I do notice that this question can encompass a lot of different topics regarding cycling. If you have a certain perspective on this involving one type of cycling, let's say road cycling, but didn't want to discuss anything mountain biking wise that is perfectly fine.

What has been troubling me lately is that I don't know how certain bike brands manufacture their bike frames. How do I know that the quality of a Pinarello frame is better than one made by Cervélo? What about comparing Yeti to Santa Cruz? Vassago to Surly? Specialized to Trek? I have no idea where to even begin with that.

Especially when I begin thinking about components on a bicycle. Whenever I discuss one model of bike to another and they share a lot of components I tend to get stuck. Two road bikes for example could both run a Shimano 105 group set with internal cable routing. Both have mechanical drivetrains, both have hydraulic disc brakes, both have DT Swiss hubs, both have aluminum wheels, both have a similar lacing pattern for their spokes, both use a UDH compatible derailleur hanger, but each frame is made by a different brand. Then how am I supposed to choose beyond picking whichever one is being sold at a lower price?

What things do you put into consideration before choosing a bicycle brand?

Sorry if this question has been asked a bunch of times. I'm very new to bicycle forums as a whole.

Fit, Fit, Fit, and what bike do you want to be seen arriving on?

When you are asking about frame quality of those brands or bicycles. Or for most any of the big name brands that you'll see in bike shops and in the grand tours for professional cycling. Then you can be fairly certain that any differences in "quality" just come down to who has the better customer service response. Or other circumstantial things that make a person favor one brand over the other.

And that's not to say that there aren't plenty of minor players in the bicycle business that also make "quality" built frames.

If you are looking for a road bike, then the most important thing is that it fits you for the position you wish to be in while riding. Some like to sit a little more upright and some like to stay very aero. The bikes made for more upright position are said to be relaxed fixt. They'll typically have a higher frame stack than a race fit bike that is for those that like the more aerodynamic body position.

IMHO, if you don't have a lot of experience to know why you want the best of the best, then you ought to get a entry level bike and get some experience on it. And with each new bike get progressively better and better with the build so you can appreciate the differences that the better components and bike frames lend to the bike. Otherwise, you'll just have a status symbol and not really understand why.

A good starting point is heading down to your local bike shop (LBS) and having this conversation with somebody there. If you're in the market for a new bike they're gonna be happy to spend all the time you need.

You have paralysis by analysis. All of those companies make high quality bicycles. A Pinarello equipped with 105 is not going to perform significantly differently than a Cervelo equipped with 105. Same is true for any of the other comparisons you have listed. If two bikes have similar specs, similar prices, and can be set up to fit you properly, pick the one that excites you most when you look at it. Which one are you thinking about when you're not looking at pictures? Or, pick the one carried by a local shop that will give you great support. Also, your reasons don't need to be the same as anyone else's. For each of those, I have my own reason why I would pick one over the other...or neither. Make a decision for your reasons. Ride your bike. Enjoy the ride.

If you’re looking for speed, red is the fastest.

Many brands and bikes are more alike than you think. Lots of bikes are built in factories in Taiwan, and are painted and labeled for different brands. My wife bought an inexpensive Taiwanese Gios road bike, and looking around the bike shop, I saw half a dozen different brand bikes with the identical frame and components.

If you are buying a new bike from a bike shop, a mainstream brand like Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, or other will be perfectly fine. They have a variety of models and price points, good warranty programs, and parts and service are easy to obtain.

