Giant Contend 1 Review

The sub £1000 road bike category is a competitive and tough market; on the one hand, the bikes have to be designed to some budget restrictions - whilst they still need to provide good performance and reliability. One of the best sub £1000 road bikes is undoubtedly the Giant Contend 1. Sitting higher than its entry-level stablemate, the Giant Contend 2 showcases the best in aluminium road bike design. It’s an excellent all-rounder - and we see a lot of happy customers with these bikes, either picking them up online or in our shop.

One of the first things you notice about the bike is how well the frame has been designed and built. Giant are specialists in alloy frames, having their own aluminium plant - to this end, the Contend 1 uses Aluxx grade aluminium with nicely shaped tubes. In the right light and from a bit of a distance, this bike resembles a carbon fibre road bike. The fork on the bike uses carbon fibre.

The groupset is from Shimano - the Sora nine-speed. There's tubeless ready wheels and tyres - plus alloy bar, stem and saddles. The bike has been designed to be both stiff and lightweight - with Giant's compact frame design providing a good fit for most cyclists.

Giant Contend 1 Ride

One of the most special things about this bike is how it responds to when you push it on - whilst it’s also content to plod along on, there is real efficiency and momentum that can be built up. Giant often builds bikes which are better than their parts list suggests, and this bike fits that bill well. The carbon fibre fork works really, soaking up vibrations and buzz from the road.

It’s a bike that is easy to ride and maintain and easy to own and maintain - it has rim brakes, and the bike platform can be upgraded inexpensively whilst also remaining inexpensive to run and maintain. The ability to switch to thicker tyres makes this bike a perfect option for those looking for a commuter bike or a winter training bike.