crazyravr

I am looking at these two bikes at the moment. I always rode Giant bikes and was going to with the Defy for 2021 but....... is the $1000 extra cost worth it here?
Defy Advanced Pro 3 - Decathlon Van Rysel Ultra CF 105

ZHVelo

Well the Giant has disc brakes for one. That usually adds about half of that difference.

Also, it has much nicer cable management. What is the weight of the van Rysel?

eduskator

No one other than you can justify this purchase, but I would say of course it is...Are we looking at the same 2 pictures or what? For a moment I thought you were comparing a GIANT with a Decathlon...

Iride01 

Shouldn't matter if I can justify it. It's your money and your preferences for your use. So you need to justify it. If you don't know then it's like listening to new speakers for your sound system. If you don't listen to another model speaker, you think the ones you are listening to are great. So go with that.

Sounds like you need to get some actual personal experience and not rely on making such ambiguous questions in posts.

Maybe I need to finish this pot of coffee before I read more threads.............. <grin>

Psimet2001 

Ugh. It shouldn't be but this is kind of a cringey post.

No one can tell you how to spend your money or whether or not the difference is "worth it" for YOU.

BUT... Doesn't Giant have a lifetime warranty on their frames now. Also they've been building carbon frames since carbon frames began...

PoorInRichfield

My worthless opinion...

If your budget allows, I'd go with the Giant. The Giant has all the modern technologies (except electronic shifting) and would likely make you a very happy camper for years to come, with the added bonus of reasonable resale value because it's a brand known for quality (not that bikes are investments, but something to consider.) I personally have never heard of a Van Rysel and wouldn't buy one new or used unless it was nearly free... especially since I think rim brakes limit your tire options too much.

... end worthless opinion

Rides4Beer

Not sure those two bikes are really comparable, but I'd still go with the Giant, better warranty, disc brakes, looks better (subjective). +1 for never having heard of the other brand. There are plenty of cheap bikes out there, but I think Giant is one of the better values among well known brands, and hands down the best warranty.

Litespud

Absolutely the Giant - the extra grand will only hurt once, when you're writing the check or pushing the Checkout button. Buy the other one, and you're going to be looking wistfully at every disc-braked bike you pass, until, a few years from now, you end up buying a disc-braked bike anyway. Save money in the long term and buy the bike you really want now.

mstateglfr 

In the largest size, those are 2 different bikes when i comes to geometery.
The Van Rysel apparently fits up to my height, 6'5, and has a 596mm stack, 403mm reach, and 130mm stem. Thats some aggressive geometry. Especially when added to the short head tube and short stays.

Whichever fits you best, thats cool, but they will fit differently.

One is disc and the other is rim, thats something to care about. Both are fine, but you have to have an opinion, right? As for cable management...whatever. thsts about 40th on the list of stuff that I would care about. I'm a heathen and ride with exposed cables though.

WhyFi

If/when the OP decides to re-sell, they'll probably get back a big chunk of that extra $1k, too.

crazyravr

I was simply looking at the frame / group set and did not factor the wheels or brakes into the equasion.
Looking at this closer, I see where the extra money would be invested into, despite the Decathlon bike being a lighter offering.

Mojo31

The Giant is one sexy looking beast.

Things like that can sway me.

topflightpro

Well, the Giant has disc brakes and carbon wheels, which cost more and which many people find desirable.

As to whether the cost is worth it - that's up to you.

A couple questions to consider:
1. Do both bikes fit?
2. How do you think they ride?
3. What kind of LBS support will you be getting with them?
4. Which color do you like better? (The Giant is admittedly nicer looking.)

vespasianus

Well, that pretty much sums it up. Listen to the topflightpro (even with the scary avatar picture - creepy!).

WhyFi

What's wrong with Sloth and/or Tom Selleck?

sced

is the $1000 extra cost worth it here? OF COURSE NOT!!!!

You can get a cheaper Giant and not lose a thing.

vespasianus

I thought it was Burt Reynolds and Ned Beatty's friend from Deliverance!

crazyravr

The Giant is $1000 more here.

But anyways, I did decide to spend more once than even more down the road replacing wheels etc.

Gconan

Test ride them both!

Greatestalltime

Yes. Get it. Spending more is almost always better.