of spec with varying levels of carbon quality (Advanced Pro being the uppermost) - is an endurance beast with a relaxed but still punchy geometry and disc brakes.īianchi is the only bike brand using 'countervail technology'. The resin used minimises voids whist staying strong and helps to absorb road shock.Ĭarbon is a particularly popular material of choice for endurance bikes because it absorbs shocks and vibration from the road much more than any other. ![]() Their carbon frames use 'high performance grade raw carbon fibre' which is transformed into composite in its own factory. Just a few brands have the capacity to work with raw carbon, and Giant is one of them. But if you’re putting a large number of miles in on the roads, you’ll likely want to swap this out for a tighter spaced optionĪs mentioned elsewhere, most frame manufacturers work with sheet carbon. If you’re planning on riding this more like a gravel bike, that may not be an issue. We found the handling felt somewhere between a gravel and a road bike, which was a pretty perfect balance for retaining a lively feeling ride, but also incorporating a degree of stability, providing a confident feel.Ĭoming with an 11–34 tooth 11-speed cassette, there aren’t actually any single tooth jumps and this does result in sometimes being stuck between two gears – one too hard and the other too easy. As such, the carbon frame features a complex mix of tubing shapes, so as to deliver stiffness where it’s needed – such as around the head tube and bottom bracket – and flexibility where it’s not, such as at the seat stays. OCLV stands for Optimum Compaction Low Void and refers to the process of placing sheets into the mould, applying the ideal combination of heat and pressure to compress them, and limiting voids or gaps between the layers which could compromise strength and durability.Īs an endurance bike, the Defy is designed to be comfortable to ride over long durations, but still efficient enough so that you can cover long distances. To construct the frame, Trek uses its own 700 Series OCLV carbon. ![]() However, the Madone features the brand's IsoSpeed decoupler which really does make for a much more forgiving and comfortable ride.Īt 7.5kg, it is a little heavier than some other aero bikes around this price point, but with the Madone's combination of aerodynamic efficiency and shock absorbing qualities, it was more than good enough to make it into our 2019 Editor's Choice awards. When we pitted aero road bikes head to head, using aero testing, we found the Trek Madone Ltd tied with the Specialized Venge. This bike spares zero expensive and is dripping in top of the range components, such as SRAM's top tier Red eTap groupset and the Bontrager Aeolus OCLV Carbon wheels. Quite the contrast to the value optimised Boardman SLR 8.9 is the Trek Madone SLR 9 Disc. A little heavy for a bike of this calibre
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