Yes I totally understand and I’m sure the majority of members would do the same. I just left a shop and the employees didn’t recommend either one. However they were quite enthusiastic about the bikes in stock, citing those two are far too heavy for asphalt.
From what I see in this review
https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bi...d-pro-1-review , the Giant is 23lbs, including a dropper post and suspension fork. That's seems like a pretty darn reasonable weight for the package you're getting. I you want to strip it down lighter with a rigid form and post, that option is possible.
It is a common tendency of retailers to push what they have on hand, which sometimes includes knocking down the products of their competitors. Did they have any bikes that excited you?