Here in the land of 100 cities (St. Louis county is home to 91 separate municipalities....long story) we have a number of bike shops around. Some of them I wasn't so fond of, others have suited me well. There was a place in Granite City IL, right across the river, small place, not the prettiest, but the owner was friendly and his prices were usually good. Willing to make a deal.

That being said, I don't always patronize the local shops enough, a factor of being on a college budget and a DIY type person. Many larger purchases can invariably be found online for cheaper, but others, like tubes, tapes, tires, and so on, are the same or way cheaper after shipping. If I ever save up the money to buy a part, I will still stop by the shops though. I'm not I regular or anything-if they recognize me it would be as a window browser who never buys anything, though in my defense I try not to waste their time and keep to myself...probably out of shopping anxiety or whatever you want to call it-but I know some of the places well enough to know to ask if they have something I might be interested in the shop, a used product that still has a good life left in it or something that might be discounted.

If I wasn't convinced of my ability to be self sufficient I would visit them for repairs too, certainly I have gotten some basic tools from LBS's. If I ever needed a wheel laced, I may feel like it is worth the expense to have them do it. A lot of my knowledge is garnered from books or online, and I don't often ask them for advice, but I could see your average person doing so, as well as needing repairs and some handy knowledge when shopping for a new bike. The good local shop is definitely worth your time, but it might appear marginalized to the many users hear who already know a lot about bike mechanics (the subject, not the person) do not require as many of an LSB's services.