Performance Bike Is Done, Son

[LhasaCM]

@n18 183540 wrote:

They are not allowed to call it “Store closing” sale per a judge order. See this other thread.

Not to “well actually” you, but as of now they are. That changed in a subsequent hearing (held Thursday), which would explain the website posting/notice dated Friday. See https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2018/12/07/bankruptcy-judge-approves-store-closing-sales-all-performance-locations#.XA0b62hKiUk (I’ll add it in that other thread as well).

[Drewdane]

Sad news. Performance has been the gateway drug to many a cycling addiction.

[BobCochran]

I always thought Performance was a high-end shop. Too bad it is going.

Bob

[W Odie]

They are closing all their Brick & Mortar stores, but what about the online store? Is that also shutting down? Online prices don’t seem to be slashed by 30-50% at this time.

[JamieJoy]

Agreed, I have gotten so many bargains from that shop, most of my gear, two wonderful bikes, great pedals…they will be missed!

[huskerdont]

Performance filled an important gap between crappy Wal-Mart-type bikes that don’t ride well and break quickly, thereby being of little use getting people into cycling, and the LBS, with bikes at too high a price for many noncyclists to get started. And as a chain, they had enough locations to be accessible to a lot of people. Generally I’m all for local, independent retailers over chains, but Performance served a purpose that I don’t see anyone else filling, at least in this area.

Hudson was similar. I bought my first non-mountain bike there, a 2005 Felt F80 that I got for about $500, which is ridiculously cheap in retrospect but about all I could have done back then.

I suppose there’s still REI, and you can get something affordable there with some lucbut they don’t exactly have the reputation of being affordable to the type of person who doesn’t have a lot of money but would like to look into cycling.

[LhasaCM]

@huskerdont 183591 wrote:

Performance filled an important gap between crappy Wal-Mart-type bikes that don’t ride well and break quickly, thereby being of little use getting people into cycling, and the LBS, with bikes at too high a price for many noncyclists to get started. And as a chain, they had enough locations to be accessible to a lot of people. Generally I’m all for local, independent retailers over chains, but Performance served a purpose that I don’t see anyone else filling, at least in this area.

Hudson was similar. I bought my first non-mountain bike there, a 2005 Felt F80 that I got for about $500, which is ridiculously cheap in retrospect but about all I could have done back then.

I suppose there’s still REI, and you can get something affordable there with some lucbut they don’t exactly have the reputation of being affordable to the type of person who doesn’t have a lot of money but would like to look into cycling.

It’s not even necessarily the prices at the LBS but the perception of the prices that can be an obstacle. It didn’t help that perception (nor the business model, apparently) that Performance tried to undercut everybody and operate with even thinner margins than most.

As you noted, I liked that Performance occupied that middle ground (something about being in a strip mall with who knows what else definitely helped), and hope that at least the more viable locations are purchased by somebody out of bankruptcy. For the middle ground, I guess there’s also Dick’s, which seems to be competing with both Target/Walmart at the entry level, and have a few nicer selections as well.

[chuxtr]

Just bought myself a Christmas present from Performance (online, not in the store). I need something to replace my old 90s era Park work stand and was looking at a lot of different folding/portable stands. Got the Spin Doctor work stand. Normally $129.99. Interestingly, Amazon sells for less at $99.99 https://www.amazon.com/Spin-Doctor-Team-Bicycle-Stand/dp/B01CRF2EJK/ But with their Chapter 11 sale, Performance now selling for $69.99! https://www.performancebike.com/shop/bike-tools-transport/tools-workstands/workstands/spin-doctor-team-work-stand-40-4529 Even with a bulk item shipping charge and VA sales tax, still cheaper than Amazon by almost $20. Happy camper!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18661[/ATTACH]

[n18]

I was at Vienna location last Friday, the store seemed full of stuff, including clothing and bikes. It seems that the best deals would be after Christmas. Breakdown:

