Seems to me that the overwhelming majority of LBSs are underwhelming.

I've noticed that typically the best also sell REALLY expensive bikes...but they cater to an enthusiast crowd. The underwhelming ones are selling a buttload of $1K Treks to people who will put 100 miles per year in on them. A quick "sizing", a few stock answers to uninformed questions, and off you go.

Ask any of those shops anything out of the ordinary, well, watch out.

Once in a while I find a gem of a shop with a variety of pricepoints, and a staff that is knowledgeable and helpful, even with oddball and esoteric questions concerning bikes/parts that aren't "run of the mill". But this is very, very rare.