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Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 2021

8
£3,299.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Ditch the tyres and you have a fast, sweet-handling endurance machine that doesn't panic at speed
Great ride quality from the frameset
Decent tyre clearance
Geometry gives smooth handling
Tyres feel a little 'wooden'
Not the greatest value spec-wise
Weight: 
8,450g

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The Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 is an endurance-based road bike that delivers loads of comfort, and a geometry table that'll keep you feeling fresher on those epic rides. It's still sporty enough that you can ramp the speed up though and have some fun in the hills, just change the tyres for something a little livelier.

Surprisingly, in 12 years of reviewing bikes for road.cc I have never ridden a Giant Defy, and after spending around six weeks on this one it's obvious that I've been missing out. It's a cracker!

> Buy now: Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 2021 from All TerrainCycles for £3299.00

I only really have one small issue with it, so I'm going to get that one out of the way first.

This Defy comes with a set of Giant's Gavia Fondo tyres (I tested a set of Gavia Fondo 0s last year), and while they are durable and robust, they are far from the most supple or exciting. Rolling resistance isn't too bad considering it is essentially a winter training/mixed terrain tyre, but the Defy deserves something so much better, especially in the drier months.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - riding 2.jpg

I swapped them out for a set of Michelin Power Road Tubeless in the same 32mm width, and what a transformation. The Defy might be an endurance machine with big miles in mind, you see, but it is still incredibly quick.

At 8.45kg (ML) it's not exactly superlight, but it's no slouch, even feeling quick off the line. That means it's also surprisingly nimble on the climbs too.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - riding 4.jpg

With quite a tall head tube, the riding position is taller than on a dedicated race machine, although stretching yourself out on the hoods or down in the drops it still feels like you are in quite an aggressive position. This is great for getting out of the wind even when you aren't in that much of a hurry.

The front-end geometry is the real masterstroke though.

With a head tube angle of 72.5 degrees and fork rake of 50mm, the steering is quick enough for some fun in the corners without the twitchiness of a race machine, which is a bonus if you are on a long ride and fatigue is kicking in and the road conditions are crap, or just that you aren't the most confident of descenders.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - riding 3.jpg

Even on technical downhills the Defy is a bike that anyone can ride quickly, the 1,010mm wheelbase adding to its poise and planted feel on the road.

When really ragging it through the corners, especially tight chicanes or technical stuff, the handling isn't quite as sharp as something like Giant's speed-orientated Propel model, but you'd need to be really pushing it hard to notice the difference.

Alongside all of this well-thought-out geometry, Giant's designers have included a shed-load of comfort.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - riding 5.jpg

Don't get me wrong, it's a stiff bike, especially through the lower half of the frame and at the front end, but along with the fork it offers a smooth ride even on the most rubbish of road surfaces.

All in all, the Defy is just a very nice place to be. I covered a few four and five-hour rides on it throughout September and found it to be a near-perfect companion.

The handling and the riding position achievable mean you can all but switch off on the long straight sections, the bike just pretty much taking care of itself. Then when you want to get a move on, a little sprint through the traffic or attacking a climb, it becomes a completely different beast and very responsive.

Frame, fork and geometry

The frame and fork of this Defy Advanced Pro is created using Giant's own High Performance Grade raw carbon in its composite factory.

It looks and feels to be a great quality frameset, and a peek inside the seat tube shows a smooth finish. The paint quality is also excellent.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - UCI sticker.jpg
2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - top tube.jpg

Up front the head tube is tapered to accommodate the similarly shaped full-carbon fibre fork steerer, which increases stiffness for coping with heavy steering and braking loads.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - head tube badge.jpg

In fact, it's more of a head 'block' than tube, as the top, head and down tubes all meet in one big junction.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - head tube.jpg

The MegaDrive down tube is suitably chunky to cope with the pedalling forces, as is the PowerCore press-fit bottom bracket shell, which then leads to the oversized chainstays. It's no surprise that this frame delivers on the stiffness front.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - down tube.jpg
2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - bottom bracket.jpg

In contrast to all of this are the very slender seatstays which look like toothpicks in comparison to the chainstays, with the top of the seat tube and rear end of the top tube being similarly diminutive.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - seat stays.jpg

The lack of any external seat clamp gives the frame a smooth look, as does the internal cable and hose routing.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - seat post detail.jpg

Giant has also managed to achieve tyre clearances of up to 35mm, and the Defy will also take full mudguards thanks to mounts at the dropouts. A mount is available to bridge the seatstays for fitting the rear guard.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - clearance.jpg

As well as that, you get two bottle mounting positions.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - bosses.jpg

Unlike early compact Giant frames, the Defy comes in five sizes rather than three, ranging from small through to extra-large, with effective top tube lengths of 530mm up to 565mm.

