Does brand matter much??
 

I have 2 Giants, an XTC0 MTB and a FCR2 hybrid which I'm both very happy with. Probably the only reason I own two Giants is that is the major brand my old LBS dealt with. I'm thinking on getting a road bike before long and the LBS that is near where I'm moving primarily deals with Trek for the average Joe, and a couple high end makes that are probably going to be out of my price range, but no Giant. I'm not necessarily a fanboy of Giant but on one hand I'd like to get another Giant just to have 3 Giants but also I've been happy with their product so far. On the other hand I'd very much like to support my LBS (which I visited today and they were very nice and helpful and they have a great kids bike trade in program) and I have no reason to think that I wouldn't be just as happy or more so with a Trek. AFAIK they are both respectable brands. So I guess my question is; is there any compelling reason I should choose one of the brands over the other?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Ryan

Most prominent bicycle companies are excellent at bicycle design and production. There are at least a dozen major companies you need not worry about when it comes to quality bicycles, and they are the following:

1) Trek

2) Giant

3) Specialized

4) Cannondale

5) Surly

6) GT

7) Raleigh

8) Jamis

9) Kona

10) KHS

11) Diamondback

12) Schwinn (Signature Series Brand Only)

A bike from any one of these companies should get either 4 or 5 stars! :thumb:

PS.

Trek makes some of the very best in road bikes!

After you select the road bike company and frame material, next select the component group. They go in hierarchy, as follows:

Dura Ace > Ultegra > 105 > Tiagra > Sora > 2300 > Hog Snot

Better add "Signature Series" to the end of Schwinn.

They sell some junk at walmart.

No. At least not choosing a brand for brand's sake. There are many other factors I would consider way before brand. Fit, feel, components, etc, are all way more important than brand. I have a Trek hybrid and a Raleigh road bike. I have had other Treks and a Specialized also. All have plusses and minuses, and none of them have to do with the brand. I would even say the LBS is more important than brand if it is a good one. I love my LBS and while I don't limit myself to their stock, I will always look at it first.

I think the OP is asking for advice regarding a road bike...

Thanks. Not sure of frame material, never ridden a carbon frame. As for components I'll probably go 105, planning on the $1500 or so mark. My FCR2 has Tiagra and I can't find anything to complain about. My slicks make more noise than the drive train and shifts on the cassette are instant... well except when going to a lower gear if there is a 2 tooth difference in cogs then I can hear the chain ride 3 or 4 teeth before it's in but nothing nasty felt on the pedaling end. I guess 105 might make that shift up a little smoother and save some weight too.

If you'd like to stay within the $1500 price range, then you're most likely looking at an aluminum frame with 105 gruppo.

Most likely candidates would be something like the Trek Madone 2.1, the Jamis Ion Pro, the KHS Flite 500, or the Cannondale CAAD 8.

If you'd prefer chromoly steel as a frame, you'd be looking at something like a SOMA Smoothie (built up), a Jamis Quest, or a Raleigh Record Ace, all while slightly exceeding your budget for 105's. Step down to Tiagra for budgetary compliance, with these guys...

Based on what you are describing you are pretty safe with any of the name brands you come across in your target price range. Bikes are designed and spec'd to meet certain price points and with competitors specs in mind. As a result there is not a whole lot of differentiation between major brands at a given price point.

With that in mind I'd look at fit being the most important consideration. Brands may be spec'd similarly but differences can be found in fit and over all ride quality. Focus here.

The next thing to keep in mind is who you are buying from. Since you are going through an LBS I'd spend a moment considering the kind of after sales service you will get with your purchase and the relationship you have with the shop. This comes into play much more a few weeks or months after your initial purchase.

Good luck and enjoy shopping.

I concur, the quality and pricing of the major brands will be highly similar. A friendly and helpful LBS staff is an asset, especially for those of us who can't be bothered to do their own repairs. ;)

Ryan,

Not sure where you live in Tampa, but if you are looking for a Giant dealer, they are all over the place. In the Brandon area, check out AJ's Bikes and Boards. In North Tampa, try University Bike Center or Temple Terrace Schwinn. Joe Haskins (close to downtown) carries Giant as well as several other shops. You can PM me and I will give you a list of bike shops in your area that sell Giant, if that is what you are primarily interested in.

