It’s not like me to be so indecisive and I apologise that this concerns a road bike with this being predominantly a mountain bike message board. I am grateful for some shared thoughts though.

I am soon to recieve a £1000 cycle to work voucher and the three bikes I’m considering are:
Cannondale Caad 10 from Pauls Cycles (requires £100 top up).
Cannondale Supersix from Evans (requires £200 top up).
Giant Defy 0 from Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op (no top up).

My thoughts are:
Caad 10. Great Aluminium frame. 105 Groupset (mostly), pretty poor wheels. Need to spend another £100

Supersix. Reasonable carbon frame (but it is carbon and that has some kudos – with me at least) similar mostly 105 and again, not great wheels. Need to spend another £200

Giant Defy. Ultegra groupset. No further cash required (this appeals to me). I don’t know much about the wheels or Giant bikes at all.

I’m a tad under 5’9″ and I normally ride 52cm standard geometry road bikes with a 110mm stem. I find most 54cm bikes to be too long in the top tube for me.

The bike will be used for commuting 5 days per week, century rides and auddax at weekends, sportives occasionally but not racing.

What would you have?

Ps. Defy isn’t available until mid Feb 2015

I’d get a mountain bike 😀

The defy.

Will Evans’ allow you to top up?

As above, check they will allow you to top up. When I was looking some would, some wouldn’t.

Ha! I own 2 mountain bikes, a cross bike and a singlespeed ‘cross bike which is soon to become the turbo bike.

Why the Defy Bregante? I’m not sure if they should but I’m aware that they do….considerably. A colleague bought a bike for £1400 with a £1000 voucher and cash.

Pauls Cycles will but they also deduct 10% of the voucher value as a fee, hence going to Evans for the Supersix rather than Pauls.

Medium Defy or small would you say?

Planet X carbon any good over the above?

Nothing against Cannondales at all (had a Caad8 until recently)but the Defy is universally praised and ultegra at that price is a great buy. I believe the Giant wheels are good too. not sure what wheels are on the ‘dales but if they’re the Maddux ones that came on mine you’ll be looking to upgrade fairly soon.

Defy, for no other reason than every person I know who owns one (4 people with various models in the range, not a huge sample I know) absolutely loves them.

Planet X charge 10% for certain schemes as well.

I’d go Defy too- the frames are lovely and the kit sounds good.

The bike will be used for commuting 5 days per week, century rides and auddax at weekends, sportives occasionally but not racing.

If I was doing this ^^^ then I’d get the Defy. Though as you’ll be doing a lot of miles, go test ride and buy the one you’re most comfortable on.

Defy +1

Choice made. Voucher ordered for Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op. Thank you.

Sorry, I have another question. Is the Defy 0 with Ultegra worth £100 more than the Defy 1 with 105? I could use the £100 for some new pedals instead of nicking them off my singlespeed commuter which is handy and the Defy 1 is in stock while the 0′ is now expected 30th Jan.
They’re otherwise exactly the same other than the shifters, front and rear mechs (and slight colour change – I slightly prefer the 1 in that respect).
Last question from me.

Yes. £100 for an upgrade from 105 to ultegra is great value. Check the brakes, as Giant tend to spec lower quality breaks on lower spec bikes (including the Defy).

Just buy some cheaper pedals. Look KEO’S can be had very cheaply.

cyclepathologist – Member
Is the Defy 0 with Ultegra worth £100 more than the Defy 1 with 105?

It would be to me

…(and slight colour change – I slightly prefer the 1 in that respect).

Although if I really did have a colour preference, that might swing it back 🙂

depending where you live find a bike builder ,pick a frame and ask how they could spec it for the money .more likely to get what you want to prioritise

The Defy. Will the others accept proper mudguards?

I’d take Ultegra for £100 more, you can pick a pair of pedals up for very little. A quick Google suggests Shimano R550 are £30 ish and M520’s are £20 depending on if you want the road or MTb sytem.

I would go for the Defy. It gets good reviews from most testers and has a pretty good position for spotives and extended rides.

It’s definitley the Defy. I’ve now got my voucher made out to EBC in my hand. Thanks for the opinions. A rare period of indescision but yet it annoyingly continues.
Defy 0 with Ultegra or Defy 1 with 105 and £100 to spend on other stuff. Pedals, computer, bottle cages or mudgaurds….?
I’ve read a couple of online and magazine reviews and they are suggesting that the difference between the new 11 speed 105 and Ultegra is little more than weight and not much weight at that. Opinion seems to be forming that 105 is closing the gap considerably on Ultegra.
I can also get the Defy 1 this weekend and I’ll have to wait a whole 3 weeks (stop laughing) for the 0 and just like The Bacon, I also don’t like waiting.
I’m not massively keen on the green on the 0 but the blue on the 1 is quite nice.

I think Pauls charge an admin fee for C2W as well as Planet X

I’d go ultegra, it’s very nice. Bottle cage etc you can pick up for peanuts

The Supersix is a great bike but the geo is different from the Defy. Have you sat on any?

The Defy would definitely be easier on your back, but the Supersix is more than just a race bike, it’s such a comfortable frame it can also be used as a long distance, slower pace bike.

Sounds like your decision is made and for your use the Defy is the right choice. The Cannondales are a bit nicer imo but they are both race geometry bikes, not commuter/audax bikes.

For me the extra £100 for the Defy 0 is not worth it. You’re not getting full groups on either bike anyway. The extra money is only buying you the rear derailleur and brifter upgrade, and heavier cranks for some reason. Latest 105 stuff is excellent already.

edit: If Giant are still doing the Defy specific mudguards I think the money would be better spent on them in particular.

Thank you for all your thoughts and opinions. Some very interesting thoughts and Rockplough had reopened my indecision but in a good way. Very objective and good food for thought.
For better or worse, I’m definitely having a Giant and having done some more thinking and reading, I’m going to go with the Defy1.
Owning a bike with Ultegra kit would be lovely but as Rockplough pointed out and it was right in front of me but not considered is that the only differences are the shifters, rear mech and a (surprisingly) a heavier chainset. Not even a full Ultegra groupset.
With the Defy 1, I can get the bike, pedals, guards and maybe even a computer.
Maybe I just like the colour more and I can’t admit it……
Thank you again everyone. You’ve been very helpful.

I’d probably pay the extra for the Ultegra bits, then upgrade the chainset to Ultegra later too.

You won’t go wrong with either though.

I’d go for the model with Ultegra and ask EBC to throw in a set of pedals, don’t ask you don’t get!