j4k3 ,
@j4k3@lemmy.world avatar

It's probably the same thing or nearly so. Pretty much all bikes are contract manufactured by one of 4 companies all within a stone's throw of each other in Taiwan. The only one of these companies you will have heard of before is Giant.

I'm a former Buyer from a chain of bicycle shops, so this was my wheelhouse for many years. Personally, I'm a hardcore roadie, and not a fan of anything with a upright steering geometry like a hybrid bike. I like traveling distance at speed and prefer as compact of a wheelbase as I need for the weight I'm carrying. I can handle these kinds of bikes just fine, but I don't like the wobbly feeling they tend to have at higher speeds, and the upright position feels unfulfilling to me in terms of a real workout. I've thought about getting one for groceries in the past, but never had a good opportunity. The 3 shops I managed were focused on high end road and XC, so I never stocked these directly. I did order a few Surly's for employees personal bikes and I've putt around on a few at Interbike ages ago, but there is not much to say about that experience; it's not memorable against the background.

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