Giant Defy 1 (2013) or Trek Madone 2.1 (2013)

[darylpicard]

Hi all

I'm new to the road bike world but moving to the city means I need to get one as my mountain bike just doesn't cut it on the roads. I'm not looking at doing massive rides, maybe 40km at the most for a single ride. The most important feature I'm after is speed but I'm on a tight budget of $1500 give or take a couple of hundred.

I've been around to my local bike shops and have had a look at the Giant Defy 1 for 2013. It looks nice and feels good but I was only on it for a short trip up the block and back. I can purchase one of these for $1260.

I've also had a look at the Trek Madone 2.1, but only on paper. It seems very comparable to the Defy 1 and very similar spec-wise. A friend insists that Trek is better than Giant but he owns a Trek and may be biased. I've also spoken to a bike shop mechanic who's worked with the Madone 2.1 and he reckons it's lighter and better built than the Defy 1. Unfortunately to test ride one I'll need to travel a great deal and day time hours are hard for me to come by with work and all. A close by bike store can get me one in for $1599 (the RRP anyway).

So my question is: which is better, the Defy 1 or Madone 2.1? Is the Madone worth the extra money and should I make the effort for a test ride? Does anyone else have another bike they'd recommend that's better than these but in my price range?

On a side note I was also thinking with the money I could save on the Defy 1 I could make a few upgrades to the gear set for a little extra performance. Any ideas on what changes I could make? Is it gonna be worth it even?

The two bikes I'm looking at come with the stock set up and are here:
Defy 1:http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/defy.1/12008/57410/#overview
Madone 2.1:http://www.trekbikes.com/au/en/bikes/road/sport/madone_2_series/madone_2_1/#/au/en/model/features?url=au/en/bikes/road/sport/madone_2_series/madone_2_1

Thanks for any help.

[TZ2102]

I just got the cannondale caad8 105 2013, for just under that budget (list $1600) - very happy.

[rabobank89]

The 2013 CAAD 8 looks much nicer than the Giant and Trek..

[usernameforme]

The Trek, giant and C'dale are all very different bikes. The trek and C'dale are more aggressive whilst the Defy has a more relaxed position. This may or may not suit you. In terms of frame quality I'd say they are all equal, perhaps the Trek being marketed slightly above. IMO I'd say the Madone and the Defy (the ALUXX SL version) are more on par with the CAAD10. I'd leave the decision down to the test ride and the spec/$ ratio.

[darylpicard]

Thanks for the info guys. I'd have to agree with usernameforme that the design of at least the Madone 2.1 is more along the lines of the caad10 in that it's aerodynamically shaped and has seamless welds. I'll check to see if my local bike store has any of the cannondales in stock for a test ride but looking at some online prices I think the Madone 2.1 fits my budget better than the caad10. As for the caad8 I'll definitely have a look around for one but based on cannondales website I think the Madone 2.1 is a bit better. I guess the Defy 1 being designed more for comfort can be ruled out then. Can anyone suggest some other brands worth taking a look at in my budget?

[sb944]

I've made this advice and I'll stick to it still. Either blow your budget a little and get the absolute best bike you can, or get a cheaper alloy road bike, with the aim to upgrade later on if things go well, and you get specific about your needs. You can still find the 2012 Trek 2.1 for $1200 runout stock. You could also get some 2012 runout carbon Treks for only $1800. I was very wary about getting a nice alloy bike for near the top of my budget, because I knew I'd crave a carbon bike the whole time I owned that bike, but now couldn't afford the upgrade. I blew my budget a little and got a 2012 runout Trek carbon bike, and in 7 weeks, over 500 kms, not a second of regret so far.

Take a look at bikeexchange.com.au, put in the brand you are thinking, the model if you know it, your state. Doing Trek, Madone, NSW, there are 2 shops Brookvale and Campbelltown with Trek carbon bikes for $1800. I've been to both stores and wouldn't hesitate to buy from either.

[usernameforme]

Its a pity that Giant don't sell the TCR SL in Australia, that looks like a very nice bike. The Specialized Allez Comp is also worth a look if you want something racy for that budget