A similar ride, but on the infamous Eurobike. 😆 Jking, though if he's game I'll be happy to see that adventure. Not joking around, I'd def be game to see him try a similar ride on an a fully serviced 70's or 80's vintage road bike (not on an 80's superbike or racing bike like GCN has been using in vintage vs new challenges, but def on a high end vintage bike).
Sign up for GCN+ and catch all the bullet-ridden excitement in an upcoming documentary that dares to go where no other cycling community would dare go. 😉
I really love these budget videos so much more. It's more of the type of rides that most people can afford, and it shows that anyone can go on these adventures.
This is so much closer to most people's reality. Once again GCN's most courageous presenter Hank, takes on a horrendous challenge in pitiful weather. I doff my cap to you sir! When I first got into road biking and put a lot of miles/km on the tires, I had a multi-puncture ride. Luckily I live in CO where I was supported by passing cyclists who wouldn't accept cash for giving me their spare tube but instead suggested I "pay it forward", which I continue to do 10+ years on. Keep up the great work GCN, you have created a very special community that we all love to be a little part of.
Thanks for commenting Craig! It's great that you feel at home in the GCN community 🙌 Would you like us to do more of these challenges? Perhaps we could rope in some of out other riders 👀
@gcn I am!! Keep ya crappy English weather! 😁 From a Far North Queenslander!! Seriously, it's a good lesson about buying too cheap, though. Another exciting chapter in Hanks attempted destruction by GCN.
I really appreciate that the camera car (probably) didn't provide any support - no tube, no tire (maybe the lift). I think tubes and tires are something you should definitely change out on a used bike, unless you know for sure how old they are and what they've been through. Tyre reliability is just too important.
I have exactly the same Defy with Sora R3000 as my 2nd-training, commuting bike and it's perfect. Not even extremely heavy, with the pedals, saddle bag, bottle cages it weights only 8.6kg. Not sure if I can say this, but I like it more then my modern aero bike with full Ultegra :D
8.6kg ain't heavy! That's incredible..I also have a cheap boardman and take particular pleasure in beating most of my mates up hills, especially when they have full carbon, expensive bikes! 😂
@@gcn I have a 2016 Defy Advanced 2 full carbon upgraded with FFWD rims, Ultegra and Hydraulic calipers and a 2023 Trek Domane SLR7 with Ultegra Di2. As you may notice I prefer the endurance format. Both bikes are actually very similar in performance and comfort. If forced to pick one, it would be the Domane for the Di2 and cleaner cockpit.
@@gcn The Defy IS a modern race bike (mine was made less than 10 years ago and has the words "race bicycle" printed on the frame to prove it 😉). It's just a budget-friendly modern(ish) race(ish) bike for those of us who can't afford a new top end Pinarello every year! I'd agree that the tyres Giant supply on it are terrible for punctures - replaced mine with Conti GP5000s and i've had no issues since!
Incredibly impressed. From bitter experience I would now always change rim tape, tyres, tubes, on a new old bike before starting to ride it in earnest.
I really appreciate that you showed the 60 quid tyres and 45 miles lift. Even though is "off your objective" and could be considered as a "failure" it makes it even better in my opinion. It's just a manifestation of how hard it is to do the challenge and of how honest you are. Amazon video to watch, but now you've convinced me to do my own endurance and I must get off.
Another great Hank adventure. This really shows the reality of epic quests. Not all sugar and roses for sure. Well done Hank. Thanks GCN for another wonderful instalment of Hank's Suffering.
Cor blimey Hank, that's what you call a Giant adventure. I'd love to do 200 miles on my Giant but, for now, I think I'll just soak up your ride. Chapeau Sir much kudos.
That sums up my commute in Galway. Cheap bike, rain, punctures, darkness in winter months and the coldness that Canadians will never understand. I felt your pain Hank, great video. 💪
Mending punctures in the pouring rain using a flickering ever ready battery front light under a big yellow cape in the dark used to be one of the delights in the 70s on a CTC winter run. Nice throwback to the good old days that ride :)
Great effort Hank! I don't know a lot of people that would see rain in the forecast and still go for a bike ride much less keep going after repeated punctures. I would have said "I guess it wasn't meant to be" and called my wife to pick me up off the side of the road. Great job and love the content!
Had a sh defy when I got back into cycling - it was great. You don't need to spend the world to get into cycling. One of my favourite videos in ages! If you were doing a video on "best upgrades for budget bike" - tyres/brakes would be first anyway
I'd definitely like to see more of this bike in future "cheap bike" videos, if they're redoing any of them. I have this model and it'd be cool to know what's worth upgrading on it. (Although I don't know if that would conflict with their sponsors.)
Hank you're a legend. To keep going in a head wind , high tide and past your front door. Look forward to more (and maybe even some rides that feature blue sky and sunshine 😄)
So if you were to do this again, what supplies (inner tubes, etc.) would you add to your kit? Clearly, one spare inner tube was not enough. This would be useful info for those of us who don't ride superbikes. While I enjoy watching GCN ride around on superbikes, I'll never come close to riding one, so I appreciate segments on normal bikes.
We would love to help 🙌 How about this old video 👉 th-cam.com/video/-1gv6Y5NSno/w-d-xo.html - The older kit list might be perfect for those riding with clincher wheels 🙌
I have a Defy 5 I bought in late 2014 for $680 out the door. Eventually swapped out the Claris for 105 and the wheels for 42mm carbon. It is the only road bike I’ve owned and has 35k+ miles. I’ve done several centuries on it. It fits, is comfy, and I love it.
