Southampton v. Portsmouth (Decathlon content)

Southampton looks bigger from google maps, but it’s further out of the way. Need to get some kit, clothes, shoes for the kiddies. Worth a longer trip to the Southampton store for a bigger range of stuff to try?

Cheers!

I would say yes. The store is better and you are less likely to get mugged 🙂

Depends what you are after. Southampton is bigger/better but I find parking in the Portsmouth one is much easier and I thought their watersports section was better. You can have a look for the items you roughly need on the website, their stock check bit is pretty accurate

I would say no if you are nearer Portsmouth. It’s still pretty big and you can check stock beforehand anyway. If something in particular isn’t suitable and you need to go more ‘premium’, then there is Snow and Rock / Cotswolds nearby at Port Solent. OR also massive, the Go Outdoors at Basingstoke?

Stick to the Porsmouth one, no point in going to Scum land if you dont need to (Joke!)

Seriously though i need to go to both soon to try out some road shoes, from checking online the Southampton store has more range of cycling shoes in stock than the one at Port Solent

Why not just head to Port Solent and see if they have everything you need and if not just carry on up to Scumland for the rest

The Southampton store has been in the city centre for ~5 years? Still yet to visit it, although in fairness I’d struggle to recall if I’ve been shopping in the city centre since before the pandemic began, even though I used to cycle commute quite close to it.

On a day like today, if you have the afternoon off, I’d try the Portsmouth store with bike in car to head straight to QECP (if mtb) or the lanes near there for other bikes.

Don’t know about the portsmouth store but southampton one is pretty good, I was in there last weekend getting boy#1 running shoes.  Quite a big cycle section if thats what you are looking for.

Plenty of other sports shops closeby if decathalon doesn’t do it for you – sports direct, JD and several others (I avoid)

A big go outdoors is about 5-10mins drive away depending on traffic.

Thanks all, because it’s shoes, I’d rather go once to a bigger place and be able to try everything on get them in one visit, rather than risk going to a second store to try a different size then find out the first one was better!

We’ve got 2 hours between opening and when we need to be at lunch in Hedge End. We’re passing the Portsmouth store on the way so I guess it does make sense to start there and see how we get on. Actually getting to the store from the motorway is a bit of detour, though!

Cheers!

Go outdoors in scumhampton are closing for a refurb. So maybe pop over to see if you can grab a bargain whilst in the area ?

good tip, ta!

North Harbour / Port Solent (Portsmouth) is smaller footprint on the ground but on two floors.

It’s really not far from the motorway at all. Maybe 5 minutes or so.

If coming from the West overshoot and come off at J12 and turn left at the big cross roads.

If coming from the East come off just before the M275 (signed Port Solent) past the Porsche dealer / Village Inn.

If you catch the traffic lights wrong at the Marriott that’ll make the most difference to your journey (it’s about 4 minutes a cycle of the lights).

If you are going to the Port Solent one and then going to Hedge End go out via J12 of the M27 – don’t be tempted to head to J11.

The drag through Portchester can be slow, there are some roadworks on the A27 that way and quite a few of the locals have yet to grasp merge in turn.