BIKES

GIANT DEFY 3 £699
SPECIALIZED SECTEUR
SPORT TRIPLE £850
90/100 90/100
Spot on
Q Excellent all-rounder
Q Shimano Sora kit works well
Q Rear rack mounts for life
beyond sport
Near miss
Q Very good at everything,
but no single area
of specialisation
Q Giant’s wheels scored
a rare miss
Spot on
Q Supremely plush
ride quality
Q Very well made frame
Near miss
Q Expect higher spec
for the money
Q Uninspiring wheels
Q Heavy total weight
B’TWIN ALUR 700
£749.99
SARACEN TENET 2
£749.99
94/100 88/100
Spot on
Q Shimano 105 gears
and brakes
Q Frame comes loaded
with design luxuries
Q Grown-up — and very
fast — ride quality
Q 8.8kg total weight
Near miss
Q Very rigid, especially
up front
Spot on
Q Positive, strong and very
smart frame
Q Fair package including
sturdy wheels
Q Decent overall weight
of 9.1kg
Near miss
Q Average brake performance
Q A tad firm for soft bottoms
ALTERNATIVES
Trek 1.5 C H2 £800
Trek has a new aluminium frame out for 2015,
and very smart it looks too. The 1.5 model
comes with a choice of either compact or
triple Shimano Tiagra gearsets. At £700,
Trek also has the 1.2 model with a choice of
Sora gearsets.
Hoy Sa Calobra .001 £750
If you’re looking for an out-and-out speed
machine, Hoy’s range of road bikes offers
go-kart levels of excitement. We reckon the
.001 model has the prettiest finish of the lot,
and comes with a solid Sora gearset with
speedy 12-25t cassette.
Scott Speedster 40 £799
Scott knows how to make great bikes and
the Speedster approaches Specialized
Secteur levels of ride refinement, at a slightly
better price and slightly lighter total weight.
The 40 models come with Sora gears and
Tektro brakes.
SEPTEMBER 2014 CYCLING ACTIVE 57