Comparing 2 bikes...

I am looking into purchasing a bike: either the Specialized Vita or the Giant FCR 3. I would very much like to see some reviews/thoughts on these two bikes.

 

Suggest you try www.roadbikereview.com or the 'search' function as you should find the info you're looking for in either/both locations.

 

Suggest you post this in the "Bike Buying Advice" section of the forum.
Bike buying advice - Cycling Forums

 

The most important thing is how the Frame feels under YOUR body. Hows the reach to the bars and the feel of the ride? Next come components and price. If it doesn't feel good don't buy it. If it does feel good then you have a contender. Giant makes many frames for other manufacturers and are supposed to have excellent technology.

 

agreed. and it didn't take me 47 years to figure it out, either.

 

It seems as though GIANT has always made a serious effort to sell their bikes for less than other "name brand" bikes ...

Most of the GIANT frames are probably fabricated in Taiwan ... but, I suppose some could be fabricated on the Mainland.

I'd bet that almost all of the SPECIALIZED frames are made in Mainland China.

Which is better? Is the difference discernable?

To over-simplify the assessment:

If ALL points of comparison are equal, then an equivalent GIANT bicycle will give the buyer more "bike" for his/her money ... or, to say it another way, a comparable GIANT will cost less money than a SPECIALIZED, TREK, etc. which has the same (e.g., partial-or-all XT/whatever) components.
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If your budget is a factor, then unless you hate the color of the paint of the particular GIANT (which can be a valid reason to choose one bike vs. another), then you should probably choose the GIANT over another brand of bike.

If your budget isn't a factor and the bikes are at different bike shops and you are going to rely on the shop for maintenance (I think that most people should learn how to do their own maintenance MAINLY because of the inconvenience of bringing a bike to a shop, waiting, and then retrieving the bike), then the recommendation that is often made that you should choose the bike based on the shop is good advice.

 

Test ride FTW.

 

Test rides are always the best option.

Where the frames are made matters not one bit. Not one sou.

 

Hear-hear. Both Specialized and Giant market top-notch bikes.