Originally Posted by
az2008
I think the point is: Do your own thinking. Everyone has different wants and needs. The value proposition for a LBS bike or DSB is different. The biggest flaw of this topic are comments like "all Walmart bikes are junk." Or, "everyone should buy a LBS bike."
This is a good point. Plenty of home mechanics can keep a WM bike riding for years (admittedly it's getting harder) and plenty of guys I know ride $1200 bikes and don't even know how to adjust brakes or derailers. A lot depends on the person, not the bike. I rode a WM Schwinn for a couple of years, the frame eventually broke, but I'm still using the rims (the actual rims, not the whole wheel) and cranks, stem, brakes, etc. on my current bike. Yes, those are wal-mart rims and brakes on my Surly LHT.
With that being said, knowing what I know now, I would steer somebody to BikesDirect before any local big-box store. You get better parts for the money, much better selection, and better chances of sticking with it if you get a bike you actually want that fits.