Originally Posted by cydewaze
If your friend says all those bikes are made by Giant, you should ask to see some supporting evidence. More likely than not, he'll say something like, "I heard/read it somewhere", which is no better than saying the tooth fairy told him.
It is pretty easy to prove that Trek bikes are made in Taiwan. If they are sold in the USA, the dealer is required by law to slap "made in Taiwan" labels on the products. You can see lots of "made in Taiwan" or "made in China" labels on Trek bikes in your bike shops. Now, whether they are made by Giant or made by Merida is more complex. You dealer should know, but you may need to pester him a lot to get the truth out of him.