sauerwald

+1

I moved here from the east coast recently, and live less than 2 miles from Bicycle Express. I live car free, and have checked out the majority of bike shops in the area.

My impression of BE is that they cater mostly to SJSU students, and carry mostly low end stuff. One way I judge a bike shop is the percentage of their shop that is workshop vs showroom floor, and in this category BE is good. Their wrenches seem helpful, and are probably pretty good at keeping bikes running.

I haven't seen any place that really caters to the utility cyclist (which is what I consider myself), the closest is probably willow glen cycles where he has some selection of panniers and racks, but I don't remember what sort of selection he had of touring bikes.

In looking for a bike shop to adopt, price is not my primary factor - I want a place which offers good service. On a touring bike, you are going to want a place that will spend plenty of time with you to get the fit right and set you up with what will work well for you. You can save a few bucks, but if you are going to spend any appreciable time in the saddle, you will regret compromises and will pay more in the long run.