I see on here all the time for different clothing recommendations for just about every different article you can wear on a bike but I rarely see people who recommend Pearl Izumi gear. Where I live almost every store in the city carries PI gear which makes it the best option for me to be able to try on the gear to see how it fits before I buy it. I have bought everything from arm and leg warmers, vests, shorts, and jerseys and feel like it is decent stuff. I don’t have a lot to compare it to but know that it fits better than castelli stuff for my body type.
Does the ST crowd shudder at it because it is so common and the newbies wear it or is it just that infirior from top to bottom compared to other companies offerings?
Is it popular at all in your neck of the woods with your local LBS’s? I am in Boise, Idaho.
I never noticed. I own a pair of PI tri flyshoes and are pretty happy with them. Got them on sale from NB. I’m sure there’s better gear to be bought, just that I have to get what I can afford and still be able to pay rent.
I use Pearl Izumi bike gear but not cause I necessarily like it better than other brands, but because my lbs gives me a great discount. Personally I don’t find that I like any brand any more or lesss than some of the others. I take that back, I dislike champion systems and I have a pair of LG bike shorts that I love. For what its worth I have used Hincapie, 2XU, Pearl Izumi, Zoot, Champion Systems, and LG. I have some Desoto stuff on order as they are a sponsor of our club and every one raves about them, so I thought I would give it a try.
As to running shoes I typically only run in Pearl Izumi. I used to run in Saucony’s and a few others but after switching to Pearl Izumi I never switched again. Fortunately Pearl Izumi lets the LBS order them in for me since no one else close carries them.
Good to hear about PI. I’ve been really looking at the new stuff (Streak 2 and isoTransition) as my Kinvara experiment has been less than successful. Looking for something a little off the map with running shoes, lighter than the Launch that I trained in last year, and Streak looks perfect.
Getting a good deal myself, so am looking at the PRO race stuff. I think I will give it a whirl, TDB helped with it, can’t be all bad right? And, nobody seems to be wearing it, which could be a bad sign, but I like to look original, so if it works…i’ll look original!
Some depends on fit, others prefer different materials. I have a couple pair of Pearl Izumi shorts and have liked them, but they are not my favorite shorts. They are also not the top of the line Pearl Izumi P.R.O line bibs… in which case I would probably have enjoyed them more. I did buy a Pearl Izumi tri top however I don’t wear it often because it is not as nice of a material as DeSoto, 2XU, Zoot. You get what you pay for in shorts, even within companies they have different levels for example Pearl Izumi has 3 levels Select, Elite and P.R.O. I think most of the higher end companies that people rave about on here start at the mid tier and go higher with their levels.
I liked the Team Garmin stuff that Pearl was making and my wife rides in that kit all the time, and the availability of Pearl Izumi is much more widespread. I would say they are roughly the Nike or Adidas equivalent of the cycling world. They make a quality and affordable product, there are better products out there, but their greatest value comes from the mainstream availability.
My brands of choice for Cycling are Castelli and Specialized Body Geometry, mostly because I like the compression, wicking materials and good pads on both sets of bibs I have from them. For Triathlon I stick with DeSoto and Zoot, although I have tried pretty much every brand except Kiwami. Again it is all about the material for me and whichever suit doesn’t chafe me. I do use a lot of Pearl Izumi accessories though, especially the arm warmers, gloves and highlighter yellow jacket, all of which I bought because I found them on sale and turned out to really like. I can’t comment on the shoes as I have never tried them.
Bottom Line: if you like the way Pearl Izumi stuff fits, stick with it. It really all comes down to what you like the best!
Pearl Izumi’s not some off-brand. No one will point and laugh because you’re wearing it! I have some PI running tights and capris, which I love, and a pair of their bike shorts. Unlike you, I’ve actually been having a tough time finding their (running) stuff in stores recently.
they’ve been aroudn for a while, sometimes people tend to rag on or disregard stuff if it’s too obvious, since this is such a keep-up-w/-the-joneses kind of site.
most of their stuff seems fine.
i will say i don’t much like their higher-end cycling gloves, but i think that’s because they’re aimed at mtb riders.
they did get some flack- rightly so - for their ‘we are not joggers’ running shoe ads.