Since this Q can be Rhetorical, or it can actually relate to yu wanting to buy a bike - being to broad, without some qualification, is generally unproductive...
So relating to known Brands - I don;t think/believe there are any quantitative differences in 'Quality' between respected brands.
There are differences in geometry and how things are implemented, like cable routing (there still are cables/housing on electronic shifting bikes).
There may be aesthetic differences which may be important to a purchaser.
Component differences are generally a thing for a price category, not a brand - except for the major component groups - SRAM, Campy, Shimano and secondary suppliers like Praxis, FSA, HED wheels, etc...
Two different bikes/companies with the same component group may still 'feel' different when you ride them - that your personal selection.
Then it's how/where you decide you want to buy the bike...
So how does one overcome 'indecision' ?
First decide how you expect to use the bike - strictly road performance riding means a different set of parameters than one which will be ridden on road, on dirt road, and used for errands and shopping.
Deciding on use parameters is THE first step in starting your search.
Decide 'How'/where you prefer to buy the bike - then focus on that area of supply.
If you don;t have a lot of 'bike buying experience, I suggest buying so you actually have a bike on-hand - not something purchased from online or similar type source.
Develop a good understanding of the type of geometry you might want for the bike - If you don't know, start investigating into that.
Ride a bunch of bikes which fit your parameters.
Don;t buy a bike because it's the 'best price', unless you're quite happy with it for how it rides and how it looks and how the components work and perform.
You won;t be able to answer all your questions and maybe not find the 'perfect' bike, but don;t settle on things which you are sure are important considerations for you.
Then remember that the bike is just a machine, and how it performs is completely up to the engine - which is you.
If you already have some 'Brand' idealized in your mind, then look at those.
If not, then review, look at as many brands as possible... They're all good.
Laying hands on the bike is the most assured (but not guaranteed) process for buying something you'll enjoy riding. Buying from a picture, price and written info is the least assured.

...when you ask a Question,,, it's always good to give as much pertinent info as possible - a general topic without some definition often produces a general yawn...

Ride On
Yuri

Figure out what you want in a bike and then figure out who makes what you want and then ride it or have it built. In the end if you go with a known quantity and quality you are likely to find a decent bike especially if you put money in. If it fits you and you are comfortable on it (or relatively so) then it is probably the right bike. It is always hard to find the perfect bike, there is always some compromises either small or sometimes a little bigger.

For instance there is a bike I want to have built and the big compromise is I cannot quite build it the way I want I have to go very deeply custom to get some tubing made to handle what I need. There is another bike I wish to build and that compromise is price, likely it would be a 10k+ road fixed gear frame with again some deeply custom bars which seem like they are more and more possible as times goes on but a single speed bike for over 10k is a lot. Considering I can get a bike equipped with 12 speed Dura Ace DI2 for around that amount.

You have to figure out what you want in the bike or bikes and find either a manufacturer or builder who can get you there.

I've been a casual rider. Now a senior. No expert. Your questions are very general. I would consider where you forsee riding. What shape the surfaces are in if for blacktop riding, for instance.
Modern road bikes are offering wider tires. I see them in pro racing now. I ride 23mm on my '07 Trek carbon road bike. So I don't have experience of what ride differences 28mm or wider offer. If wider is just a fad or improvement ?
Age, physical issues can effect what's a comfortable riding position for you and your riding plans. My road bike has a little more upright geometry for older riders.

Do you have any local bike shops that you have delt with? Visit some. Take your time investigating. Larger your budget , longer the time shopping. Riding with a bike club could be a source for expertise. If your really into riding. They likely won't have a axe to grind, selling something to you.

Get a good bike fit, as advised in other posts. Shops should be able to measure you. And ask you the right fit questions.

For me, I look for an "endurance" fit, meaning I am looking at stack and reach. Within the range of acceptable geometry I look at things like proprietary bits that can make upkeep/fiddling with fit more difficult (so things like BBright and unusual stem/bar combos I tend to not like).

But aside from that I am attracted to brands/colors that differ from what every other rider seems to be on. That includes Shimano. That said there's something for getting a brand with local dealer support if something goes wrong, but I admit that hasn't been deal-killer for me.

I've been "looking" at the Look 765 lately.

This is one of those things where online research can make it harder, because there are literally too many options.
Go to a bike shop, in person. Say you want to spend *$1500 in our hypothetical situation on a road or hybrid bike.
They will be able to show you 2-3 models from a few different brands, which narrows down the differences that get lost in the noise of having dozens and dozens of different bikes to compare.
Until you get into bleeding-edge top-line models, it’s really all the same ingredients, just slightly different mixtures.
In person, you can also hop on and ride them, even if it’s just a few times around the parking lot, which will give you a better feel for the little differences between two brands/models that won’t come across just comparing spec sheets.

