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  • I think XL should be about right for you. You are only 1in taller than me and I found the XL just too big for what I wanted. Anyway as you say the proof is in the pudding.

    As Chris says the numbers can be misleading - for example the 58.5cm seat tube on your Defy is 'compact', due to it having a sloping top tube rather than a horizontal one. If you measured what you think is point at which a flat top tube would meet your seat post this would give you an idea of how it compared to traditional geometry.

    Personally I focus more on top tube & head tube length, and getting the right stem legnth. Although I prefer a compact frame (more exposed seatpost = more insulation from road buzz) the seat tube length is less of a consideration.

    Sirbikealot is very wise. I would also recommend buying an good quality aluminium bike over a carbon one. They will come with carbon forks like almost all decent road bikes these days, and will be more robust and sufficiently stiff and light. The top couple of alu Defy models, 1 and 0, are made of a different 'superlight' alloy which is noticeably higher quality, and I think these offer the best bang for your buck. They come with 105 or Ultegra, depending on your budget.

    You can usually tell the SL frames as they have no rack mounts on the upper seat stays (and they should say ALUXX SL somewhere). For reference I ride a Defy 1 (I bought a frameset from a friendly dealer) and built it up with a mix of Tiagra/105/Ultegra, with handbuilt wheels (105/Open Pro CD) and Vittoria Open Pave tyres. As a training bike which is capable of a lot more it is hard to beat. I would have preferred a TCR but they are hard to find in aluminium these days.

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