the savings online comes from buying a bunch of stuff at once and gettng combined shipping. you can get tons of stuff online and the whole "free shippingon orders over $100" is easy because typically adding a few other small things into the shipping box doesn't result in any increased charges. online stores have no leases to pay, fewer employees to pay, so they can offer better prices. it's 6 of 1, half dozen of another. Nashbar ****ed up and didn't ship my bottom bracket properly, it went out a day after everything else and with regular shipping not 2 day like the rest of my order. I ended up paying $40 for a bottom bracket from my lbs because I wanted the bike done today. I could have waited 7-10 days for my $15 nashbar bottom bracket.