mnml

After advice from some members from this forums I finally hit the stores in LA, knowing that inventory is very, and most stores were in fact on the thin side, but not entirely.

I am new to road bikes. Looking for a more or less comfortable ride that will allow me to ride for 3+ hours without breaking my back or legs. I am not going to be racing or doing serious climbs (at least in the bear future). I prefer to ride alone or with a small group, but mostly alone. It's going to be mostly on paved roads with some minor climbs, rolling hills. Some city riding, but my preference is long rides on paved roads with some minor rolling hills.

Would really appreciate your opinion on a few bikes that I saw today. I am in no rush, but a good deal is a good deal. Same for a good bike. These are in stock. I was not able to ride all of them, but I will be doing so in the next few days.

1. 2020 Giant Defy Advanced 2 - $2450 (Gunmetal Black) - Did not ride, but in stock. Looked very nice and very light
   
2. 2020 Giant TCR Advanced 2 Kom - $2050 (Red) - Rode it and absolutely loved it. But it was rim brake only. They had a TCR Advanced 2 Disk Pro Compact, but not in my size. That one was I believe $2450 or so
   
   * I called a friend who knows a few things about bikes. Not a pro, but I somewhat trust his opinion. He said that Giant is to bikes is what Hyundai is to cars. I was surprised. Did a few searches and did not find that kind of distrust in Giant from most people. Only a few professionals, enthusiasts, and snobs said some really negative things about it. Is he wrong?
   
3. 2019 Trek Domane SL6 - It was selling for around $3400, but he said he would give it me for $2900 (cash+no taxes). Felt nice riding it, but it's rim brakes. Looks pretty sweet too.
   
4. 2020 - Specialized Roubaix Sport - $2500 ($2900 on the website). They will put it together tomorrow. I will also ask why it's $2500 when it retails for $2900. I don't have a lot of experience here, but that's one sweet bike. Same friend said this is the bike to get. I watched a review video on this one and they said there is a problem with the cap that holds that saddle or something like that. Any input on this bike would be greatly appreciated as I am thinking is might be one of the final candidates
   
5. 2021 Trek Emonda - $2700. Looked absolutely sick, but the store was closing. Will be back tomorrow to test ride. Looked it up on YT and they are calling it a "climbing bike". I am not sure what makes it one. I was drooling over it. It's a few $ above my budget, but if it's a good bike then it's a good bike. I am not sure though about the whole "climbing bike" thing. Don't know what makes it a climbing bike.
   
   
   PS. I can get a better bike for $2500, for example, than for $2000, then I would rather pay more for a good bike. Lowest price is not my ultimate goal here. I want a bike that's going to last a while. I also road a sweet Bianchi, but it just felt horrible on my back and legs. I guess I need a more relaxed position. I am not sure which ones of these is endurance bike or proper race bike, it's all rather confusing, but your opinions are welcomed and appreciated!
   
   

Duganator9

The roubaix all day long. You're new to riding and they are very comfortable, I just picked one up about a month ago and am in love with it.

surak

If you're in LA and don't plan to ride in the rain, getting disc brakes is not an absolute necessity. The only downsides to rim brakes would be less tire clearance -- you can run wider tires at lower pressures which makes for a more comfortable ride especially for longer outings on rougher surfaces -- and potentially fewer options in the future if you wanted to upgrade to nicer wheels when the industry moves more to disc.

A climbing bike is built for climbs, meaning optimized for weight and stiffness. They don't generally have as many features to increase comfort compared to endurance bikes, which may be heavier but tend to feature more ways to provide ride compliance to smooth out the vibrations and shocks that will wear you down as the miles increase. That doesn't mean a climbing bike can't be comfortable.

The bikes you've listed are all good bikes. If you find it hard choosing between them, picking the one that you think looks the best or the shop you had the best experience with are fine ways to break a tie.

mnml

Thank you for your reply. I am not die hard on the disk brakes. My hybrid bike has them and I seem to like them. I do feel a bit more safe with disk breaks on downhill runs. Not that I've done many, but it just feels like I have more control.
Yeah, I a narrowing down a few and will do longer rides this week to make a final decision. It's just hard because I am spending serious cash and not having experience, I don't want to make a mistake just because I think one is better than the other. Obviously, nothing and no one is perfect. I need to take a Xanax =)

blakcloud

I disagree with your knowledgeable friend on the Giant Brand. Giant has been making bikes longer than most manufactures and has built many of their bikes as a contractor. Giant makes great value bikes. Don't rule them out.

