Defy is for going longer. It’s for climbing higher, riding faster, and doing it all with confidence and smooth control. It’s for reaching your limit and blowing past it. This fifth generation Defy range takes everything riders love about it—namely its unbeatable blend of lightweight efficiency and smooth compliance—and levels up. It’s now lighter, smoother and more efficient. It’s the perfect companion for an all-day sportive, an ambitious gran fondo, or an epic solo day on challenging roads.
The Blueprint for Defy
One of the hallmarks of Defy is a commitment to improving performance without overcomplicating it. Based on market feedback over the years—plus input received from top pros who have raced Defy bikes at events like Paris-Roubaix—the development team chose not to rely on shock absorbers, bushings and other add-ons used in many endurance road bikes.
Lighter Weight
The frame for the flagship series of the new range, the Defy Advanced SL, is a feathery 785g (medium, no hardware), weighing a full 195g (19.9 percent) less than the previous generation’s top-of-the-line Defy Advanced Pro frameset. Tests show that the new frame also boasts 28 percent greater pedaling efficiency. At the front end, the new fork used on the new Defy Advanced SL and Defy Advanced Pro series weighs 350g, 15 percent lighter than the previous generation. And the new Contact SLR D-Fuse handlebar is now 8 percent lighter.
Details Matter
It’s the raw carbon fiber layup (carbon sheet) that’s handcrafted in Giant’s own factory. It’s the detailed layup schedule, using up to 132 intricately shaped swaths of composite to meet specific weight and stiffness parameters. It’s the touch points and components, all designed and integrated for endurance road performance.