I wish I knew anymore.

I'm like the OP, and prefer for a variety of reasons to support the LBS. I've lived a lot of places that didn't even have one, or if they had, it was one really bad one. So three years ago when I moved somewhere that had a number of very well regarded shops, some that had even made national publications, I was really, really excited.

I first went to shop 1 to get a significant part warrantied. It had already been to two other shops, and I had been unable to service it. (I'm a very good mechanic.) The shop told me they would, and a week later called me to tell me I could get my bike. When I got there, they handed me a bill for $100 for the repairs, and told me that no warranty was necessary...it had been serviced and was functioning correctly. When I said that wasn't what I had asked for, they basically said that if I wanted my bike back, I'd pay the bill.

The part didn't work though, so I took it to shop 2. That shop wouldn't give me the time of day because I'm not one of the regular "bar-flies" or hangers-on around there. When someone finally acknowledged my existence, the just said "well dude, guess you shouldn't have bought that." And that was it. Refused to help.

So now I won't spend a dime at the two most prominent shops in the area. Too bad for them, because I bought my wife an expensive bike last year. Online. But shop 1 basically robbed me, and shop 2 treated me like crap.

As for shop 3, I go there occasionally. They're nice enough, but their prices are astronomical, and make "Mellow Johnny's" in Austin (not a cheap place) look like Performance or Nashbar (RIP) by comparison.