This has already been mentioned but having disk brakes allows you to run larger tires which can make a world of difference. For some this is not something they value. People having been riding 28 mm tires for years with ill effect and you may be one of those people. One of the other reasons I like disk brakes is how effortlessly it takes to squeeze the brakes. When it is cold and you are wet, the pull on the hydraulic lever is something a caliper brake and cable will never equal. The modulation is also an advantage.

Every bike you listed is a great bike but some are very different from each other. Most of them are endurance fits which means a more upright riding position. Typically longer head tubes among other things. The climbing bikes will be more aggressive, with more saddle to bar drop and quicker handling. Which ever you choose, good luck.

mnml

Thank you. I agree with you about Giant. They have been making bikes for a long time and from everything that I've read and heard, they are as you said "great value bikes".
Also agree on the disk breaks. I might want to go a bit wider on the tires. The clearance without pads will allow me that.
I am def looking for an endurance type of bike, but at some point they start blending to me. When I asked the sales guy about Emonda, he said that it's not endurance, but can be configured as one. The sales guy selling the Giant TCR said the same thing. I didn't include it in the list, but I tested a Bianchi. It looked as sexy as any bike, but it felt wrong for me. My back was annoyed the whole time I was on it.

y2zipper

I casted my vote for the emonda because I just upgraded from my entry level Giant Contend 3 and ended up choosing an emonda (I went with the SL6 pro) after riding a similar group of bikes. The caveat with my vote is that I'm moving away from more upright position and looking for a little more speed.

Since you're new, the place to put money is in getting yourself professionally bike fitted. Investing a couple hundred bucks in that is the biggest back and leg saver you can buy.

mnml

Congrats. I do like the the Emonda. I will take it for a spin tomorrow. I am not even sure if I'll like the ride or not. I have to stay somewhat upright because I am old and stiff =) Seriously though, I rode a Bianchi earlier today and it was very uncomfortable.

In terms of the bike fit, I don't mind spending the money. What is the point of it? I am not sure I fully understand.

smashndash

You have 3 contact points with the bike. The bars, the saddle, and the pedals. A bike fit is all about adjusting the positions of each of those contact points. You have a few variables: reach, stack height, bar width, crank length, saddle height, saddle angle, saddle fore-aft, cleat position, cleat angle, and cleat wedging. I know that sounds like a lot, but if you're willing to read up a bit, you can set up your bike pretty well on your own. Steve Hogg is a good resource online: https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/index/
There's also the Bike Fitting subforum if you have specific concerns.

Anyway, I voted for the Defy, assuming that it has the R7020 hydro shifters and not the weird Conduct SL stuff they used to have.

Giant bikes are of good quality. Much better than the industry average. The only reason people think Giant is uncool is that they used to have absolutely terrible paint jobs until literally last year. I believe Giant is the largest producer of bikes in the world. They are also one of the few companies that own a factory rather than subcontracting to the lowest bidder.

The Specialized is a close second. I'd just be wary about that proprietary Future Shock becoming a liability in 2-3 years.

The TCR is a race bike. Non-racers should not be riding race bikes, plain and simple. Same reason I didn't pick the 2021 Emonda. Both of these are fairly aggressive (long and low) bikes that ride a bit rough. The 2019 Domane (as opposed to the 2020/21) is a bit sketchy to me because it has BB90, which is easily the worst bottom bracket standard ever created. Trek has moved away from it in the new Domane and Emonda.

