Can the Defy Advanced Pro deliver pro-level performance on a budget?
Our latest Bike of the Week is the Giant Defy Advanced Pro 2, the Taiwanese brand’s second-tier version of its revered endurance road bike.
Unlike its mainstream rivals, such as the Trek Domane or Specialized Roubaix SL8, the Defy relies on tyre volume, along with frame and seatpost flex, to deliver its comfort, rather than proprietary pivots or suspension gizmos.
Giant released the latest incarnation of the Defy in 2023, when it underwent a significant weight-shaving exercise, with the range-topping Defy Advanced SL frame claimed to weigh 785g (size medium, no hardware).
Senior technical editor Warren Rossiter was gushing with praise for the top-tier Giant Defy Advanced SL 0, awarding it 4.5 stars. However, that bike costs a rather princely £11,499 / $12,000 / €11,999 / AU$13,999.
We’re looking forward to seeing how much of that bike’s personality translates to this more sensible £3,499 / €3,900 option.
It’s also the first bike to arrive at BikeRadar HQ with the new Shimano 105 R7100 12-speed mechanical groupset.
Let’s take a closer look.
A competitively lightweight frame
The Defy Advanced Pro is constructed from Giant’s Advanced-grade carbon fibre and is claimed to weigh 860g in a size medium without hardware – only 75g heavier than the Advanced SL.
That’s pretty admirable considering the significant price saving, and what’s more impressive is the new Advanced Pro frame is 120g lighter than the previous flagship Defy.
It’s also claimed to be 0.2 per cent stiffer than the previous-generation Defy Advanced Pro (yes, really).
The tube shapes have been revised on the new Defy, with the seatstays subtly dropped and the seat tube more slender at the seatpost junction. The head tube also has a more svelte profile, which Giant says is to improve aerodynamics.
The Advanced Pro shares the same fork as the Advanced SL, claimed to weigh 345g uncut. It uses Giant’s OverDrive Aero steerer, which is an oversized 1-1/4in to 1-1/4in D-shaped steerer tube.
This also enables the front end to be fully integrated, with all cables running underneath the stem and into the frame through the upper headset bearing. Giant specs a separate bar and stem to enable easier bike fit adjustments, though.
This system, which debuted on Giant’s Propel Advanced SL aero bike, is claimed to provide a small efficiency benefit, but the main gain here is arguably in terms of cleaner looks.
The Defy can accept up to 38mm road bike tyres, matching the Trek Domane but trumped by the 40mm clearance of the Specialized Roubaix SL8.
D-Fusing the ride
The updated bump-taming frame is paired with an all-new Giant D-Fuse seatpost and handlebar, which the brand claims enables you to ride further distances in greater comfort.
The new D-Fuse carbon seatpost has a markedly different appearance from its predecessor, with the D-shaped post tapering towards the head to allow up to 7mm of flex at the saddle.
Moving to the handlebar, the Defy Advanced Pro uses a Giant Contact SL D-Fuse aluminium handlebar over the Contact SLR carbon equivalent found on spendier models.
Still, it retains the D-shaped profiling on the tops, said to increase not only comfort but also efficiency on harder efforts. The drops have an 8-degree flare, which Giant claims increases handling stability, in combination with a shorter 72mm reach.
What is Bike of the Week?
Every fortnight, we’ll bring you a detailed first look at one of the latest bikes (or framesets) to arrive at BikeRadar HQ – from road to commuting, gravel to enduro, and anything in between.
This is our chance to introduce the bike and everything that makes it unique before hitting the road or trails.
Head to our Bike of the Week hub for previous editions.
A Shimano 105 R7100 showcase
The Defy Advanced Pro 2 is specced with a brand-spanking new Shimano 105 R7100 groupset.
It’s a 12-speed mechanical groupset and it shares many components with Shimano 105 Di2 R7100. The shifters and front derailleur look very similar to their R7000 11-speed counterparts, but the rear derailleur has a revised aesthetic with a flattened body and an updated cage.
Like both Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 and Ultegra Di2 R8100, the disc brake calipers have 10 per cent wider pad spacing, which should reduce any rubbing, and sport the new separate bleed port arrangement.
As with 105 Di2, though, the brakes don’t get Shimano’s Servo Wave technology, because that’s reserved for Ultegra and Dura-Ace.
On this particular bike, there’s a deviation from Shimano at the chain, with Giant speccing a KMC X12L-1 version.
The wheels are Giant’s SLR 2 36 Carbon Disc WheelSystem, a 36mm-deep hookless rim with a 22.4 internal width and a 26mm external width. 32mm Giant Gavia Fondo 1 tyres are set up tubeless on the rims.
The rest of the finishing kit is own-brand, with a Fleet SL saddle and a 110mm-long Contact SL Aerolight stem complementing the D-Fuse handlebar and seatpost.
Our size-large bike weighs 8.48kg on the BikeRadar scales of truth.