At one point I gave PlayTri a favorable review. I had just finished my first half ironman and had lots of encouragement from the team and the coaches. I was new to the long-distance aspect of triathlon training and was willing to do what it took. In the second half of the year my opinion changed drastically as I began to communicate with the tri community and reflect on the training and coaching received. The good: The coaches can be an encouraging bunch to a first timer with lots of Atta boys and positive remarks. I drastically needed help with cycling and was given the right tools to be able to become a better cyclist. A lot of the teammates were also very encouraging. It seemed like we were all family. I even got my bicycle from one of the coaches at a better than fair price. Their bike mechanic is very knowledgeable and the store makes their teammates bikes a priority above all others. The bad: When you join the team you are getting a copy pasted plan that everyone follows. There is not any real detail in the plans. There were no defined swim drills to do, no broken down efforts for the runs (I don’t count saying to sprint 2-3 hills one day a week detailed), and the cycling workouts were too advanced for a novice. They did make changes to use TrainerRoad’s recommended cycling workouts for my second 70.3 (…which is free if you have a TrainerRoad subscription). You can find a much better plan on Training Peaks that will be more in tune with your goals. The ugly: After a year on the team, I noticed the trend that we were often promised changes that never took place. For instance, I was told multiple times that we would do team trail runs, track workouts, different swim workouts with drills written in. They put up a message in their team group saying that they’re open to hear what we were looking for as better coaches. I politely responded with some of the things I had been looking for in a private email and encouraged other teammates who were looking for change as well. One teammate responded first and told me her response from the head coach led them to believe that they didn’t care about our opinions at all and that they wanted to blame us for everything. I didn’t know what was said, but I immediately reached out to the one coach I trusted with my concern. This then blew up and merited a phone call with me and the coaches. The call: The call started with them saying, ‘I see how this all got thrown out of proportion. We posted that on facebook but weren’t looking for feedback.’. Then they proceeded to read through my feedback and gaslight me for 30 minutes where I tried to keep my composure. I’ll admit, when the lead coach said about halfway in, ‘Do you just want off the team?’, I lost my composure because at that time she hadn’t addressed anything I said and only told me I was wrong about everything and lying about what they had promised. I was genuinely upset because I had made so many friends on the team and knew that I had no choice but to leave. So, in not so nice fashion I confronted them on the lies and then left the team. In the end, I strongly do not recommend joining this team. I honestly debated writing this but find that cautioning others is more important. I wish someone had warned me. Oh, and if you’re looking to shop here for nutrition, beware, they don’t ever have anything in stock. You’re better off buying nutrition on amazon.

I'm very frustrated with Playtri, Kestrel and Bikesdirect. I purchased a new Kestrel carbon fiber tri bike from Bikesdirect with the understanding that it would be 80% to 90% assembled, remaining assembly would be generally doable if you had some level of skill or you could use a bike shop, which and they recommended at a cost generally between $50 to $100. Totally misleading if not outright false. When I received my bike I searched online for assembly manuals and videos and learned Kestrel does not provide manuals to anyone other than their dealers. Additionally, they will not stand behind their warranty unless the bike is assembler by on of their dealers. This warranty is a big deal when purchasing a carbon fiber bike. All of this information should have been clearly provided to anyone considering a Kestrel. My first dilemma is that the nearest dealer is just under 250 miles from my home. Next, they charged me $200 to assemble the bike. I additionally spent another $80 in gas to get there and lost a day of my life. I've used the bike 3 times and whenever I attempt to shift to high gear the chain either comes off or it simply freewheels. I contacted Playtri with the hope that they would send me to a local shop and cover at least some of the cost if not all (as opposed to losing another day of my life and spending another $80 in gas). I would have expected a reasonable level of customer support at the very least. While they were polite and said it should be an easy repair, Playtri refused to cover any of the cost. Bottom line, this should not have occurred and they are not standing behind their work. I like the bike but the hidden costs continue to increase. Playtri, Kestrel and Bikesdirect will never see another dime from me and I definitely will not be shy about stating the reasons why.

The staff is always helpful and try to answer any questions the best they can. Regardless of how many questions you manage to come up with they help you without making you feel burdensome or unwelcome. The prices area what one would expect for premium brands and tend to match MSRP on items. They typically have a sale rack of items in the store available and we have stumbled on some really good deals. While I have never found the stride analysis overly helpful, being able to test the shoes out on the treadmill and actually run in them has been a huge help to ensure they were going to be a great fit in the long run. The staff didn't bat an eye when I ran over a mile on their treadmill in the Hoka One One Speedgoat 2 shoes to test them out and as a result I took them home with me!

If I could rate under 1 star, I would. Absolute awful customer service. I was charged $137 for a wet suit rental, I attempted to bring it back less than 15 hours later due to a cancellation in swim event and I understood if they won't refund the entire rental fee, even though it was unused and less than a day later, but also would not refund the "cleaning fee" for an unused suit, that I was told would be refunded if it was brought back clean. The owner was very disrespectful toward me and I will NEVER shop here again. I work in the bike shop industry and would never want my customers to have such a terrible experience at my shop. Very disappointed in the staff and situation.

Great customer service! I am not an experienced biker (let alone triathlete) but I liked that PLAYTRI offered "ala-carte" bike repairs. The shifter & derailleur on an inexpensive-big-box-store mountain bike I own was not working properly. I took it to PLAYTRI on a Wednesday afternoon for fix. They were able to reset the shifter & derailleur, lubed the chain & cables and I got the bike back Friday morning. All for $20 and the bike works better now than it did when it was new! Cannot recommend this place enough.

