This is the bottom line. For the majority of cyclists, a flat is a daunting task that ends up with a trip to the bike shop. Somewhat more complex tasks, such as indexed shifting adjustments, or replacing a worn chain is completely beyond their capabilities or comfort zone.

I was talking to my local shop owners a while back. A regular customer came in with a flat for repair. After the customer left, the owners remarked that this was right on schedule. This customer came in every 3 months for a flat fix, because this was the amount of time that it took his tires to lose enough pressure to lead to a pinch flat. This had been going on for years. At one point one of the owners had been bold enough to ask why the customer did not get a pump. The customer replied that it was less complicated to take in the bike for a flat repair.

Against this backdrop, shops should be OK.