Originally Posted by
Brocephus
This is about the most useless advice you could give the guy. First, if he's looking at paying $700 for the Fuji, he's probably considering an internet purchase from someplace like Performance, so riding them all might not be an option.
Second, a bike that's priced at full retail, and has lower-end parts, might simply be set up just right for you, and therefore feel the best, while the better-equipped bike, that $500 off retail, might not instantly "feel" as good, but all it needs is the saddle moved higher, up or back, and maybe a shorter/higher stem that can be found on ebay for $14 delivered.
There are a LOT of important factors to consider. Just hopping on a bike and saying, "yup,this one feels good, I'll take it", is the worst criteria you can use when buying a bike.
I understand your point. Maybe the objectively better bike can be set up to feel better. Maybe the retailer selling the lower spec'd bike is just more skilled at fitting customers to bikes. Etc. On the other hand, how a bike feels is ultimately more important than objective measures like 105 this, or Tiagra that. Past a certain threshold, most bikes will get the job done for most of what your average enthusiast wants to do. The bike that feels just right, or that puts a smile on your face every time you throw a leg over the top tube is the right bike. So it isn't really bad advice at all to listen to your gut, all other things being equal.