Retailer Name: VeloWear.com
Website: www.VeloWear.com

Continue reading for my thoughts and opinions on VeloWear, a bicycle gear retailer offering Voler clothing and accessories…

Product Selection and Availability

VeloWear offers a wide selection of Voler apparel. If you are looking for Voler, perfect! If you’re looking for Assos or Pearl Izumi, you probably want to look elsewhere!

But from Voler, you’ll find shorts, jerseys, jackets, arm warmers, hats, etc. You could easily piece together a few complete outfits (aside from shoes, helmet, and sunglasses.)

Pricing

Prices are pretty good at VeloWear. The normal prices are on par with some other retailers, but in general, Voler offers a good value.

And there are some good deals to be had. For example, if you buy a grab bag of random jerseys, you can get three jerseys for $30.

Discounts & Coupon Codes

The discounts here are awesome!

The first thing you want to do is join the e-mail list, then you’ll get coupons for 20-40% discounts! For example, I got their amazing Elite DX $120 bibs for $72 during a “12 Days of Christmas” sale, and the $99 Campione shorts for $53 during a “new product launch” special!

Also, at one point they had “Indy” shorts on sale for $35. Yep, just $35 for bib shorts! (Just so long as you don’t mind the indigo color.) But heck, that’s a good deal, even if you only wear them on the indoor trainer!

Ease of Use (Website and Shopping Cart)

For the most part, the VeloWear.com website functions properly. Sometimes the pictures load impossibly slow, or the alternate views of certain items aren’t crystal clear, but that’s my only complaint.

I’ve ordered from them at least five or six times (usually their shorts, which I love,) and ordering has always been flawless. Going through the shopping cart (which they call the “Musette Bag”) is no problem.

Shipping & Handling

Typically, shipping and handling is free! That is just icing on the cake after finding great 40% off discounts!

And the free shipping is relatively fast, so it’s awesome all around.

Customer Service

All in all, the customer service and culture at VeloWear seem pretty cool. They include Tootsie Rolls candy with each order, which is always a welcome treat!

Just the fact that they take the time to add candy for everyone really sets them apart. (It’s way better than getting tons of advertising pamphlets with your order!)

My final verdict is…

If you want Voler gear, this is the place to get it. I’ve always had good luck with this store, and I love getting Voler bib shorts from them.

Check it out.

Official website: www.VeloWear.com

Retailer Name: REI
Website: www.REI.com

Continue reading for my thoughts and opinions on REI, an outdoor gear retailer with products for hiking, biking, camping, paddling, snowboarding, and more…

Product Selection and Availability

Being a general outdoors store, REI doesn’t have a totally enormous cycling section, but it is surprisingly large. You could get a complete bike from REI, or get enough parts and accessories to build a bike and complete your cycling outfit. They even have a few trainers and rollers for winter training, as well as tire pumps, bike locks, etc.

They don’t carry every single brand, but they have quite a few good brands, and that’s all you need. Just to name a few things – Kurt Kinetic trainer, Easton EA70 wheelset, CamelBak MULE, CamelBak Podium bottle, Pearl Izumi Microsensor shorts, Look Keo pedals, Crank Bros Eggbeaters, Stan’s NoTubes, etc.

There was some stuff I couldn’t find – Sidi shoes, Uvex helmets, Castelli jerseys, Nokon brake cables – but that happens with every retailer. (There’s always that one item that you have to search for and buy somewhere else.)

So REI does not carry everything, but there is a redeeming factor – the stuff you don’t usually see at the other bike-specific retailers.

For example, there is a lot of hiking and camping equipment you might need for a 24-hour mountain bike race. Plus, they carry tons of general outdoors stuff that can apply to cycling, like the Seal Skinz waterproof socks and other technical apparel.

Overall, the selection is insanely huge! REI has nearly everything you need for any outdoor sport or activity!

Pricing

Browsing REI.com, it looks like everything sells at the typical retail price. I don’t recall seeing any discounts like they have at Price Point, Nashbar, etc.

For example, the Stan’s NoTubes kit costs $70 at REI, but only $60 at the official NoTubes.com website.

However, REI does have a section called the REI Outlet, and that contains a good bit of gear at 20-50% off. It’s mostly clothing and accessories in odd colors and sizes, but sometimes you can find something good.

Discounts & Coupon Codes

I rarely see any coupon codes for REI. Every so often there is a store-wide sale, and REI coupons do exist, but I don’t see that many.

But there is something called the “REI Membership” and it’s only $20 for life. You get a 10% cash back rebate on eligible purchases, members-only specials, gear rental discounts, and other perks. So that’s the way to go (you have to admit, $20 for life is cheap.)

Ease of Use (Website and Shopping Cart)

The REI website has a very nice design. It’s very clean and easy to navigate. It’s definitely one of the best, if not the best, e-commerce website.

