radroad

Book stores have all but vanished. Most mom and pop retail stores have vanished, aside from restaurants. Brick and mortar bike shops could very well become just as rare. Brick and mortar retailers are taking a beating. They can't compete with online sales. 90% of the time a brief video tutorial and basic tools are all you need for any maintenance work. Mobile repair services can take care of the rest.

At most I visit a bike shop a few times a year. Many years it's never. If you don't NEED to ride (which covers just about everyone with a steady income) you can wait a few days for parts delivery. Lots of the local shops like to play games and act like they're booked to the gills anyway, even in winter. Overall, bike shop owners and employees tend to be horrible businessmen.

Bikes are not that complicated. Most maintenance work is incredibly simple and few tools are required. You also get a bit of satisfaction from doing your own work. In a pinch, you can ask people you know for a referral for a neighbor who's handy with bikes.

Online shopping offers an extraordinary advantage in selection compared to any particular local store and the price advantage is often significant. Either hundreds of millions or billions of consumers are deluded or there are actual tangible benefits to online shopping. I for one refuse to stick my head in the sand about the matter.