Originally Posted by
gravelslider
Hmm... More arm chair rider comments. Which have you owned and/or ridden?
You largely don't need to here. Bike are only made of a few parts. They bikes are built the same way, probably at the same, or similar factories, with the same constraints at basically the same quality. Within these constraints the engineer can only nip/tuck the frame so much to make a bike lighter or would really want to add more material/change shape to make the bike more durable. The specs tell us that have basically the same geometry. Outside of the specs, the differences would be if someone made a chain stay stiffer or a fork softer or the components move the needle somehow. I'm assuming, no one is going to keep the stock tires/stem (fit)/saddle at this price point.
Handling
They've got the same geometry (aside from the bit of extra stack); they're going to handle the same with the same wheels/tires. These are the only two factor for handling. Stock, they both have really similar stout wheels.
Ride
With big fat tires at low pressures, the frame doesn't do squat for ride. The after tire pressure and bike fit, the exact tire choice would make a lot more difference than the frame. Anything the tires can't handle would come down more to seat post/saddle and handlebar/tape compliance. They both use a 27.2 alloy offset post, so they'll pretty much be be the same. They both use similar bars (cowbell vs the Ritchey version of the cowbell) - probably the only weakness in my argument here.
Tire data - A 28m tire at 85psi has got about a 30n/mm (180lb per in) spring rate. The softest frame/seat post combos are 85n/mm. Making a frame 66% stiffer (aero frame from endurance frame) vertically only impacted the ride 10%.
https://blog.silca.cc/part-3-tire-pressure-and-comfort
Tire pressure and size matters more than the frame; the amount of room you have to squish the tire matters too. Working with 40c tires at half that pressure, you'd probably need to compare a solid frame to one of these to find a ride difference. These bikes do have slightly different wheels, with the one having 4 extra spokes, but the data shows the wheels are
Ride and handling are the only reasons you need to test ride a bike. With good pics, you can see if one has an annoyingly large top tube or some feature that matters.
What magic is left exactly?