Aluminum All Road Contender | 2021 Giant Contend AR 3 Review & Weight

[@bi2u4787]

Bought this bike a month ago. Took forever to get it because there was massive shortage of bikes in Australia. But it finally arrived and I'm loving it. Perfect entry level roadbike. Worth every penny

[@mojointrepid]

I've had this bike in the Garnet color for about 6 months and about 500 miles. Lots of good comments on the look. I upgraded the seat post to Giant's carbon seapost and swapped the seat for a little more compliant Botranger Commuter. The ride feels connected to the road without much harshness. Good value.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Nice upgrades and nice bike!

[@zacharybaer4828]

Joe, how comfortable do you feel using this off road? Ie gravel

[@rickmalthaner4696]

Hi Joe - I was looking to do the same with the carbon seat post on my AR3, but all I can find is a zero offset one. Do you happen to have a link for the standard offset that matches the original? Thanks!

[@Dadember]

Got the same one, it's very versatile - road or gravel etc. Sora is pretty decent for my commuting. I wish I'd gone for a bike with rim brakes, I hate the disc brakes on this bike.

[@Konohatalks]

Hey James - I want to say thank you for these videos. I literally dont know anything about bikes I'm just getting into them and your videos are helping me so much! huge thank you, man. Very informative and digestible video

[@davidshanaman4647]

I am a 6 foot 3, 285 pound man who enjoys road riding. Most road bikes are not built for a guy like me. This one is. I bought the 2021 black one like you have and swapped out better tires. Continental gator skins 32c. I love this bike so much I bought a second one in maroon. I put 38c gravel king tires on it and intend on doing some gravel rides with it. The only thing I don’t like is the seat post. I would prefer a standard style so I can choose aftermarket ones.

[@AdamEvaGames]

wats size bike you have? L or XL?

[@pumpinfeetstompin1991]

Which frame size is this bike? I would like to know for weight reference. 22.58 lbs is 10.24 kg ;). Thanks!

[@roundabout136]

I have a 2020 version, absolutely love it.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Awesome!

[@alanjohnson8396]

Nice review. I have the AR 1 and IMHO these bikes are tough to beat for the price as all around bikes for an average rider.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Totally agree, have fun!

[@andrewpulido187]

So informative ! Great vid

[@Kaazamali]

I appreciate your detailed review on this and the Trex AL 3 bike in your other video. which bike in your opinion is better overall?

[@SG-dg6oi]

I want the Trek Domane AL3 but can't get it because of SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES...

[@lurchbt]

I ordered the 2022 model of this . Should have in next month or so . Great review. Thanks

[@stevenw3393]

Get the bike yet? How is it?

[@lurchbt]

Yes, got just over 2 weeks ago. Absolutely brilliant for the cost. First disc brake bike I have bought. Very good for road cycling and far more comfortable to my previous trek roadbike. I have 32c tyres on it.

[@stevenw3393]

@@lurchbt Awesome! Just bought one in the Amber Glow color, and should be picking it up this week. First disc brake bike for me as well, and will be riding on roads and mild gravel trails.

[@lurchbt]

@Steven W . I almost went for that colour but the one I got was available much sooner as I went for the xl frame. I have a large forest with trails near my home in West of Ireland so will be testing it there. Let me know what you also think of it. Thanks

[@stevenw3393]

@@lurchbt have managed to only get a few rides in, due to illness and travels, but am really liking the bike. It performs well both on the road and on paved/gravel paths. Shifting through the gears is fun, and the bike gets going at a good clip (compared to my vintage Schwinn Le Tour), and the disc brakes stop me quickly. Fairly comfortable ride overall, even with the stock seat, although padded bike shorts help. Installed a large frame bag for storing essentials. Got some Garmin tech on the way as well. Have even hooked up a Bee kids bike trailer for my 15-month-old daughter, and she’s loving it. Yep, solid purchase this Contend AR3.

[@ericmillar5238]

Watching here from Emerald Princess. Nice bike reviews!

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Awesome thanks for watching stay safe out there.

[@markowsley4954]

Nice bike. Looks like the stack and reach would be comfortable for longer endurance rides for those of us a little older and heavier than average.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Very true!

[@onuoraike2211]

Please can I reduce the stack for size ML from 595 to something 580mm?

[@Not_Sure_]

That's a pretty cool setup.

[@stevemcdonald8108]

Lovely bike , do they have it in other colours

[@diegoestrada2083]

Great review, pretty helpful!! just note there is a typo en the weight of the bike at the end of the video, it should be 10.24KG instead of 12.24KG.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Good catch!

[@mateusznowicki9638]

@@Jamesthebikeguy Can you tell what frame size it was?

[@장강-c1t]

Which frame size is this bike in the video ? Thanks in advence .

[@tomcochran9871]

My local bike shop carries a Contend AR 3. I’m interested in a Contend AR 1. If I try the AR 3 will that give me a idea of the ride of the AR 1?