Great that you do these budget projects mate! I fix up old bikes for a hobby and this just confirmes you don't need an enormous budget to get into cycling. If I had to take on that challenge I'd mount some continental ride tour tires (not the fastest but most certainly no punctures to fix in the pouring rain).
Just bought a Boardman 8.6 MTX used twice £275, a week ago and set a goal of 1000 miles with no time limit. It's really reinvigorated my interest in bikes again and can't wait for the good weather and take it on some scenic rides. 👌 Some of these videos feel like a top gear formula but for bicycles which is a great combination.
I once ride from Berlin to Rome on a 20 euro bike. The entire trip, food, bike stuff, helmet etc cost a total of 400 euros. And went across the alps (mostly by pushing it) at that time I didn't know anything about cycles except how to pedel pretry much endlessly. And that's what I did. It broke down plenty of times, the tire even burst at one point and. I bought a throw away tire from some shop in Austria for 5 euros. So many people, so many people along the way told me that the bike is hopeless, but I carried on. And 1600 or so km Later got there. Was one hell of a trip. Woudnt change anything (except the tires I guess 😁😁😁)
Epic! All the more so because the challenge was more than you signed on for Hank! Well done! Weather, punctures, narrow tires, old 'beater' bike, the lot.
I bought a Giant Defy and upgraded with good wheels and tyres.....i love it,so comfortable.I also have a aeroad and other top end bikes.....i just love that defy.
Nice Hank! Me and my fathers big ride of the year we train for to cap off the season is LOTOJA. I believe it is longest single day race in the US sanctioned by USA Cycling. 200 miles from Logan Utah to Jackson Hole Wyoming to the base of the stunning Grand Teton Mountains! I have now completed it every year for the past 5 years and now earned the 1,000 mile award! But I can’t imagine doing it in the rain all day like you did! Props to you! You lot aught to check out LOTOJA one of these years! 💪🏻😎
I mean… kudos to Hank but honestly surprised he didn’t do the remaining 5 miles! 😅 must be getting soft! Jokes, Hank is a monster! HUGE props for completing 195miles… Can we have next challenge, Hank completes 200miles on 200lbs bike? That’s what I first thought we were going to watch! That would probably be hanks most difficult challenge yet!
Way to go Hank! I've ridden ~20,000+ miles on a Tommasso Monza I purchased for $850 US in November of 2016. Still riding it as my weekday and winter bike.
You are onto one of my favorite topics here. We have a great bounty of nearly great bikes that can be ridden. It can be really difficulty to not be blinded by the new bikes though. The Giant you selected has so many incredible advantages. What a great find! With a better set of tires and a more humane weather forecast this would have been an all together different adventure. Thank you for your commitment to illustrating this point!
Well Done Hank !!!!! Even with the weather being like it is, You show that it is possible to get out and ride. I'm trainig for a Century ride here in the States, and I'll be riding a Giant Defy 5 with some upgrades. Thank You for the inspiration to keep training and enjoying the outdoors.
Yoo that's the same model of bike that I have! I got mine used from a bike shop (it was used and abused as a rental for 10 years.) for about the same price. It's cool to see it on GCN, and even though it's old and not up to the modern standards, it's also cool to see that it can be used for adventures like that. Way to go Hank on doing that! I feel like we need an extended cut to showcase just how long of an accomplishment that is.
Awesome effort Hank! It would be interesting to hear what prep and maintenance you had to do, and/or what you think you should have done, to be ready for this challenge. Also fuelling/pacing strategy, dealing with the cold and wet, etc.
@@darkiee69 I got that. More interested in anything they didn’t mention. Checked the chain and cables? Tuned the gears? Chain lube? Check the tyres and tubes?
just rode about 15 miles trough the rain with the local critical mass jesterday, imagine riding another 180 miles after this is totaly crazy. my longest ride in one day was just about 80 miles on a nice day and a nice bike anyway. hank is a beast! thanks for the video!
@@gcn actualy i rode 75km to visit family and back the same way that day, so 150km, alone. but i do rides with my brother, jesterday we did another nice 100km of relaxed riding throu the countryside around our hometown(took us the whole day with breaks and enjoying the landscape). we might increase the distance a litle bit(maybe for bikepacking trips) but still not sure about 300+ km like hank does, but for an untrained 37 jears old guy in jeans and hoody on an old cervelo i am prety happy about nice trips like this! please keep up the inspiring videos!
@@gcn but the critical mass in hamburg germany is great fun too and on a nice day ther can be about 3200 like june last jear, you should cover those, maybe send the gcn auf deutsch guys!
I did a 310km ride in March 16, no rain, but extremely hot weather, at one point, it was 50C, nearly 5hrs was above 40C. moving time is 12hrs 45mins lapse time 16hrs.
You can certainly get a decent bike in budget. I'm currently riding a Ridgeback Horizon I picked up for £50 quid, all well maintained and serviced by the previous owner. I buckled a wheel hitting a pot hole (forgot I wasn't on a mountain bike!) so picked up a set of never used Shimano R500 and put some Vittoria Rubinos and some new bar tape. I think all in, I'm sub £150. I've put 700 miles on it and I love it! Not sure I could do 200 miles in one go though so fair play Hank!
i've done quite a few solo 200 milers on my good old trusty Carrera Vanquish. you gotta train on the heavy boots eh whenever I then get the carbon on the road I'm soo quick. you do get attached to the bikes don't you, no matter how modest they are
What an effort! Kudos all around on this production, it's hard to ride and also hard to do the great camera work in the rain. Enjoyed watching the journey!
