I went in to one LBS, which is a big Trek retailer after a Saturday club ride. 40 minutes until closing. I had an out of true wheel I was planning to drop off to be trued.

The guy found a broken spoke before he got to the back room, handed it to a kid who is their wheel expert. He replaced the spoke and trued the wheel in about 10 minutes and saved me a trip back there (13 miles away) the next week.

The shop owner also throws me a bone now and then. For example, I asked for a simple drivetrain clean. He asked his employee to give it a full clean and he would just charge me the price of the partial clean. Very nice.

They've got a new single speed bike in my size from a local company that now is gone. He wants to get rid of it and is only asking $275 for it. I might buy it, even though I need it like a hole in the head. It's just so COOL. Only problem with this shop is that it's 13 miles from home and hard to get in while they're open.

******

We have another LBS, this one is only 6 miles away. They're a more traditional ma 'n pa shop, 2nd generation, been around since 1986. Seems they just started carrying Cannondale and Giant. I've only used them a couple times, trying to support the Trek shop that sponsors our club. Always helpful. The owner is usually behind the counter, wrenching on a bike.

We just had the oldest LBS close. He was walking distance from my work. That was a big loss. I bought 3 bikes from them in the last 2 years.