In my experience the bashing of department store bikes is very much an overplayed hand. They're decent, for what they are. You won't be going anywhere fast, the parts aren't top of the line, and it won't be a lifetime bike - but the Target bike I started on is still going strong (my wife rides it, mostly). *shrug* I doubt that millions of people in China who use bikes to get to work every day have a Novara or Trek... most pictures I've seen are of... Walmart quality bikes. They seem to make them work okay.