Originally Posted by
SquidPuppet
Irony.
I gather now that my original post may have been perceived by some forum members as anti LBS. Definitely not my intent. While I
am totally awesome, (
) there are plenty of awesome LBS out there. In fact, I visit one on a semi regular basis just to shoot the breeze with the head wrench and look at whats new. It's not just a job to him, he's really into riding and building.
One of my favorite aspects of any hobby is the learning process itself. Wisdom and "trick" acquisition from "Old School" guys is the most rewarding for me. That's why I dig this forum too. By reading here, I feel pre-educated to tackle some problems I have never yet faced, but may in the future.
I read a comment by a LBS owner in response to the question, "Why do you stay in the bike business if you could do something more profitable elsewhere?" He said, "The people that come into my shop are always smiling. They've brought a son or daughter to get a bike or a bike for themselves, and they are happy and smiling. That's what keeps me in this business."