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Performance Bike Shop
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Pennsport
1300 S Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 336-4500
1300 S Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 336-4500
11 reviews for Performance Bike Shop
performance is good for some things, not so much for others.
I usually go there for cases of Clif shots + blocks, and electrolyte drink mix, tubes, etc. their prices for these are the cheapest in town. the staff is generally friendly + i've never had any issues there.
If I were to buy a bike I'd go to the little guy simply because they don't carry much more than their own brand + a few others. this isn't the place to buy a higher end bike, end of story.
So my husband wanted to buy a bike from these guys, but they didn't have it in his size. They required a 25% deposit deposit on the bike in his size to even order it (non-refundable if they were able to order the bike). I found this a bit odd, - what if he didn't like the way the bike rode? What if it just didn't fit? They only had the smallest size available, and my husband is over six feet tall so he needs a big bike.
He had done a lot of research and he really wanted this particular bike, so after a bit of "should we do this" he gave them our credit card, hoping that he'd like the bike.
So fast forward to the ordering process. They were supposed to call us when they could "see if" they could find it in his size. They didn't. So we started to call. A week goes by with still no word. They still have our money. We probably called five times wondering what was going on.
We hear back a week late that they were not able to find the bike. (They left a message.) That was a waste of time. Couldn't they just "check" inventory? You're the largest bike chain in the US, and you can't check inventory? (or return phone calls when you have a deposit?)
So we figured that since they couldn't order it in, they'd refund our card, right? They didn't - we found out after we got our credit card statement a few weeks later. So we had to call the store, again. (Probably for the 15th time). We got, "Uh, I wasn't dealing with that order so I can't help you. You have to come into the shop." What? Don't you guys have record of this stuff? We demanded to talk to someone who knew something about where our money was and we were finally told that we had to actually visit the store to initiate the refund.
(We get the clear distinction that this is corporate-speak so that customers come into the shop and hopefully find another bike to buy... at this point they're never getting our business. I run a small business and I'm pretty sure Performance could offer a refund to a card over the phone. Heck, I can do it, and we're about .00000001% as large as their company.)
My husband asked, "So if we didn't catch this - you guys would have basically stole our money, am I wrong?" Basically.
Service was average at best during the process. Honestly, any of the shop attendants in the city would have known more about bikes. It seemed like they had a lot of "workers" at the shop, not bikers. In fact, we researched most of the bike specs at home because the shop attendants seemed to be more like bike shufflers than bike experts.
Should have gone to Bicycle Revolutions or Trophy... Heading over there this weekend, after a two-week run around at Performance. Bigger is not better folks.
I am fairly new to using a bike as a form of transportation. That being said I have always hated driving so I threw caution to the wind, sold my car, and bought a bike.
So I had a modest chunk of cash and went walking around visiting different shops. My experiences were mediocre at most of the stores. Some of the local shops seem to want to remind you how much longer they have been into bikes. General hipster B.S.
I can honestly say Performance was the best shop I went to. The salespeople were nice to me, answered my stupid beginner questions, and the price was unbeatable.
Comment from John H. of
Performance Bike Shop
8/27/2009
Glad we can help! Let us know if there's anything else you…
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My Yelp reviews were attacked and I lost my previous reviews of Performance. So I'll recap:
My first visit was terrible. Rude, condescending customer service from an employee who disappeared after being pretentious and not attempting to help me find what I needed (which was a bike. I wanted to buy a bike for pete's sake). After speaking with the owner, I decided to return to get some bike accessories for a bike I obtained elsewhere.
Visit two and three: I vowed not to let some little pipsqueak push me around when I came back to get accessories and then later for new tubes and tires. Jared helped me the first time and was so terrific. It was really busy and I know he was being pulled in all directions, but he still installed a bike seat on the test bike so I could try it and came back to check on me later to make sure I had everything I needed. He was really friendly. John helped me pick out tires and tubes and asked all the right questions to help me find the right tires in my price range. It was near closing and I didn't feel rushed at all.
On my most recent visit, I came for a very minor service issue. I was helped by Mike and Sean. They were speedy yet efficient and gave me a great deal on the labor and parts price. (I won't tell you how great because you won't believe me!) They were so nice and helpful and explained what caused the problem rather than just rushing to get it fixed and move on to the next person. Seriously, I felt like they were my best friends when I left.
People are saying that they are not good for service. Maybe for serious service issues or overhauls? I'm not sure. I felt like they were thorough and careful and ... what else can you ask for?
I have no intention of taking my bike or my business anywhere else! Maybe I am missing out on the local bike shop "experience" -- but I happy without it!
Comment from John H. of
Performance Bike Shop
6/25/2009
Thanks again for the shout out! We appreciate you giving us…
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Do not look at this place as a Local Bike Shop. This company owns the two leading internet cycling sites: http://performancebike... and http://nashbar.com.
They are a great place to get inexpensive parts and clothing. Their prices are nearly unbeatable.
That being said, their service sucks. It's horrible. Don't get your bike "fixed" there.
