Originally Posted by
Maelochs
if you get a Trek or a GT or a Giant of a Cannondale, you are getting about the same level or quality of material and workmanship. it's not like Giant has a production line where it deliberately sets up the robot software wrong for cheap bikes.
And yes, I assume that when Giant makes bikes for a Walmart-level brand, they use cheaper materials and adjust welding and handling times to suit. I assume that the cheaper frames use thicker (marginally) tubing which is easier to weld securely while a more expensive frame with thinner tubing might take a little more care, and thus the robots run a little slower .... but it isn't like we hear about a bunch of low-end Giant or Merida frames failing, either. They do a good job at whatever they do. That is why they are the biggest in the industry.
This is all true. You're getting a quality product from just about any major brand. But not all bikes across the brand or across a corporate parent are the same. As you said, Wal-Mart level bikes are made with cheaper materials in a way that is faster and easier to produce, whereas the top of the line frames require higher quality materials, machinery and craftsmanship. Now, is the production cost between those two ends of the spectrum that far apart? Probably not, but there is better engineering and craftsmanship and marketing in the higher end bikes.
And regarding the engineering and craftsmanship, I'm reminded of the saying: you're not paying for the 30 min it takes to fix your A/C, you're paying for the 30-years they spent learning about HVAC so it only takes 30-min to fix.