Top tip - take a pair of nitrile gloves with your spare tube, keeps your hands clean (and dry) if you need to repair anything. Also, if you’re prone puncture, fit oversize inner tubes. Slower, but less likely to puncture
To be honest that looked like an absolute pig of a day with the weather and punctures. Kudos to Hank for keeping the enthusiasm to encourage the rest of us to hit the road.
To be honest I'm a fair weather road cyclist so far, since I started a couple years ago anyway, but as I child in Scotland I remember taking my mountain bike out in the snow and pretending to do MotoGP style drifts round corners. I had 2 mishaps, I went head first into a steel post and cracked a tooth, then didn't think to clean my bike afterwards and all the salt from the roads totally rusted my drivetrain. You live and learn!
I’m pretty sure my old Trek 1.5 is worth less than£200, but would easily do 200 miles, but not necessarily with me powering it! 100 is about as much as I’ve ever managed in one sitting!
Thanks Hank. and crew.....that was like every road ride I've ever had..except , you went a lot faster , farther , and weren't swearing the whole way . So...like i said , nothing like my rides , except for the punctures . Legend
WOW! That is amazing! You are a bad ass! I have done 156 miles on a good bike with bags for my gear, but to do the ride on a POS in heavy rain all day is awesome. My hat is off to you Hank! I still think Hank Vs Horse is a good idea.
Love to see Hank on tri bars, he likes quiet relaxed on them ^^ I personally slapped some tri bars onto my Bergamont Horizon 4.3, slamned down my stem, reduce my frontal area in headwinds feelable a lot… inside the tri bars I can push in headwinds much faster then out of them
my purchase was a trek alpha 1.3 with a siezed seat post it was all original , £130, full 105 5600 10 speed. slapped a 9 speed shadow SLX rear derailliuer (£15) on it (same pull ratio as road 10 speed) and a 11-36 10 speed cassette (lightly used on ebay £20) and some WTB thick slicks (£30 for the pair in 700x25). seat post came unsiezed with with some pans of boiling water and big breaker bar to turn it then sanded the carbon off the inside of the seat tube
I replace the brake pads, rim tape tires and tubes of any used bike 15 years or older if it needs to work and be reliable. Ideally all the grease and bearings get re lubricated too. Just shows how awesome Hank is for giving this a go in the rain.
Pretty nice used bike!! Most of us do not ride such classy bikes. Of course 200 miles is doable. Yes good tires especially in the rain is very important! Awesome effort.
Really love this type of content. I would love to see him do a grand tour challenge where he attempts to either complete half of the milage of one of the grand tours for the 21 days. Everyday do half the distance of the stage that day or even attempt the last half of that stage. Will really be brutal. Keep up this great content.
One of my bikes is a 2011 Carrera tdf. About 11kg ish but I absolutely love it. Fortunately It was free so I’ve replaced all the cables, tyres, chain, brakes, saddle, pedals and the horrific grip tape that had probably been on it since new, It’s never going compete with todays bikes but as a daily rider it’s perfect for me. Doesn’t look to bad either for a 12 year old bike, just need to replace the wheels now 😁
Theres nothing wrong with 2nd hand bikes imo, so long as you choose correctly! Last year on a whim via Gumtree i bought a servicable 2013 £225 alu Giant tcr, whilst in England! Upgraded everything between visits, rode it and fell in love with the supple ride, compared to my 1998 Cannondale R800. Just bought a brand new 2022 carbon tcr pro on the strength of that and eagerly awaiting for delivery!!😁😁😁
I bought a Ribble winter bike for £200, brake blocks & tyres replaced it was as good as new ish and I'm still using it in Spain. Oh and I used insulation tape on the rims to protect the tubes.
My winter bike is an original Giant Defy 1. It cost about £750 10 years ago. I maintain it well and it rides better than many of my friends £3,000 and £4,000 bikes.
Superhuman. Aside from what spares would most come in handy in such a journey, I'm curious what fuelled that effort. Only thing I recalled was a breakfast, but that can't have been it
Is that the chap who used to run Cyclo Analysts on the Cowley Road? If so I bought my e-bike (Giant Lafree Twist) from there nearly 20 years ago. Still going!
Just did that today. Rain was like hail, it was falling so fast and so hard (65 miles, though, not 200. Just commiserating on the awfulness of riding in a serious downpour).
spectacular! SAS Whos Dares Wins level stuff! I did my one century on a 200$ used road bike, thats awesome that you did a double (or very close) on such a bike and dealt with all those flats. Loved this vid.
It's a bit rude that they laughed at the Giant Defy when I have the same one sitting in front of me. I don't think I'll ever be able to justify buying a more expensive bike when the Defy is this good.
I would like to see Hank d the following 3 challenges: 1. Hank could give the 200 pound bike a real service (with the help of a real bike mechanic) and get it really ready for a 200 mile adventure. Hank could then with better weather and tyres etc could do the 200 miles again the idea is that he could show people what they should be doing prior to undertaking these epic rides. 2. Hank could take the 200 pound bike on a bikepacking trip like Lands End to John O'Groats with bikepacking bags etc. He needn't do it with camping gear but could do it on a credit card. The idea is to show that you can use your 200 pound bike to do long trips on. 3. Hank could change the groupset and the handlebars on the 200 pound bike to a more modern groupset eg Sensah Empire or something like that. To make this more of a challenge you could set a budget. Hank would then do a 200 mile challenge again this time with the 200 pound bike with the new groupset and handlebars. He could then let us know how much harder or easier it was.
