Sadly it is not only bike shops. Most intelligent people research a product that is fairly expensive. When we go to a dealer, we expect the people there to know a great deal about their products. Any more that just doesnt seem to be true.

Another example is auto dealerships. The salesmen there know little about engines, transmissions, and the important parts of the car. They instead blather about color and cup holders.

My advice for what it is worth is to keep researching what you plan to buy no matter what it is, you cant depend on the sales person knowing much. But in some cases they do, and if they have the bike or what ever you decided to buy do business with them if possible.