As I mentioned earlier, I've been riding the ML, which sits bang in the middle. It has a seat tube length of 515mm sitting at an angle of 73 degrees; the top tube is 560mm long, while the head tube is 185mm.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - front.jpg

Helping to create the 1,010mm wheelbase are chainstays of 420mm, and the standover height is 816mm, with a bottom bracket drop of 70mm.

All of this adds up to a stack and reach of 586mm and 381mm respectively, nothing massively out of ordinary there. Full geometry specs are on Giant's website for all sizes.

Groupset

This model, the 3, comes with a Shimano 105 groupset which is a little lower down the food chain than I would normally be expecting for this kind of money.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - drive train.jpg

Saying that, though, it can't really be faulted for performance and durability, as you can see from our review of the drivetrain and hydraulic brakes.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - lever.jpg

It is now Shimano's only 11-speed road groupset, but in the spec chosen by Giant still achieves a decent spread of gears using a 50/34T chainset and an 11-34T cassette.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - rear mech.jpg

The shifting is precise, even under load or with a dirty chain, and the braking from the hydraulic flat-mount callipers and rotors is powerful and easy to modulate in the dry or wet.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - front disn brake.jpg

Giant has specced a 160mm rotor on the front and 140mm on the rear.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - rear disc brake.jpg

Finishing kit

Everything else is pretty much own-brand.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - bar and lever.jpg

Starting at the front, an aluminium alloy aero styled Contact SL handlebar is paired with a stem of the same name. The stem comes with a neat out-front mounting system for your GPS and includes the various fittings required to suit different brands of computer.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - bars 2.jpg

The carbon fibre seatpost uses Giant's D-Fuse technology, as does the handlebar. They are designed to flex in a way that takes out road vibration and it works in a very subtle way, which I was pleased about. I really don't want any part of a road bike to feel 'floppy'.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - saddle and post.jpg

The comfort and shape of the Contact Fleet SL saddle worked for me even on longer rides. Basically, I didn't notice it, which is good.

One neat little bonus is the RideSense Bluetooth sensor found integrated into the chainstay. Giant supplies the cadence and speed magnets with the bike for the rear wheel and crank, and once you have the RideSense connected to your Bluetooth-enabled computer it will receive the data. Handy for when you are riding through tunnels or heavy tree cover with limited GPS signal for speed data.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - power meter.jpg

Wheels and tyres

I won't go on about the tyres too much, as I've already made my point on these. If you are going to be riding in rubbish conditions, though, or using the Defy on hard-packed surfaces like canal paths then their robustness is a bonus, if you are happy to sacrifice some road feel and feedback.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - tyre.jpg

Put something zippier on for the spring and summer, but keep these in the shed for winter.

Wheel-wise you are getting a set of Giant's SLR-2 42 Carbon Discs, which retail for £830 on Giant's website.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - rear.jpg

As the name suggests, they have a 42mm-deep carbon fibre rim, with a 19.4mm inner width and 23mm external, suiting the size of tyres the Defy can cope with.

The hookless rim design works with tubeless tyres, and everything you need bar sealant is supplied, although if you don't want to run them tubeless there is a bit of a grey area over whether you can use standard clincher tyres without a hooked rim.

2021 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3 - fork.jpg

It's a good set of wheels. They use Giant alloy hubs and 24 Sapim Sprint spokes front and rear, and with a claimed weight of 1,545g they feel sprightly and have coped with the weather and terrain fine as we have entered the colder, wetter months.

Value

For this sort of money, I'd normally be expecting to see a bit of an uplift in the spec list to at least Ultegra – well, before it all went 12-speed and electronic only.

