Okay so I am on the lookout for a new road bike and have a few dilemmas with what to get. My thoughts at the minute are:
Giant Defy 0
Giant TCR advanced 2
Ribble R872

I wouldn’t want to spend more than the TCR advanced. Not sure wether the carbon frame would be worth it instead of Ultegra on the Defy 0 and if I would really notice a difference. The Ribble seems like a good option for spec and a carbon frame. Are there any others I should consider.

All advice is greatly appreciated

Defy and TCR very different bikes, do you know what kind you want?

What can you test ride?

Different bikes, different feel, different ride. Get a test ride and see which suits.

Only shifters and RD are Ultegra on the Defy?

Not seen prices but I’d be leaning towards the TCR personally, 105 (5800) is apparently very good.

If you are happy to buy without riding it* then I would recommend checking Canyon and Rose Bikes. Canyon are cheap but very nice. They have pedigree from the Pro Tours so they can obviously make a good bike. Not ridden one but I’ve seen a few and they look very good.

Rose are similar in that they are a direct supply German company. They peg prices to the exchange rate so are cheap at the minute. Full carbon Ultegra is about £1700, Di2 is £2000 and you can get Dura ace for about £2300. Vastly cheaper than anything else I’ve seen.

105 works well, I’ve got it on my cross bike. Ultegra works very well, I have it on my road bike. I don’t think there is much in it other than weight. I would check with the bikes to make sure they are not hiding cheaper components. It is very common to stick on an Ultegra mech because people look at that but then use cheaper hubs, bars, posts, saddles etc. because people don’t notice as much.

*it seems you are if you are considering ribble. IMO provided you can work out the frame size test rides are over rated. I couldn’t have told you if my road bike would be any good having ridden it for 1hour. I’d need to race it, test on it, take it on a century ride and generally get used to it. Sometimes things are different and it takes tmie to realize if different is better or worse.

test rides are over rated. I couldn’t have told you if my road bike would be any good having ridden it for 1hour. I’d need to race it, test on it, take it on a century ride and generally get used to it. S

I disagree entirely, many can get the feel & position of the bike in a 10m test ride.

You certainly can’t tell how it feels without riding it and this can vary hugely.

I’d rather have 105 on a bike that feels right rather than Ultegra on one that doesn’t.

Giant Defy is often said to be one of the most comfortable rides around. Giant frames are right up there at the top of the quality tree. TCR a bit more racy feeling than the Defy, so definitely try and get a ride on them both. As said above, comfort more important than 105/Ultegra, particularly as both very good

You certainly can’t tell how it feels without riding it and this can vary hugely.

Yes you can, as long as you have fair knowledge of what you want from a bike, what size and can use their geometry charts. The last 2 bikes I bought without a text ride and they are better than the 2 I bought before with a test ride, because I now understand what I want. Plus the problems I had with the ones I test rode didn’t appear until I’d stuck enough miles on them to fully understand how they rode.

Giant Defy is generally seem as a very good bike indeed but very different to a TCR. I’ve ridden both and did not like the Defy at all, it just felt a bit dull, the TCR however was bloody lovely.

You need to decide whether you want a comfortable endurance style bike (slacker, higher head tube, more give in the frame) or a more race style bike (head down/arse up, stiff).

Very very pleased with my new dolan

Dragon, I’m sorry, you simply can’t tell how a bike is going to feel without riding it, unless you’ve ridden that brand’s bikes before or have similar insight, which the OP does not appear to have.

It’s not just about geometry.

What problems did you find with your previous bikes?

Seems like a test ride would be the best thing for me to do. Hadn’t considered canyon, will have a look. Probably looking for something in between an endurance and race style if that’s possible

Probably looking for something in between an endurance and race style if that’s possible

Taking a flyer here, my experience of people who say this is that they need an endurance bike but don’t like the idea of one. I reality, most endurance bikes are as fast if not faster than a race bike in the hands of the majority of people. I would suggest that you get a good endurance style bike, you’ll love it I suspect.

You need to decide whether you want a comfortable endurance style bike (slacker, higher head tube, more give in the frame) or a more race style bike (head down/arse up, stiff).

Mostly they are still race bikes that get ridden hard by ProTour riders on the cobble classics. More to do with accommodating fatter rubber, being a bit more stable, having a bit more vibration damping. Can be just as “head down/arse up” as any other bike, that’s just down to how you choose to set it up.

Is the TCR seen as more of a race or endurance bike? Any other recommendations for a good endurance style road bike? Max £1300 I would say

I used to have a carbon TCR and now ride a carbon Defy. I’m as fast, if not faster, on the Defy and it fits me out of the box, whereas the TCR took some fettling. The Defy is certainly very comfortable and is a lovely ride. I’m very pleased so far. Both are a medium.

I would suggest that you get a good endurance style bike, you’ll love it I suspect.

Whereas I find my race bike very comfortable on long rides. The difference is often just a few mm on the headtube, and one degree off the head angle. Oh, and a whole boatload of marketing BS.

TCR is a race bike, though as mrblobby mentions above, you can achieve identical positions with stem, bar and seatpost choices.

From the big manufactures you’re looking at:
Giant – Defy
Trek – Domane
Scott – Addict
Cannondale – Synapse
Specialized – Roubaix

Start by looking at their geometry, you can then take that and look at more web based options if you so desire.

Edit, ranos, you are correct. My road bike is a race style bike as I just find that geometry more comfortable than “endurance” style, I know though that I/we are not in the majority.

Edit, ranos, you are correct. My road bike is a race style bike as I just find that geometry more comfortable than “endurance” style, I know though that I/we are not in the majority.

I suspect that if my bike was 1cm longer in the head tube, and one degree slacker, I would not notice the difference. Yet that would change it from a race to an endurance bike…

Condor or genesis

Test ride every time

Have you already got a road bike or ridden a road bike before?

Yeah I have a road bike already but its only a cheap Carrera from Halfords, didn’t have the funds for a more expensive one at the time/did more off road stuff.

I disagree entirely, many can get the feel & position of the bike in a 10m test ride.

You certainly can’t tell how it feels without riding it and this can vary hugely.

I’d rather have 105 on a bike that feels right rather than Ultegra on one that doesn’t.

Oh crap. I agree with Spoonman-Al!

Ignore the blingy bits and fripperies. “Feel” is worth so much more than a shiny rear mech or golf club sportive bragging rights of “LOOK AT MY CRABON FRIBE FRAME!”.

I’d rather ride a really well sorted alu frame on 105 than a cheap shit carbon frame with shiny bits.

Have a look at the synapse, awesome frame in both alloy or carbon so you can go high end alloy model or low end carbon.