Andrew_G

Performance Bicycle's parent company Advanced Sport Enterprises filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 16, 2018.

Search on Bicycle Retailer for additional news.

TakingMyTime

Unfortunately you're probably right. I'm fortunate to live within a mile of a store and swinging by even on a daily basis is not problem at all (I'm retired). I'm really not in the market for any big ticket items but if I can find a few Park tools, replacement saddle and other consumables at a good price I'll stock up. I'll look for things like the in-store bicycle stands that I might be able to install in my garage, things like that. I'm sure it will have to do with being there at the right time on the right day when something gets marked down. The Manager at the store sees me in their enough and knows me by sight, I'm sure he'll open up and maybe give me some insight when a good deal might be around the corner.

TakingMyTime

I was just in the Long Beach Towne Center store today. Although they are advertising 10 - 40% off, everything is priced at their full retail prices. There were no "Deals". I'm guessing they're hoping for a Christmas rush where people will pay what they ask.

skidder

I was driving by the Fountain Valley store yesterday on Christmas Eve so stopped in to take a look at what was there. The 40% off sale is on, and stock is getting lean. I bought three of their 'Forte' house brand tires (700x32; heavy, but reliable) and six tubes (700 x 28-32, never hurts to have a few extra tubes around). Best thing I found was a seat post bike rack that was 50%; I'd been meaning to get one after Xmas for carrying a small rack-top bag on all-day trips, this seemed like a great deal. No tools left (I've wanted a proper repair stand for a while), no decent gloves left (all were full-finger winter gloves or too-small summer gloves and too expensive for my tastes), and bicycle stock is getting lean, too. They had an unusually large number of jerseys and shorts upstairs (FV never had a big assortment of clothing, maybe they cleaned out the warehouse?), but nothing that interested me. I'll bet it goes completely dark not long after the new year starts.

2cam16

You should check how much the repair stands they're using are going for. The equipment at my local store has price tags on them.

TakingMyTime

I went by the Long Beach store this morning (26th). They still have a decent selection of stuff but it is getting thin. Everything is still marked at their MSRP prices and most everything is 20% off. Today they were giving an additiona 10%l off on everything. Still, most prices are around their average cost. I did pickup a SRAM 850 chain for $10.31 out the door. I needed on for an older bike I'm rebuilding.

I'm going to check back again this weekend. They still had a lot of tubes and other consumables that I wouldn't mind picking up but untill I see a killer price they're staying on the shelf.

Garfield Cat

Was at the Fountain Valley store yesterday. Lots of Fuji bikes and a few Kestrel bikes.

Quite a few helmets.

Sunglasses have already been picked on.

NUUN electrolyte tablets but look at the expiration dates.

Some bike shoes, but nobody to help you.

TakingMyTime

The LB store didn't have any help their either. They all looked like number crunchers. One guy had a calculator while someone was asking about the cost of a bike and it appeared he was calculating the lowest he could go. I will be in the area again today and will see if anything has changed over the last 5 days.

TakingMyTime

Dropped by the Long Beach store this afternoon (30th). Seems that everything is now marked down an additional 5%. Right now, with the current discounts the prices I'm seeing are the prices I would normally buy when I needed something. Still not low enough to start hoarding consumables. I spoke to one of the guys in the store and he said it would probably be another 2 weeks before they take the next markdown. They did have a Kestrel RT1100 105 marked down from $2339 to $1754. I had been looking at that model earlier and was familiar with the price. although I'm not buying it, it still seemed like a pretty nice price.

csrpenfab

repechage

Warner and Magnolia in OC was a bicycle shop nexus. I think there were up to four shops within a half mile. Two Wheel Transit was not the first, I think it was Sea Schwinn, then TwoWheel with their purpose built two floor store, then another down to the west, then Supergo arrived, then Performance to the East near the freeway. Alan bought Two Wheel a bit later, there were too many too close. Wild, I think that HB was the first Supergo before Alan licensed the Bikecology name, Got the cash out of that and migrated away as the shops similarly named were not running things in a way that helped the brand. Then all of Alan's shops became Supergo.
There have been a few other multi site players in SoCal, Mulrooneys, Hand Ohrt, George Garner, Helen's still exists with a subsequent owner. I might be leaving one or two out.