> 17 of the best Shimano Ultegra-equipped road bikes for 2021

Last year, for example, I rode the Merida Scultura Endurance 7000-E which was equipped with Ultegra Di2 for £3,500.

The line-up has been tweaked for this year, but it is still based around the same carbon frameset that will take 35mm tyres and mudguards, and has similar riding characteristics to the Defy. For £3,350 you can get a Scultura Endurance Rival Edition which comes with a SRAM Rival eTap aXS wireless groupset and a full-carbon fibre cockpit. You don't get the carbon wheels of the Giant, though, you have to settle for alloy Fulcrum Racing 800 DBs instead.

> Buyer’s Guide: 19 of the best 2021 sportive bikes

Ribble's Endurance SL Disc is available in a range of builds, with the closest in spec to the Giant being the Sport model. It comes with a 105 hydraulic/mechanical groupset and 40mm-deep own-brand carbon wheels, and is just £2,599.

You can see how much Liam liked it when he tested it last year, albeit with Ultegra.

Conclusion

So, the Giant is pricier than most, looking at the spec, but the quality of the frameset is excellent, as are the ride manners and comfort. With that in mind I'd say it is worth the extra investment – just change those tyres to get the best out of it.

Verdict

Ditch the tyres and you have a fast, sweet-handling endurance machine that doesn't panic at speed

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Giant Defy Advanced Pro 3

Size tested: M/L, 56cm

About the bike

List the components used to build up the bike.

Handlebar: Giant Contact SL D-Fuse

Stem: Giant Contact SL

Seatpost: Giant D-Fuse, composite

Saddle: Contact Fleet SL

Shifters: Shimano 105

Front Derailleur: Shimano 105

Rear Derailleur: Shimano 105

Brakes: Shimano 105 hydraulic

Brake Levers: Shimano 105 hydraulic

Cassette: Shimano 105, 11x34

Chain: KMC X11SL-1

Crankset: Shimano 105, 34/50

Bottom Bracket: Shimano, press fit

Wheelset: Giant SLR-2 42 Carbon Disc WheelSystem

Tyres: Giant Gavia Fondo 1, tubeless, 700x32c, folding (max tyre width possible: 35mm)

Extras: RideSense Bluetooth, computer mount, tubeless prepared

Tell us what the bike is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

Giant says, "Go longer, go faster, and smooth out rough roads with a frameset and integrated components that are engineered for compliance. From gran fondos to epic solo rides, this lightweight composite bike is everything you need for your most challenging days.

With the perfect blend of stiffness and compliance, Defy Advanced Pro delivers a smooth, fast ride quality even on rough roads. Its innovative technologies include a D-Fuse composite seatpost and Contact SLR D-Fuse composite handlebar (Pro 1 and Pro 2 models). These integrated cockpit components work as a system to add compliance and reduce road shocks and vibrations. The Advanced-grade composite frame is also integrated for disc brakes, with flat-mount disc brake tabs and 12mm front and rear thru-axles, plus clearance for high-volume tyres up to 35mm. The oversized and tapered OverDrive 2 steerer tube boosts cornering precision, while the MegaDrive downtube and PowerCore bottom bracket deliver precise handling and class-leading pedaling efficiency."

Giant has done a good job of delivering a very comfortable ride and easy-to-use handling while not sacrificing the racy nature of a classic road bike.

Where does this model sit in the range? Tell us briefly about the cheaper options and the more expensive options

This model is the cheapest model in the Defy Advanced Pro line-up, with a Shimano Ultegra-equipped Pro 2 available for £3,999, while the Pro 1 comes with a SRAM Force eTap AXS groupset and upgraded carbon wheels for £5,499.

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork
 
9/10

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

It's a well-made frame and fork. A look inside shows no rough sections or burrs while the paint is durable and smoothly finished around all edges like the top of the seat tube and the head tube.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

Frame: Advanced-Grade Composite Carbon Fibre.

Fork: Advanced-Grade Composite Carbon Fibre, full-composite OverDrive 2 steerer.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

Overall, the geometry is slightly more relaxed than a race bike which makes it more controllable and easier to live with than some. Giant has still managed to keep some fun and speed in the handling, though, which means a great balance for all kinds of road riding.

