taitrantrong

Sorry, total noob here. I'm looking for a decent bike to ride around the city, maybe some soft dirt tracks once in a while. I saw some pretty good deals in Dick's Sporting Goods for hybrid/sport bikes. Should I buy them? Any recommendation or suggestion about the brands there?

Thanks.

MRT2

Many threads on the pros and cons of big box and sporting goods store bikes. In my neck of the woods, Dicks is not much better than Target or Wal Mart. I would steer clear.

EnjoyinTheRide

Its very simple.'

If you plan on "cycling" as a serious lifestyle then you need to go to the lbs, they will have everything there. If your a recreational rider of multi use paths, local short city commutes, general use purpose, just wanna make bike riding part of your day, then you will be fine. I find Dicks in my area to be a little more pricey than K/Wal marts, sears etc. Dicks does have more hybrid/road bikes than the other box stores. I would suggest that if you see a particular brand they offer, check online for that brands site. You may find they offer it direct a little cheaper. That is what I found out when I priced Dicks for a Firmstrong (which is in fact a high quality cruiser line out of California...same company as sixthreezero). It was 60 bucks higher at Dicks than if I buy direct. So at least compare mfg/dicks sites....

Ultimately I would say if you went into your Dicks, saw a bike they had in stock, you really like it.....I would go check online or at another store with comparable brands and compare price. It wouldnt surprise me if you found it a little cheaper somewhere else...

good luck

Cyclist0084

I rode a Diamondback hybrid (Edgewood model, iirc) from Dick's for a couple of years. It was a good bike as it never gave me any trouble. The only "problem" I had with it was the frame was a wee bit too big for me. No one at Dick's told me otherwise. I'm sure an LBS person would have pointed that fact out to me.

indyfabz

Here we go again!

SkyDog75

Dick's kind of occupies the middle ground between the junkers you'd find at Walmart and the bikes you'd find at a quality bike shop, with some overlap on both ends of the spectrum.

For around-town riding and some easy trails, you could probably find something perfectly suitable there. If in doubt, gather info like the brand, model, and size, then come back here and ask about that specific bike.

jefnvk

For recreational riding, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a bike from Dicks. My MTB came from there 20 years ago, and I still rode it essentially stock as a hybird/rail trail type bike up til the end of this year.

I wouldn't be so sure. When I was looking for a road bike, almost every LBS employee I talked to had the measuring method of simply pulling it off the rack and seeing if I could stand over it.

FWIW, all three of my road bikes bikes I currently have that fit me well, I can't stand over.

fietsbob

If indoubt and you already bought one, take it to a real Bike shop to go over the assembly again .

the parts may be OK, but the staff are not trained on the assembly.

Its the typical Big box store situation.

practical

I like to look at bikes in department stores to see what is selling there - sort of like market research. Dick's has better bikes than Walmart and Walmart has better bikes than Target (which are awful). Depending on what you need and how much you can spend, you might find a suitable bike at either Dicks or Walmart. The problem is that if you're shopping for bikes there, you probably don't know what you need or what is good and what you should absolutely avoid. And no one at Dick's or Walmart will be able to help you. A good LBS will give you informed advice (usually) which is helpful. If you're just starting to ride, find one that is relatively light (under 30 pounds?) and that you find comfortable. Ride the heck out of it and let it tell you what your next bike should be.

Dirt Farmer

They do have their rabid fans!

www.bigboxbikes.com ? Index page

NYMXer

We bought the GF's bike at Dick's, a Diamondback Hybrid w/ 700 wheels and front suspension. Assembly was very good (they have their own shop in this store) and when we went for a ride, it rode perfect. Dick's give a year warranty and nothing ever went wrong with the bike.

My experience is nothing like a big box store experience, esp ones like Walmart. I even spoke with the guy that put the bike together for her, he knows bikes. I would recommend Dick's for a bike all day long!

AlexCyclistRoch

Several years ago, I was offered a 2-week temp job at Dicks, assembling bikes. They were willing to take ANYBODY for this position. Luckily, I took a permanent position elsewhere......

MRT2

That is what I am talking about. In some places, Dick's is like a bike shop within the store, with real bike people assembling and selling bikes. In other stores, it is not much better than big box.

Dahon.Steve

+1

Dicks doesn't tune the bikes up very well or at all but the quality is better than kmart. However, factor in the local bike shop tune-up and you'll have a good bike.

_ForceD_

Sorry to hijack thread, but the missing apostrophe reminded me of a faux pas one of my son's grade school classmates once made. He'd been bugging his dad go get him a new catchers mitt for little league. He told the dad he saw the one he wanted in the Dick's Sporting Goods sale flier. The dad said OK, find out where the closest one is and I'll take you to get it. The kid went to the Google and simply typed in "Dicks." To his surprise he didn't see anything about sporting goods. The kid's advice to the rest of the class..."Never forget the apostrophe!"

Dan