30% Garmin/GoPro. Left(Prices are after the discount): 3x Garmin Edge 130($140), 1x Garmin Vivoactive HR – GPS Smartwatch($175), 2x GoPro Hero 5 Black($210).
30% Oakley sunglasses.
40% Men’s clothing, Socks, and Gloves. I have no idea if this is different from their normal sales as I don’t usually buy cycling clothes.
50% Women’s clothing, Women Socks/Gloves at 40%.
50% Wheels.
40% Tires/Tubes.
30% Shimano components.
40% All other stuff: Water bottles/Cages, Shoes, Helmets, Pedals, Lights(limited number left), Pumps, Racks, Fenders, Panniers, Saddles, Bike Storage, Trainers, Bike tools, Handlebars/Grips/Tapes.

Bikes are at 20-35% from MSRP, which is not much different from their normal sales.

[SpaceJockey]

This is probably because there was significant growth in the BMX and mountain biking scenes from sports venues like the X-Games and freeride videos such as Kona’s New World Disorder series that introduced many riders to what was possible on a bike and it was the cool thing to do.

With the increased momentum was increased demand and the price of bikes of all sorts sky-rocketed, with second-rate used bikes fetching significantly inflated sums as well. When the interest began to die, the industry was still expecting to sell at the appreciated profit margins, which was not sustainable.

The style of riding is significant here too, a road bike lives on the road, just like any other pedal-powered machine on two wheels, why pay thousands for a bike when you are required to live in a constricted urban area to sustain the income high enough to pay for such a bike? At least if you ride jumps and off-road you have more fun on the bike, push it through harsher elements, break more parts, and pay the bike shops over the life of the bike to sustain your addiction.

[W Odie]

@chuxtr 183820 wrote:

Just bought myself a Christmas present from Performance (online, not in the store). I need something to replace my old 90s era Park work stand and was looking at a lot of different folding/portable stands. Got the Spin Doctor work stand. Normally $129.99. Interestingly, Amazon sells for less at $99.99 https://www.amazon.com/Spin-Doctor-Team-Bicycle-Stand/dp/B01CRF2EJK/ But with their Chapter 11 sale, Performance now selling for $69.99! https://www.performancebike.com/shop/bike-tools-transport/tools-workstands/workstands/spin-doctor-team-work-stand-40-4529 Even with a bulk item shipping charge and VA sales tax, still cheaper than Amazon by almost $20. Happy camper!

Bummer, the price for the Spin Doctor stand is back up to $99.99 at Performance online.

[n18]

@W & Odie 184101 wrote:

Bummer, the price for the Spin Doctor stand is back up to $99.99 at Performance online.

In stores, it’s $77.40, and Vienna location has at least 2 as of yesterday. They also have a more expensive one not listed online that has three legs like this one, it costs $132. I paid $129 for it 2 years ago. They have 3 left as of yesterday, one of which is on display without a box.

[MFC]

@n18 184114 wrote:

In stores, it’s $77.40, and Vienna location has at least 2 as of yesterday. They also have a more expensive one not listed online that has three legs like this one, it costs $132. I paid $129 for it 2 years ago. They have 3 left as of yesterday, one of which is on display without a box.

The last time I was at the Springfield store, they were giving an additional 10% off to anyone that asked.

[Starduster]

Wow. Things have changed. https://www.performancebike.com/shop/importantupdate.

*All* the retail stores are going-going-gone, including the locations they gobbled up cheaply when my old employer (Bikes USA/The Bicycle Exchange) went under.

This warrants a last minute shopping trip.

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2018/12/07/bankruptcy-judge-approves-store-closing-sales-all-performance-locations#.XB22D1VKiM8

[LhasaCM]

I was at the Rockville location today. Still a wide selection of bikes left, plus plenty of clothing so long as you’re not an “extreme” size (i.e., XS or XL and up). Things were 20-40% off regular price with a bonus 10% – so didn’t seem too different from a normal day.

[Author]

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