I’ve noticed a slight problem where I spend quite a bit of money (like $10 per pair) for little cycling socks, only to have them get holes in them after a few races. So, trying to kill two birds with one stone, I picked up a pair of the Performance CoolMax Kevlar Socks.

This is a cycling sock from the Performance Bike house brand, so it’s inexpensive, and it’s reinforced with kevlar, to increase durability. I think the retail price is $8, but I got them on sale for $6. I figured at that price, it’s worth a shot!

Being made from Coolmax, these socks are great for sports. Coolmax wicks sweat so your feet stay cool and dry. So in that regard, these socks do function nicely for cycling socks. Cotton socks don’t even compare.

What makes these socks special is the “reinforced heel and toe offer excellent abrasion resistance.” The main part of the sock is gray, then the toe and heel are yellow. I guess that signifies where they put the kevlar reinforcements (which makes sense, since those are high wear areas.)

But before I could really test out the durability, I ran into a couple issues.

First, the sizing.

I usually wear a size 12 shoe. That put me in the range for the XL size, so I got that size. The XL turned out to be a little too big for me. It’s close, but not perfect. I wouldn’t advise getting the XL unless you are a solid 13 shoe size.

If you’re in the 11.5 to 12 range, I guess size Large is the one to choose.

This led to a problem with the comfort.

Due to that sizing discrepancy, the socks bunch up in the middle when I place the heel section on my heel. It’s mildly annoying, but not too big a deal though, since I don’t really notice that when riding. It was more comfortable if I pulled the sock tight, but then the heel was back a bit too far.

The real problem is the rough fabric. The inside of the sock is kind of rough, and it scrapes my Achilles tendon. It doesn’t cut my skin open, but it’s not exactly comfortable.

If you’re used to Sock Guy socks or something like the Defeet Wooleator, you probably won’t find these socks as comfortable.

Durability on these is probably pretty good. But due to the sizing issue and discomfort, I don’t wear these enough to really test the durability, and I don’t like them enough to buy any more.

I’ve worn them at least as much as my Pearl Izumi Attack socks, though, so I can compare the two. The Performance socks are way more durable than my Pearl Izumis, all of which have holes in the toes.

My final verdict is…

These Performance Coolmax Kevlar socks seem to be quite durable. But…

I don’t like these socks a whole lot, so I won’t be buying any more. They’re not awful, but I’d rather just buy Defeet and Sock Guy socks since I know those are awesome. (Those socks are comfortable, durable enough, not overly expensive, and the sizing charts are spot on.)

Official website: www.PerformanceBike.com

Retailer Name: Performance Bicycle
Website: www.PerformanceBike.com

Continue reading for my thoughts and opinions on Performance Bicycle, a brick-and-mortar and online retailer for road and mountain bikers, and triathletes… (Yes, there’s a special Triathlon Store and even a Commuter Store in there.)

Product Selection and Availability

As you’d expect from a bicycle retailer, Performance Bike has a good selection of most mainstream bike parts and accessories. You’ll find component groups from SRAM, Shimano, and Campagnolo, parts from Ritchey, Thomson, Michelin, clothes from Pearl Izumi and Sugoi, plus tons of other stuff.

Compared to Nashbar.com, Performance Bike has a better selection of newer and high-end parts. If you want it, there’s a very good chance that Performance has it.

Also, Performance Bike makes great clothing. I highly recommend their jerseys, and their bib shorts have won the Bicycling Editor’s Choice Award. (I absolutely love the “Performance Classic Short Sleeve Jersey” – it looks plain, but it’s very comfortable.)

Pricing

The pricing is pretty standard for an online retailer. There are good prices on regular stuff (right on par with Nashbar,) but Performance Bike doesn’t have the “closeout” deals that Nashbar does.

Performance clothing is always a good deal though. The Classic Jersey is listed at $30, but usually on sale for $20-25. The Elite Bibs are listed at $75, but usually on sale for $65.

Overall the prices are simply “good.”

Discounts & Coupon Codes

To get the best deals at Performance Bike, you want to use their coupon codes. There is almost always some sort of discount, and sometimes it is a “20% off orders over $100″ which I love!

I’m also a member of the buyer’s club called Team Performance. To join, all you have to do is pay $20 per year, and you get two great benefits. First, you earn 10% cash back on all purchases (in the form of points that can be applied to future orders.) Second, you get a free upgrade to FedEx 2-day shipping on each order.

Team Performance is awesome! If you spend close to $200 per year, it is very worthwhile to join. (Just join sooner rather than later, as it could take a couple days to process your membership.)

If you time your orders right, you could end up with an effective 30% discount and cheap shipping!

Ease of Use (Website and Shopping Cart)

From a design perspective, the Performance Bike site looks great. There is a lot to take in, but I love the clean white and blue color scheme, and the navigation menu is nice.

The navigation menu is slightly different from the norm, with categories like Build, Wear, Train, Maintain, and Equip, but it makes sense once you scroll through it.

When you click through to a list of items, it’s usually sorted by brand or by price (high to low.) But you can click links right above the list to change the sorting method to something like price (low to high.) It’s easy.

But I have one complaint with the item lists, and that’s that the items aren’t listed. Rather, it’s more of a thumbnail display, and when I go to click on a link, the photos I accidentally scroll over enlarge for a preview, and then I can’t see the link.

Once you get to the product detail page, things are simple. There is a big picture and an item description. Additionally, each page includes a product review function where customers can leave product reviews right there.

The reviews tend to be pretty helpful. And I have seen a wide range of reviews (from one to five star ratings,) so I don’t think they censor the reviews.

To finish things off, the shopping cart and ordering process are simple and intuitive.

Overall I like the website, as there is just one little issue that bugs me.

Shipping & Handling

Performance Bike offers pretty standard rates – from $5.75 to $12.50 for standard ground shipping. (The free 2-day upgrade from Team Performance is great. It’s like $5 free each time you order.)

Order processing is always super fast, and I’ve never had an issue with late arrivals or wrong items in the past 10 years of ordering from them.

Customer Service

As with most retailers, I’ve heard of a few horror stories with shipments gone wrong and all that stuff. But I’ve never had a problem with Performance Bike.

Once I did have to ship something back to Supergo (now defunct, but was owned by Performance) because it broke within a month, and I got 100% of my money back after one short email.

And I have a friend that buys a lot of clothing from Performance and returns stuff if it doesn’t fit (since the process is so simple.)

So I’m going to keep ordering from Performance unless I have a really bad experience that turns me against them.

My final verdict is…

Performance Bike is a great place to shop for cycling gear. They usually have everything I’m looking for, and it’s the best value for me because of my Team Performance membership. If they carry the items I want, I always choose Performance Bike unless another merchant has a ridiculously better deal.

Just find what you want, wait for a 20% off coupon, and then buy it. Like I said, you could end up with a 30% discount plus a great deal on shipping.

Official website: www.PerformanceBike.com