Name brand bikes vs. Off brand bikes

The reality that in terms of pure performance, the el-cheapo drop-bar road bike will give 98% of the performance as a $10k road bike. Even if the el-cheapo has Sora components. 

There are some who claim durability is decreased in these generic frames from Asia that are bargain priced, but for sure, there has not been a rash of frame failures - I frequent several bike forums, and if anyone's frame fails, they rant about it to no end. Many purchasers, and nary a single frame failure. Even bustedcarbon.com's examples are mostly of name-brand carbon bikes (most of which were crashed.) It's likely that the reality is that the puny forces we humans subject road bikes too are not significant enough to cause failure, even if manufacturing standards aren't tip-top. 

It's true that you may get more manufacturer guarantee from the big-names, but given that outright frame failure is so rare outside of a crash, it's pretty reasonable to not even worry about it. Most manufacturers won't freely repair or replace your frame in a crash, anyway.

I'm not trying to dump on the big-name bikes here, just stating the reality of road bikes. Someone who's beating you on a uberbike will almost definitely beat you on a Schwinn road bike, even if you take away their aero helmet, $2k wheels, and $10k frame, unless you have aerobars and they don't, and even then, it'll still be close.

the big difference is that you aren't as let down and annoyed as you are when the high priced brand gives you crap customer service.

In my limited experience, my off brand "Diamondback Racing 2008 Podium 2" has turned no heads, and since I blacked out the paint - turns fewer heads... but it moves me forward, the pedals turn, and it doesn't fall apart.  Love and care for your ride and it will carry you where you need to go.

Although it could be a possibility that my bike doesn't turn any heads because it's (we're) not passing anyone.

you will pay more for a name brand.

the off brand bikes these days - are still pretty good bikes.  it's not as if they're going to fall apart on you.  The differences are often a subtlety in the ride quality and the pride you take in your machine every time you get on it.  You'll get that price difference back when you go to sell it.

as for Kestrel- their new tri/tt bike, the 4000- is right up there with the very best of the superbikes.  I'd say that the brand is coming back.  I'm not crazy about the Evoke and the Talon is getting long in the tooth for a carbon bike, but the deals on them off BikesDirect are pretty good.

IM Cozumel was won on a Kestrel 4000 this year (including a bike course record).  But I guess they are just "OK" bikes...  

In terms of support, Kestrel replaced my 2004 Talon frame that had a cracked lower chain stay with a 2011 frame about 3 months ago.  Pretty good support if you ask me.

Haha, got me!  Brain fart!

One thing bike brands have struggled with is informing customers about the tangible, real world differences in performance from a $1500 carbon fiber bike to a $15,000 carbon bike. And unfortunately forum contributions that contain sweeping generalizations, sometimes accurate, sometimes inaccurate, can add to the confusion.

To add to the confusion the progression in price is not parallel with the progression in performance. In other words, a $15,000 bike is not ten times "better" than a $1500 bike.

A convergenace of performance and price tends to intersect at each price level, and remember, prices and values are relative. An affluent earner at $250K+ per year may see value in spending 70% more to get 10% "better" performance. A more typical $50K earner can't rationalize that relationship based on empiracle themes.

And, as your title points out, some "brand names" have the perceived value of recognition and acceptance. Some people place a value on that, others feel the opposite way and there are a lot of people in between. There are a lot of people who own BMWs, Ferraris, Porsches and don't know who Jean Alessi (Formula 1 driver for Ferrari) is or why a BMW's battery is located where it is (to control vehicle center of gravity and improve steering with two 180 pound passengers).

So- it's worth doing the research to uncover the differences and sort through the marketing hype to get to an answer that is meaningful to you. That generally means going beyond the forums though in your search for information.

Well while we're on the topic, if this isn't too much of a thread jack, where does Raleigh fit in?

I have a Raleigh Revenio 3.0, bought brand new this year with shimano 105 set, and a carbon fork. The rest is aluminum. It's a sleek black paint with lime accent, so people who don't know bikes think it's an awesome bike. Once I added clipless shoes and shimano pedals, my total bill at the shop was under $1200. In my area, the Amish bike shop where I got mine sells a lot of Raleigh in all forms, road, hybrid, mtn. But he doesn't even carry tri bikes, so I had nothing but a couple $3k specializeds to "compare" with when I went shopping as a total newb.

I hope that 95-98% is true, since I am nowhere near the fitness or weight to make the most of those last few percentage points.

Back down there, bub. ;-)  Talons are quite nice bikes (and if you saw the article from QTR their aerodynamics are as good as a Felt AR).  They redesigned them in 2010, BTW.

The Sette will probably be a pretty nice bike (looks like the ones you are looking at are built somewhat like the old Cannondale Six-13s).  You can't touch and feel it, or go on a test ride, though.

Kestrel is now owned by Advanced Sports, who also own Fuji and Oval Concepts, i would hardly call that an "off" brand. 

They may not be an elite brand by units sold, but the 4000SL is on par with any of the other Big 3 super bikes that get sooo much attention from the public and other sites.

the best part is if you have one (i do) you do not see many when you are at a race, which is kinda nice, but personally the bike is too good for it to be that unique for long, you will see them pop up more frequently i would bet in the not too distant future.

"Kestrel is now owned by Advanced Sports, who also own Fuji and Oval Concepts, i would hardly call that an "off" brand."

Especially considering Kestrel was:

• The first molded carbon fiber bike.
• Founded by one of the founders of Trek Bicycles, who left Trek to pursue the development of Kestrel.
• The first advanced seat angle aerodynamic molded carbon fiber triathlon bike, the Kestrel KM40.
• Used by Mark Allen in the Ironman Triathlon.
• Used by Michael Secrest in the Race Across America.
• Was briefly ridden by Lance Armstrong and Greg LeMond.

And a host of other zany trivia. What is a mystery is why Kestrel, as a brand, has never captivated the imaginaton of the buying public. Mysterious.

I would kill for Pip Taylor's Kestrel 4000 that was painted by Ube's Ice Cream Shop...  Such a sick bike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLltPQbahr4

I agree with Tom on this.  I remember back in the late 80's / early 90's when I was doing a lot of road ridding and raced with a local bike shop's team, I used to lust after the sexy Kestrels.  There was just something about 'em that got me all fired up.

x2 - Kestrel may no longer be the 'hat and sexy' brand it once was - but that is more a reflection of their weakness in marketing (relatively speaking).

And Fuji is by no means a 'minor' brand. They are a top manufacturer of road bikes and their tribikes are very sexy.

I don't think they succeeded in showing that leaving the seat tube off a bike made it faster or better. It looks like they have decided to go back to having a seat tube on their higher end bikes.