I would just pick a bike that I like the looks of. Nothing is going to be bad from estblished brands.

Concurring with others that the brand isn't going to make a big difference, just ride different brands and see what feels best to you. There's nothing really wrong with any of the name brands, but some will feel better than others to you based on body geometry and such. Also agree with Slim that you should be thinking about an aluminum frame rather than carbon in the $1500 price range, you'll just get a lot more bang for your buck that way. Your mileage may vary, but Cannodale builds some great aluminum frames, I'd have a look at both CAADs and Synapse, depending what you're shooting for exactly. A CAAD8 with 105 groupings can be had for under $1500, and a CAAD10 for a touch more.

I like to support my LBS but if a good deal can be had someplace else or it's something they don't carry I wouldn't worry much about it on a road bike. They are relatively easy to maintain and don't need much care. A mountain bike on the other end will be bought at the LBS as I'm sure I'll need help bleeding brakes and fixing crashes, which occur quite often on a MTB bike.

Bottomline - Get what you like.

They all make good stuff. There are companies I wouldn't buy from just because I don't like the way they do business, but that has nothing to do with the end product.

At one point, I would have said no. Now, however, I would suggest looking around online for people who have had issues and how the manufacturer dealt with them from a warranty/replacement/help perspective. Look for the brand with the best after sale service behind your comfort on said bike.

IMO, brand is close to meaningless in today's market. Lots of brands source their products from the same OEMs, many are even owned outright by the same larger parent. Giant is an OEM and makes or subcontracts frames for lots of companies. Trek makes almost no frames themselves. Cannondale and Specialized make nothing at all themselves. Cannondale is not even independant any more. You could argue that design and R&D is proprietary, but I think its importance in driving real world performance is almost entirely hype. I'm cynical about the current state of major branded road bikes when it comes to performance or initial quality. Service and support might be a different story.

I agree that it's all about fit, warranty, components and LBS service. After that, aesthetics. Whatever name is on the down tube (or on EVERY tube in some cases :innocent:) is less important.

If you're saying it's close to meaningless to you personally, yes, everyone's entitled to that and you're not buying the marketing/branding rhetoric that goes on in the market.

But brand value, equity, and identity are what a lot of companies are counting on. Simply do a blind test of identical Giant frames, one labeled Giant, the other not. See which one people pick. Even price out the Giant a bit more, and most people will still pick the one with the known brand. That's the power of brand.

I've been riding a bit now, and as a student with a limited budget, I opted for a Specializes Allez and a road bike for my wife as well. I definitely oogle over dream bikes, however I have been quite satisfied with the setup and no one really cares what you ride, rather how you ride. I have never met a true bike snob, just really serious racers who demand a performance edge, the rest you can just humiliate if you've got the bigger engine.

I don't think you guys are disagreeing. Hiro11 is saying that brand name (or lack thereoff) doesn't correlate much with quality and you're saying that, regardless of the point above, many people like buying certain brands. I agree with both points.

After fit, I think that which components are on the bike are more important (IMHO) than brand. Many people here are very happy with their Bike Direct bikes.

Cheers,
Charles

If you are thinking aluminum, ride the bike a ways before buying. Aluminum frames can be very harsh. I have
two Treks and a LeMond aluminum framed bikes and they ride well but I have ridden some that beat me to death. I had two Treks I got rid of because of the stiffness of the frame.

Fixed your statement.

Yeah, it matters a lot. Think how sick "SPECIALIZED" decal will look on your downtube, as compared to a boring "TREK"/ "Giant" or a cuddly "Cannondale";).

Jokes side, I think bike companies are kinda like laptop companies. you have brands like dell, hp, lenovo, acer, asus. all of the laptops produced(outsourced? haha..) by them are more or less the same, given the same price range. They use the same memory, processor; they fails at about the same rate etc etc. Their (sucky?) warranty are about the same. The biggest difference is they look different. You can also buy apple, but then you have to shell out $$$$$.

Just test ride and find one your body likes and of course, one that looks great!

On a side note, I think Giants tend to be a bit cheaper overall than the others.

Maybe it's because they don't have to buy frames from somebody else.

As long as it is not a cervelo it matters not.