Not so much of a kill Hank challenge this time, thankfully, although the weather was definitely the worst possible conditions for that ride. My first road bike was a used Boadman for a little over £200, and with a few upgrades and accessories over the years has proven to be a reliable workhorse for winter riding, commuting and shopping trips. Thanks Team GCN for giving us relatable content based on the kind of equipment we all start out on. More budget challenge please!
@@gcn perhaps some more budget bike racing, presenter challenges or even budget upgrades. Perhaps look at budget Cross and Gravel too. Perhaps covering how to optimise the performance of a budget bike.
A Giant defy 4 Alux with a Claris group set was my first road bike👍 the tyres it came with were the worst I ever had for getting punctures and I soon swapped them out
If you want to do touring distances ride touring tyres. I have Schwalbe Marathon + and I've never had them puncture. Not as quick as racers but at least they keep going. I do admire your fortitude in not giving up, Well done, I couldn't do it.
That is what i did in the summer break in december, down here in the south hemesphere, 200 miles in a 22 year old GT road bike (probably 100 pound bike). Alone with no support, from 3:20am (dark and wet) to 6 pm, 12 hours moving time.
17mph for 195 miles! Well done Hank. To be fair that bike did an epic job, it's the tyres that let you down. I'd like to see you do this again with the same bike but with £200 worth of tyres and tubes. Oh and with some lovely weather.
Have done a 200-miler but I only did it that day because I knew the weather would be kind. Worst weather I’ve had was days 1 and day 4 of doing JOGLE, last year (which were +125-mile days. It was as bad as that looked for Hank for most of those two days: absolutely soaked, filthy and freezing!!
What other challenges would you like to see Hank do next? 🤔 Let us know in the comments below!👇
Try to keep keep up with a newbie on a road bike while he's on a mtb.
A similar ride, but on the infamous Eurobike. 😆 Jking, though if he's game I'll be happy to see that adventure. Not joking around, I'd def be game to see him try a similar ride on an a fully serviced 70's or 80's vintage road bike (not on an 80's superbike or racing bike like GCN has been using in vintage vs new challenges, but def on a high end vintage bike).
As Hank 'enjoyed' it so much, how about a 50 mile loop on a penny farthing
Race Through Poland - 1500km self-supported mountain race
After the day he had? Maybe making some chicken soup? Seriously, respect to him for his amazing attitude above all else.
I assume at this point we will soon get a video “Hank cycles through an active war zone on a penny-farthing”
I'd watch it
I doubt Hank will want to ride a penny farthing again. The last time didn't go so well...
Sign up for GCN+ and catch all the bullet-ridden excitement in an upcoming documentary that dares to go where no other cycling community would dare go. 😉
If this comment gets 500 likes
He could take a ride through Tigray on his way to taking every KOM in the Eritrean highlands. A leaderboard of one is still a KOM.
Hank...you just dont push yourself..you push a lot others around the world to get out and ride no matter what...absolute legend!!
That's the ultimate goal! We always aim to inspire people do take on epic adventures!
Full marks for honesty Hank. Not a single moment of this ride made me wish I was out there with you. Sterling effort though. Chapeau!!!
Thanks David!
I really love these budget videos so much more. It's more of the type of rides that most people can afford, and it shows that anyone can go on these adventures.
That's the idea 🙌 Great to hear that you enjoyed it! Have you got any adventures on the horizon? 👀
@@gcn Go cycle in Miami, we've got a great cycle culture and incredible (flat) rides by the water 😎
Welcome to another episode of "GCN tries to kill Hank but he survived"
He's a tough old workhorse 😉
@gmbn ... Go easy on Hank please 🥺
After all that and he still averaged 17mph...what a monster effort!
Yeah, that amazed me.
just crazy!
He didn’t turn his Garmin off for the 15 miles he hitched a 60mph ride 😅
The warm call of home spurring him on 🙌
Fair play, most people who own £8000 bikes couldn't manage that for 195 miles!
This is so much closer to most people's reality. Once again GCN's most courageous presenter Hank, takes on a horrendous challenge in pitiful weather. I doff my cap to you sir!
When I first got into road biking and put a lot of miles/km on the tires, I had a multi-puncture ride. Luckily I live in CO where I was supported by passing cyclists who wouldn't accept cash for giving me their spare tube but instead suggested I "pay it forward", which I continue to do 10+ years on.
Keep up the great work GCN, you have created a very special community that we all love to be a little part of.
Thanks for commenting Craig! It's great that you feel at home in the GCN community 🙌 Would you like us to do more of these challenges? Perhaps we could rope in some of out other riders 👀
You're going on a long ride and it is raining hard, yet you still went out. That's dedication.
We ain't no fair weather cyclists 😉
@gcn I am!! Keep ya crappy English weather!
😁 From a Far North Queenslander!!
Seriously, it's a good lesson about buying too cheap, though. Another exciting chapter in Hanks attempted destruction by GCN.
Hitching a ride. getting closed stores to open for you, misery and joy. That's the adventure that builds memories. Nice one!
