Originally Posted by johnny99
Join a local cycling club or team. Many bike shops offer 10-20% discounts to members. That $30 membership can save you a few hundred dollars off of a new bike.
Also, shop for last years models. Selection can be pretty spotty, but if you are not too particular, you can find some good deals (up to 1/3 off).
If you must have the hottest bike or if the shop must special order it for you, then you should expect to pay top dollar.
Excellent advice.
One other piece of advice. Don't drive to the LBS in an $80,000 Beemer, look at $1,000 bike and try to haggle. That really happened.
Honest.
It still makes me chuckle.