HalloweenHead

Hello my friends,

I don't have many people I can bounce this off so I hope some of you have some input. Looking for a all-road style drop bar bicycle that can be used mainly for sprints around town, some group rides and overnight weekend rides on gravel/park paths.

I have narrowed down to two possibilities that seem to be road orientated but diverse enough for long days along with capability of handling gravel/off-road paths.

One is the 2020 Giant Contend AR 1 $2099 and the other (a local vancouver company) Brodie Romax Comp $2099. Both seem to be lean enough for 75% road duty but diverse enough to handle some light gravel and backpacking.

Please any input on which has the better components/features and any suggestions beyond these two suckers in the $2,000-$2,500 CAD range.

Thanks much in advance.

I am not able to post links as a new poster - both models have websites easily searchable with specs

Russ Roth

Never heard of Brodie before, name really brings back watching the movie Clerks.
Of the two the Giant is perhaps slightly better equipped with actual hydraulic 105 brakes that will be superior, while the Brodie made the odd decision to run QR rear which will make off the shelf replacement wheelsets harder in the future. Its hard to compare the wheelsets, Alex does make decent stuff and the Giant is their rebadged whatever that may be good or not. 2 bikes in the same price range, one had their rebadged set with cartridge bearings, off center rims for perfect spoke tension, butted spokes and the rims were light, under 1800g for the pair. Other bike had heavy rims, cheap cup and cone bearings, straight gauge spokes and weighed closer to 2200. Its what I hate about rebadged wheels, they could be anything and make comparisons difficult.
What might really set these two apart is the factory tire size and what that means for future tire fitting. The Brodie comes with a 40c tire which is a fairly wide road size, if it uses an appropriately sized rim you might not be able to go narrower then a 28c tire on the stock wheels which isn't a bad thing, while the 40c probably has plenty of room and will have lots of comfort for all day gravel.
The Giant on the other hand comes with a 32c, what does the frame max out at? I can reasonably comfortably do all day gravel with the factory 35s though when they wear out they'll be replaced with 38c for more comfort offroad. Can the Giant even make it to a 35c? If not it may not be what you're looking for, I wouldn't want to do long distance on 32c gravel; 1-3 hours sure but not much more.

MarcusT

In addition to Russ' views, I like the Brodie for all the eyelets/mounts to add racks, fenders, and such. Though, if the group rides are serious road cyclists, the bigger tires might be a handicap.

HalloweenHead

Thanks guys.. its quite overwhelming these days with all the options and nuances to keep in mind when shopping for a bike. From what I read the Giant can handle up to 38c tires. I guess when looking for an all road you have to decide if its going to be more inclined for road and some gravel vs gravel and some road? Thats the impression I am getting anyway.

Any other models that you might suggest considering? I'm thinking realistically the bike will be spending more time on the road, just hoping that its a set up diverse enough to handle a few hours on light gravel without being too uncomfortable or fragile. I like the consideration re the eyelets/mounts, that's always a nice door to keep open should the need arise.

blakcloud

Both bikes are good. The main difference for me is the head tube length. The Giant in every size is 10 mm longer. A simplistic way of looking at this is that it has you sit up more, which is a more relaxed fit. Some won't like this while others will. Yes, you could play with stems and spacers (which others will argue) but you want a bike to feel good out of the box. It is best if you could try both and see which one you are most comfortable on.

Also I do like hydraulic discs on the Giant vs the mechanical disc on the Brodie. Again personal preference.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

Nyah

Those Spyre-C brakes on the Brodie are actually really good cable-actuated disc brakes. If you want to avoid the regular, potentially-messy service that hydraulics require, you wouldn't do bad with those Spyre-Cs.

Rides4Beer

If Giant says 38, then you'll have some extra room and could probably fit a 40 if you wanted (the max on my Revolt is listed as 45, but people have fit 50s, I had a set of 43's for a bit and still had a ton of room). But even a 38 would be plenty for most people. I ride 40mm tires that measure at 38-39mm and have no issues on some pretty tough gravel (I'm 185lbs and ride pretty hard). The Contend looks like a lot of bike for the money.

Jicafold

You consider over $2000 to be entry level?

Ross520

It's Canadian, not USD. In the States, it's a $1500 bike, which could be considered on the higher-end of entry level.
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Jicafold

True. But dollar amounts aside, he mentions the Giant Contend AR 1 as an entry level consideration. I would consider the Giant Contend 3 entry level. There are 5 bikes under the AR1 in the Giant line-up.

DMC707

Yes, I just had to service the Shimano disc brakes on my 2006 Santa Cruz for the first time a couple of weeks ago and let me tell you ---- it can get messy! LOL

I jest but that's a true story --- brakes haven't needed anything but pads in over a decade -- granted , my mtb is used seasonally , --- but Shimano has the hydraulics pretty well figured out

HalloweenHead

Should we start a thread where we can debate the merits of the term "entry level bike" - not sure the semantics are really that important here.

Thanks for everyone's opinion. I really appreciate the insight! I think I'm leaning towards the Giant. Seems to be a pretty flexible and well spec'd bike for the price.

Jicafold

It's not really semantics. An entry level road bike from a company such as Giant, would be the lowest cost road bike model. Is there such a thing as sub-entry level? Not so. If you really are not looking for an entry level bike then say so.

HalloweenHead

Thank you for your contribution to this thread.

Leinster

Cyclingtips just covered this.

FlMTNdude

As tires kept coming up, an option is a spare wheelset for group rides where you could run a more appropriate road tire, and another set for when you are going to bikepack or go off road.It is a little more money, but is almost like having two bikes for just another $500-1000 additional, depending on quality of wheels and tires.

Leisesturm

An awesome 'all road' entry level ($699) bicycle is a Salsa Journeyman. It is not, semantics IMO, to question calling a $1500 bike "entry level". Seriously? Why have designations at all then. But, of course, all kinds of ego, self-worth, and social distancing peccadilloes are tied up in such defensiveness as exhibited by the o.p. Poor form. Tut tut.

JayKay3000

Good luck with the purchase, fingers crossed it's the right bike for you! Giant is a pretty solid brand. I've owned a few of their bikes. Good for what they are. Lots of LBS sell them too. If you can ride it before you buy or test ride be ideal though if they can get one in your size.

veganbikes

I would go with a Jamis Renegade S2 personally but if my choice was between those two I would probably go Brodie, I do like their logo better and honestly the bikes are pretty similar but at least Brodie, uses a standard 27.2 seatpost which while maybe not as comfortable is a super easy option to replace.
The ride of steel is way better and certainly will last a long long time if taken care of.

Maelochs

Why be helpful if I can pick a fight, right?

Maelochs

I am a fan of the Contend/Defy, and have not heard many if any valid complaints ....

And while we are debating semantics, if he is entering the all-road market with this purchase ....

The internet isn't just for porn, it's for silly bickering too!