Day two of the Giant Link I (Peter) decided to ride some of the Road lineup from Giant. I’ve raced and ridden road bikes for 15 years, so I have a lot of experience in the segment. The bike I checked out was the Defy Advanced Pro 1.
This bike checks all the boxes: full carbon integrated Frame and fork. Carbon tubeless wheels. SRAM Etap AXS transmission. Check to all the above. Heading out of the demo area, my riding partner Kyle and I decide to rip the decent of Cottonwood canyon. It’s a steep, curvy descent with a perfect road surface, exactly what you would wish for in evaluating a new bike. I was immediately at home, hanging off it like Valentino Rossi in the corners. Quick but stable handling along with 32mm tires combined to make an impressive descending machine. As we approached the bottom of the canyon we had to slow for traffic that was bottle necking due to an avalanche the preceding weekend. SRAM brakes and wide tires were fantastic for stopping confidence.
Next, we turned around to finish our ride with a 6ish mile climb back up to the resort. I was impressed with the efficiency of the frame which felt great both in and out of the saddle. The AXS transmission was flawless with a super wide range for the steep parts but nice, even jumps for the changing gradients of the canyon. If you like climbing, these AXS parts should be on your upgrade list. I’m very excited to take this bike out tomorrow for the Giant Factory throw down in the morning.
The 2020 Giant E-Bike collection offers any rider the ability to explore further and faster than they ever thought possible. With models ranging from the Road-E to the full suspension Trance-E you can feel right at home riding with friends who may just be a bit faster or more seasoned on the bike. The smooth transition when the Yamaha motor kicks in does not make you feel uncomfortable with the torque the bike can offer, yet also allows the rider to keep a steady and comfortable pace when riding. The battery life on these bikes is quite amazing as well, offering 35-70 miles per charge!
I can say from experience that riding the Road-E model from Giant allowed me to enjoy riding up the steep highway pass from Snowbird to Alta in a way that I never thought possible, and I was able to enjoy the view of the mountains without the heavy breathing from altitude adjustment and steep inclines. I would recommend an E-Bike to any rider looking to get out and enjoy a day on the bike!
Giant and Liv's current e-bike offerings range from bikes that are for cruising bike trails to road bikes that can go the distance on country roads to their full suspension bike line up for epic singletrack trails. Stop in and see what your options are.
