Performance Bicycle was founded in
1981 by Garry and Sharon Snook. They
started a bicycle catalog company because they saw an opportunity to serve
customers better. With their second kid
on the way, Garry and Sharon leveraged their life savings to start the
company. After almost 35 years in
business they have grown into the number one specialty bicycle retailer in the
United States with more than 100 stores.
Their goal is to provide the best customer experience possible to all
cyclist, from the recreational rider to the avid enthusiast.
There are a couple reasons why I love Performance Bicycle. They have a Low
Price Promise. I have found some bib
shorts on sale at a competitor’s online store and the guy at Performance
matched it instantly. The prices at Performance are awesome, especially if things are on sale and they have
sales all the time.
Performance Bicycle also stands behind everything they sell with their Lifetime
Guarantee. If an item does not meet your
expectations, simply return it. You can
get cash back for the first year and after that they would provide you with an
exchange, repair, or store credit. I had
a pair of padded bike shorts that I wore for about 5 months. The seams started to come apart. I took it to the store to find out if this
was a common issue or something specific to me, not expecting to exchange it (I
just wanted to bitch). The guy at the
shop insisted on exchanging it for me.
That’s great customer service.
If you buy a bike from Performance Bicycle, they will make adjustments like basic spot wheel truing,
shifting and brake adjustments, tightening bolts, checking and filling tires,
and lubing chains. This won’t just
happen for the first year like at most bike shops offer, but for as long as you
own the bike. I have purchased some
components and they installed them free of charge, even though they could have
charged me.
You can also join Team Performance, cycling’s #1 buyers’ club. You pay $29.99 per year but get 10% back on
all of your purchases. This adds up
quickly. You also get upgraded to 2nd
day for all orders over $50 at no cost.
For orders under $50 you just pay for standard shipping and get it
upgraded 2 day shipping for free. I can
tell you from personal experience that the membership fee is more than covered
by the savings, even if you don’t buy a lot of gear.
Performance
Bicycle has their own line of cycling
apparel from shorts, to bib shorts, to jerseys and more. They have gear for warm weather as well as
cold weather riding. Their clothing line
has many of the same features as the name brand gear at a fraction of the
cost. I got the opportunity to review a
pair of bib shorts and a jersey from their Ultra (top of the line)
collection.
Performance
Bicycle Ultra Bib Shorts (2016 version)
The Performance
Bicycle Ultra Bib Short (2016 version) was an item that I was really
excited to test out. If you have looked
into getting a pair of bib shorts, they can be extremely pricey. There is a bib short from a well-known
company that I will be reviewing in the next week or two that runs about
$189. The Performance
Ultra Bib Short is regularly $109.00, but is on sale for $89.99 right now,
which is a killer price. If you are a Team Performance member,
you will get $8.99 back for a future purchase too. Not too shabby!
Okay, so I know what you are
thinking. If these cost so much less,
they probably don’t use quality materials or the fit won’t be as good. That is not the case at all though. The Ultra
Bib Shorts use top of the line materials and the way they are made should
allow them to last for quite a while.
So let’s get into the features. The Ultra
Bib Shorts are made with a 60% Nylon/40% Spandex blend on the body with
different blends for the side panels and bibs (overall straps). It comes with an 11” inseam. The fabric has an embossed texture and uses
push/pull technology to help with moisture management. The multi-panel design with high compression
reduces muscle fatigue and speeds up muscle recovery while it provides a great
fit. Performance
Bicycle uses a Coldblack Finishing Technology
to reduce heat build-up in direct sunlight and protects you from the sun’s
harmful rays. Some other features
include flatlock stitching, reflective tabs, and wide sublimated leg bands to
help keep the shorts from riding up without restricting blood flow.
Now to the most important part, the
chamois. This is one area where Performance didn’t skimp.
The Ultra
Bib Shorts use an Ultra TMF Italian chamois. It is specifically designed for a man’s
anatomy (there are women specific versions too), which provides great comfort
and fit while reducing chaffing. The seamless
Skyving technology that they use eliminates steps between the foam layers which
really adds to the overall comfort and feel.
