Big brands vs Own brands

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dac

Well-Known Member
Hi all,

What are you thoughts on Big brand bikes (i.e. Specialized, Giant, Trek, etc) versus Own brands from multi-vendor bike shops (i.e. Decathlon B'Twin, Wiggle Verenti, Halfords Carrera, Merlins own bike, etc..)?

Do you often find that the own brand bikes have better specs for the money (for example, a Verenti spec is £600 where the same spec on a Giant is £800)?

What own brand bikes do you feel have the best bang-for-buck (I understand one brand may do a good road bike where another brand does a better mtb bike)?

Would you stick with a Branded bike even though it is less bang-for-buck, and if so why?

You responses will be interesting. I know Vickster has made some good suggestions on own brand bike to various people.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
I have two own brand bikes, but they are Pearsons so not exactly mass production (they are built to order). I've had giant, trek and specialized and wouldn't have another.
Not because they are 'bad' bikes but they instil none of that heart over head that I want from a new bike and I want to support British based companies (even if their product is mainly sourced overseas, the way of the world). My next bike if I get another will most likely be a titanium job from enigma or condor

I guess I just like to be a bit different when spending the sort of cash I seem to spend on new bikes these days :smile:

Buy the bike that fits you, your budget, your personal taste, and any objective or subjective parameters that may come into play :smile:
 

Roadrider48

Voice of the people
Location
Londonistan
Planet x do a decent spec for the money.
I bought a PX pro carbon road bike with an Ultegra groupset for £800 a few months back. Wheels weren't bad either.(Vision team 30's)
I also bought last year a CF Roubaix and that came with a Sora groupset. Nothing wrong with Sora but you pay for the frame quality. I swapped it out for a Dura ace groupset a while back.
The SL4 frame is excellent though!
 
Generally branded bikes are better designed, better built and quality checked. Thus the ability to charge a higher price. However with easy access to similar manufacturing capability, the gap is closing. Some like Decathlon have done well and their bikes are known for their value. They also now are using better known components and riding on these brands.

People who have bought frames from China are also happy with their quality. And that creates a whole new perspective to getting a bike.

I suppose it is now to just to geometry and feel. And the age old practice of asking for advice and recommendations from others and in sites like this.
 

andyfraser

Über Member
Location
Bristol
If a bike is proven to be good then I don't care who made it or where I bought it. I took a chance on a fixie from Mango and it's been excellent so far. I'm very happy with my Felt and Kona too and they're big brands. I'd definitely buy from all three companies again but I'm also open to trying other brands.
 

Roadrider48

Voice of the people
Location
Londonistan
Until the frames crack and they pull up the drawbridge.
I don't think PX are that kind of place.
 

ayceejay

Guru
Location
Rural Quebec
time-skylon-aktiv-plasma-2015.jpg
Here's something to think about: two French companies - Time and Look have their frames built in house I believe and in terms of quality and style cannot be beaten but the price!!! So you have them built in Taiwan so that you can sell them for less and there goes your brand image
 

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
Look manufacture their frames in Tunisia, but in their own factories. Time manufacture everything in France (and they do their own carbon weave to boot!) as do Cyfac. Planet X do more than open-mould box shifting- having resurrected Viner, they've kept on the tradition of Italian manufacture, and though the cheapest Gladium is a rebadged Pro Carbon, the other Viner models are all made in Italy. The Planet X RT90 is a rebadged Mitus...
 
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Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
If you crash a car you don't expect the dealer to replace it under warranty. The bike frame was showing cracks consistent with damage not a defect and Planet X offered him a new frame at a substantially discounted rate. Pretty fair to the majority of the people commenting on the thread.
My experience of a warranty claim with Planet X was pretty smooth.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
The owner says that no external influence has caused this damage. Do you have information to suggest he is mistaken or lying?

Where's your evidence that that this was accident damage? I'm presuming from your statement that you're a materials engineer with experience in reinforced polymers?

Except they didn't really, they have done the guy a deal

That's very true. Nevertheless, it doesn't alter the fact that when first approached they pulled up the drawbridge when a member of their staff - presumably also a materials engineer with experience of reinforced polymers - claimed this was as a result of being in a frame stand.

So we now have 2 engineers giving contradictory accounts on how this damage occurred. Could it be the owner was being completely honest after all if even the self appointed experts can't agree?
 
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