Hmmmm. Interesting situation. I agree with the observation that since big companies took them over, Nashbar and Performance are just not the same. (Never did business with Bikecology) Who owns Nashbar now? Does Arnie Nashbar even have anything to do the company anymore?

I still get their catalogs, and I do buy some small items, such as brake pads, from them. But, for the bigger items, it's off to my LBS.

Remember when Nashbar experimented with retail stores? They had one in Needham, in an industrial area, right near the legendary "You Do It Electronics". On long weekends, the place looked like a russian grocery store. Cleaned out of pretty much everything. The staff: Some good, some not so.