It's like buying a bike from General Tire or Montgomery Ward. You get whatever they specified at whatever price point. Bikes are pretty similar for most average riders, who wouldn't know the difference between cheap v-brakes and more esoteric top-of-the-line stuff.


Look, [MENTION=451710]TreyWestgate[/MENTION], you're all over the map with these recent posts about two-bolt stem-to-bar faceplates and steel seatposts. Unless you're riding downhill trails from mountains, you're not stressing the saddle or handlebars that much.


Calm down and learn to torque things to spec, inspect them often, and just relax. As for buying a bike at L.L. Bean, why would you? Unless it was a sweepstakes prize or a gift, don't go there. It's likely that you're paying a premium for their brand over the same generic sold elsewhere (like Performance...). What does a guarantee mean for an average bike ridden under normal, less-than-stressing conditions? Not much...