#1, shop the bicycle dealer . then the brand and bike they carry.

the Specialty bike companies are all in competition with each other
so what they offer in a type, at a given price point will be similar.

I note: BF people who like what they got will tout it ,
but if the dealer of that brand ,
that has sales territory for that brand, where You live,
is not as good as theirs was,
in the human relations and service after the sale part of the deal
satisfaction of customer, you, may not be the same ..

Sales territory is population based,
for example Here the Specialized dealer is in another town,
on the southern border of the county.

Toronto you got plenty of people, so same brand
may be in dealers within a half mile of each other.