Building a soft tail, How does choice of frame and components affect quality?

I am ready to buy my first soft tail. When measuring performance, durability and overall quality, the devil may be in the details. Can someone help me understand more about issues in building a full suspension bike?

Obsessing over shaving grams off the weight is not a luxury I can afford. Neither is buying a bike that does not meet my needs. My needs are a matter of function, not ego. I do want to keep the weight down within reason. XT or comparable quality components are a good baseline for my expectations.

I walked into a bike shop and was blown away by the prices of the complete ready to ride bikes in stock with high end build kits. The frame, made in Taiwan as are most frames, was a lesser know brand.

One rider said to his buddy, “There isn't too much room for radical changes in bicycle design, I'll give you that. Four bar designs are a dime a dozen, as are single pivots. However, it’s the subtle details that make the bikes ride the way they do, and they aren't happy accidents. Boatloads of cash and years of experience are used to get these subtle details correct. Trek, Cannondale, Santa Cruz, Ellsworth and everyone else may have similar designs but they all ride differently.

Great prices raise questions about exactly how the bikes with lesser known frames can offer comparable quality and be sold profitably when compared to prices of what appear to be comparably equipped bikes with name brand frames sold at other local bike shops. With an established brand frame, what do you get for the money beyond the “personal service and Bling appeal?” How do we make a meaningful comparison between bike frames and components in the context of a complete ready to ride bike?

As an example, an off brand frame with XT build kit, along with other name brand components was priced less than just the build kit and components without a frame at some local bike shops. In many bike shops I notice details such as an XT equipped bike with an LX crank set. This detail is explained as “necessary to meet a price point.”

Within a product line like XT, there is more than one model of XT rear derailleur and XT wheel sets; each with its own variations in price point, design and materials. Is this how bike shops squeeze more profit? How does it affect the overall quality of the bike, and especially the ride? On what components will going for the higher end component make a real difference?

The type of rider affects what makes the right bike. With all the great local terrain around Asheville (Pisgah, Tsali…), I enjoy a passion for mountain biking and ride four or five days a week for two hours or more. I enjoyon long ascents up logging roads and single track followed by wild descents down single track that can be buff, have huge berms on turns, super fast woop de woops and rocky tech sections all in one trail, often several miles in length. I am an XC/All Mountain rider. I put a lot of wear and tear on a bike. Durability and reliability are important considerations. My height and weight may be considerations, 73 inches and 178lbs.

I respect and want to support our local bike shops. I also need to be a well informed buyer who gets a fair deal.

That said, I’m riding a midrange hard tail frame with components that I have upgraded over time. The upgraded components have made a noticeable difference. I’m still grinning from yesterday’s ride even after my butt was bumping off the seat and my legs were fatigued from standing during bumpy descents. I’m ready for a soft tail, NOW! Still, it’s really all about the ride!

Advice, experiences and insights?