Difference between brand and generic
 

I was looking a bike to use for my primary means of personal transportation. I was looking at a Trek Verve 2 and an FX 2. They are a little more then I can afford right now and saw some comperable bikes on bikesdirects.com that look comperable. Is it worth saving the $200-300 to buy a generic as oppossed to the actual brand? I used to have a Trek 3700 Mt bike but my hateful ex threw it away and now i have nothing.

There's a bikesdirect thread you should read, but the main answer to your question is that it isn't just brand. One of the biggest differences is service - when you buy a bike shop bike like Trek it is fully assembled for you - often including swapping stems or whatever for fit - and it comes with a tune up of some sort. Additionally, little things that can be a problem like cable housing will be better on a brand name bike.

There are some real bargains to be had buying a bike mail order. But if the savings is $300 on paper, it is probably closer to only $150 after making up for the support you don't get, and may be even less of a savings after a year or two. That isn't a vote for or against - just making you aware that there are going to be additional costs - especially if you aren't already a skilled mechanic.

This is an important caveat. In my view, having a good experience with a bike depends on the quality of service that you have access to. We've grown to expect that cars are defect-free when they are made, and practically impervious to their operating conditions when used properly. But bikes are more like the Ford Model T, where they usually need some mechanical attention before they can be used.

They also have more lightweight and exposed mechanisms. For this reason, a bike typically needs some service, which includes checking for manufacturing defects (missing lubrication in the bearings, insufficiently tensioned spokes) and making minor adjustments as things settle.

If you can become reasonably self sufficient for minor maintenance, then you can have a good experience with a bike that is not supported by a shop, such as mail-order or second-hand.

It’s certainly a lot better parts than a Walmart Mongoose.

You don't say where you are located. But in many cities, even smaller cities that are bike shops that feature used and reconditioned bikes. Depending on the bike shop is fell more confident than providing of Craigs list.

I'll second that. Many bikes shops take trade ins and resell them again. I have not bought a new bike in ages and prefer a slightly used good brand name bike over a new big box store bike. Plus some stores sometime offer specials like free maintenance when you buy in their store. But of course it can be tricky to find the correct size.

Branded is usually better. Get the branded one. To convince yourself, look at the parts specs. Even with exactly the same parts, the branded frame (and complete) has better resale value. The frame itself could be the same quality or could be better with the branded one which you won't know until you ride it.

All things equal, brand names are your assurance of quality. Of course that doesn't imply that the product or service will be perfect. But a company that's been around for years or even decades certainly cares a lot more about its reputation than one that's here to day, and gone tomorrow.

That said, it don't mean you can't good quality without it (I own many generic product like batteries, bike helmet, camera equipment, etc.), but you have to do a lot more homework to make sure you're getting what you pay for, and that the company will stand behind it, should something go wrong.

I have a bikes direct bike and its great. I was unsure of it, but got in on Craig's list so I could try it out before buying. $400 for a bike that would have cost me $2000 at the bike store was nice. Makes a great commuter.

Components are generally similar, although you may want to upgrade the wheels. For general commuting it was great. I do find that for racing or high effort work, a branded bike will have the latest innovations and can be both more efficient and more comfortable to ride. Not a big deal when commuting though.

Biggest benefit from LBS: FIT. The biggest worry for me buying factory direct is making sure the bike fits and is comfortable. Any LBS will work on my bike, but if it doesn't fit, its just a waste of $$$. I recently bought a high end factory direct bike (canyon), and bought two sizes so I could ensure I dialed in the fit. Fortunately they have a good return policy - so while it was a hassle it worked. Much easier to go to the LBS, try out half a dozen (or more) bikes, and have the experts there ensure it fits you well.

I'm not sure that brand names are really much value. A good brand that costs a fair amount will be a good bike. But I got a $300 Specialized bike new, and it wasn't noticeably better than any other $300 BSO. Also, I have had mixed results with different LBSes. If you know enough to be able to evaluate your LBS, you probably know enough to evaluate the bike you want to buy.

To me its the personal and immediate service. If you need your bike fixed now, no online vendor can match that. I've walked in to my LBS and gotten my bike fixed immediately. My mechanic simply stopped what he was doing and attended to me on the spot while I waited.I wasn't implying that it was a perfect system, or that generics can't still be good. But a brand name are the easiest way to know what you're getting without a whole lot of work.

Price notwithstanding, would you feel more comfortable purchasing a big ticket item from a company that's been around for 100 years or one that recently opened for business?

Branded frames make very little difference.

Branded components make a BIG difference. Shimano, you want to see components that have names on them, there are some bottom-of-the-barrel Shimano parts that are un-named, but even the lowest names (Acera, Alivio, Altus, Tiagra, Claris, maybe Tourney is a little iffy). SRAM is probably all good, Campagnolo doesn't make anything crap.

The biggest tell for me is, on a bike with V-brakes, look at the way the brake arms are constructed. Are they stamped from a thin flat piece of metal into a thin curved piece of metal, likely the whole bike is crap. If the brake arms are forged or cast as a more solid piece of metal, you're probably on safe ground with the whole bike.

And if you find a bike with reliable components, they'll almost certainly be on a frame that is good enough (assuming it FITS you and is the right style of frame for the kind of riding you want to do: road/drop-bar? fitness/hybrid/flat-bar? mountain/knobby tires?)

You know, the kinds of people who regret their BD.com purchases, are usually the ones who don't understand the difference between on-line generic brands and LBS store experience.

If you know what you want and why and you know the fit you need and understand the difference between component groups and their value and you know how to do most of your own maintenance - you can get a good deal and be happy with BD.com. Otherwise, the LBS services are probably worth the higher bike cost.

+1

I wouldn't expect a low end or even mid-range brand-name frame to be better than a generic frame, depending on which "generic" of course. That's the difference. With a brand name you know what you're getting, consistent with that brand.

Personally, choosing a "generic" I'd look for some history. A year or two of reviews, people asking maintenance questions, that sort of thing. I wouldn't just pick something from eBay or a Chinese mail order site, that's never been seen before, and assume that it's equal to a Trek either.

Very few OEM factories make many brands at the same time.
what matters is the contract details .. .. if the goal is a wally world low cost that will be stipulated..

NB, there are 2 Chinas... though the PRC is the only one recognized by agreement with the State Department,
after Nixon went to China..

But there are fleet exercises off the coast of Taiwan by the US Navy regularly ...

supporting the separate governments . that developed after the Chinese Revolution..

And therein lies another important reason for choosing a "brand."