Decathlon stores

[cyberknight]

Got no complaints regarding the Decathlon gear that I have - it's nothing fancy, but it's like Ronseal i.e. it does what it says on the tin.

Their spares are competitively priced, especially their inner tubes, of which they have a massive range of sizes. Most places (other than the internet based ones) don't keep 650c tubes as standard stock, whereas they do. Handy.

Clothes are good, but it's definitely try before you buy as the sizing is all over the place.

The new Cambridge store is a bit pokey and cramped and they don't hold the full ranges by any means, but they do click & collect which is kind of handy. Otherwise for me, there's the big one at Surrey Quays, which I go past every so often.

With regards to the clothes I have to agree ,bought some shorts in may and based on the size guide I should go for small,went medium as I have sprinter thigh's but still a bit tight.
Rode only 5 ISH rides and the inner thigh had bobbled and a hole had appeared even though it wasn't rubbing on anything I could see.
Took them back no receipt ( proof on loyalty card) and swapped for a large with no questions.

 

[tribanjules]

I own several decathlon and voodoo from halfords. Despite bad press ive been ok with pdi at halfords but decathlon nudge it for me. Would advise against "popping in" for just one thing as it never works and my daughter has same problem !!!

 

[Jason]

When I bought the Triban 3, tried out the 53cm and 57cm. Took the 53cm home,rode it for a day,but it felt cramped. I went back to Surrey Quays and they swapped it for the 57, no questions asked.
I highly rate decathlon , and excited to learn they are coming to Uxbridge where I make regular trips to see a customer. Could prove expensive though!

 

[xzenonuk]

What's everyone's opinion on what they stock?

Besides the bikes which have a good following, do they do anything worthwhile? It seems they do mostly own brand / foreign imports.

I have a give voucher to use but I'm struggling to find anything worth while on their website

their clothing is decent, they do a nice high vis vest with a decent back pocket, i like their gloves as well and some of the water proof jackets, got a pair of their jalmeji or something trainers a while back and i was impressed how light and comfortable they were, better than any nike air's i had as a kid, good back packs and stuff as well, their bike tool kit is awesome i have used its chain tool and crank removers a lot and the allen keys yet they still go strong

i use the hermiston gate one no complaints, it is dad and i's go to shop for awesome stuff at cheaper prices

oh i keep one of their hiking sticks down the side of my bed their awesome if you get a gout attack

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

And the civilised parts of Yorkshire...

Nearest one is Sheffield

Still very surprised that there's not one in the Leeds area

 

[Reynard]

I can't fault their winter jacket and fleece-lined cycling tights. Even their basic jersey is very nice and good value - it's lasted a whole summer of wear and still looks good.

Only wee gripe I have is with their basic shorts insomuch that the pad has worn rather thin and isn't as comfy as it was after a season's worth of wear. But then again, I am still shedding wobbly bits and didn't fancy dropping more on a better pair of shorts for this summer. I'll upgrade after the winter.

 

[BurningLegs]

As others have said, Decathlon do some good kit (bikes and clothing). I think a beginner is far better off going into Decathlon to get kitted out with a bike/helmet/clothing/accessories package than Halfords.

Their clothing is a bit too brand heavy for my taste, but it is well made and great value. With a bit of smart shopping at the right time of year, I tend to find that you can get some of the more expensive kit at Decathlon prices which is perfect for me.

 

[Randombiker9]

I and my family personally like Decathlon (along with Halfords) for bike stuff but it also depends on what your stores like.

 

[bonzobanana]

[QUOTE 4941855, member: 45"]There are no good Apollo bikes, and no Decathlon bike that compares to any Apollo bike. Carerra are closer, but their cheapest road bikes are pretty grim ("disposable" is how one Halfords employee described them when I took a friend's wheel in because it had a hole in the rim under the rim tape).

Decathlon technicians are uniformly competent, Decathlon PDI checks are good. Halfords technicians are variable and their PDI check flaws sway between hilarious and significantly dangerous.

Buy a cheap Decathlon bike and you'll get value for money. Buy a cheap Apollo and, as another Halfords technician said to me, when it's due for a service in 12 months it's possibly going to be more sensible to throw it away and buy another one. Price-point- wise on road bikes, Triban=Carerra, and there's really no argument about which is better.

No comparison.

