Originally Posted by Jed19

Yes, you do have some obligation in supporting the LBS within reason. How did I do that? I hooked up with a particular store in a particular national/regional chain, and in particular with the head technician at a particular store. The relationship has been wonderful for me. All I do is order him and his shop a pizza randomly, and I also deliver a case of beer or candy at christmas, and the guy and his subordinates have been wonderful. They take care of issues I have promptly, and they sometimes won't even charge me money, hence my reluctance to identify the company (lest their bosses are on BikeForums).

It has worked beautifully for so many years. My goal however is to be totally self-sufficient bike-maintenance wise, and I think that should be the goal of every cycling enthusiast.