But nothing beats a test ride.

mnml

Thank you for the detailed reply and the link. I did like the Defy as well. They didn't have one assembled so I couldn't test it. All the stores are just overwhelmed. I'll be back there tomorrow. And yes, nothing like a test ride.

guadzilla

a) Your knowledgeable friends isnt very knowledgable if he thinks Giants makes bad bikes. Giant makes fantastic bikes and are probably the most advanced manufacturer of bikes out there (robot carbon layups, anyone?). In fact, of the list, I would put the Defy and TCR as the leading candidates in bang for the buck - you get a lot more from Giant in this price range than from Spesh/Trek. Pick the one which fits you better.

b) I would be inclined to going with disc brakes. Like it or not, that's the future. And leaving aside the better braking, disc brakes also give up the ability to run wider tires without losing too much in the way of speed. That would add comfort to your rides, without the weight/complications of the Headshox/ISOSpeed features of the Roubaix and the Domane respectively.

c) Linked to point (b) above - the Roubaix and Domane offer suspension features intended to make the bike smoother/more comfortable. Depending on what kind of roads you ride on, you may or may not need it. They also do make the bike heavier (atleast the Domane - possibly also the Roubaix). So there is a tradeoff there. But in addition to the tradeoff, the feel of these bikes is going to be different from the feel of something like a Defy/TCR - the latter is going to feel more spirited and lively when you pedal, whereas the former will feel smoother. Some people like one, some the other (I personally prefer a lively ride).

d) The Roubaix does have pretty good aero technology behind it - so if you going for the smoother right, that may be a feature to think about.

d) The old Emonda SL is neither particularly light nor aero. I am not really sure why it even exists, TBD.

All this said, keep in mind that this is all hair splitting at at exceedingly fine level. The performance difference between them is going to be fairly minuscule (I dont see a huge difference between my blinged out Venge and my old round-rubed Ti endurance bike). They are all great bikes and were i you, i would pick one based on the following criteria, in descending order:
- Whichever got my heart beating the fastest
- Whichever had the nicest color scheme
- Whichever shop seemed like the best guys to deal with

In the real world, that is far more important than obsessing over the minor differences in performance that are going to be virtually impossible to measure in the real world (we are talking a handful of seconds per hour).

Tacoenthusiast

the test ride part is correct

But "race bike" is basically just what all roadbikes were before they told us we needed 4 different kinds of roadbikes

​​​Just because you plan to ride for 3 hours doesn't mean you have to pick an endurance bike
The difference between bike types is actually very small and you shouldn't get hung up on the marketing garbage

​​​​​​Plenty of people are happy on race/gravel/aero/endurance/cargo/recumbent unicycle so try em all and see what you think

Ogsarg

The problem with picking a bike for you is that being new to cycling, you may not know what you want. After you've ridden a while,you may find that what you are looking for may change.

I do think you are better off starting with an Endurance frame so I'd say the Defy, Domane, or Roubaix. Nothing wrong with Giant bikes IMHO. Ride them all, see what fits best. Ask if the dealer will include a custom fitting or any extras. You want to feel good about the dealer, so make that a part of your decision making.

diphthong

i’d go with any of the disc brake options vs rim brake ones. as another poster mentioned, it will give you more than one or two tire size options. comes in handy if you want to do a ride that has a little dirt and you want to throw on a different wheelset/slap on some bigger tires for comfort/stability. you may like to mix it up a little regarding areas/roads you ride and the extra tire clearance may save you from buying another bike (ducks for cover from the arrows and slings of the n + 1 crowd) for added versatility.

if the la mentioned is los angeles and not louisiana, those disc brakes will come in handy for some steep descents. anyone that doubts that is welcome to descend tuna canyon in the santa monica mountains on rim brakes and tell me how well that went. i know the op mentioned not doing any major climbs but some roads have a way of taking you higher and farther than you expected.

phrantic09

I’ve never been less pleased with a bike than with the “endurance” bike I own.

Germanrazor

What!!!! No Orbea!!!! My best bike of all time was a Orca! That said.......of your picks, I too like the new Emonda but a SL6 is sweetly equipped and I am old school and still like rimmers!

But as posted.....ride them all to gauge what is best. Because if your body ain’t happy, you ain’t riding!

smashndash

I’m actually curious. How come?

The reason I say non-racers shouldn’t ride race bikes is that the marginal gains you get from compromising comfort, stability and tire clearance don’t actually help you unless you race. Especially for a new rider, the #1 priority is getting comfortable on the bike, IMO. The fastest bike is the one you can tolerate to ride the longest.