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

The stack and reach figures that I mention in the review are fairly typical of a bike of this size and style.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

Overall, yes. The frame, fork and contact points do a good job of delivering comfort. The dead feel to the tyres takes the edge off, though.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

Stiffness is very impressive, especially around the bottom bracket area and the lower half of the bike.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

Again, those tyres take the edge off the efficiency. Swap them out for something more supple and the ride is transformed.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so was it a problem?

No.

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively neutral or unresponsive? On the fun side of neutral.

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

The geometry table would have you believe that the Defy is going to have quite a steady steering speed, and be very well behaved. It does behave like that, but if you want to push on a bit and have some fast fun in the bends it isn't going to let you down.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

Swap the tyres for something more supple; the dead feeling of the Gavias doesn't help in terms of comfort.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

Giant's carbon wheelset performs well, giving no noticeable flex under hard efforts.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

It's the tyres again – get something faster and grippier to improve efficiency.

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for acceleration:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for sprinting:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for high speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for low speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for flat cornering:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for cornering on descents:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for climbing:
 
8/10

The drivetrain

Rate the drivetrain for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the drivetrain for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the drivetrain for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the drivetrain for value:
 
8/10

Tell us some more about the drivetrain. Anything you particularly did or didn't like? Any components which didn't work well together?

For the money I'd expect to see a groupset higher up the range than 105, but overall you can't fault it. The performance is great, as are the ergonomics, and when it wears out it is relatively cheap to replace.

Wheels and tyres

Rate the wheels for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the wheels for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the wheels for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the wheels for value:
 
7/10

Tell us some more about the wheels.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels? If so what for?

Overall, it's a good set of wheels. They roll well with no noticeable resistance at the hub, and after a few hundred testing miles I had no issues with reliability.

Rate the tyres for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the tyres for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the tyres for weight:
 
6/10
Rate the tyres for comfort:
 
6/10
Rate the tyres for value:
 
6/10

Tell us some more about the tyres. Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the tyres? If so what for?

The Giant Gavia Fondo tyres are durable and reliable, and that is what they are designed to be, but their ride feel, or lack of it, really detracts from the great job the frame and fork are doing in terms of feedback and comfort.

Controls

Rate the controls for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for weight:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for value:
 
6/10

Tell us some more about the controls. Any particularly good or bad components? How would the controls work for larger or smaller riders?

Giant uses its D-Fuse technology for the handlebar and seatpost, which are designed to absorb small vibrations and bumps in the road. It's a design that works quite well without going over the top to give a flexible feel to the ride.

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes

Would you consider buying the bike? Yes

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Yes

How does the price compare to that of similar bikes in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The Defy Advanced Pro offers a cracking ride and versatility, thanks to the generous tyre clearance, but there is some tough competition out there when it comes to value. The highly capable Merida Scultura Endurance range, for example. The closest priced model is £3,350, and while you aren't getting the carbon wheelset of the Giant you are getting a full wireless electronic groupset in the shape of SRAM's Rival eTap AXS.

Specialized's Roubaix Sport at £2,950 comes with the bonus of its lockable Future Shock 1.5 suspension system and it has decent tyre clearance too. It's not quite as versatile as the Giant, though, and you are only getting DT Swiss alloy wheels.

Another option could be the Ribble Endurance SL Disc Sport which costs just £2,599 with a 105 groupset and 40mm-deep carbon fibre wheels.

Rate the bike overall for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the bike overall for value:
 
5/10

Use this box to explain your overall score

On the whole this is a great bike, and that is mostly down to the quality of the frame and fork. The ride quality is brilliant, as is the geometry. In fact the Defy Advanced Pro 3 only drops from 4.5 stars to 4 is because the tyres do it a disservice and that there is some tough competition out there value-wise.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

Add new comment

23 comments

Avatar
Marcus Guest | 2 years ago
0 likes

What bike would people recommend then if I'm looking around this style bike £3-3.5k

Avatar
Steve K replied to Marcus Guest | 2 years ago
0 likes
Marcus Guest wrote:

What bike would people recommend then if I'm looking around this style bike £3-3.5k

Ribble Endurance SL as mentioned in the article (and get it with Ultegra, if you want to spend that much)

Avatar
Simon E replied to Marcus Guest | 2 years ago
0 likes
Marcus Guest wrote:

What bike would people recommend then if I'm looking around this style bike £3-3.5k

If you're looking to buy in the near future I'd narrow it down to models that are in stock in your size to begin with.

