DEFY ADVANCED 1, AVAIL ADVANCED 2
WIN BICYCLING EDITOR’S CHOICE!!


Just announced at Sea Otter, and very soon appearing on newsstands everywhere --  two Giant performance road bikes have won their respective categories in the 2009 Bicycling Editor’s Choice Awards!!  The June 2009 issue of Bicycling features both the Defy Advanced 1 and the Avail Advanced 2 in an article titled: “OUR FAVORITE 2009 ROAD BIKES.”

AVAIL ADVANCED 2
The Giant for Women Avail Advanced 2 is tops in the “Women’s Enthusiast Road” category, besting the Cannondale Synapse Feminine 4 and the Felt ZW3.  Here are a few of the editors’ reasons why: “As nicely as the Avail Advanced 2 suited our bodies, with its compact frame, women’s saddle and short-reach shifters and levers, it also matches the way many women ride.  It’s built with performance-oriented components, especially the Shimano 105 group, that make us trust every part to do what we ask it to do, but the relaxed geometry and carbon frame kept us comfortable no matter how far or fast we rode.”  There’s more: “…The Avail Advanced 2 proved easy to power up the hills and motor along the flats, as well as stable on the downhills, and it reacted nimbly in corners.  And when we needed to shave speed or stop suddenly, the Shimano 105 brakes offered solid power. …The Giant’s frame and componentry add up to the top all-around performance.”

DEFY ADVANCED 1
Giant’s Defy Advanced 1 leads the field in the “Plush Road” category, overpowering the Specialized Roubaix Expert and the Cervelo RS Ultegra SL.  Here’s what the editors say:  “With the Defy Advanced 1, Giant solved the paradox of making a bike comfortable while maintaining an extremely aggressive feel.  It can bomb a rough dirt road without beating you up, then sprint for a city-limit sign a mile later.”  Don’t stop now: “This Defy has Giant’s top tech, including the BB86 oversize bottom bracket and tapered steerer with integrated headset, and it shows in the bike’s performance.  Plus, it weighs nearly a pound less than the other finalists.” And there is this final affirmation:  “Our winner stood out for its balanced attributes and raises the bar for the category higher than ever before.”

What does this mean?  The impact of these awards really can’t be minimized.  This is the world’s largest-circulation consumer bicycle publication and it’s no accident that the timing of the awards coincides with when consumers think about buying a new bike.   
There is one other Giant bike listed in this issue—the TCR Advanced 1.  It is a finalist in the “Enthusiast Road” category, and it still gets good ink:  “The Giant TCR Advanced felt the raciest, with more powertrain stiffness, aggressive handling, and a slightly buzzier ride.”

Stop in to see the award-winning Defy Advanced 1 and Avail Advanced 2.   And congratulations to Giant’s terrific product development team!

The March 2009 issue of Bicycling magazine features the Giant Defy 1 on the cover and in a spread on pages 84 and 85!  The bicycle gets some nice ink from editor Ron Koch in a review titled “Smooth Savers” which starts off with the teaser: “THANKS TO TRICKLE-DOWN TECHNOLOGY, THE FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE YOU WANT ARE MORE AFFORDABLE THAN EVER.”  Here’s a noteworthy quote from the main text: “Giant’s Defy 1 is stable, even at speeds exceeding 50 MPH, thanks to the rock-solid frame and trustworthy geometry.”   Also, “Giant’s new road machine takes comfort and performance to new levels of affordability, with, top to bottom, dependable Shimano 105 parts, high-tech hydroformed tubes, and a solid FSA crankset.”  Stop in and check one out.