The Bikecology in Torrance shuttered earlier this year. I think that was the last one.
The bike business is very disrupted.
The sales flooring of bicycles with the low profit margins and added assembly labor, then after sales service (kind of expected and was done originally to collect after sales accessory profits) is gone.

repechage

the asset bid due date is 1/10, asset auction 1/15 ( I think this is the top line assets, the brand names, etc. Forte? anyone?)

TakingMyTime

Dropped by the Long Beach store again today. Everything is still mostly 30% off. Some 40% but the pickings are getting thin and I still I didn't see any killer deals. There seems to be 2 kinds of people in the store, ones like me looking for that "deal" and the rest of the people who think they are getting some sort of deal. What does not seem to be moving are any of the bikes priced over $1200.00. The Kestrel mentioned above was $100 less than a week ago. I'm guessing that many of those bikes are going to sit there until they decide to really drop the prices with the intention of just getting rid of them.

They seem to have an abundance of tubes still for sale. I'd like to see the sign saying 50% off and then I'll stock up.

Dokterrock

Has anyone been to the Pasadena shop yet?

TakingMyTime

Has anyone been to this store in a while? I was interested if there might be anything left that was salvageable? The Long Beach store is being picked though and about the only thing left to really get a deal on are the bikes. I'm waiting to see when they start advertising 70% off.

Anyway, back to my original question... Should I take a side trip to the FV store on my way to REI this weekend?

Reynolds 531 

FYI. This is turning into a cluster.

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/indu...ion-ase-assets

Garfield Cat

Nothing left in Fountain Valley.

TakingMyTime

The Long Beach store is pretty much picked through on anything small I would consider purchasing. They do have a lot of bikes, panniers and tubes. The clothing is starting to thin out and I didn't think the prices were that great on the clothing. But... it does seem like they either have a lot of stuff in the back or are being sent more/new product. All of a sudden they have a ton of cold and rain weather jackets. It's hard to tell what they will have next.

My next trip over there will be for a handful of tubes ($4.19) and some 6/7/8 speed chains at $7.49.

Joeyseven

Agree.Looks like all Performance bike shops are closing now and Nashbar is next. I would not buy any brands that ASE owns right now,unless you get a smoking deal.And I do not see that happening with a liquidator.

• Tiger Capital Group LLC, a well-known liquidator that is currently selling 798 Gymboree and Crazy 8 retail locations. Last year it helped liquidate 735 Toys R Us stores.

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/indu...s#.XFZyGVxKjIU

Garfield Cat

Online shopping is shaping the retail landscape. But can you find one that doesn't charge sales tax anymore?

blt

They won't charge if you live in a state without sales tax. If you find a tiny under the radar seller, maybe it won't charge sales tax to a California resident, but if so, technically, you should be reporting that on your state income tax return and paying it.


You've always been legally required to pay sales tax if you're a California resident, even if an out of state seller didn't charge/collect it. But almost no one ever self-reports buying from out of state sellers without paying California sales tax. A variety of changes over time, the most recent being a U.S. Supreme Court decision last June, means that virtually all sellers will collect sales tax from residents of states with sales tax (and laws requiring out of state sellers to collect sales tax).

undertheradar

The store in Sorrento Valley San Diego told me they still get stuff in. Their clothes are 50% off retail, may not be a super duper steal but still good for things I need. I got a couple of bibs and jerseys, both long and short. I was surprised they had my size, which generally is a L.

I also got some SE BMX big honkin and super big honkin bars for 50% off which is a deal.

Might be worth it to check out if you are in the area. I work down the street so it's super convenient for me.

skidder

The Fountain Valley store is closed for good. I was driving by there this morning and turned into the parking lot for a moment when I saw the 'Performance' sign out front, but the only folks there were a tree trimming crew removing those big trees scattered around the back parking lot and the one in front of the building. I looked in the windows and all the sales racks and merchandise are gone.

travelinhobo

FYI - Performance is changing hands and has turned themselves over to some bike or sporting company I've never heard of. Got their spam email the other day.

Reynolds 531 

"Amain".

A Chico CA company that I have no idea who is behind them or where they get or generate cash.

If you would like to see what they sell, go on to ebay, and instead of sorting by "price lowest first, sort by "highest first" and youwill see tons of bike parts listed at higher than list price, with nobody purchasing.