Honest Bike Mechanics
I'm pretty sure that most bike mechanics are honest and competent individuals. I would expect most people into cycling to be a lot like me! It was disappointing that on a recent out of town tour I left my bike at the shop for a wheel truing. A couple of hours later I got a call on my cell to tell me the bike was ready. He also told me that he likes to check the chain of folks passing through to make sure everything is in good working order. He advised that he measured my chain with his calipers and it looked like it was time for replacement. I got quiet and told him that was surprising to hear because the BIKE only had a little over 500 miles on it. I politely told him I think I should be OK and would go as is. 500 miles later I have the same chain, it measures out just fine and the drivetrain is performing flawlessly. This was disappointing because it was a shop that people have recommended as being a quality establishment. To top it off the wheel didn't seem to be any more true than it was when I had left it.
I mentioned it to a friend who rode cross country several years ago, he said he had a couple experiences like that on his trip. Im pretty sure that this is a fairly isolated case and that LBS truly stands for Local Bike Shop and not something else. Anyone else have similar or differing experiences?