As far as pedals go, I love my two sided ones. Anytime I get in a situation on my mtb that I'm not comfortable with, such as an area of trail I've never done before or a portion where I need to be able to put my foot down, I have that option.

For the LBS, there are two near me, one I use as much as possible because they are more than willing to work with me and my limited budget, answer any questions I have, and have a pretty good selection of WSD. If I can't get what I need there then I'll go online, but only after I've checked them first. As far as the other shop, I won't go near them again. A couple of my friends and I have all tried them, and they were rude to every one of us, kinda that little girl doesn't know anything about bikes attitude. I've given up on them.