Defy Advanced (non-Pro) with 105 is £2,299. If you can live with alu then the Contend SL 1 is £1,649, which leaves lots of change for upgrading components.

https://road.cc/content/review/giant-defy-advanced-3-2021-227502

https://road.cc/content/review/giant-contend-sl-1-disc-2021-285003

Cannondaly Synapse? Trek Domane SL disc? More suggestions in this buyer's guide:

https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/18-best-ps2000-ps3000-road-bikes-20...

Avatar
lukei1 | 2 years ago
0 likes

This is £1,000 more expensive than the Decathlon EDR I bought, as well as being more expensive. These prices are depressing

Avatar
RichT84 | 2 years ago
2 likes

Feel like the pricing on bikes is becoming unsustainable. £3300 for a 105 equipped bike is ludicrous.

Avatar
michophull | 2 years ago
0 likes

£3.3k and you get a sodding press fit bottom bracket !

Avatar
Griff500 replied to michophull | 2 years ago
2 likes
michophull wrote:

£3.3k and you get a sodding press fit bottom bracket !

Where have you been hiding for the last 25 years? 

Giant TCR Advanced c£10k press fit BB

Canyon CFR   c£9k press fit BB

Cannondale Supersix hi mod DA >£10k press fit BB

Scott Addict Ultimate c£11k press fit BB

BMC Road Machine c£10k press fit BB

Wilier Zero SLR Campag c£11k press fit BB

If fact of my random straw poll of 10 c£10k bikes, 6 use press fit bottom brackets, with only 4 models from Trek, Specialized, Colnago and Cervelo still using threaded.

 

Avatar
sparrowlegs replied to michophull | 2 years ago
1 like

Press fit is the best bottom bracket standard. It reduces the amount of interfaces and holds the bearings as wide as can be. It's the execution in the manufacturing process where it goes wrong. Giant are really good in this area as they make the frames and directly oversea the QC.

Again, QC is where most manufacturers need to concentrate their efforts. Pick the best manufacturers to make their frames but, they don't, they pick the cheapest and then deny as many warranty cases as possible.

Avatar
Griff500 replied to sparrowlegs | 2 years ago
0 likes
sparrowlegs wrote:

Press fit is the best bottom bracket standard. It reduces the amount of interfaces and holds the bearings as wide as can be. It's the execution in the manufacturing process where it goes wrong. ....

Again, QC is where most manufacturers need to concentrate their efforts.....

Interestingly, in a road.cc feature "updated" 25 Feb Specialized said just that.  At the time of the original article they said they reserved press fit for their higher end bikes (Pro and S-Works) because that is where it was worth spending money on QC. They used threaded on their cheaper models, where it was easier just to crank up the thread another notch to compensate for poor frame finish! "Stiffer and lighter" is how they described press fit. I believe since that time they have gone down the threaded route on high end models also, which by their own explanation, suggests they threw in the towel on QC!

Avatar
check12 | 2 years ago
0 likes

Too expensive

too heavy

too low spec

Avatar
Secret_squirrel replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
1 like

Does seem a little lardy even by disc standards.  My 2018 Ribble Endurance 105/Ultegra mix with early post mount discs weighs 8.5kg with pedals & alloy rims.  As the review says thats a good set of wheels and not where the weight is coming from.  The wheels are probably at least£800 if you could get them retail, but that still leaves a lot of cash tied up in the rest of the kit.

Giant have less excuse than most as afaik the bulk of the operations have always been in East Asia and they dont need to support lardy Western Head Offices like a lot of other manufacturers.  Plus their OEM businesses should give them economies of scale that few others can get close to.

Puzzling and disappointing.

Avatar
Surreyrider | 2 years ago
1 like

The wiring up front is a mess. A little heavier than some of the competition. Hookless tech is rather limiting (& may not take over as the wheel standard). At over £3,000 it should be using mechanical Ultegra. The article incorrectly states that 105 is the only 11 speed mechanical option now. Shimano said when launching 12-speed that mechanical Ultegra will continue at least into 2022. 

