Giant’s Defy Advanced 2 named 2013 Cycling Plus Bike of the Year

The increasingly eagerly awaiting Cycling Plus Bike of the Year title has this year been awarded to the Giant Defy Advanced 2.

Whittling down a long-list of 40 bikes, all priced between £1,500 to £2,000 (the average price paid for bicycles by C+ readers), Giant has become the first brand to win twice in the Bike of the Year comp, now in its fifth year (first time was for the TCR Advanced 3).

This year’s winner, the Defy Advanced 2, was unanimously chosen by the expert panel of five calling it “a pitch-perfect and intoxicating combination of smoothness, comfort, speed and handling”.

The top 5 (in no particular order)

Focus Cayo Evo 4.0
Storck Scecero G2
Trek Domane 4.3
Boardman SLR/9.0
Giant Defy Advanced 2

Giant UK product and training manager David Ward said of the announcement: “Cycling Plus Bike of the Year is the ultimate accolade and we’re thrilled the Defy is getting the praise it deserves.”

C+ editor Rob Spedding commented: “Choosing the 2013 Cycling Plus Bike of the Year was a hard task. Every one of the 40 bikes we put through their paces would make a modern road cyclist happy, but the Giant Defy Advanced 2 has the edge. It’s just so versatile – comfortable enough to spend all day on it; light enough help you fly up hills but as satisfying a bike to fling around corners as you’ll find.”

The new issue of Cycling Plus, revealing Bike of the Year 2013, goes on sale today and available on Apple’s Newsstand and Zinio.

Previous winners:

2012 Focus Izalco Pro 3.0
2011 Storck Scenero
2010 Cannondale Six Carbon 105
2009 Giant TCR Advanced 3

The 2013 Longlist

• Cannondale Synapse 105
• BMC Roadracer SL01
• Olympia Ego RS
• Sensa Giulia Supremo
• Boardman Elite Air 9.0
• Forme Axe Edge Pro
• Canyon Ultimate CF 9.0 F10
• Giant Defy Advanced 2
• Trek Madone 4.5
• Specialized Tarmac Sport
• Kuota Kharma Evo
• Eddy Merckx EMX-1 Peloton
• Ridley Fenix 1307B
• Bianchi Sempre Pro Veloce
• De Rosa R848
• Wilier Triestina Izoard XP Ultegra
• Norco Tactic 3
• Trek Domane 4.3
• Avanti Quantum 2.0
• Cinelli Saetta
• Boardman SLR 9.0
• Dedacciai Nerissimo Veloce
• Cannondale SuperSix 105
• Cube Agree GTC SL
• Verenti Insight
• Giant TCR Advanced 2
• Scott CR1 Team Carbon
• Vitus Vitesse
• Moda Molto
• Scapin Eys
• Storck Scenero G2
• Merida Ride Carbon 95
• Felt F5
• Ribble R872 Di2
• Felt Z5
• Ghost Race Lector 7000
• Lapierre Sensium 300 CP
• Pinarello FP Uno Carbon Veloce
• Specialized Roubaix Sport
• Focus Cayo Evo

The Judging Panel:

Rob Spedding, Cycling Plus editor
Jeff Jones, BikeRadar.com editor
Warren Rossiter, technical editor (Cycling Plus, BikeRadar)
Robin Wilmott, technical writer (Cycling Plus, ProCycling, BikeRadar.com)
George Ramelkamp, bike workshop manager (Cycling Plus, BikeRadar)