As has been asked in the other (and now closed thread) why buy a bike, "or anything" from one business and expect another business to make your bike safe and rideable?

Don't you think that it's a bit insulting to buy a bike from a BBS and then upon finding out that it doesn't ride right taking it to the LBS for work? I mean by having purchased it at a BBS you've effectively taken money out of the "pockets" of the LBS, so why should they be willing to work on your "cheap" bike?

Just today, while I was at one of the LBS' they had a potential customer call asking if they stocked a certain size clincher tubes. When he got to the store he told the employee that he'd first gone to Amazon to purchase them, but that they were on "backorder."

As the employee and me (and the store owner) were saying amongst ourselves after the customer left, "WHY, do that?"

Now then on the other hand, if one has a good quality bicycle that they purchased at another LBS and said LBS has gone out of business then yes shop around and look for another one to (as my maternal grandmother used to say) "trade with," and stick with them, and recommend them to your friends and family if you truly like them and their service.

As believe it or not, loyalty does still count for something with most of your "mom and pop" type of businesses.