You only have to read the respectable reviews. Decathlon are respected, Apollo rarely get bothered with.[/QUOTE]

There are loads of bikes at Decathlon worse than Apollo's. They often use sub Shimano derailleurs and lower end components same as toys r us. There are reviews on Decathlon's own site saying how bad the service they received was and Carrera and Apollo bikes have universally higher load capacities which is important to many people. I don't think I could disagree with your comments more. They seem extremely poorly judged and unfair and quite ridiculous to be honest you simply can't make such black and white comments without appearing incredibly stupid. Recommending by brand only is almost always wrong because almost every brand has both good and bad products. At least with Halfords you know what the bad bikes are because they are labelled Apollo with Decathlon they apply the Btwin brand to all bikes including entry level and some of those are terrible. Lets also not forget the high level of recalls on Btwin bikes that you simply don't get on Halfords own bikes because the frames are stronger. If anything the case against Decathlon bikes is far stronger than Halfords.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

their clothing is decent, they do a nice high vis vest with a decent back pocket, i like their gloves as well and some of the water proof jackets, got a pair of their jalmeji or something trainers a while back and i was impressed how light and comfortable they were, better than any nike air's i had as a kid, good back packs and stuff as well, their bike tool kit is awesome i have used its chain tool and crank removers a lot and the allen keys yet they still go strong

i use the hermiston gate one no complaints, it is dad and i's go to shop for awesome stuff at cheaper prices

oh i keep one of their hiking sticks down the side of my bed their awesome if you get a gout attack

Hi-Viz doth offend mine eye.

 

[bonzobanana]

[QUOTE 4945885, member: 45"]Resorting to insults? I think that, along with your multiple contradictions, undermines your credibility. Your bias is becoming pretty clear.[/QUOTE]

What contradictions are those?

For someone who believes Shimano Claris is the same quality as a low end Sunrace plastic derailleur that sells for less than Shimano Tourney as per your comment in the budget folder thread it is clearly you that has no credibility with anyone who has any understanding of component quality. I always try to be accurate and fair and question the comments of those who are brand rather than product focused. It is your bias in favour of Decathlon that is the problem. Decathlon do some fantastic bikes but also some pretty terrible ones at entry level surely no surprise to anyone. The low weight limits on their bikes also mean they aren't suitable for everyone. It may read like I don't like Decathlon bikes but in fact I really like many of them. For me Halfords, Decathlon and Go Outdoors all do some brilliant own brand bikes with decent components for low money. It's just the wholesale recommendation of Btwin bikes is both wrong and possibly life threatening if you are over their typical 85-88kg weight limit for riders they have on their bikes. It just needs people to have some common sense about which bikes they recommend to others.

 

[bonzobanana]

[QUOTE 4950260, member: 45"]Agreed. And as I said it's not for me to make you see the errors in your opinions, formed from lack of knowledge (claims of quality components that are in fact unbranded basic stuff, etc etc). You've posted enough incorrect statements and contradiction (and insults, and dramatics) for common sense to prevail in the reader.

The only wholesale (and demonstrably wrong) comments about Decathlon bikes (and those from Halfords and Go Outdoors for that matter) have come from you.[/QUOTE]

Again my whole point is I never wholesale recommend any bike supplier. It is only some of the bikes from the suppliers I mention that can be recommended as good value. My whole point about Decathlon is some of their bikes are great and some are terrible and the low weight capacity may be an issue for many riders. With regards quality at Halfords, Apollo are pretty awful but there are some fantastic bikes for the money in the Carrera and Voodoo ranges but not all and they also have regular offers. The factory to shop retail model clearly has massive price advantages compared to factory to LBS brand, to wholesaler to LBS which requires markups for a lot more companies. Also you surely realise even unbranded components vary in quality. It's not like basic steel handlebars are the same as aluminium bars or a low end single wall rim wheel is the same as a thick double wall rim with CNC sidewalls. Both may not feature the actual manufacturer's brand because they are OEM parts fitted to the bike and the bike manufacturer itself claims to be the brand of the part but they are not simply the same quality. You have to look further than just looking for the brand. In your warped reality if the bike brand is well known you seem to assume the components are of higher quality yet top brands like Specialized fit junk parts to their entry level bikes. They even feature low end Shimano freewheels that wouldn't look out of place on a £80 Apollo bike on their entry level £350 mountain bikes. Making assumptions based on bike brand is simply not the way to go focus on the bike components themselves to get the full picture.

You postings defy logic and seem to be purely for the purpose of arguing without any real substance. Your approach to judging bike quality seems to be simplistic and not using your own eyes and common sense at all. I haven't posted any incorrect statements or contradictions as far as I'm aware these just seem to be again your own fantasy and your own fake reality. State examples if you believe it to be so.

 

[Winnershsaint]

Great wellies!