When you say "low end bikes" what specifically are you referring to? A motobecane messenger with some 28mm tires will be pretty similar to the Fuji Track you are looking at but for a lot less money. The BD bikes are made in the same factories of the same components as the name brand bikes you've listed. There is nothing that makes these bikes any more "low-end" than any other sub-$800 SS.
I meant bikes like the Schwinn Cutter and SE Draft - lower quality, not just lower price. I've heard a few people like these bikes, and they may be worth their $300 price tags, but after reading about them, I'd be happy to spend a little bit more money to get a higher quality bike.
Get the bike and see what feels good or doesnt! I may love the stock saddle and you may hate it. I love SPD clipless pedals but you may prefer clips/straps. There is nothing that is "unridable" about any of these bikes and you should upgrade stuff as you feel it needs upgrading, not because a bunch of punks on the interwebs told you that neon green deep v's would get you more street cred.
I don't care about street cred. I'm going to be riding this bike 100 miles a week, so I just need it to be comfortable and reliable. I can figure out the comfort myself, but being less familiar with the parts, I was just wondering if anyone had insight about a particularly unreliable component on one of these bikes. If there aren't any real worrisome parts, then great!
I've already considered and rejected numerous other ideas like the Pista, the Surly, Specialized, Schwinn, Mercier, and even building up a Soma (which was tempting), so I'd appreciate it if people just stuck to giving advice about the 4 bikes I've mentioned.
This will never happen.
Yeah, I figured, but it never hurts to ask.
if you're settled on the fuji, you might want to consider the the Winsor Hour.
unless you're all about supporting your LBS, this is a way to go. It should be identical to the Fuji.
I've thought about buying from DB. I'm not sure how I feel about that - I would like to support my lbs, but saving money is a big consideration too. Any input on DB bikes - does the quality compare to the originals? Do they skimp on components? Does the company stand behind the bikes if there are problems?
I guess that's it for now. Thanks for schooling a noob.