These hard rides are the ones that stick with us for a long time 🙌
I really appreciate that the camera car (probably) didn't provide any support - no tube, no tire (maybe the lift). I think tubes and tires are something you should definitely change out on a used bike, unless you know for sure how old they are and what they've been through. Tyre reliability is just too important.
The rim tape/liner too. I’ve had that cause flats.
Tyres were probably fine, the problem was cycling on 3rd world roads in the UK.
@@wyattchoi and he went off-road after 2 flats 😂
Hahahah what can we say, we love to see hank suffer 😈
@@johnnunn8688 I was wondering if this was the reason for so many flats. Even on the new tyres he bought. Absolute nightmare of a ride.
"When you buy cheap, you buy twice". I've never heard that one, but oh so true. Great job Hank!
I have exactly the same Defy with Sora R3000 as my 2nd-training, commuting bike and it's perfect. Not even extremely heavy, with the pedals, saddle bag, bottle cages it weights only 8.6kg. Not sure if I can say this, but I like it more then my modern aero bike with full Ultegra :D
The Defy has always been a half decent bike,
It's a fun bike 🙌 If you had to pick one would you keep the defy or the modern race bike? 👀
8.6kg ain't heavy! That's incredible..I also have a cheap boardman and take particular pleasure in beating most of my mates up hills, especially when they have full carbon, expensive bikes! 😂
@@gcn I have a 2016 Defy Advanced 2 full carbon upgraded with FFWD rims, Ultegra and Hydraulic calipers and a 2023 Trek Domane SLR7 with Ultegra Di2. As you may notice I prefer the endurance format. Both bikes are actually very similar in performance and comfort. If forced to pick one, it would be the Domane for the Di2 and cleaner cockpit.
@@gcn The Defy IS a modern race bike (mine was made less than 10 years ago and has the words "race bicycle" printed on the frame to prove it 😉). It's just a budget-friendly modern(ish) race(ish) bike for those of us who can't afford a new top end Pinarello every year! I'd agree that the tyres Giant supply on it are terrible for punctures - replaced mine with Conti GP5000s and i've had no issues since!
Incredibly impressed. From bitter experience I would now always change rim tape, tyres, tubes, on a new old bike before starting to ride it in earnest.
A proper cheap bike rather than a BSO. I've done over 50,000km, plus several 200km+ rides on a similar alloy Defy with 10speed 105 with no issues. 😎
The frames are also pretty lightweight!
I really appreciate that you showed the 60 quid tyres and 45 miles lift. Even though is "off your objective" and could be considered as a "failure" it makes it even better in my opinion.
It's just a manifestation of how hard it is to do the challenge and of how honest you are. Amazon video to watch, but now you've convinced me to do my own endurance and I must get off.
We wanted to show you the good and the bad from a ride like this ! Great to hear that you enjoyed it 🙌
Another great Hank adventure. This really shows the reality of epic quests. Not all sugar and roses for sure. Well done Hank. Thanks GCN for another wonderful instalment of Hank's Suffering.
Kudos to Hank. Fantastic effort and despite the punctures a great demonstration that an epic ride doesn’t require a hugely expensive bike.
Adventure is out there! If anything this bike made this adventure 🙌
You are completely crazy. I love it. Your endurance is contagious.
Cor blimey Hank, that's what you call a Giant adventure. I'd love to do 200 miles on my Giant but, for now, I think I'll just soak up your ride. Chapeau Sir much kudos.
That sums up my commute in Galway. Cheap bike, rain, punctures, darkness in winter months and the coldness that Canadians will never understand. I felt your pain Hank, great video. 💪
Great effort, and appreciate the transparency, still an adventure. Appreciate this shows that not every challenge will go to plan.
Mending punctures in the pouring rain using a flickering ever ready battery front light under a big yellow cape in the dark used to be one of the delights in the 70s on a CTC winter run. Nice throwback to the good old days that ride :)
On a fixy too?
Love Hank. Feeling very inspired by him and the challenges he takes on. “Never give up, never give in”
Hank always hangs on in there 🙌
A Hank Pep Talk 🎉
Great effort Hank! I don't know a lot of people that would see rain in the forecast and still go for a bike ride much less keep going after repeated punctures. I would have said "I guess it wasn't meant to be" and called my wife to pick me up off the side of the road. Great job and love the content!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Had a sh defy when I got back into cycling - it was great. You don't need to spend the world to get into cycling. One of my favourite videos in ages! If you were doing a video on "best upgrades for budget bike" - tyres/brakes would be first anyway
I'd definitely like to see more of this bike in future "cheap bike" videos, if they're redoing any of them. I have this model and it'd be cool to know what's worth upgrading on it. (Although I don't know if that would conflict with their sponsors.)
@@menohaveaname yeah it's tricky because most manufacturers don't produce rim brake wheels anymore
I miss the Cotswolds....gorgeous roads (when the weather cooperates). Nothing like it in Canada.
Hank you're a legend. To keep going in a head wind , high tide and past your front door. Look forward to more (and maybe even some rides that feature blue sky and sunshine 😄)
So if you were to do this again, what supplies (inner tubes, etc.) would you add to your kit? Clearly, one spare inner tube was not enough. This would be useful info for those of us who don't ride superbikes. While I enjoy watching GCN ride around on superbikes, I'll never come close to riding one, so I appreciate segments on normal bikes.
