[Closed] Giant defy 5 upgrades?

I'd do it in this orderL

Tyres.

Mudguards

Proper saddle that fits

That Fulcum 5 wheelset in classifieds for £80.

Look for a used Defy carbon fork and a cheapish 30.9 carbon seatpost, for comfort.

Then groupset when you've worn that lot out (may take a while!)

Decent wheels and tires only imo.

I would be tempted to leave as is. You won't get much at all for any parts you take off it.

Might be worth weighing the tyres to see how much they weigh compared to some nice ones though

Just up the budget and get the Defy 0.. you'll end up spending the extra on wheels / forks / pedals anyway...

I'm 90+kg if it makes a difference. My own thinking was fulcrum 7 and something like conti gp4's, mudguards and upgrade brakes to 105. Will a carbon fork make a huge difference?

Wheels and tyres +1

Though I might consider an offer on that 105 groupset and wheels in the classifieds.

Keep it as is. Or take it back to the shop, get your money back, and buy a better bike for £500

Surely with a few upgrades it'll be a better bike for £500.

I dont think so. The stuff that comes off isnt worth much and the stuff that you want costs good money,

Id change the tires ( stock items are made of some kind of hard plastic i think)and the brake units only( the tektro units are hateful - some soras will be much better power and modulation and based on the time of year id buy some genuine giant defy mudguards because they fit. Those crud race guard things are crap in comparison. That will help the drive train last a bit longer and keep you and your friends riding with you a bit drier in the wet.

Forks will make very little odds , changing drive train will make no odds. Changing wheels - giant wheels are not terrible- not like low rent specialised wheels for example which are terrible.

Ok, so tyres, mudguards and brakes. Will it take 25mm tyres with guards and will there be any problem replacing the tektro calipers with 105 using the claris brake levers

Most of the range come with 25mm tires as stock and will work fine with giants defy guards.

Brakes will work fine though,

5800 calipers might feel a bit wooden.

Giant wheels are not terrible- not like low rent specialised wheels for example which are terrible.

Not my experience, they are all on but heavy.

When you say wooden, is that the nature of 105 brakes or compatibility issues with the claris brake levers. Swissstop pads and cartridges work out around the same price as new 105 5800 callipers. Which would be the better option?

I just put conti gp4000s2 and lizard skin bar tape on mine and the claris gears have out lasted 2 sets of mountain bike chainset. I definitely would change the crappy brake pads too. Everything else is good. Get some good riding shorts and shoes with the spare.

What pads did you swap them out for?

I use Swissstop pads or brake blocks on all my bikes, and think it might be worth trying them over new callipers. However, if you buy new brakes they might come with cartridge holders, in which case you'd only need the Swissstop brake blocks.

Another option would be to just upgrade the front calliper - I rarely use the rear brake, but I do rely on having decent stopping power on the front. Also, you don't have to use the latest Shimano callipers - anything made in the past few years should be fine.

I splashed out on a single Dura-Ace calliper on a fixie about 10 years ago, and never regretted it - it worked superbly with Swissstop pads, and that was on a bike with only a front brake (plus the fixie rear 'brake'). I'm in Scotland, so it saw a number of super-steep descents in wet conditions, and I never felt under-braked, which was more than could be said for the standard callipers and pads.