astompa

The appeal of Performance is that it's supposed to save you money. But has anyone found that all of their "sales," "discounts," and the "team peformance" membership just make you spend more money on stuff that you don't really need?

galen_52657

It's call 'self control'

SoonerBent

Yes, and I find when it comes to my hobbies I have very little.

SS

hi565

true true

Bolo Grubb

I don't buy enough from them to warrant paying for their membership.

I am lucky enough to have a Performance store, a supergo and several local bike stores near by. I just watch for sales and then decide if it is an item that I want to buy

bac

You're looking @ it all wrong. It's an investment in YOU, not an expense @ all.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

2manybikes

I "NEED" more bike stuff. I just "want" food clothing and shelter.

my58vw

I have only been to perfomance retail once. It is hard to not spends lots of money but I manage. Usually when I order online I spend more though because the prices are cheeper... just self control.

slvoid

I just ordered like 3 boxes of powerbars and powergel after someone posted a working 20% off coupon.

HigherGround

Of course the flip side of this is that if they never put anything on sale or offered any kind of customer loyalty/incentive program, people would be asking for those things too. The offer is there. It's up to you to choose how to use it to best suit your needs and finances. However, 2manybikes may have hit the nail on the head with, "I "NEED" more bike stuff. I just "want" food clothing and shelter." (which also yields some insight in to the user's forum name ). To put it in perspective, I was in a Performance just last night, buying yet another jersey that I really don't need - but it was 40% off the original price, and a design that I have liked since it first came out.

2manybikes

40% off ! you NEEDED that jersey!

HigherGround

Yeah, but the forum moderators just raided my clothes closet, and they're insisting I change my name to 2ManyJerseys

dhfd

Do you find the Performance branded items to be equal (or better) than the other brands they carry? Is it worth to buy their stuff to save a little money or spend more for same product w/ "designer label"?

Fugazi Dave

My problem is that I've spent enough that the membership would have paid for itself several times over now, but I never got it.

Dchiefransom

The Performance brand of "Classic" stuff is adequate for most cycling. I have some of their jerseys, which I purchased when they went on end of season sale for $20. They work fine. I also have some Voler jerseys from my bike club, and they are much better than the Performance classic ones. One of my best jerseys, though, is the Performance red, white, and blue one that looks like a National Champion jersey. Thinner material and super deep pockets. It was also on sale. It's easier if you can go into their retail stores and check the goods out.

astompa

This is what I'm talking about. You buy because "it's such a great price" but you didn't really need the item. Plus there's all the time you spend reading their emails and monitoring the web site for "bargains." Overall I think Performance can save you money but you have to be mindful of having your passion for bicycling being manipulated in the name of consumerism.

TCR

Good point. I look at it this way. If I spend $100 at lbs I can get two tires. If I spend $100 at Performance I can get the same two tires, gloves, tubes, and a new tool.

2manybikes

I Like It !!

boze

if radioshack was to electronics what performance was to bike gear the world would be a better place. radioshack is lamer but it's the same sort of thing in principle.

i can't take anything away from what performance is doing because while their branded stuff isn't the greatest the regular stuff often costs twice as much so it's just giving you options on where you want to pay the premium for the fancy stuff.

i like the Performance Ultrashort and it's $15 or $20 less than Pearl shorts so that's a win. I got that GORE Windstopper jacket there for $120 and the few LBS's that even carried it wanted $160 or maybe it was $169. that plus cheaper tubes and on sale socks is plenty.

the important point about the membership and all that is that it's all optional as HigherGround was saying. i only got the membership because when i got decked out for winter it was a single shopping trip that would already pay for the cost of the membership. my $20 in Performance bucks are in my wallet already but nothing really grabbed me the last time i was in.

2manybikes

I compare prices in all the mail order catalogues and sometimes magazine adds before I buy. Some of the things performance offers are a true bargain. I have bought 8 "Forte" house brand road tires and 4 MTB tires. The tires have all the features of the best ones and are less money. The road tires just keep going down in price. I have bought at least four Performance brand shorts too. A good deal. As with most places, you need to know what the going price is before you buy. I buy on the web sight normally so the "deals" don't sway me much.
I sway myself into 2manythings all by myself........

HigherGround

With all due respect, no retail establishment exists to save you money They exist to separate you from your money, although some try to make the process more comfortable than others. Trust me - I started working in retail when I was 14. Doesn't it make you automatically nervous when someone in sales says, "Trust me"?

Granted, if you look at the quote above in relation to their house brand merchandise (rather than the store itself), there are lots of opportunities to save money instead of buying the brand name stuff. I went through a phase where I had a series of bad experiences with Performance and I stopped buying from them for about 10 years. However when I was looking for winter tights last year, Performance was the only one I could find who had what I was looking for at a decent price. I broke down and went back to the store. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my previous complaints had been resolved, and the staff was actually cheerful and helpful. Quite a turn around from my previous experiences! So, I now shop there again, but I did not spring for the Team Performance deal. I still like to give as much business to the local independent shops as I can, and I didn't want to feel tied in to feeling like I was losing an opportunity to accumulate bonus points if I shopped at places other than Performance. Sometimes Performance simply has brand name stuff that the independent shops don't, and their house brand clothing can be quite a good deal.

fogrider

not always true...my LBS has good sales too. think about it, Performance oftens offers discounts because they're prices are over priced. There are many items at the LBS that are the same price as the Performance and some lower. There are many other websites that have prices lower than Performance...Performance just markets alot more. don't get sucked in! if you spend more time on the web looking a bike stuff than riding...you need to rethink things!

Ebbtide

There is a 20% coupon in the deals section. I just ordered rollers, can't wait!!

jfmckenna

My LBS has the same stuff in Performance and Nashbar for the same price or even less plus no shipping so I never see what is so great about these companies?

MikeR

I added a column to my log spreadsheet so I can keep track of $ spent. I can review all my bike purchases for the year. It also tallies up and gives me a cents per mile figure . That keeps me from spending too much on extraneous bike stuff.