2nd Ave Sports — Local services in Durango

The Good: Fantastic selection & some of the best brands to choose from.

Over a few visits, I have found multiple staffers to be very helpful & friendly - most recently, Brody who set up my demo bikes. He really took his time adjusting the bikes to me, more than any of the other places I have demo'd bikes. He told me which trails would be good options for testing them out, and when I brought them back, he spent time time giving me info on the finer differences between some of the mountain bike options in my price range. It is obvious that he has a wealth of knowledge, and he was able to explain some of the technical reasons that I like different aspects of certain bikes I've tried. Really helpful in informing my upcoming purchase.

I've had good experiences with a couple other staff members as well, and I'll try to get their names when I see them again.

The "not quite as good": I have gotten an elitist vibe from one of the staffers on a couple of occasions - seems to be trying to feel out whether I have the money to shop there. Nothing overt, just picked up on a few small things in conversation.

I came in an hour or so before closing to demo a bike and return the next morning. He said I would need to have it back by 8am, or he would charge me for two days. I didn't even mention it, but the guy who actually set up me rental (Brody) wrote up the rental for a single day. Definitely a difference in their levels of customer service.

I enjoyed the demo bikes, but the first one felt like it either needed a tune or had just seen a few too many rentals. The shifting wasn't always precise, the brakes were a bit grabby, and the dropper post stuck occasionally. The second one was better, but still had a few shifting problems.

All in all,...

Maybe I should have done research prior to going to Durango, but I had heard so much about Durango being a great biking town I assumed I could not go wrong renting a road bike there. I was wrong.

First off, the bikes they rented were awesome bikes, a Cervelo and Trek, both looked new and worked perfectly.

The route we were sent on, however, didn't require great bikes. We were sent down the trail that winds around the river, which is a great trail...if you are a pedestrian. We were on bikes and were constantly slowing down, waiting for the other side to clear so we could pass those on foot.

Worse, once on 32nd street, we discovered it was in rush hour mode, even though it was 11 in the morning. There is a bike lane there, but it was intimidating to have cars rushing by you in a loud cascade, one after another. Once we lost the bike lane, we decided to retrace our steps back to the bike shop.

We loaded the bikes in our SUV and drove to the road which was recommended to us, County Road 250. We drove out towards Trimble. Used a pullout to park, and found a road not all that challenging or thrilling to ride. I get more elevation gain on the roads I ride in Minnesota, and this was Durango Colorado. No roads that go up,up up? Sure there are, just being from out of town, I have no idea where they are.

I chose the wrong bike shop, one that got me out the door ASAP, after dropping $160 for the rentals.

A storm blew in after about one hour of riding, cutting short the most disappointing bike...

Skiing is one of my ultimate passions in this life, and as such, deciding what pair of skis to buy for the upcoming season feels as critical and overwhelming as choosing the right grad school. I went in today on a budget and feeling torn from all the (often conflicting) research I've found online.

Brody greeted me warmly, and after asking a few questions about my skiing style, future ambitions, ability level and everyday purpose for my intended skis, he spent a solid hour tirelessly describing the profiles, constructions, characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of probably around 15-20 different pairs of skis that interested me. Although I've been skiing since I was 4, am an advanced level skier, and am terribly difficult to please, he gracefully withstood and affirmed my skepticism until we narrowed down to the winning pair. I've since checked the reviews of reputable ski experts for this pair of skis and, just like Brody advised, have found them to be more highly rated for my intended purposes than the skis I was ready to purchase online.

If everyone on staff at 2nd Ave Sports is as thoroughly versed and passionate about their favorite outdoor sports as Brody is, this is the place to go when you need a Jedi to guide your pursuit for the perfect equipment from their vast selection for your unique requirements. I couldn't be more satisfied.

Only thing left is the true test. Will update when I can get some snow under...