We would love to help 🙌 How about this old video 👉 th-cam.com/video/-1gv6Y5NSno/w-d-xo.html - The older kit list might be perfect for those riding with clincher wheels 🙌
It's impossible not to like Hank. He's exactly the kind of friend you want in the grind.
I have a Defy 5 I bought in late 2014 for $680 out the door. Eventually swapped out the Claris for 105 and the wheels for 42mm carbon. It is the only road bike I’ve owned and has 35k+ miles. I’ve done several centuries on it. It fits, is comfy, and I love it.
Great that you do these budget projects mate! I fix up old bikes for a hobby and this just confirmes you don't need an enormous budget to get into cycling. If I had to take on that challenge I'd mount some continental ride tour tires (not the fastest but most certainly no punctures to fix in the pouring rain).
Hank is a true champion, what a stud rider, well done mate !!
Just bought a Boardman 8.6 MTX used twice £275, a week ago and set a goal of 1000 miles with no time limit. It's really reinvigorated my interest in bikes again and can't wait for the good weather and take it on some scenic rides. 👌 Some of these videos feel like a top gear formula but for bicycles which is a great combination.
I once ride from Berlin to Rome on a 20 euro bike. The entire trip, food, bike stuff, helmet etc cost a total of 400 euros. And went across the alps (mostly by pushing it) at that time I didn't know anything about cycles except how to pedel pretry much endlessly. And that's what I did. It broke down plenty of times, the tire even burst at one point and. I bought a throw away tire from some shop in Austria for 5 euros. So many people, so many people along the way told me that the bike is hopeless, but I carried on. And 1600 or so km Later got there. Was one hell of a trip. Woudnt change anything (except the tires I guess 😁😁😁)
Epic! All the more so because the challenge was more than you signed on for Hank! Well done! Weather, punctures, narrow tires, old 'beater' bike, the lot.
You sir, are a machine. Very well done. Your patience and drive is incredible.
I bought a Giant Defy and upgraded with good wheels and tyres.....i love it,so comfortable.I also have a aeroad and other top end bikes.....i just love that defy.
Nice Hank! Me and my fathers big ride of the year we train for to cap off the season is LOTOJA. I believe it is longest single day race in the US sanctioned by USA Cycling. 200 miles from Logan Utah to Jackson Hole Wyoming to the base of the stunning Grand Teton Mountains! I have now completed it every year for the past 5 years and now earned the 1,000 mile award! But I can’t imagine doing it in the rain all day like you did! Props to you! You lot aught to check out LOTOJA one of these years! 💪🏻😎
I mean… kudos to Hank but honestly surprised he didn’t do the remaining 5 miles! 😅 must be getting soft!
Jokes, Hank is a monster! HUGE props for completing 195miles…
Can we have next challenge, Hank completes 200miles on 200lbs bike? That’s what I first thought we were going to watch! That would probably be hanks most difficult challenge yet!
#legday
Hahaha what's harder £200 or 200lb? 😂
Way to go Hank! I've ridden ~20,000+ miles on a Tommasso Monza I purchased for $850 US in November of 2016. Still riding it as my weekday and winter bike.
Hank is a legend！I just love how he smashes any challenge that he is up against. true inspiration.
You are onto one of my favorite topics here. We have a great bounty of nearly great bikes that can be ridden. It can be really difficulty to not be blinded by the new bikes though. The Giant you selected has so many incredible advantages. What a great find! With a better set of tires and a more humane weather forecast this would have been an all together different adventure. Thank you for your commitment to illustrating this point!
Well Done Hank !!!!! Even with the weather being like it is, You show that it is possible to get out and ride. I'm trainig for a Century ride here in the States, and I'll be riding a Giant Defy 5 with some upgrades. Thank You for the inspiration to keep training and enjoying the outdoors.
Sounds like this video was perfect timing 🙌 Good luck !!
Tremendous job Hank!! What an amazing ride in appalling conditions. What an inspiration.
Will you be pushing the miles after this video? 👀
Yoo that's the same model of bike that I have! I got mine used from a bike shop (it was used and abused as a rental for 10 years.) for about the same price. It's cool to see it on GCN, and even though it's old and not up to the modern standards, it's also cool to see that it can be used for adventures like that.
Way to go Hank on doing that! I feel like we need an extended cut to showcase just how long of an accomplishment that is.
Totally admire your grit & honesty - great film 👍🏻
Thanks! Glad you liked it
Awesome effort Hank! It would be interesting to hear what prep and maintenance you had to do, and/or what you think you should have done, to be ready for this challenge. Also fuelling/pacing strategy, dealing with the cold and wet, etc.
Did you not watch the video?
They adjusted the front brake, changed pedals and saddle for his own. That's it.
@@darkiee69 I got that. More interested in anything they didn’t mention. Checked the chain and cables? Tuned the gears? Chain lube? Check the tyres and tubes?
Crazy Dude!! love the film Hank not sure how you kept getting those punctures though !
Amazing work, Hank. We salute you!
just rode about 15 miles trough the rain with the local critical mass jesterday, imagine riding another 180 miles after this is totaly crazy. my longest ride in one day was just about 80 miles on a nice day and a nice bike anyway. hank is a beast! thanks for the video!
80 miles is still great going 💪 Have you got plans to push those miles further? Sounds like you've got a great gang to ride with!
