maximum01: Likewise, I got mine for a good discount from full MSRP. Happy my bike shop was able to negotiate.
I can't speak to Bontrager vs alternates in all regards but I can give some feedback on some specific parts:
- The racks seem very sturdy. Lots of options for how to load them as well. If I had a criticism, the paint seems to come off a little easily, I've already got a couple scrapes on mine. That being said, most racks I've seen have taken some abuse so maybe this is typical. Black paint is pretty easy to touch up in the future if it bugs me.
- The seat seems quite comfortable, I know that's preference and body-fit dependent. I've had the bike out for maximum about three hours per session but haven't had any soreness, wasn't even wearing my proper padded shorts either. See how it holds up for multi-day but seems promising so far.
- I swapped out my stem for an 80mm. I tend to not like a ton of reach but I like the roominess of a larger frame and my legs are long so saddle to bar drop gets excessive on smaller frames for me. The Bontrager stem seemed good quality, replaced it with an FSA 80mm but the Bontrager had the additional mounting options which some people might like.
- I'll have to wait and comment on the wheels later. I haven't loaded them up much and I weigh about 175 so I'm not pushing it. Spoke count is high and it feels good but I've heard some criticisms of Bontrager wheels (though it may apply to machine built wheels in general too).
I did have one problem with the bike, my first Shimano bottom-bracket was faulty. It had sheared a piece internally and as a result was producing a slight vibration in the pedals, LBS replaced it.