They truly care about the customer rather than the sale. They spent hours with my wife test riding 6 bikes to be sure she bought the right one. And after analyzing my stride with multiples pairs of shoes, I left with the best feeling foot wear I've ever tied on. And I wasnt even shoe shopping! They also show care in cultivating an active community by hosting bike rides, runs, and spin classes weekly. I live on the other side of the river, but I will be back here for future active wear needs.

I bought a bicycle from Costco and didn't feel comfortable with assembling the front tire and brakes. I called Playtri for assistance and they were very helpful putting my tire on and adjusting the front brakes and making a sure everything was in working order. Travis assisted me. He was extremely pleasant to work with and very friendly. The store inside looks fabulous. I would highly recommend Playtri to anyone needing help with assembling a bike or purchasing products from Playtri.

Went here Monday for some chain lube, first time. The employee came to help me, gave me some explanations of the different types of lube and we proceeded to exchange some anecdotes and short stories like cyclists do. I have had LBS employees kind of diss me before and act snooty maybe because I don't exactly look the part but this fellow was genuine and engaging. The shop is in a good location for me, better than having to cross I-29 or I-35 so I will definitely go there again.

Great shop and owners. They know their stuff and try to help you out and not just sell you something. Update: I have have recently purchased the Garmin RTL515 that they recommended and I love it. It is awesome to be able to not have to look behind me all the time. All I have to do is look at my bike computer and i know how many cars are coming up behind me. Very nice when going 40+ mph down a hill. Service is still amazing and friendly by all the staff.

The customer service here is absolutely amazing! Anne helped me find new running shoes and recommended a lot of great nutrition options. The family friendly atmosphere makes shopping less stressful when training is already stressful enough. I always try to support small businesses when I can so I was so happy to learn about PlayTri in the area! Thank you guys for all your help and I hopefully will be back soon!

Dropped my single speed bike off for a chain replacement. Called ahead of time for estimate and was told it would be $15 for the chain and about $15 for installation. It took a week and a half for them to replace the chain and they charged me $15 for chain and $45 for installation, doubling the quoted price. Very dishonest. I will not be back and will try the bike shop in Parkville next time.

Great bicycle purchasing experience! I reached out to many bike shops and was turned away for my entry level bike needs. But not at Playtri! Anne was instrumental and showed me several options in my entry level budget. Travis did an awesome job of explaining what conditions the bikes are ideal in and made it a very welcoming environment. Will be coming back here for all my biking needs!

They do professional bike fits and will look at how you run to recommend shoes. But the reason why I've been coming here for years is because the owners of this store are the nicest people ever! One day (I think in 2019) I was deciding if I wanted a Garmin watch and Anne let me try on her own personal Fenix watch to see how it worked. Reader, I bought it.

Excellent, very knowledgeable. Only place I go for my HOKA athletic shoes. If you’re fav’s are not in stock, will order, & be waiting for you in no time. A place that actually cares about customer, not sales. Very community involved also. All around great place & staff. Thankfully a retail place like this exists here in Kansas City.

Playtri Kansas City goes above & beyond to make sure runners, cyclists, and triathletes have the right gear for their needs. They take their time with bike fits & shoe fits measuring all the right angles to find the best fit or shoe to avoid injury and promote comfort. They have awesome advice on nutrition too!

Picked up a beautiful Batch bike today at Playtri. They assembled it right in front of me. I'm super stoked to get riding. The staff was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. They were not going to send me out without making sure the bike was properly set up for me. Great Job Playtri!

I brought 3 of our family bikes to them; after 2 weeks they estimated the prize to more than 150$; I did not want to fix any of them ; they still charge 15$ each just to review, and front office lady could not give the reports for the details…so pay 45$ for nothing BASICLY…;((

The owner was great when I went in to buy a new bike for my daughter. He helped us find the right one, within our budget, and helped get it properly fitted to her. When my wife and I need to get new bikes I know where we'll be going.

Went in for a tune up on my Batch bicycle. Travis dropped what he was doing and went right to work. He even spotted and fixed a couple of things I wasn't aware of. Great folks, great shop, you'll like them.

I love PlayTri. Sad that they are closing. They are always friendly, very knowledgeable about triathlon, and involved in the local community. They offer expertise in finding the perfect shoes. I

Very friendly and helpful! My bike's brakes got beat up while moving and it needed a tune-up anyway, so I took it here. They did an excellent job, and it rides great again. Thank you!

Playtri has helped my daughter numerous times with her wheelchair tires they are my life saver and hers they are always willing to go way out to help us I highly recommend them

Knowledgeable, friendly, helpful staff. Only store in this area with a staff that really knows Triathlon. Only minus....I wish they were located in Overland Park.

Friendly employees, they hear your requirements and suggest an option that is more suitable and also they dont be pushy in selling these stuffs.

Awesome place and service! Travis ordered a wheel for my daughter's bike and mounted it for the same day I arrived to pick it up! Thank you!!

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. They will do everything they can to make sure your satisfied with your visit.

Super friendly staff; helped teach me hands-on with my questions. A lot more MTB selection than I had expected!

Great experience buying 2 bikes and getting one repaired. Customer service is awesome and very helpful!

Playtri is the best place for triathlon information. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly.

Getting road ready has never been easier. Great and friendly staff will go back for sure !

Highly recommend! Travis did a great job helping me with my tire!

It appears to be closed permanently as of 03/03/2023.