Why o’ why am I not more disciplined about making sure my purchases for triathlon gear will work or are the right solution for what I need? I have been fooled by marketing a fair number of times and it always leaves me with a feeling of being duped! I have numerous gadgets, gizmos, incorrectly sized pieces of clothing and equipment, and other wasteful purchases. One of the biggest frustrations and inconveniences is the process of returning these purchases. The double edged sword of Amazon and online retailers is for the savings, you are banking on the purchase being correct. Otherwise, you absorb all of that savings and probably result in a net loss when it comes to repackaging and driving to the post office. Makes you really stop and think about using your local bike shop more often despite the premiums, at least they will help you make the right decision.
One way I have tried to improve here is to participate in online forums and use my network of triathlon contacts to get testimonials and ask questions. One of my favorites sites is Slowtwitch.com and DCRainmaker.com. "Slowtwitchers" are some serious triathlon and cycling tech geeks (I use this word affectionately). The forum is a tremendous resource there that can give you the low down on anything. Using the search function is paramount because your question has probably already been asked since this forum has been around so long. DC Rainmaker does thorough product reviews on a lot of products beyond just triathlon and cycling. His testing is methodical and documented very well giving you a lot of confidence to make a good buying decision.
What else folks? I know you all might have some other suggestions on better ways to buy. Please share them in the comments below.
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