That's why I give them such a high rating. They're not a service place. They're a wholesaler, and a damned good one at that.
I hate to admit it, but I bought a bike at Performance. I feel dirty just typing that.
The people at the store were all nice and seem to know what they're doing (though they're not as fanatical about bikes as the local shop folks), but the website and call center suck for customer service.
I'd much rather support one of the local shops (and I do for maintenance and service issues on my racing bike) but they just can't compete with Performance's prices. I wanted a decent, simple bike that could take some abuse and that I could lock outside without worrying too much. After looking around the local shops and checking craigslist, I saw a phenomenal deal on Performance's website. I went over to the store to check the bike out in person and give it a test ride, and then ordered it there. Because the deal I was taking advantage of was online, I couldn't just buy the bike at the store; I needed to use their special phone to order it. Dealing with the website and customer service people was a real pain, and this is one of the ways you can see a difference between Performance and the local shops. The website had no info on my order status, and after over two weeks of waiting anxiously for the bike to be shipped I tried calling customer service, which was frustratingly not helpful. I finally called the Philly store directly to see if they knew when I could expect my bike; they said that they had nothing in their computer system about my order, but they had the model and size bike that I wanted in stock.
So after three weeks of needless waiting I got my new bike. It's not the best bike ever but it's pretty rad. I could've gotten something slightly cheaper used, but this is new and comes with a 1 year warranty on the components and a 5 year warranty on the frame. I also could've bought the same exact bike from a local shop for almost triple the amount I paid at Performance.
Comment from John H. of
Performance Bike Shop
9/3/2009
Thanks Larry! We appreciate your patronage. Wish you had…
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Ok, while I am always down for supporting the LBS, sometimes I go to performance. I can stop in there and know they are open, take credit cards, have the right size tubes etc. They are open later then all of the shops around, and are close to my house. Mike has helped me out when I had to stop in on my way home from a road ride where my brake fell off (but that's another story). He gave me the bolt I needed, explained how to fix it and didn't charge me (which was convenient considering I was wearing spandex and didn't have my wallet). The salespeople are normally pretty good, but I always know what I am looking for anyway. So yes I shop at performance, but I also shop at the LBS. Except for the shops that have piss poor customer service. I am not paying more for your attitude.
Just by the fact that it's located on a very unbikable speedway showcases the fact that this a bike store for people who like to drive their cars to a bike store.
This place is a chain retail store. I would suggest them for small items like cable inners, chains and even tools. I would not suggest them for service, new bikes, and companionship.
This is the credit-card-friendly Ying to Via Bicycle's cash-only Yang.
I wonder if they have bicycle gang wars between the employees of the two shops every so often.
My girlfriend and I got to witness a very awkward exchange with the sales person and the Asperger-stricken repair guy yelling at each other about cables.
It's good to see that bike-douchyness can even afflict chain stores.
Comment from John H. of
Performance Bike Shop
6/13/2009
hmmm.... sorry. not a single associate is in a bike gang at…
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Come on people, this is Philadelphia. I don't think we need a commercial chain bicycle store pressed up against our front door when we have so many good independent bike shops, but if it gets people to get off their fat asses and ride a bike, then go for it.
Speaking of fat, my first time in the store was like an episode of the twilight zone. There were two employees working at the time and both looked like they never have even stepped onto a bike let alone be able to sell me one! I don't think I'm going to take the word of a three-hundred-pound by five-foot-four man on which Bianci is better suited for my performance ability. Um, no sorry.
Their prices were also a bit jacked up, but I guess they're trying to cater to that Lance Armstrong wanna-be yuppie crowd that has taken over half of the city. Seriously though, even the stores in Manayunk are offering some of these bikes cheaper, even after assembly.
DO NOT look for a track bike or a single speed here: not only will have have maybe one available the staff gives you the "you're a scum city bike rider" look and they are about a hundred dollars more than local places. DO look for entry level road bikes, a few good mountain bikes that you won't find in this section of the city, and some cheap shoes and clothing in the sale areas.
It's a chain but at least they know how to exercise a bit of customer service. You can wheel and deal a little and they have good sales. I really got tired of the record store pretension vibe that Via and Mike's Bikes give off. C'mon people, we're riding bikes.
Just got a GT Avalanche 1.0 Mountain bike here, The prices are great also the service Warranty which is lifetime unlike the shop close to my house which was 5 years only and again this shop is in my area, I am not expecting to give them 5 stars yet because I have yet to experience after Purchase Service. I gave em 4 stars because they approved me for same as cash for 6 months no intersest. The staff were helpful , I know there are bad reviews here but as far as now is concerned Mr. Bullock and Jared were really helpful. They got huge sale days and they got 10% cash back. I am not a hard core bike guy so probably thats why I was raving about it , but to me on my experience this day they did good. Another plus they played Siouxsie and the Banshees Cities in Dust all they way!!!.......here is a tip before shopping check their website first and print what you like.
Comment from John H. of
Performance Bike Shop
6/13/2009
hey thanks for saying so! We get so few glowing reviews…
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