[@stevemcdonald8108]

Beautiful bike

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

It's so is

[@blaydeesy2005]

I’m looking for a good bike to use with a wheel on smart trainer. I’ve found a few local folks selling the 2021 for about $600. You think this would work well with that?

[@blakeeastlake1814]

I was just wondering, is the seatpost made of Carbon Fibre. Thanks.

[@harrygrimley4352]

Pretty good looking bike. Thanks for the review. And not a horrible price which from me is saying something. I'm cheep. If I had a ride like that I might still be road ridding. I used to snap Schwinn frames when doing uphills. Frustrating.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Haha, I agree pretty good value. Highly doubt that this would be something that would break up hills but who knows, more power

[@g4rymw110]

What would you recommend, this or the trek al3 as you reviewed both, I’m undecided the giant ar2 is available for the same price as the trek in a sale too , any advice

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Both are great, I'd ride em both if you can and if you are still stuck purchase from the bike shop that took the best care of you.

[@ryancraik3309]

I bought this and love it. However, does anyone find way too much resistance in lowest gear on steep incline? Feels like it needs an easier gear!!!! Fend off mudguards look good on this bike 👍

[@johnnydoe66]

Can you give the price of the bikes you review, even if it's the MSRP?

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

I do not intend to add prices.

[@johnnydoe66]

@@Jamesthebikeguy No problem, I would think that would be something viewers would be interested in, even if it's the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail price. It wouldn't be a set in stone price since individual shops set their prices by location, availability, and even demand

[@sitogaduang6768]

nice review. can you do a Giant Roam 4 2021 review. cheers.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

I hope to come across one, if I do I will do a video on it.

[@misconduct6845]

Ive a question, I bought a 2022 Contend AR3 the crankset its unbranded and it is not the same in the video, what do I do?

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Ride the bike and enjoy it!

[@stevemcdonald8108]

Waiting for new stock in April & may 2022 , to buy one !!

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Cool! I hope you get one

[@nawmean]

What color?

[@tinrin3634]

Can i keep the wheel set and upgrade the tire to 700 x 25c ?

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

yes

[@davidschutte9167]

Ik heb em zelf gekocht in maat M maar er word gezecht 9.7 soms 9.4 en dan dit gewicht je word gewoon voor de gek gehouden

[@akatsukilove8884]

I’m 6’2, can I ride this bike?

[@quinntimmerman1691]

Can you do a trek domane al 3 review please

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

I hope to.

[@filmspotzshorts]

Is the specialized Allez sports better?

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Different bike. Would depend on what you want out of the bike

[@filmspotzshorts]

@@Jamesthebikeguy far and fast

[@VerdextremoMTB]

in kg, a mistake conversion, great job thank for the review to much complete

[@QuanTranVisuals]

Nice bike but too heavy?

[@shivamsoni3253]

giant contend 2 review please or contend 1 thanks

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Contend 1 will be coming up here in July. Already filmed and in the pipeline to put out!

[@mb10kx]

22.58 lbs = 10.24 kg

[@bonzobanana1]

Surely that is closer to 10kg not 12kg. Giant are renowned for being lightweight bikes and masters of frame manufacturing. They should hang their head in shame if that bike is over 12kg. Giant are an actual manufacturer not importer. Saying that I'm not impressed with that bland black paintwork. Also I really hate proprietary bits like the diffuse seat post. I think Giant frames start as complete 6061 then you get a mixture of 6061 and 6011 and then finally their high end aluminium frames are all 6011. So this is 6061 I guess. Did I hear the tubes were mechanically formed rather than hydro-formed if so they come with a bit of pre-fatigue. So seems like a basic frame but probably still better than many so called high end aluminium frames from other brands.

[@davidshanaman4647]

Stock tires are garbage. Very sluggish and slow rolling. Ditch them right away

[@kacperkosowski9506]

Pleased

[@xelseartheonlyone1267]

I have this bike. I absolutely love it. But it has 2 things that are negative. The saddle is soul crushing. And the crank arm should have been a bit shorter. Cause BB is too low. Tires are good for flat resistance. But bad for rolling resistance. For 1k € though. Is miraculously good.

[@Jamesthebikeguy]

Thanks for sharing

[@errantstorm]

There's some things this guy forgot to mention about the bike. The seat post will slide making positioning uncomfortable, the thru axle on the back is incredibly weak, one accidental drops off of a curb broke my thru axle in half. It's impossible to ride the bike in the drop bar positioning because the levers are unable to be shifted due to the geometry of the bike, so you have to ride using the hoods. The bike does not overall hold its value and i predict it will lose all of its value in the next three years. I purchased the bike for 1300 a couple of years ago for the bike to be now listed around 600 dollars. As of 2027 I expect to be able to buy another one of these bikes for 20 dollars because the bike will lose any value it has. The tires are also dogshit, immediately changed those to tubeless tires. The D fuse seat post is the biggest hinderance of this bike as keeping a comfortable riding position is impossible when the seat keeps lowering itself. Overall, I could not recommend this bike in 2024. For 1300 dollars original msrp I wish I had gotten a Trek.

[@martinmcdaniel5173]

The tyres on the content sl are crap .