Giant Contend, SL Vs AR

Russman

Hi,

Just in the process of picking a new bike and evaluating the Contend SL1 Disc Vs the Contend AR 1. Using the compare tool on Giant’s website they seem very similar if not identical. However I’m no expert by any means so just thought I’d ask if anyone has experience of them or compared them ? I’m leaning towards the SL1 as I previously owned one (in the wrong size), but not sure if I should consider the AR as an alternative. Would I be gaining or losing anything by picking the AR ?

My cycling wouldn’t really involve any off road stuff, it would purely be for health/fitness reasons or to kill an hour or two at weekends.

thanks !

ARX

Double post.

Paul Kiernan

I'd go for the AR1 for the wider tyres and the extra tyre clearance. I switched to wide tyres last year just to try it out and I'd never go back. The comfort and grip on crappy Irish roads is so much better with wide tyres. You'll also have more flexibility if you want to fit mudguards.

Russman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118494301#Comment_118494301

Cheers Paul ! Thanks for that. The SL arrived in but in the wrong size and I may be able to get the AR instead.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058228597/giant-contend-sl-vs-ar

the issue will be supply, Giant seem very difficult to get.

I was interesed in both of these bikes, but my size out of stock until June or so

Russman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118496132#Comment_118496132

What size are you if you don't mind me asking ? FWIW I was waiting for a Contend SL1 Disc in M, and M/L arrived in. I called most of the retailers on the Giant website yesterday morning, and there seems to be a couple of SL1 Disc M/L knocking around but M is hard to get. I can't remember their names, but one shop in Bray has the SL2 Disc in M in stock and there's a shop in Portmarnock if I remember correctly, that has a SL Disc size M due in in week 11, that hasn't be allocated to a customer yet (as of yesterday morning).

A couple of shops were offering the Orbea Avant H30 as an alternative, and a few were offering Cube.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118501078#Comment_118501078

I was looking for the M/L, same size as the current Defy I have, ended up buying a Cube,

byrnem31

What cube model did you get please?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504658#Comment_118504658

bought the Cube Attain SL, I would have preferred the Giant Contend AR1, or the SL1, but when I went looking, wasn't available in my size

Russman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504487#Comment_118504487

Ahh right, sorry, I read it that you were looking at the moment.

byrnem31

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504926#Comment_118504926

Cool. Cube make lovely bikes. I have a giant defy advanced 2 2020 but have a cube agree c62 ultegra ordered for june. There is great value for money to be had with cubes.

FinnC

How do ye find the sizing in Cubes? I heard they run small. I’m a medium 54 say in Giant and Trek.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118505157#Comment_118505157

Wish I knew, our accounts team wiped with Covid, so no bike yet

MojoMaker

Cub 56 = Giant M (54).

byrnem31

I was trying to decide what size to get in a cube. The shop recommended a 56 and it felt good. But i done a geometry comparison of a 56 cube to a m/l defy and to be honest, there is not a whole lot of difference which surprised me as i thought cubes ran smaller. The first collum on the left is a 53 cube agree c62 , middle collum is a 56 cube agree c62 and the 3rd collum is my current bike, a m/l defy advanced 2 2020.

My impressions are there is not much difference between the 56 agree and the defy in m/l but i could be wrong. At the end of the day, they are two completely different bikes made by different manufacturers.

ARX

Bike Insights is pretty good for comparing frames:

https://bikeinsights.com/compare?geometries=5ec4432783af0500177bbf51,617c3ef4b431bd001caab092,

You can also get your old secondary school geometry set out of the attic and draw the frames, centreing them at the BB.

MangleBadger

https://geometrygeeks.bike/ is also pretty handy