I like my PI bike stuff also. Stay away from the lower end of their line, and it is nice stuff. Since they are so widely carried, you can often get good deals on their stuff (don’t ever pay list price for it). Also, they have outlet stores where you can sometimes get good deals.
I have two pairs of PI bib shorts (one P.R.O. and one something else) and they are my favorite bibs. The pad is just right and the fabric feels great. The fit is excellent. I attribute the lack of PI love here to its relative lack of exclusivity–you can’t brag about owning PI gear like you can Rapha or Castelli.
I used to have only PI cycling shorts and bibs but i realized i needed to size up from a medium to a large due to my huge quads. When i tried on the large bibs the pad wouldn’t sit under my sit-bones. It would sit up to high on my back. I realized the cut was for someone with more “abdomen diameter.” I ended up going to other more euro cut brands. In recent years i have only bought custom team wear from Primal, Squadra, Nalini and ironically i need to buy XL bibs in their cut. I haven’t tried the newer PI Pro line bibs due to their high prices and a ever revolving supply of team gear. I think the quality of the PI product i did have was top notch tough. I would not hesitate to buy any of their stuff. Never tried their shoes.
Actually, I was just talking to a friend about moving from my specialized tri-vents to the PI shoes, since my PI road shoes fit so well. The Tri-Vents are fantastic shoes, but my toes go numb a little after a long ride. So, I’ll think about some new PI shoes.
I really like the PI stuff, and I don’t consider it “newbie” gear. The cost, in my area, is incredible. Tri-shorts are $110-$120 pair, while I can get a pair of Sugoi for $65 or so. I’d love to have more PI stuff, but just can’t afford it. If I get lucky, they will have just stocked the sale rack when I go in, and I can occasionally score a shirt or jersey for low $.
I run in PI streak and Peak XC and absolutely love these shoes. They hold up well and it is one of the only shoes where I didn’t have some type of pain when I run. Also unlike Nike or Brooks it has been nice finding a shoe that works and being able to go back and buy the same shoe. Most shoe companies change stuff up so often you never can find what works for you.
I work at a running store that sells PI shoes, running/cycling clothing. The shoes are normally hit or miss when it comes to customers liking them. They either think they are the greatest things they have ever worn or just hate them. As far as apparel goes, both cycling and running, I haven’t liked anything better (especially the new P.R.O. Ltd. bibs). I have used LG, Brooks, Asics, ChampSys, 2XU, and have found PI to top them all. Like others have pointed out, you get what you pay for. So, the higher end PI stuff is going to be the best, obviously. And I still prefer DeSoto when it comes to tri apparel; but prefer PI for everything else. For running apparel, brooks does come in a close second.
I love me some PI! ha, I have mountain bike shoes, shoe covers, arm warmers, leg warmers, bibs, shorts, running shoes, a hat, and probably some more stuff and I love it all. I started getting it cause it’s what my LBS had, but I liked it so much I started going out of my way to get it. I try to recommend it when people ask about it, but I guess it just gets overlooked because it’s obviously good.
I have a lot of PI stuff - bibs, jerseys, arm and leg warmers, etc. I’m a tall, scrawny bastard and their stuff fits real well and seems to be very durable.
(Let me take that “fits real well” back. Their jerseys **used **to fit real well. A couple of years ago they changed their sizing standards. There’s now a large gap between the M and the L and I’m exactly in the middle so neither fit anymore. I’ve been buying other brand jerseys. Does anybody know why they did this?)
if it fits you well, functions at or above expectations, you seem satisfied with the way it looks and are comfortable with the price - who cares what everyone else thinks?
BTW - I love my PI SynchroPace running shoes, Therma-Fleece Elite Bib Tights, skull cap, shoe covers, shorts, etc. - big PI fan.