It is a 4-layer chamois and the multi density foams absorb vibrations
and offers impact protection. The
chamois stays dry and feels great.
I have thrown a lot of specs at you, but
how did it perform on the road? I love
these bib shorts! They felt so comfortable
and fit perfectly. The material is
really light weight and you don’t have to worry about the legs slipping up as
you ride. The first ride I went on was
in the 80’s and it didn’t feel that warm out because of the breeze. The biggest things that stood out were the
fit and comfort of the bib shorts. They
just fit really well, from the chamois to the compression of the fabric. My next ride was quite different. It was 94 degrees when I started to ride and
it felt even hotter. What I can say is
that the moisture transfer and cooling effect of the Coldblack worked really
well. The bib shorts were fairly dry
when I finished my ride. Even in extreme
temperatures, the Ultra
Bib Shorts were awesome!
Pros:
Extremely comfortable
Looks awesome
Fits like a glove
Moisture control and dries quickly
Awesome price
Performance
Bicycle Ultra SL Short Sleeve Jersey
The Ultra
SL Short Sleeve Jersey was another item I was really excited to test
out. The SL stands for “Super Light” and
it feels like it. This is another top of
the line product from Performance Bicycle
and is a little more than some jerseys, but if you are looking for a cheaper
option, Performance
has other jerseys as well.
The Ultra
SL Jersey was made to handle those long training rides or really hot
days. They took out the spandex and went
with 100% polyester fabric to reduce the weight and increase breathability, but
still made sure that the jersey met UPF30+ (sun protection) standards. The ultra-light fabric absorbs moisture and dries
quickly to reduce your skin’s temperature, which in turn provides a cooling
effect.
The fit of the Ultra
SL Short Sleeve Jersey is considered form-fitting to increase aerodynamics
and the sleeves are rolled forward. That
means that it was designed to do just as good when you are in the drops as when
you are sitting upright. Most jerseys
are not made that way and when you lean forward to get in the drops, your
jersey bunches. Not with the Ultra
SL. There is a full YKK Vislon zipper
that you can easily unzip and zip back up for extra ventilation and there is a zipper
garage to make sure that the zipper does not irritate your neck.
You can find a media cord loop at the
back of the neck and three rear pockets.
That is the one thing that is missing compared to some other brands top
of the line jerseys. Many of the top of
the line jerseys have 5 pockets in back, but these pockets work well and hold
plenty of gear. There is a reflective
stripe on the center back pocket and silicon dashes along the hem of the jersey
to keep it from sliding up as you ride.
While this jersey might be a little
more money than your standard jersey, it is not your standard jersey and is well
worth the money. The Ultra
SL Jersey is regularly $99.99 but is on sale for $69.99 (you would get
$6.99 toward a future purchase if you are a Team Performance member). I found that
the design, fit and comfort were amazing and it had tons of great features for
the price. Like the bib shorts, the Ultra
SL Jersey really did a great job of not only keeping me cool, but dry during
my ride in the extreme heat, which is not the case with most of my cycling
gear.
Pros:
Extremely comfortable
Looks awesome
Fits like a glove
Moisture control and dries quickly
Awesome price for what you get
Cons:
The white part is kind of see through
(but that is the trade-off of having an ultra-light material)
Performance Bike’s Social Media Links:
If you are looking for top of the line
cycling bib shorts and jerseys, look no further than the Performance
Bicycle Ultra
Bib Shorts and Ultra
SL Short Sleeve Jersey. You get tons of great features that are
usually reserved for products that cost twice as much as you can get these
for. Save even more money when you buy
them on sale, which happens quite often and being a Team Performance member will get you some cash for
future purchases. Performance Bicycle is a great company with a great return policy, so if you
don’t like the gear, just take it back.
Try returning clothes to other local bike shop and see what they
say. If you want to look good in a great
cycling kit without breaking the bank, pick up a pair of Ultra
Bib Shorts and an Ultra
SL Jersey at your local Performance Bicycle or at Performance’s website. What do you have to
lose? Let me know what you think. I would love to know.
Note: I received this product
in exchange for a review. The review is my personal opinion of the
product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it. I am not a doctor, so please use all of the
products that I review at your own risk.
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