If you really can’t tell any difference, pick the color you like better

I’d say “Color, color, color”. Fit really isn’t going to vary that much from model to model nor, really, brand to brand. For a give price range, almost all bikes in that range are going to be very similar. About the only differences is color.

Like others, I don't think one brand is any better than another. I like my bikes, but I didn't buy them because of the brands. I just liked the bikes. But I do have a preference for Shimano group sets.

You have to buy at least 2 to begin the analysis.
Please report back in this thread.
Enjoy the expansion of your quest.
Frames/geometries, components, wheels/tires, + you = a complex mix, that changes as one's experiences grow. There is no stagnant answer, only one's dynamics.

Why not start with a renowned custom builder? Maybe Italian?

Choose your own secret sauce

Iride is correct. There is lots of excellent advice here, but your bike will be the best teacher. What ever bike you get will have shortcomings, but it will help you learn Thea you wandta lighter, stiffer, more relaxed, less relaxed angles, with(out) hydraulic brakes, etc. Also, the bike will change you and what you want after the first ride will be different than what you wand after 50 rides.
Further, you may notice that a lot of people here have N bikes, where N is a large number. Some days they want one kind of bike, other days another kind.
Isn't that helpful?

As someone else has already said buy the RED one, everyone knows red is the fastest.

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I start at this process a little differently. What kind of riding will I do? Hills or flats? What kind of shape am I in? Is speed more important than comfort? The answers will determine whether I should be looking at an aero, climbing, all rounder, or endurance bike.

I have a great lbs that I support. So the only brands I might buy, he sells. I read reviews. And then I go see the lbs owner, and given my criteria and budget, he makes a couple of recommendations, and I decide.

I don’t think there is a meaningful difference in quality between similar spec high end bikes. I think the quality of your lbs is more important.
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The brands you mentioned are all quality, but the only way to know which works best for you is to go to your local bike shop and ride their demos - or bikes for sale. You will instantly know which bike speaks to you - the differences in frame geometry and steering responsiveness can be quite marked. I respectfully disagree with those urging to have a custom bike built, since at this point you don’t know what you want - racing, endurance, gravel or a combination. Go test ride and winner will be very apparent

+2

And what kind of brands can you get at your local bike shop? Speaking just for myself, there's probably a dozen Trek or Trek-affiliated shops within a half hour of me, but on the other hand I wouldn't even know where to look for, say an Orbea or Pinarello. There's something nice about being able to try the bike in-person vs. ordering it (online or at a shop) without trying it and finding out later it wasn't the right one for you.

True words. I wanted an endurance bike during the pandemic - ah the bad old masked days. I found a bike on-line and ordered it from L.A. Spoke to the shop owner quite extensively before the purchase. When it arrived, it had the stock set-up, so I measured my old bike (which come to find out later was not remotely setup correctly) and used those dimensions. It took me three bike fittings, and then countless re-adjustments moving the saddle forward/backward, seat post up/down, adjusting the reach of the bars (I have a nice collection of stems) and other tweaks to get the bike to finally be comfortable. Not to mention buying a collection of new seats until I found one that works ‘pretty good’.

Now if I had gone to a shop (but most of them were not open due to the pandemic) and rode some bikes and had them adjusted by people in the know, it would have possibly saved me months of grief, rather than buying on ‘off the rack’.

First thing you do is decide IGH or deFaileurs.
For Foolproof brakes, there's ONLY Sturmey Archer XL 90 mm DRUM brakes. My first one has 32,000 miles, looks and works like new.

Eric F is quite correct. What you must decide is what you want in a bike. I rode the same bike that I bought in 1983 until 2019 when I turned 70. I obviously had time to reflect on what I wanted on a new bike. I visited several lbs and got tired of being told what I wanted. Determine what your budget is. What kind of riding will you be doing ( paved road, gravel, mountain, etc.). what type of components do you want. Do you need hydraulic disc brakes? Do you need electronic shifting? Do you need tubeless tires? Your bike, your decisions. I knew what I wanted and had to search online for a manufacturer who could supply it and then find a lbs that was a dealer. I ride both bikes and both are very different. I enjoy both for different reasons. Do not be intimidated.