Originally Posted by
Bonzo Banana
That sounds like you believe that these brands actually design bike frames and then tender out the contract to manufacture them but I think the reality is they are buying an existing design that has existing certification and they just make minor design tweaks or geometry changes and give a paint design to the actual factory.
Are you describing how internet "brands" operate? I can't see this being the case with major bike shop brands. Seems as if they differ in more than cosmetics. It's true we used to hear a lot about "open mold" bargains, but AFAIK nobody has actually come across a brand X bike that is identical to any Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Giant, etc. What is "existing certification?"