How much does the brand name actually matter?

[andrewl]

I do buy a bike for Its brand and find out if i like it or not after, as 20 year old bike can not be test ridden in the local evans store.

Well it's what I do, and I have been pleasantly surprised by some and others have been horribly overrated. Given my geographical location I've ended keeping even the bad ones as it costs a lot to get them to me, but I enjoy them all for what they are

 

[heartbreaker]

Appologies Dr S my comment seemed like it was pointed at you, wasn't meant to be.

I'm quite young and missed retro the first time around so I have no alligence or nostalgia to any particular Brand.

I guess I'm just fickle enough to choose things because the name on side , nice paint , unusual parts, the overall way it looks, just as much as function.

Xt cantis work just as good as the graftons, but i still pay over the odds just because they are grafton.

I think if most half decent mass produced frames feel just as good as the more exclusive ones and if they where all gaffer taped would most people really tell the difference.

just my opinion and if i'm wrong then forgive my ignorance

 

[trek_y]

Interesting thread and I'm a complete victim of brand A must be better than brand B because of the name, shinier ad, spent more money etc.
I've now got 2 titanium frames - a Dynatech Torus and a Mongoose Pro - but I still want a Litespeed. Why ? Dunno. I just do. Sounds cool ?
The Mongoose was actually made by Sandvik (TST) in the same factory as Litespeed and of the same stuff and even looks like a Litespeed frame other than it has Mongoose stickers on it and the cable guides are in a different place. Better than that it cost me £200. Yep £200 a fraction of the cost so I should be happy right ? Nope. Still want that Litespeed. :?

 

[Neil G]

All down to personal preference

I've always had a soft spot for Rocky Monntains since owning one back in 1991 and couldn't care if they're now mass produced etc.

The brand for me that has the most kudos has to be Indy Fab

 

[REKIBorter]

I have always found 'Big Brand Bikes' disappointing to ride. The name doesn't live up to the perceived image. In fact the only bikes I have ever sold have been 2x Treks, 1x Kona, 1x Cannondale & 1x Marin.

Smaller brands had more passion and reason to get the ride qualities right.

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

As GoldeneraMTB said to Cleopatra as he opened a crate of ale
'Oh I say'
Some bikes are better than others.


I have never owned or riden a Cunningham so cannot comment on how they ride, but i suspect the reason they are lusted after is due to how they were so innovative. When you look at one compared to the other bikes that were available at the time they look so modern and just about every bike that followed for the next 25 years was influenced by it in some way. I don't think it has anything to do with 'brand' to be honest.

I also think if you buy bikes for the brand then you are always going to be dissapointed at some point. You should buy bikes because they ride well. If you cannot tell the difference in ride quality between a Specialized and a Fat or a On One and an Independent Fab for example then you should buy the cheaper one, forget the label, spend the saving elsewhere and just enjoy the ride.

Si (a non bike snob)

The guy who made the comment comparing people, loyal to a brand, to Lemmings is way off.
First, back in the day of tube televisions, Sony did make the best- Trinitron was the standard for longevity and performance. During the 80's and early 90's I only ever had to buy to television sets; they were both Sony Trinitrons and they lasted forever. I only got rid of them when the digital standard took over, and Samsung made amazing flat screen LCD sets. Sony has since fallen behind, but I wasn't a lemming for having bought them for the first couple decades.

Now back to the point. I agree with Si above, if you can't discern the difference, then obviously, you have no reason to buy the more boutique brands- you would be doing it just for the name.
If you can discern a difference, once you go with a high-end handmade functional work of art, then you have little desire to go back. I was a Specialized guy for the longest- the Stumpjumper is a great bike, but when I finally got my first Fat, there were tangible and intangible things about the ride quality. The same with the IF's, Goat's and Ritchey's that I have owned- there is something about them- the balance and response, the look, the feel. Perhaps there is some placebo effect, knowing that I'm riding something special, but I also know that it rides differently. Can I explain it in scientific terms for the doubting and uninitiated- probably not to their satisfaction, so to them I say- ride that Raleigh Mustang or Apollo, and be happy. Just don't be mad at me cause I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole, any longer.

Rob (a non-bike snob as well)

 

[dendy]

Never did I say people who are loyal to a brand are lemmings :? Maybe the brand in question is worth such loyalty..

What I did say is people who are loyal to a brand, say a big brand such as eg. Sony maybe lemmings due to the clever marketing etc. Tv sets bitd were very limited and yes sony made good tvs, this however is only part of the picture in terms of the Sony brand. They also make hifis, computers etc etc and often you pay a premium for something that in many cases is bettered else where. Same applies to other brands too.

 

[REKIBorter]

Surely by buying a Sony product (insert big bike brand if you wish) you are buying into lifestyle. I have a Sony TV, DVD HDD recorder, surround sound amp, mobile phone, Playstation. It is a comfortable feeling that I have bought good quality kit that lasts a long time and, although more expensive than some other brands, provides years of enjoyment and overall value for money.

Maybe the big brands are a safe buy for the ignorant? buying an unknown brand may end up with taunts from your mates. I know the first time I turned up with a Parkpre at a club ride BITD I was greeted with various comments.

 

[dendy]

Surely by buying a Sony product (insert big bike brand if you wish) you are buying into lifestyle. I have a Sony TV, DVD HDD recorder, surround sound amp, mobile phone, Playstation. It is a comfortable feeling that I have bought good quality kit that lasts a long time and, although more expensive than some other brands, provides years of enjoyment and overall value for money.

Maybe the big brands are a safe buy for the ignorant? buying an unknown brand may end up with taunts from your mates. I know the first time I turned up with a Parkpre at a club ride BITD I was greeted with various comments.

agree in that all your requirements are catered for

I employ all of the above home comforts and have brought into the "lifestyle".. But the gadgets tend to be of different branding.. I love my hifi and the audiophile in me prefers something different due to my love of quite expensive kit.. I have a ps3/xbox/wii but prefer playing my games on a high end pc. :? Basically I have no brand loyalty as such just try to source the best for my money and requirements and like with bikes rarely am I impressed with the big brands any more than the others.

I do agree many buy into the big brands because they are ignorant and it's a safe bet. I mean this in the best possible way cos not all people want to be a complete anorak about certain issues involved with getting the best possible product for our money.

 

[doctor-bond]

While I have to admit to being a bit of a bike snob (i.e. there are some bikes I wouldn't go near on principle), "brand" has nothing to do with that tendency, and should actively be discounted when assessing a bike's merits.

Many brands produce wide product ranges, and some of those products are less good than others. Ford produced the GT40 and the Anglia: Specialized produced the Epic Ultimate and the Rockhopper. Even the word Stumpjumper covers such a broad range of bikes that it becomes fairly meaningless.

Admitedly, some custom manufacturers are very niche, making brand a useful shorthand for their bikes' characteristics (Cunningham, Potts, Roberts, etc), but they are few in number. Equally, some brands only produce bikes of utter crapness making the brand a genuine byword for tat. In retroworld, these are few also.


Another theme that runs through this is where people favour the bikes they knew about BITD, and can't see the merits of brands that were beyond their horizons back then.

Surely this is just a limitation of outlook and experience? As a young man my favorite food was a peanut butter sarnie, and I still enjoy 'em to an alarming extent now. But since youth, I've been exposed to a broader range of foods and flavours, many of which I can see to have qualities beyond the Sunpat butty, comforting though it still is.