The next generation endurance road bike

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.

D-FUSE TECHNOLOGY

CONTROLLED COMPLIANCE

Each new Defy features integrated components with a focus on compliance. The first is the D-Fuse composite seatpost, created by Giant a decade ago and now commonly used by other brands. Originally used for Giant’s pro cyclocross racers, D-Fuse seatpost technology made its way to Defy bikes in 2018.

The heart of the design is a D-shaped composite shaft that absorbs shocks and adds a small amount of flexing action (up to 7mm). This significantly reduces the energy of bumps and vibrations that travel up through one of the bike’s key contact points, the saddle. Testing shows that the new Defy Advanced SL frameset and seatpost produce 42 percent greater compliance (combined) than the previous generation Defy Advanced Pro series.

This technology is also applied to the front of the bike with new D-Fuse handlebars. The bars use similar D-shaped composite tubing on the tops, which creates greater downward compliance while at the same time increasing upward stiffness. This means you get shock-absorbing qualities and also better efficiency for hard, out-of-the-saddle efforts like sprinting or climbing. The new D-Fuse SLR handlebar, which comes on Defy Advanced SL and select Defy Advanced Pro models, delivers 40 percent more compliance compared to the previous generation.

Learn More

Advanced SL & Advanced Composite

Two Levels of Carbon Layup to Choose from