Giant Contend SL 1 Disc 2021

Giant's Contend SL 1 Disc is a high-quality aluminium road bike that's relatively light, comfortable and well priced. It's not really a racer, but offers a lively, positive ride, with crisp handling.

The Contend SL 1 Disc tops Giant's aluminium road bike line-up, positioned above the SL 2 Disc and the rim brake Contend SL, with two entry-level Contend machines propping up the range. The Contend AR (All Road) models sit alongside the road-orientated bikes, offering an aluminium endurance and light gravel option.

The ride

Most of the time, the 9.47kg Contend SL 1 Disc flatters to deceive, riding with a positive and brisk feel. The combined effect of a generous exposed length of springy seatpost and plush saddle makes it easy to forget you're riding an aluminium frame, as surface vibrations and small bumps never reach your posterior.

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Much of the bike's handling precision comes from its carbon fork, which also helps to soak up some of the vibrations up front. I did feel there was a bit of an imbalance in vibration absorption between the comfy rear end and the aluminium Giant Connect handlebar, as I could feel much more high-frequency road buzz through my hands. With cushioned bar tape it's not that intrusive, and could be improved by swapping to a carbon handlebar.

Its wheelset can be hustled up to speed and will maintain it fairly well on the flat or on shallow gradients, but when hard accelerations or steeper climbs are called for, they respond in a rather more relaxed fashion. They are tubeless compatible, so could be converted fairly easily, which should increase their performance a little.

Point the Contend SL 1 Disc downhill and the confidence and surefooted feel that the geometry and tyre volume generates make it stable, predictable and a lot of fun. Over my regular local routes, I was surprised how close the Giant's ride times were to those done on more exotic machinery. It's certainly no slouch.

After weeks of excelling on my crumbling local roads, I took the Contend SL over a couple of miles of what's best described as a cross between cobblestones and exposed rocks. The rear end again proved immensely capable, but the vibration transmission up front was further accentuated. To be fair, I maintained road pressures in the tyres and am certain things would have been a little better with 50psi, but this is a road bike, and it's probably best used there.

After many hard rides, nothing on the Giant has come loose, and the wheels are still true. One constant, though, is the rear brake hose rattling inside the down tube on almost every bump. It's not the most annoying thing, and I largely forgot about it, but it is preventable – a foam tube around the hose inside the down tube, for example.

Frame and fork

The frame is very neatly built from hydroformed Aluxx aluminium alloy tubes that are tidily welded together using what Giant refers to as advanced welding techniques. It includes plenty of up-to-date features, such as bridgeless seatstays and chainstays, a hidden seatpost clamp, tapered head tube and internal cable routing.

The down tube is oversized, with a curved leading edge, and a mostly square profile at the head tube which morphs into an oval by the bottom bracket shell.

The subtly curved top tube has a flattened underside, and also tapers from front to back. The seatstays are straight and round, while the chainstays are ovalised and have a flat mount disc caliper fitting. The dropouts feature a 12mm thru axle and mudguard mounts.

Also following Giant's longstanding compact frame design, the Contend SL's geometry is slightly more relaxed than Giant's TCR race machine; from its 72.5-degree head angle, slightly shorter top tube and stem, longer head tube, chainstays and wheelbase, plus greater fork rake, it all adds up to a bike with composed rather than combative handling.

As well as its 178mm head tube, the ML frame on test also has a 15mm conical top cap above the headset. This limits how low the stem can be, but I found I could still adopt what I'd consider a reasonably aggressive endurance position – maintaining a decent saddle to bar drop, and with enough reach to stretch out and not feel cramped.

The seatpost clamp is hidden within the enlarged top of the seat tube, ahead of the post, and protected by a rubber cover. It's easy to adjust, and keeps things sleek.

Giant says that the Contend SL 1 Disc's maximum tyre size is 34mm, which I assume to mean measured width, because, as supplied, with 28mm rubber, there's 8mm clearance on each side of the seatstays, and a similar amount between the chainstays.

Fork clearance is very generous, and the seat tube has a depression in the rear to increase clearance with larger rubber, and also to help if mudguards are fitted.

Finishing kit

The groupset is almost all Shimano 105, only deviating for the RS510 chainset, which functions perfectly but already shows obvious wear on the chainring teeth.

As you'd expect, the 50/34 and 11-34 gearing shifted precisely every time, and provides a range suitable for almost every terrain, with even gaps between ratios.

The levers are a pleasure to use, and the 105 hydraulic discs are excellent – progressively powerful and totally reliable.

As I said earlier, you do get some high-frequency road buzz through the aluminium Giant Connect handlebar. The cushioned tape helps, but you might consider swapping to a carbon handlebar. If you chose one with cable channels beneath, rather than internal routing, it would be an easy switch.

The seatpost is Giant's D-Fuse D-profile carbon seatpost, and from my first pedal strokes its effect was obvious. Topped with Giant's Approach saddle, they work brilliantly together.

The saddle is honestly one of the most comfortable I've ever used – and that's a lot – and I really can't fault the bike's seated comfort. I've had a love/hate relationship with split-shell saddles over the years, which has been more of a love in recent years as designs have improved. Although simple in construction, with steel rails and a plastic shell, the Approach is great, whether sitting up and cruising, riding on the rivet, or bouncing over the roughest surfaces.

Wheels and tyres

Giant's P-R3 AC 28mm tyres (Giant's spec list says S-R3) are also partly responsible for some of the perceived comfort. On the P-R2 Disc wheelset they measure 32mm wide, which gives generous tyre volume and, even with the inner tubes supplied, allows for lower tyre pressures.

I'm 78kg and mostly rode them at 70-75psi, and could easily have gone lower with no problems. Their nicely rounded profile makes for consistent cornering, they grip well, and seem quite durable so far, with no cuts or punctures.

As the wheels are tubeless compatible they could be converted fairly easily – if you're considering buying one, ask your Giant dealer and they should be able to do the conversion for you.

They're durable and quite versatile, and make fine daily riders, but if you yearn for more speed, they're the obvious upgrade.

Value

We've not reviewed any direct equivalents to the Contend SL 1 Disc, but comparing it with similar options on the market – or about to be – it looks like decent value for money.

It's exactly the same price as Canyon's soon-to-be-available Endurace 7 Disc, which also has Shimano 105 and DT Swiss wheels, and £51 less than Trek's Emonda ALR 4 Disc at £1,700. That does have a stunningly welded frame, but only comes with 10-speed Tiagra. If you want Shimano 105, the Emonda ALR 5 Disc is £2,100.

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A cheaper option is Ribble's Endurance AL Disc, priced from £1,299 with a complete 105 groupset (apart from the disc rotors) and Mavic Aksiums. Stu tested the £999 Tiagra version late last year and was impressed. 

Conclusion

I came to view the Contend SL 1 Disc as an aluminium equivalent of a TCR, with a sprinkling of endurance bike mixed in. It has the feel of a quick bike, and decent performance potential, with even more composed handling and versatility, which makes perfect sense in today's market. For the price, the Contend SL 1 Disc is a great buy, with a thoroughly sound package that isn't crying out for immediate upgrades. It's a bike you could happily enjoy as it comes, but a future handlebar and wheel swap would make a brilliant bike really sing.

Verdict

Brilliant all-round road bike that's comfortable and engaging to ride