Is Decathlon Kit "Good Enough"?

[eck]

After our successful trial weekend with borrowed kit, I need to get myself panniers, pots, sleeping bag and mat, initially for our five day cycle tour in NE Scotland.

I am overwhelmed, bamboozled even, by the variety of camping kit out there.  I really don't have the time or energy to look at every single thing that's on the market, and I'm on a fairly tight budget. So, rather than spend hours and hours scouring the internet, a one-stop shop has some appeal.

I wondered if you happy campers would care to share your views on the following offerings from Decathlon:
Panniers: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/500-waterproof-rear-pannier-bike-bag-20l-id_8355657.html
Pots: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/1-person-hiking-cook-set-hiking-and-camping-pots-and-cutlery-black-blue-id_8246405.html
Sleeping Bag: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/10-light-hiking-sleeping-bag-2-season-orange-left-id_8242830.html
Mat: http://www.decathlon.co.uk/forclaz-a100-ultralight-camping-sleeping-mat-blue-id_8029334.html

I used a mummy-style sleeping bag on our trial weekend and got on fine with it. We are sorted for tent and stove.
I will have the opportunity to have a look in Embra Decathlon next week, just to "have a feel" of some of the stuff before committing.

So, do we reckon that their kit is ok to be going on with for a chap on a limited budget? Thanks.

[PaulF]

Don't know about their camping stuff but I've had cycling gear, running gear, wetsuits, fleeces etc. from them and have been impressed with their value for money.

[tiermat]

You are exactly the core market for Decathlon (no, I don't mean mega mile munching Audaxer). Decathlon, as a whole sell well made, but cheap gear.  All the stuff I have had from them (indeed I have a pair of their B'Twin shorts on now) has been good to very good, regardless of price.  The fact you can go and wander around their stores to check the cut and finsih is a bonus, in my opinion.

[Andrew]

Their kit is solid if unexciting. Not quite the VFM it once was imho but certainly still good value.

An issue I have with it (and I risk just accusations of snobbery here) is that near on everybody here in France wears it! You can't go anywhere without seeing Quechua fleeces or shoes etc. But, on the other hand, that speaks volumes; it does a job at an affordable price.

Personally, I don't like the Btwin range of cycling gear. There's something very uninspiring about it and I'm not convinced (looking at it) that it'd suit my purposes.  I use Decathlon for consumables on the bike (tubes, chain oil, etc), and garden/walking dog clothes but little else.

[Oscar's dad]

We have a lot of Decathlon kit, I particularly like their tents, and it's good stuff.  I'd say the items you have linked to will be fine, except ...

Panniers, I'd avoid cheap ones.  Cheap panniers can have a rubbish method for attaching them to the bike.  Ortlieb, Carradice plus the other established brands might cost much more but are worth the investment in my view - the kit will last for years.

[LEE]

What Oscar's dad says.

I'd put Decathlon bike accessories a rung or two above LIDL/ALDI and I doubt you'd regret buying their stuff (Like I generally do with LIDL/ALDI stuff). So yes, it's good enough.

If you're going to get serious about cycle-camping then it's worth investing in Ortlieb panniers (like the vast majority of serious cycle campers do ..... for a reason).

[BrianI]

The panniers look OK from the photos on the website.  Only thing I'd be concerned about is how they fit to the pannier rack.

There doesn't seem to be any photos of the fittings - perhaps they will be rather flimsy / fiddly and not substantial enough for a camping load?

Ortlieb panniers are expensive, but they will last a lifetime.

[T42]

Haven't bought much cycling kit from them - mostly tubes, bidons, etc. - but I have a superb 70-litre rucksack, one of the best-designed pieces of kit I've ever had.

[nikki]

The panniers look OK from the photos on the website.  Only thing I'd be concerned about is how they fit to the pannier rack.

There doesn't seem to be any photos of the fittings - perhaps they will be rather flimsy / fiddly and not substantial enough for a camping load?

This was my response after looking at the website.

IIRC this thread had a few suggestions for tighter-budget panniers if Ortlieb aren't an option right now: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=87660.0

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WP100-carrier-Colour-black-panniers/dp/B002RLFCEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465468310&sr=8-1&keywords=red+cycling+products being the ones I've got which have done admirable service for about 5 years or so now.

...or retro-fitting an Ortleb fixing hook set might be an option, too, though that might be more faff than you're wanting and may also compromise the waterproofing depending on what the situation is with the Decathlon fixings.

[muddypete]

The fabric looks impressively waterproof, but in my experience stitching and mounting durability is more important at this price, as you can always use liners or plastic bags ("Strong-light-cheap: pick two" is true).
Last year's Aldi panniers lasted me 1 week-end: stitching failed and mounting points broke when bouncing along the trails, but fortunately lots of bungee cords saved the day. I got a refund when I returned.
You could try one of Aldi's big waterproof gear bags on top of a rack; or just the panniers and lots of bungee cords and see how you get on.
P

[mzjo]

Their kit is solid if unexciting. Not quite the VFM it once was imho but certainly still good value.

An issue I have with it (and I risk just accusations of snobbery here) is that near on everybody here in France wears it! You can't go anywhere without seeing Quechua fleeces or shoes etc. But, on the other hand, that speaks volumes; it does a job at an affordable price.

Personally, I don't like the Btwin range of cycling gear. There's something very uninspiring about it and I'm not convinced (looking at it) that it'd suit my purposes.  I use Decathlon for consumables on the bike (tubes, chain oil, etc), and garden/walking dog clothes but little else.

As another frenchie (or economic migrant would be the more modern term) the one comment about D4 clothing and sports shoes is that, yes they are worn by just about everyone in france butbut they are mainly worn as cheap everyday clothes, not for their officially quoted purpose as sports clothes (although school sports do give them a big market, which is more a measure of how bad french school sports teaching is). OUAT they had a wide range of useful products but they have tended in recent years to go towards mediocrity.

They don't go out of their way (at least in Poupou country) to sell bikes to which you would want to fix panniers for going out of town for pleasure for several days. In light of this I would be wary of the quality of their panniers; it is not a field in which they have form. I would not expect their local sales staff to know the first thing about using panniers or fixing them to the bike.

I have some bargain basement panniers from SJS, both large and small, that were pretty cheap and have proved their worth both with me and (more importantly) with others to whom I have lent them. The big ones don't seem to be available any longer but the small ones do come up from time to time.

I have a D4 sleeping bag that I have had for some years (about 18 or soIIRC). It is not as warm now as it once was!