Gotta Love Iron Pony

I very rarely get "commercial" on this blog; I don't push one brand over another, I don't try to sell anything.

But I do review products of interest to the motorcyclist. I write about my experiences, not only in the saddle, but as a consumer of motorcycle goods and services.

So, forgive me if I sound like a paid advertisement. I assure you, I have no connection with the company, and receive no compensation for my endorsement.

But, as a consumer of motorcycle goods, I have to say I really like Iron Pony.

Iron Pony is a motorcycle superstore in Columbus, OH. Start with a Super-Walmart. Double the size, and replace everything in the store with motorcycle-related clothing, equipment, parts, and accessories, and you have Iron Pony.

I first learned of their existence and paid my first visit in 2007. This was my first time back since then.

The first thing I noticed is that their close-out section has more than doubled in size.

I bought gear for my kids: gloves for my son for $4.99. a motocross shirt for my daughter for $9.99.

I bought myself a pair of kevlar-lined blue-jeans for $39.99.

And my wife, who requires a shoe-size not often found in stores, was amazed to find a pair of Harley Davidson brand riding boots in her size that she actually liked. $130.00

I also snagged a magnetic map pouch while I was there, for $29.99.

Our purchase of over $150.00 earned us a free T-Shirt on the way out.

There are probably online discounters who could match these prices, but I doubt they could really beat them. And I consider a brick-and-mortar shopping experience -- the ability to see and feel before you buy -- as a plus.

I appreciated the selection that they had. They have saddlebags in stock that you can take out to the bike to try on. I'm so accustomed to tiny little boutique motorcycle-accessory stores, or tiny accessory departments in my local dealerships - that it was quite a difference just being able to browse a wide variety of parts and accessories.

Another thing I noticed was that there was no shortage of helpful staff. There were enough sales associates to address our questions as they came up, yet they weren't pushy or overly zealous. They're there when you need them, and they stay out of your way otherwise.

These guys understand the purpose of logo wear. I guess I'm used to hanging out in Harley Davidson dealerships, looking at $40 T-Shirts and $80 sweaters. So when I spied the price tag on a rack of "Iron Pony" wear, I was surprised to see $10 T-Shirts and $16 sweaters. Harley probably rides into the black not on the sale of its bikes, but on the sale of its clothing. Iron Pony obviously views their logo-wear sales as a means of spreading their brand.

I'm wearing one of their T-Shirts now.

It'd be hard to list any negatives to my experience. It's true I didn't find everything I was looking for. I would have loved to find a mesh jacket with armor that I liked in the close-out section, but I didn't. There were plenty of jackets, in my size, including some great brand names, but nothing that suited my tastes. I can't really find fault in them for that.

They didn't have much selection of handle-bar mounted clocks. That's a specialty item that not a lot of places carry. The ones they had seemed to be priced on a par with the online discounters. The advantage still goes to Iron Pony though, because I was able to hold the item in my hand, inspect the quality of its fit and finish. I chose not to purchase.

Your mileage may vary. Now that I've endorsed them, someone is bound to be disappointed, and feel resentment toward me for leading them astray. But all I can say is, I came, I bought, I left happy.