kind of a generic question here, but i’m going to be at a race sunday that’s within a 1/2 hour drive of a performance bikes retail store. have never been to one (they’re all really far from where i live). worth checking out? descent deals?
They always match the advertised web prices, and some even have better deals in store but they do not carry all the stuff in the stores all the time. Worth checking for tires, tubes and nutrition. nutrition is the cheapest I can find anywhere, specially gels, endurox and bars.
some good deals…I’ve seen buy one box get one box free on gels from time to time
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Ditto on the nutrition. We buy tubes sometimes and nutrition almost always. Oh and a nice Giro helmet a while back. The guy who works at our local performance bike is actually really knowledgable about bikes including the ones you won’t ever see on the performance sales floor.
It’s bike shop stuff at web prices - great for stuff like shoes where it’s easier to try them on first. Probably worth the trip.
They might still have their summer sale going on…worth checking out.
Which one? The month long one? The week long one? The day long one?
The one that is a closeout? The one just for bikes (and accessories)?
Oh, nevermind, they all run at the same time anyway. 
Running joke in my family is how everytime my wife gets the mail there
is a Performance Bike sale catalog.
-Jot
If you’ve got an ad for a cheaper price from a mainstream internet dealer they’ll price match - works in store or online.
It really depends on what it is you are looking for. They stock all the usual things but if you are searching for higher end parts you might be out of luck. As far as triathletes are concerned, they have little to offer in tri equipment.
Just make sure to not give them your contact information at check-out.
Also, ignore the fat lady that turns on the high-pressure salesmanship as soon as you walk in the door… o wait, that’s at the store in my town. She really gets on my f’ing nerves.
I think they do a nice job. It has kind of a large, corporate feel to it which is a welcomed contrast from the little Mom & Pop corner bike shop occasionally. If you;re near one its worth stopping in for a look see…
I guess it depends on what you expect a Performance shop to be. The Performance shop in my town is great for the consumables … tires, tubes, lube, chains, etc. Not so great for the cool stuff. I wouldn’t buy a bike there. And their staff typically doesn’t know anything about anything (but that’s been my experience at most bike shops … don’t even get me started about the new Specialied concept shop in town … talk about a staff that doesn’t know anything about anything, sheesh).
I’ll reiterate what the other posters have said. GREAT prices on stuff like nutrition, tubes, maybe tires, some saddles, etc. The one near me (Cincy) - the staff knows very little about cycling in general, even though several “enthusiasts” work there. I once asked for latex tubes and the looks I got were priceless … :0
you can can cheap deals on Gu, powerbars, etc, but Amazon’s even cheaper.
they know nothing about gear. I went in once for a replacement speedplay cleat and the (only) sales guy never seen that type of pedal! He was fascinated. basically if you notice something in an add for cheap that you want, go in. otherwise, go to a real bike shop.