@flashbazbo: your issue is geography. "Remember that the primary goal of an LBS is NOT entertaining you with cool stuff. If they've got cool stuff there all year and end up inventorying it at the start of the next year, and the next year, and the next year, they're dead. The primary goal of an LBS is making a living -- turning a profit. Clearly, your LBS doesn't think Campy and SRAM will do that for him. (He is almost certainly right.)
up in NY it is his primary goal - because ther is another 10 LBSs I can go to who will. Here the lowest common denominator doent get the win. Im sure the cartel of trek/cannondale/specialized make bank. but the real riders and shop talk is about more than a monoculture. Yes all businessmen want to make bank - thats the point. but the density of competition (from me to you or me to hong kong) gives you niches, adventure or oblivion.