I deal with two very different LBS, both good in their own way. The only bicycle shop in my small town provides excellent service and to my way of thinking undercharges. Example: I brought in our tandem to have him do a tweak on the RD. He's a great wrench and the bike was returned to me the bill being $10. I know he didn't have to spend much time on the bike, but I wouldn't expect to have anything done to a bike for less than $20. He doesn't stock much, but when I can I'll buy something there. I bought my wife's CF bike there; sometimes it isn't exclusively about getting the absolute best price. He does 4 rides/week during the summer months, 2/week in winter and does spin classes in his shop. I've seen his shop filled with several boy scouts working on their bikes. I sure hope he stays in business because he's a real asset to a small town.

The second LBS is 70 miles away and sells tandems only (I bought our daVinci there). He has a large shop with 4-5 brands of tandems, clothing, shoes, etc. The service is absolutely first rate and I can get anything I need overnighted to me either by giving them a call or using the website. When you shop for a bike in his shop there is no pressure; if you want to ride four different tandems three times each that fines with him and his son. With the economy improving I believe his shop is doing ok and his internet business is expanding; I see first hand how hard he has to work to run a good small business and only hope that he's able to relax a bit one of these days.

I certainly shop on the internet for items that I feel comfortable buying there, but when you need advice it can be a challenge to wade through the web ether and even the likes of this very excellent site. Time is money and a good LBS understands the value of service and good advice over trying to sell the latest gizmo or whatever they have left in inventory.