Originally Posted by
gtownviking
Take the "Cooper" name off the bike (photo above) and spec out a "lesser" bike to match components and with no name. Could anyone tell you the which one is better?
Easily! Try picking up the bike. Low end steel bikes weigh a lot more.
If the rest of your post is regarding quality among different brands, there is a little bit of personal opinion among us all. I truly appreciate Fuji frames and would toss my Design Series up among far more well known makes as an equal bike. It was a very expensive frame when new, but it hasn't achieved the value of other high end frames for that time period.
I'm ok with that though. If it were equally expensive, I never would have been able to afford it.
I also have several other Fuji bikes, from the DS/Pros to a hi-ten Special Road Racer. They are all comfortable and I enjoy riding them all, but if I feel like going really fast, the Special Road Racer(SRR) isn't the one to choose.
If I am going over slightly more rough terrain or moving at a casual pace, the SRR is far more suited.