@@gcn actualy i rode 75km to visit family and back the same way that day, so 150km, alone. but i do rides with my brother, jesterday we did another nice 100km of relaxed riding throu the countryside around our hometown(took us the whole day with breaks and enjoying the landscape). we might increase the distance a litle bit(maybe for bikepacking trips) but still not sure about 300+ km like hank does, but for an untrained 37 jears old guy in jeans and hoody on an old cervelo i am prety happy about nice trips like this! please keep up the inspiring videos!
@@gcn but the critical mass in hamburg germany is great fun too and on a nice day ther can be about 3200 like june last jear, you should cover those, maybe send the gcn auf deutsch guys!
I rode LEJOG on this exact model in 2012 in similar rain. I've got a much more modern bike now but there wasn't a lot wrong with that one.
I did a 310km ride in March 16, no rain, but extremely hot weather, at one point, it was 50C, nearly 5hrs was above 40C. moving time is 12hrs 45mins lapse time 16hrs.
You can certainly get a decent bike in budget. I'm currently riding a Ridgeback Horizon I picked up for £50 quid, all well maintained and serviced by the previous owner. I buckled a wheel hitting a pot hole (forgot I wasn't on a mountain bike!) so picked up a set of never used Shimano R500 and put some Vittoria Rubinos and some new bar tape. I think all in, I'm sub £150. I've put 700 miles on it and I love it! Not sure I could do 200 miles in one go though so fair play Hank!
i've done quite a few solo 200 milers on my good old trusty Carrera Vanquish. you gotta train on the heavy boots eh whenever I then get the carbon on the road I'm soo quick. you do get attached to the bikes don't you, no matter how modest they are
What an effort! Kudos all around on this production, it's hard to ride and also hard to do the great camera work in the rain. Enjoyed watching the journey!
Was a cold day out shooting... for all involved 🥶
good on yah Hank, great effort,
always the way with british weather,
Top tip - take a pair of nitrile gloves with your spare tube, keeps your hands clean (and dry) if you need to repair anything.
Also, if you’re prone puncture, fit oversize inner tubes. Slower, but less likely to puncture
Absolutely brilliant. What an inspiration. Nice work Hank. 👏
To be honest that looked like an absolute pig of a day with the weather and punctures. Kudos to Hank for keeping the enthusiasm to encourage the rest of us to hit the road.
Hank pushed through some grim weather here 🥵 What's the worst conditions you've pushed through? Some of those tough days make for the best stories.
To be honest I'm a fair weather road cyclist so far, since I started a couple years ago anyway, but as I child in Scotland I remember taking my mountain bike out in the snow and pretending to do MotoGP style drifts round corners. I had 2 mishaps, I went head first into a steel post and cracked a tooth, then didn't think to clean my bike afterwards and all the salt from the roads totally rusted my drivetrain. You live and learn!
Wow! Nice Job Hank! Yesterday I did a Baden-Wuerttemberg Crossing (280k) in horrible rain. Feel you ;-)
Wow! Nice work!
Hats of @Hank.
Not sure if i would have done that ride.
Salute!
Just brilliant. I’m knackered just watching it, and also it proves how far you can go if you put your mind to it despite the kit. 👏
I’m pretty sure my old Trek 1.5 is worth less than£200, but would easily do 200 miles, but not necessarily with me powering it! 100 is about as much as I’ve ever managed in one sitting!
Well done! How you could tolerate the weather is beyond me. Keep up the good work. You are actually quite inspirational.
Just keep pedalling 🙌
i thought I got wet yesterday and last Sunday and the week before, but this!! You just cheered me up thanks.
Thanks Hank. and crew.....that was like every road ride I've ever had..except , you went a lot faster , farther , and weren't swearing the whole way . So...like i said , nothing like my rides , except for the punctures . Legend
WOW! That is amazing! You are a bad ass! I have done 156 miles on a good bike with bags for my gear, but to do the ride on a POS in heavy rain all day is awesome. My hat is off to you Hank! I still think Hank Vs Horse is a good idea.
Love to see Hank on tri bars, he likes quiet relaxed on them ^^ I personally slapped some tri bars onto my Bergamont Horizon 4.3, slamned down my stem, reduce my frontal area in headwinds feelable a lot… inside the tri bars I can push in headwinds much faster then out of them
my purchase was a trek alpha 1.3 with a siezed seat post it was all original , £130, full 105 5600 10 speed. slapped a 9 speed shadow SLX rear derailliuer (£15) on it (same pull ratio as road 10 speed) and a 11-36 10 speed cassette (lightly used on ebay £20) and some WTB thick slicks (£30 for the pair in 700x25). seat post came unsiezed with with some pans of boiling water and big breaker bar to turn it then sanded the carbon off the inside of the seat tube
I replace the brake pads, rim tape tires and tubes of any used bike 15 years or older if it needs to work and be reliable. Ideally all the grease and bearings get re lubricated too. Just shows how awesome Hank is for giving this a go in the rain.
Pretty nice used bike!! Most of us do not ride such classy bikes. Of course 200 miles is doable. Yes good tires especially in the rain is very important! Awesome effort.
Really love this type of content. I would love to see him do a grand tour challenge where he attempts to either complete half of the milage of one of the grand tours for the 21 days. Everyday do half the distance of the stage that day or even attempt the last half of that stage. Will really be brutal. Keep up this great content.
Hahaha that might finally break hank! We are sure this won't be the last you'll see of this bike 👀
Thanks for an inspirational video - Hank is, in the best sense, a beast!
One of my bikes is a 2011 Carrera tdf. About 11kg ish but I absolutely love it.
