Originally Posted by
eric_the_poor
I feel that I owe some bit of a debt to my LBS. They've helped me out for free so many times that I don't feel like I'm getting ripped off if I pay a little more for parts. But ya, if I need something on the more expensive side, like wheels, I stick to the internet. :/
Can't argue with that, the odd free tweak here and there and the odd word of advice is worth tolerating a slight premium. Oddly a lot of the time my LBS has matched internet prices for larger stuff - I bought my bike stand from them without hesitation when they slightly undercut the online price I found (that I hadn't even mentioned).