Originally Posted by songfta

Bits of Performance gear that have worked well for me:

- Shoes (circa 2003, made by Lake, fit like gloves and lasted three seasons without incident - very comfy, to boot)
- Chains (made by KMC, high quality stuff)
- Tubes
- Shorts (I, too, avoid the gel stuff - but their shorts are really good for the money)
- Jerseys (many made be Voler - decent stuff)
- LED lights (just the simple, non-primary lighting - all works well and is durable)
- Seatpost (Forté unit works well for the $$$)
- Arm & leg warmers
- Tools (not the best, but the basics work just fine)

Bits that have been more inconsistent:

- Gloves (this is hit-or-miss, depending on who their supplier is for the year. I had one pair of their gel gloves that fell apart on the first ride. The next year's version of the same model, however, was a lovely glove and still wears well.)
- Tires (the Japanese-made tires are from Panaracer, and are really good. The Korean made ones are not nearly as good.)
- Socks (Team socks = good. Kevlar socks = crap that lost its elasticity after a few washings.)
- Biodegradable degreaser (simply put: doesn't work)

Just my own experience here....