To browse, there’s a horizontal navigation menu in the header with the “fly-out” menu. It’s the easiest to use and understand menu of any outdoor retailer I’ve reviewed.

On the product pages, there are good quality pictures with amazing zoom for up-close viewing, thorough descriptions and size charts, and customer reviews. All of that is laid out nicely, and each section contains the correct information.

The shopping cart works great, too. The Update and Remove buttons are beside each other, which means less scrolling if you need to update anything.

Overall, the REI website blows everyone else away!

Shipping & Handling

Standard shipping ranges from $5.99 to $13.99, which is a few cents more than other retailers, but not anything to worry about. (On the other hand, two-day shipping is expensive relative to other merchants.)

You also have the option of picking up your order at a local REI store, for free.

Customer Service

REI offers a 100% guarantee and they actually mean it. They are great at customer service. They’ll take care of any problem you have with a quick refund or exchange.

When you do need to contact them, it’s easy – phone, live online help, email, and of course, the brick-and-mortar stores.

This is the real reason to shop at REI. The prices aren’t the lowest, but you’re in good hands. (But don’t take it from me – plenty of people are happy with REI.)

My final verdict is…

REI is my favorite place to shop for outdoor stuff. While they don’t have a huge cycling department, that’s fine, because they make up for it by having other stuff like SealSkinz socks.

It’s a great store any way you look at it. I haven’t purchased from them a lot, but I love the stores, and I always hear good things about them from friends who shop there and work there. (REI has been on Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” list since the list started in 1998.)

So that settles it – if REI carries the stuff you want, it would be in your best interest to buy it there!

Official website: www.REI.com

Do you like hiking, cycling, or snowboarding? Do you like to get good deals?

Then say hello to the new Woots on the block: Steep and Cheap, Chain Love, Whiskey Militia, Tram Dock, and BonkTown.

All these sites have the limited-time closeout deals ala Woot.com, but they fulfill your road cycling, mountain biking, freeriding, hiking, snowboarding, and camping needs.

They seem to apply the same “Product narratives are for entertainment purposes” editorial strategy as Woot, too, so you might get a good laugh. (Although if you are looking for nothing more than comedic writing, stick with Woot.)

But if you want outdoor gear on the cheap, here are the sites:

Steep and Cheap

SteapAndCheap.com brings you hiking and outdoor gear.

Typical items include backpacks, jackets, sleeping bags, sunglasses, sandals, etc.

Chain Love

ChainLove.com brings you road cycling and mountain biking parts and accessories.

There is quite a bit of freeride stuff like gloves, full-face helmets, pants, and jerseys. A lot of woman’s shorts and jerseys are there, too. Sometimes there are parts like Shimano cranksets, stems, handlebars, and even a frame or wheelset on occasion.

Whiskey Militia

WhiskeyMilitia.com has cool gear for skaters, snowboarders, and BMX riders.

Typical items include hoodies, longboards, snowboard pants, etc.

Tram Dock

Last but not least, TramDock.com brings you ski gear.

Typical items include ski pants, winter coats, ski socks, ski boots, helmets, etc.

Bonk Town

New for roadies! BonkTown.com (launched about 1/19/09) is for road bike accessories.

Note: These sites are brought to you by online retailer BackCountry.com. It’s a good way for them to sell off overstocked gear, and it’s a good place for us to get good deals!

To stay abreast of all the new deals, each site offers RSS feeds and deals widgets that automatically update with the latest items. (I recommend the Firefox plugin.)

Christmas is almost here and if you still have gift shopping left to do, it’s time to pay hefty shipping charges!

But good news from Nashbar and Performance Bike – both are offering a free 2 day shipping upgrade (on orders over $75) but only if you order TODAY!

Use coupon code DEC2ND for Nashbar, and for Performance, just click here and you’ll get the discount without a coupon.

But that’s not all. I found a chance for you to win a free $50 gift card for just about any online cycling/outdoor gear retailer. (Take a look at that page for ideas.) The cool thing is, some of these gift cards can be emailed, meaning you can buy it right up until Christmas day and get the gift on time, as long as the recipient has an internet connection!

Ultra Rob is holding the contest over at his blog, so take a look real quick so you can enter. All you have to do is give him some advice on how best to build his new outdoor gear shop section of his website. Let him know what you’d like added or what needs some improvement.

If your suggestion is the best, you’ll get the gift card. (See his site for full details.)

Happy shopping!

It looks like most of the Black Friday deals are over, but now it’s time to watch out for Christmas deals!

I just got coupon codes for Performance Bike and Nashbar:

Who: Performance Bike
What: 20% off web orders of $100 or more.
When: 12/3/07 – 12/5/07
Where: www.performancebike.com
How: By using coupon code 0002200000001563 at checkout.

Who: Nashbar
What: 20% off web orders of $100 or more.
When: 12/3/07 – 12/5/07
Where: www.nashbar.com
How: By using coupon code DEC8220 at checkout.

Shop now before it’s too late!