my first bike (i have no idea)

[insular]

hi there, im looking at getting a proper road bike for fitness training to begin with and after visiting a few of my local bike stores and looking online i need some advice. i want to spend as little as possible but also get a decent bike that is good value for money as well as being decent in build quality and having some niceities that one would look for in a bike (smooth to ride, light, ...dunno what else?).

the cheapest brand new bike at my local is a giant defy 2009 model (not sure which one exactly), but is $700AUD. this would be 2 years old as they are getting rid of 2010 models now.

my other option is to go 2nd hand, and i found one for $500AUD which sounds good but is 2007 model. it is a allez specialised bike.

i cant really tell the difference or know which is better, can someone please advise me? ive never really ridden a road bike so i dont know what to look for. heres the specs of the allez bike.

Frame - A1 Premium Aluminium, Specialized carbon fork with carbon fibre legs
Shimano Sora Flight Deck shifting system.
Front Derailleur - Shimano Sora
Rear Derailleur - Shimano Tiagra
Wheel set - Jalco GX 460
Front Tyre - Vittoria Rubinho Pro Slick
Rear Tyre - Specialized Mondo Pro

any advice would be appreciated! thanks!

 

[Scotty_Dog]

I can't really tell you much regarding the Giant Defy because you did not provide the actual model. From what I can surmise, there are 9 different Defy models from 2009.

 

[Dave67]

The Allez is a nice bike. If it is your size and in good working order, I don't see any problem with it. You could the use extra 200 for upgrades.

 

[insular]

sorry, i don't know exactly which defy model it is, i can call and find out. but based on their website, it looks like the 2010 defy 3 model (australian website, not US).

i don't know anything about the giant range, but as it is definitely the most entry level defy model if you're familiar with the range you can probably make an educated guess on which it is.

i understand that the allez is also an entry level bike, but retails for about double to the defy model i am looking at.

i just don't know whether a 2007 model vs. a 2009 model in the price ranges i have discussed is going to be a huge difference or leap in technology.

the best difference i can see is that a carbon vs alloy fork, the allez is better.

 

[GT Fanatic]

Dunno if this helps any, but I've been on a Giant Defy 1 and Defy 2, and they are very nice bicycles. I came really close to getting one, but when it came time to pull the trigger, I just wasn't "feeling it."

They accelerate well, handle well, and have a comfortable geometry and ride quality. They really are great bikes.

 

[Scotty_Dog]

From the information you have provided, here is what I believe is a side by side comparison of the two bikes: 2007 Specialized Allez Triple / 2009 Giant Defy 3 . Prices are in US dollars MSRP. As you can see, the Specialized is not double the retail of the Giant. That being said, the bikes are practically equal with a slight lead by the Specialized in terms of component quality in my opinion.

So, as it stands, the new Giant is being sold for 77% of it's MSRP, while the used Specialized is 58% MSRP. The Giant sold by your LBS will have a warranty, will likely include proper sizing, and probably some free service/maintenance after your purchase. The Specialized will include none of those.

If you're new to cycling the Giant is probably your better option. If you have cycling knowledge regarding proper fit and service/maintenance procedures, the Specialized might be better depending upon its actual used condition. In good condition, I believe the Specialized would be more appropriately priced at around $425AUD (50% MSRP).

One last point, ride both bikes and see which one you like better.

 

[Sheepy]

Giant are one of (if not the) biggest bicycle manufacturers. Because of this they can usually give you better overall value, but sometimes only just slightly.

If you want to know if its good enough for a beginner, definitely. Thats a bloody good price too. I'm looking at getting my first road bike and I thinking it's going to cost me around $900 new. Although theres a LOT of upper end ($1500 > ) bikes for sale for less than that too.

 

[insular]

Scotty_Dog, that's probably the best response in a forum to a question i've ever received. extremely helpful! thankyou!!!

i will probably go with the giant, as i forgot about the warranty, the 'new' factor, and the proper sizing (although as its a runout model i dont have much to choose from). i think it was either 58 or 59 for me (i am very tall, 193cm), and he said i could ride either but i think he didnt really care.

i dont know if i can ride the store bike, ill ask on the weekend. the 2nd hand allez probably wont sell, it's probably priced too high and the seller will have to re-list at a lower price, so ill have more time to think about it.

i havent checked out enough bike stores, so ill do that on the weekend too.