Which to buy...BH or Giant?

[Mounty]

I commute about 40km to/from work (80km round-trip) Mon-Fri. While I ride on the road, the surface is rough and bumpy in a lot of places and even worse in the bike lanes. (For those in Qld who know it, I ride from Kallangur to the city via Petrie along Gympie Road).

I'm in the market for a new road bike and after shopping around have shortlisted the Giant OCR1 (2007 model) for $1900 and some 2006 model BH for $1300 on special from $1699.

These bikes are at different bike shops and I've been advised by the salesperson selling the latter that both brands are designed by the same guy with the only real difference being Giant's composite rear, as opposed to BH's one piece frame. While the Giant salesperson says this will assist with shock absorption, the BH salesperson says it can be a weak point in the bike/frame.

I'm 183cm (6 ft) and weigh approximately 85kg. While I don't mind paying more for quality (they're both running Shimano 105 gear), I don't want to pay just for a name. Can someone please offer their opinion/advice on which bike I should get?

Note: I'm concerned no other bike shops in Qld appear to sell BH and don't want to get ripped off.

[gururug]

a)-Take a closer look at the components (are they FULL 105)
b)-Whichever you feel most comfortable on
c)-Whichever shop is going to provide better after sales service

The better comfort and superior service will easily outweigh any xx$ saving you may make on the "brandname".

Also, run a search to see about longevity of these bikes.

Based on what I have read though, I think the majority of people would steer you toward the Giant.

When in doubt, take your time.

[Mounty]

Thanks for that gururug. I know the answers to a & b and have a feel for c, but I'll do a check on the longevity. This will probably be the deciding factor.