Quick question: one of the spec differences I saw with the Roebling/Bedford vs. the Loft / Regis is that the tires of the former are puncture resistant. Is that a big deal / worth $100-$150 in overhead?
Strange that Brooklyn claims to have puncture resistant tires, but fails to mention the make and model of tire. It could be the Brooklyn tires simply have thick tread compared to road bike tires? Or Brooklyn tires really do have a puncture resistant layer built into the tire?
Similar with the Electra as tire make and model isn't stated, so the tread on the Electra could be thick as well. The Fuji on the other hand at least tells you the tires are Kenda and a close up of the photo looks to be the Kenda Kwest 193. I only know from looking into those tires recently. Otherwise, you'd need a dedicated tire seller to tell you from just looking at tread patterns.
I'm sure all the tires are fairly cheap and the make and model tire aren't listed so the bike manufacturer can put on whatever tire they can get through a bike's manufacturing run. An
entry level tire with a puncture resistant layer shouldn't add $100 to a bicycle in my opinion.
Check out these Giant branded Kenda Kwest 193 tires and the price increase for puncture protection.
https://bicyclewarehouse.com/collect...iant-k193-tire
https://bicyclewarehouse.com/collect...00c-sport-tire
One thing I know is that if tires are better than entry level, bike sellers love to mention that on their webpages. But not to worry, commuter type low end tires have fairly beefy tread and sidewalls compared to road bike tires. That extra rubber on the commuter tires naturally adds a bit of flat protection.