Avatar
Rapha Nadal | 2 years ago
0 likes

How is the front mudguard mounted when there's no obvious hole at the fork crown?  Do you attach to the rear of the fork like the Cannondale Synapse?

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to Rapha Nadal | 2 years ago
0 likes
Rapha Nadal wrote:

How is the front mudguard mounted when there's no obvious hole at the fork crown?  Do you attach to the rear of the fork like the Cannondale Synapse?

hole in the fork crown would be behind the fork, it's hard to tell for certain, but I think it is there. Certainly there is no photo with sufficient resolution for me to decide it is not there.

*edit because I miised the bit about the synapse*

I think this is more normal on most bikes now, not only the connondale synapse.

Avatar
Rapha Nadal replied to wycombewheeler | 2 years ago
0 likes

I find the mounting to the rear of a fork a bit strange as mudguard mounts are mainly designed for the front.  PDW, for example, rivet their's in so you're kind of stuck unless you can find a way to undo it, reverse it, then re-rivet (I like things to look proper!).

I note that the Ribble Endurance Ti has a mounting on the underside of the fork which'll mean drilling a hole through the top of the front mudguard. Don't people think before signing off on these designs?! 

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to Rapha Nadal | 2 years ago
0 likes

I can't see how the vertical tab on PDW fenders could not be suitable for mounting either in front or behind. In fact you may get more clearance behind as the bracket is not between the mudguard and the bottom of the head tube.

 

Avatar
Rapha Nadal replied to wycombewheeler | 2 years ago
0 likes

It is suitable but i like things to be proper!

Avatar
TheBillder replied to Rapha Nadal | 2 years ago
2 likes
Rapha Nadal wrote:

I note that the Ribble Endurance Ti has a mounting on the underside of the fork which'll mean drilling a hole through the top of the front mudguard. Don't people think before signing off on these designs?! 

My Ridley has the same and I quite like it. Those rivetted brackets always seem a bit feeble, and years ago I had a few succumb to fatigue and rust. Drilling the hole is easy enough and I think it's a cleaner look.

I did have to add a piece of old inner tube* between the mudguard and fork to prevent rattles.

*Modern happening people with your bottles of sealant, foam rubber pipe lagging thing, special rim tape, special air chamber device, special repair wotsits etc, you might have to ask your grandma for a bit of old inner tube.

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to TheBillder | 2 years ago
0 likes
TheBillder wrote:
Rapha Nadal wrote:

I note that the Ribble Endurance Ti has a mounting on the underside of the fork which'll mean drilling a hole through the top of the front mudguard. Don't people think before signing off on these designs?! 

My Ridley has the same and I quite like it. Those rivetted brackets always seem a bit feeble, and years ago I had a few succumb to fatigue and rust. Drilling the hole is easy enough and I think it's a cleaner look. I did have to add a piece of old inner tube* between the mudguard and fork to prevent rattles. *Modern happening people with your bottles of sealant, foam rubber pipe lagging thing, special rim tape, special air chamber device, special repair wotsits etc, you might have to ask your grandma for a bit of old inner tube.

only downside is it places the bolt in a high corrosion area.

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Steve K replied to Rapha Nadal | 2 years ago
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Rapha Nadal wrote:

I note that the Ribble Endurance Ti has a mounting on the underside of the fork which'll mean drilling a hole through the top of the front mudguard. Don't people think before signing off on these designs?! 

If even I could drill the hole successfully it can't be that much of an issue. 🤣 Having said that, I did have a little moan at them that their own mudguards that they supplied for the bike didn't come with the hole already there.

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ecycled replied to Rapha Nadal | 2 years ago
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I do believe that wtcombewheeler is correct in their assessment. Looks to be a hole on the back side of fork crown.

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jpj84 replied to ecycled | 2 years ago
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...which is all very well for mudguards, but means you can't mount a dynamo light on the fork without a bodge (an issue I'm currently facing with a Contend audax setup) 🤔

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quiff replied to jpj84 | 2 years ago
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I considered buying a new fork for this reason, before deciding that was a bit OTT!  

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