Originally Posted by
acorn54
best to do business with your friendly lbs imo. keeps them in business and in the long run that is better for everyone
If LBS's are so hot on staying in business, then I wish they'd offer some entry-level road bikes with 3-digit pricetags.
I swear there was a time not all that long ago when you could buy a road bike for $500, now anything with drop bars and brifters starts at ~$1k. This has created at least one of the niches where BD should thrive.
I realize that it's the manufacturers, not the LBS's that are really driving this, but in my experience it seems that the LBS's are partly to blame for the upward pressure on prices.