Performance Bike had a shop close to my house. They were my shop for two years, and now they’re all closing. It sucks because the people who worked there didn’t act like it was a corporate store. They were always friendly and would regularly go the extra mile to help people out.
Most of the LBSs here are near the university, which makes sense, but that’s the opposite end of town for me. The closest one—Ajo Bikes—is decent, but the atmosphere there is rather puritanical. At least it was the last time I went there. If you’re not the kind of rider they cater to, they’ll still take your money, but they treat you like an outsider, give super short answers to questions about products you’re looking to buy, etc. I’m actually dreading the idea of finding a new shop.