Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
I'd say it's your call. They're both LBSs, right? I'm not clear if the closer one is charging over list price or the more distant one is discounting it. If one is charging more than list, I'd have no qualms about telling them they're charging too much. OTOH, bents in general don't have much markup for the shop owners, so don't expect anybody to make any money discounting them $175 each. If the one shop is discounting them that much, I'd try to find out why.
I suspect there is some sort of a volume issue, either discount or shipping or just the short shelf life till sale. Per other threads, the OP lives 70+ miles from the largest recumbent trike dealer in the world, which probably equates to the about 100 miles shop.
As my father works a mile south of there and my brother lives a mile north of that shop and I still rent a garage for storage a mile from there (where two of my bikes are), I often stop by that shop. At any rate, the guys in my presumed further LBS really know their stuff and their customers give them some of the highest kudos out there. And they are in frequent contact with that particular manufacturer on design improvements.
Is the nearer shop accustomed to selling bent trikes? Do you frequent them on other bent and nonbent bikes? These are issues that might swing toward doing business with the nearer shop.
Sounds like either LBS is a reasonable selection.