I think it's sweeter to ride a cheap bike and pass an expensive bike than the other way around. I love my used $300 Argon18 road bike with the paintjob chipped off everywhere.

The only rank that matters is the position you come in at the finish.

Trimedic..don't let it get to you. You ride what you want and can afford and if you are happy it really doesn't matter what others think.
I ride Giant... bought my first one in 2000. I love the bike and the brand.
The T-Mobil team rides Giant, as do many other pros.
Just because someone shows up in complete team kit doesn't mean they are better or worse than you. They are just...themselves, as you should be.
Be proud of who you are and what you ride and how you dress for a ride.
You say they all showed up with Specialized bikes and kit?
Sounds like you are the true individual.
Sure there is status with expensive equipment...but it is we who bestow status.
Things only have value because we say they do.
If what you ride has value for you...great
All the better though, if what you DO, is what you value.

Giant makes a good bike...
They are relatively new to the world of triathlon but have been in mountain and road bikes for more than 10 years..

I would suggest doing some online research on bike components, read some independent reviews (velonews, bicycle magazine, triathlete, etc.) and get to know the component groups and their price ranges...
Educate yourself on the components and frame materials and next time you are in the group and they mention the benefits of carbon fiber over aluminum or the stiffness to weight ratio of the dura ace crank vs. FSA's Mega EXO.. Jump in the conversation (and don't be afraid to ask questions)

My wife rides a giant that was around $800 and she loves it... (if we could have spent $1800 - Im sure she would have loved that bike too)

btw, isn't the cheapest ruby about $2200?? at that price usually you are looking at a completely different setup than a bike in the $900-$1700 range. But both will go forward, stop, and turn left and right..

GIANT is a KICK-ASS bike company! That's totally accepted! And I love when riding a 2kg heavier bike and being able to maintain the same speed as others riding ultra-light bikes.

I ride Specialized, and I love Giant but my local LBS sells Specialized and Trek. So that means that alot of local riders are on those brands. When I go to races, I am in the minority with alot of Giants, Trek and Cannondales. I think that you should ride what ever makes you happy. My bike is less expensive than alot of Giants so it is not a price thing. Just a personal choice. So I think that you prob. like me love your bike and that is great. Just enjoy and they were prob. envious of your good riding skills and after all itn't that what it is all about. The engine can go on any frame :)
Chris in OH

Don't worry about the ride, as one stated it's the engine. I'd gladly swap a $10k bike for a Huffy and an engine like Armstrong's or Ulrich's :)

A lot of the bike choice does depend on how well the manufacturer has sold them into the shops. On the West coast, I've yet to run into a shop that carries Giant, but I've heard great things about the bike. Fuji is coming back but none over here. Few Bianchi's. Lots of Trek's in Norcal, but a ton of people ride Felt here in central oregon. Much to do with the local tri shop stocks Felt and now Cervelo.

It would be interesting to see a breakdown of bike make and model by regions across the country and even the world. I think there would definitely be clusters of certain brands in certain areas that could most likely be traced to supply in the area?

My Giant road bike rocks. Odd how many Giant riders we have here. Of course now I'd consider myself a Felt rider ;)

I am a Felt road biker, myself :D