Originally Posted by vik
So let me get this straight. You are upset that a LBS sells bikes you don't have an interest in, the staff dresses in a way you don't get and the music isn't to your taste?
Get over it. Your post is brutally judgemental about cultural elements that don't suit your world view. How can you be critical of the staff's attitude when you demostrate an equally disrespectful and intolerant mindset.
I have to disagree here. I'm not sure the OP was "brutally judgemental." Yeah there may be a generational gap thing going on, but I think there is more. I don't have any problem with piercings, tatoos, hip-hop, etc. That said, I find a lot of shops are populated by younger folks who have bought in heavily to the "everyone needs to ride a super-light road bike, a fully suspended mountain bike or a crappy hybrid." They only know about Trek, Specialized, and Cannondale, etc. Trying to find a shop that has any good support for serious commuters is tough. Just try to find a shop that sells Brooks saddles, Tubus racks, decent panniers, etc.
I must have gone to a dozen shops or more when I was looking for my last bike--a lot were filled with salespeople with more attitude than experience. I tried to explain to a bunch of salepeople my back problems and the answer from most of them was that I would "get used to" the position I'm in when my saddle is four inches higher than the bars which is pure nonsense.
I felt judged by them a lot of the time. Some even suggested that maybe I needed to stop riding when all I needed were higher handlebars a la my Surly or Rivendell, etc.
I tend to agree with the OP that a lot of shops are long on attitude and short on service.