do you have facts and statistics for this, or is it just an anecdote?

i know many many cyclists. some fair weather riders, some every day commuters, some amateur racers, and a handful who race professionally. out of all of them, ive only come across 3-4 people who didn't patch and pump up flats. and both were fair weather cyclists who rode maybe once or twice a year. that's not a very sustainable demographic for LBSs to earn income from.

im sure there are quite a few i know, probably a majority, who would go to the LBS for more in depth and complicated tasks like wheel isses, bb issues, and deraillure adjustment. but again they do this to save time, its not something they couldnt learn themselves. i dont see how these people are a sustainable income source for LBSs in the long run, considering the ever growing access to bike knowledge on the internet and tighter budgets due to the economy.