Fortunately It was free so I’ve replaced all the cables, tyres, chain, brakes, saddle, pedals and the horrific grip tape that had probably been on it since new, It’s never going compete with todays bikes but as a daily rider it’s perfect for me. Doesn’t look to bad either for a 12 year old bike, just need to replace the wheels now 😁
Theres nothing wrong with 2nd hand bikes imo, so long as you choose correctly! Last year on a whim via Gumtree i bought a servicable 2013 £225 alu Giant tcr, whilst in England! Upgraded everything between visits, rode it and fell in love with the supple ride, compared to my 1998 Cannondale R800. Just bought a brand new 2022 carbon tcr pro on the strength of that and eagerly awaiting for delivery!!😁😁😁
I bought a Ribble winter bike for £200, brake blocks & tyres replaced it was as good as new ish and I'm still using it in Spain. Oh and I used insulation tape on the rims to protect the tubes.
HANK!!! You never cease to amaze and impress me!! CHEERS!
My winter bike is an original Giant Defy 1. It cost about £750 10 years ago. I maintain it well and it rides better than many of my friends £3,000 and £4,000 bikes.
Superhuman. Aside from what spares would most come in handy in such a journey, I'm curious what fuelled that effort. Only thing I recalled was a breakfast, but that can't have been it
Is that the chap who used to run Cyclo Analysts on the Cowley Road? If so I bought my e-bike (Giant Lafree Twist) from there nearly 20 years ago. Still going!
Well done there Hank & good luck with the next challenge mate
Bravo on this effort! Well done.
Just did that today. Rain was like hail, it was falling so fast and so hard (65 miles, though, not 200. Just commiserating on the awfulness of riding in a serious downpour).
spectacular! SAS Whos Dares Wins level stuff! I did my one century on a 200$ used road bike, thats awesome that you did a double (or very close) on such a bike and dealt with all those flats. Loved this vid.
It's a bit rude that they laughed at the Giant Defy when I have the same one sitting in front of me. I don't think I'll ever be able to justify buying a more expensive bike when the Defy is this good.
I would like to see Hank d the following 3 challenges:
1. Hank could give the 200 pound bike a real service (with the help of a real bike mechanic) and get it really ready for a 200 mile adventure. Hank could then with better weather and tyres etc could do the 200 miles again the idea is that he could show people what they should be doing prior to undertaking these epic rides.
2. Hank could take the 200 pound bike on a bikepacking trip like Lands End to John O'Groats with bikepacking bags etc. He needn't do it with camping gear but could do it on a credit card. The idea is to show that you can use your 200 pound bike to do long trips on.
3. Hank could change the groupset and the handlebars on the 200 pound bike to a more modern groupset eg Sensah Empire or something like that. To make this more of a challenge you could set a budget. Hank would then do a 200 mile challenge again this time with the 200 pound bike with the new groupset and handlebars. He could then let us know how much harder or easier it was.
Not so much of a kill Hank challenge this time, thankfully, although the weather was definitely the worst possible conditions for that ride. My first road bike was a used Boadman for a little over £200, and with a few upgrades and accessories over the years has proven to be a reliable workhorse for winter riding, commuting and shopping trips. Thanks Team GCN for giving us relatable content based on the kind of equipment we all start out on. More budget challenge please!
Your wish is out command 🙌 We would love to do more budget content... Can you think of any challenges?
@@gcn perhaps some more budget bike racing, presenter challenges or even budget upgrades. Perhaps look at budget Cross and Gravel too. Perhaps covering how to optimise the performance of a budget bike.
Amazing effort Hank. Props to you! 💪👏
A Giant defy 4 Alux with a Claris group set was my first road bike👍 the tyres it came with were the worst I ever had for getting punctures and I soon swapped them out
Great video and I love to see follow up video to talking about specs/components of the bike
I know it’s a Defy 4 as I have my old one in the garage! This video may have added £5 to its value 😂
Absolute dedication to the job many congratulations on an epic ride Hank rather you than me 🚴
If you want to do touring distances ride touring tyres. I have Schwalbe Marathon + and I've never had them puncture. Not as quick as racers but at least they keep going.
I do admire your fortitude in not giving up, Well done, I couldn't do it.
Another great addition to the “Make Hank Suffer” series. Were these expectations made clear to Hank in his job interview?
Hank. I'm sat here with a broken wrist and, thanks to your video I'm happy not to be out riding. The world needs more nutters like you. Good on you!
Nothing wrong with a Giant Defy Aluxx SL. Mine is still going strong after 9 years of use, 2 x 'Chase the Sun' 200 mile rides, and the 'Dragon Devil.'
That is what i did in the summer break in december, down here in the south hemesphere, 200 miles in a 22 year old GT road bike (probably 100 pound bike). Alone with no support, from 3:20am (dark and wet) to 6 pm, 12 hours moving time.
17mph for 195 miles! Well done Hank.
To be fair that bike did an epic job, it's the tyres that let you down.
I'd like to see you do this again with the same bike but with £200 worth of tyres and tubes. Oh and with some lovely weather.
Have done a 200-miler but I only did it that day because I knew the weather would be kind. Worst weather I’ve had was days 1 and day 4 of doing JOGLE, last year (which were +125-mile days. It was as bad as that looked for Hank for most of those two days: absolutely soaked, filthy and freezing!!
Press on regardless! Did a MS 150 in '95 through hurricane Ivan, central PA, usa, broke a spoke 35 in...press on!