You also usually don’t get as many mounts for bottles/racks/fenders, which reduces the practicality of such bikes.

Tacoenthusiast

I liked my endurance bike a lot more once I changed the cassette from 11-32 to 11-28, and lowered the bars a bit
Stock gearing was set up to climb a mountain and I'm a flatlander. Even on organized rides with hills I never needed the bottom 2-3 gears, I sure did get annoyed with the gaps in the cassette on my regular flat rides......

That helped but I got a "race" bike anyway and it's so much fun, more responsive handling and accelerations and it's no less comfortable

Bah Humbug

Giant makes great bikes.

"Endurance" bikes aren't more comfortable than "race" bikes for everyone.

phrantic09

There is no compromise of comfort or stability in my case, it’s more the other way around.

I was more comfortable on my stretched out tooth rattling Felt F75 than on my Z, more confident in turns and downhills bla bla bla...

The R3 geometry is not as race-y as the F75 was, but I went a size down, got a longer stem and it feels great to me.

Sy Reene

Liking the Emonda.. basically noticed it has almost identical geometry to decades old Kellogg's Merlin geometry.

Mv350

Go with which ever geometry feels the most comfortable. I had an '07 Madone 5.1 that fit like a glove, then the new design came out and I hated it. I had a tarmac after that, wasn't a huge fan. I have an Allez sprint now, that fitting is amazing.

I found this
https://www.trekbicyclesuperstore.co...c-340964-1.htm

The Domane gets my vote.

Wooderson

The type of riding you describe is endurance riding, so I think it makes sense to focus on endurance bikes. I just replaced my Orbea Avant (endurance) with a Giant Defy Advanced 2 (endurance), and it's an amazing bike that is incredibly comfortable on the stock 32mm tires. I've already put 700 miles on it in the first month, and feel markedly less fatigued than if I did the same on my Orbea (25mm tires). The new Defy is a full 2lbs heavier than my Orbea, too.

It is possible to make an endurance bike aggressive, and it's possible to make a race bike tall and upright (I actually see that a lot). So there is some crossover; it's not as black and white as many make it out to be.

I would only consider disc bikes at this stage. 95% of road bikes sold in three years will be disc, and buying disc now is a form of future-proofing. It will affect resale value and future upgrade options. I saw this happen in the mountain bike space about 10 years ago.

All of the big manufacturers make pretty much the same bikes at at their respective group levels / pricepoints (within a category, of course). Sure, some have "zert inserts" or "d-fuse seatposts", but I wouldn't rank those marketing-driven features higher than your test ride experience. There are some subtle differences that matter, like my Defy 2 is full 105, except they cheaped-out by putting a non-group crankset on it. The 105 (hollowtech) cranks would have saved 40 grams. That's partly how Giant priced it $400 less than the Domane (wheels are the other part).

So I voted for the Defy, because I just went through this process, and really love my new bike. But I also really like the Domane, Roubaix, and Synapse. You can't go wrong with any of those. Buy the one you feel most comfortable on, and just like the best. You're going to be the one riding it.

Edit to address a couple of your specific questions: Giant is on par with the other big manufacturers, your friends's perspective is outdated and wrong. I'd guess that the seat cap issues you've read about on the Roubaix are isolated, I haven't heard the same.. either way, I wouldn't think it would be a huge deal, the bike is warrantied, and your dealer will take care of you if problems like this occur, so don't let that sway you too much. BTW, the Roubaix was on my short list, too. Brakes are why I bought the Defy, the Defy has 105 hydraulic brifters and calipers, the Roubaix has mechanical brifters and Tektro mechanical disc brakes. The Shimano hydraulic brakes are materially better, IMO.

mnml

Everyone, thanks for your input and suggestions. I ended up buying the Roubaix Sport. I got $400 off MSPR and it was probably the only bike available in my size and price ranger in a 30 mile radius in LA.
Absolutely love it. The seat is a bit weird. I might have to get proper shorts with padding (I have padded underwear but I got a long time ago). Also having a few issues with hand numbness, but I'll probably just do a proper bike fit to make sure I am sitting right. It may be just me being out of shape in more than one way. Otherwise, love it. Fast as hell. Feel amazing. Very light obviously and just a pleasure to ride.