Getting a new bike
I want to get a bicycle for myself. The shop I went to carries the following brands: Norco, Specialized and Cannondale.
The Cannondale F300 ($699CDN) is what I want mainly because it was made in the USA. Since I was unable to locate where the Norco and Specialized bikes were made in, I supposed they were made in China or Taiwan.
Here are my questions:
a) Does it make a difference on where the bike was manufactured?
b) For a bicycle, say around $500, are they more or less the same quality, regardless of the brand?
c) I will be using this bike to ride along with my three-year-old kid. Since I am expecting this bike to last at least 10 years, I want to get a better bike. Besides, I might go mountain biking one day... Having said that, I think spending $699 on a bike is an overkill for me. Maybe I should look for something cheap, say from Walmart?
Any comments?
Thank you.
Tim