Originally Posted by
acidfast7
Most frames will be made in similar factories. Unless you get a handmade (in Germany!) frame, which is somewhat common.
The components looks very solid on the Vilano ... the rear IGH and shimano hydro brakes are good.
What's the price difference. I personally wouldn't pay for the mark-up to have GIANT written on my bike.
Bulls (a German company) is online only and would most likely beat the GIANT at every price point.
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As far as welds being "crappy" as pointed out above, it won't matter. I buy my bikes to use and not to look at. I've only seen 6061 bikes crack under very heavy usage in the Alps, and I doubt you'll be doing that ... a frame cracking on a commute is unheard of.
It's not unheard of.
There is more difference between Vilano and Giant than the decals. Much more.
The fact that some bikes are available only in shops is not a bad thing. Working on bikes and doing it right isn't hard, but it's even easier to mess it up. There are many, many small details to get wrong, and they add up. Most customer-assembled bikes I have seen are not assembled well. Some people are competent. Some people are not competent and know it. Some people are not competent but think they are.
I'm not saying the Vilano frame will fail. It probably won't, but the little things add up to form your overall level of satisfaction. If, for example, the headset goes out of adjustment and the seat binder bolt breaks, and various other things happen, it's not a good experience. The inexpensive bikes are that way because of skimping.
There are some gems, and Bulls is probably one of them, and I bet it costs a lot more than Vilano.