I got my second order from Bike Nashbar today and most of it looks fine, but I must say I’m extremely disappointed with the capri-length bike pants I ordered and will definitely be returning them. They’re Nashbar brand and were cheaper than I’m used to (my experience is that good tights run $70-90 unless on sale so I guess capri-length should be a bit cheaper), so I was tempted into ordering them. Never again. As soon as I touched them, I could tell they were thin and scratchy. They have seams right up the inner thighs that scratch when you put them on, and the padded seat is made of poor-quality foam and badly stitched.

Crafted from a blended nylon/Spandex/polyester fabric with a soft, textured interior to create a lightweight, yet warm knicker that wicks moisture away from the body to keep you dry and comfortable. The padded chamois prevents chafing and hot spots for increased comfort.

Yeah. Not so much. Soft and textured equals scratchy, and I don’t think that the foam in the seat meets anything but the vaguest of specifications of “padded chamois”.

I haven’t had the greatest of experiences with Nashbar so far, but most of the stuff they’ve sent has been of acceptable quality, if poorly advertised (not explaining that the rack I ordered was not vertical storage even when I asked and inconsistent offering of weight details on locks) but this just irritates me, both literally and figuratively. I’d rather give my business to local bike shops if Nashbar doesn’t have their act together; at least I don’t have to deal with shipping and return shipping.

Update: I wrote a snarky email to Nashbar Customer Service (including the phrases “this description is poetic but totally inaccurate” and “such poor quality as to border on being defective”) and they’ve offered to pay for the return shipping by allowing me to label the item defective, as I requested. I appreciate their willingness to own their error.