Quote Originally Posted by cunninghamair View Post
Thank you for the thread! My DH hangs out over at bikeforum.com and has begun to take himself very seriously (although he is afraid to ask questions for fear of being ridiculed!) I get the "fred" look from him pretty regularly now. While shopping for my road bike, I asked about the little brake handles I saw on the straight part of some drop handle bars--the lbs said, "we usually take those off when they come in." So I ask, "Do you have some you can put back on?" The (fred) look from lbs and DH. One bike shop had the clipless pedals with cheaters--flat on one side for shoes and clips on the other--"These are great pedals!" The lbs--"those are just for demo." So I ask, "Can I get some?" The (fred) look from lbs and DH.
Your LBS guy/gal needs to learn some manners!

After several years of mountain biking, I decided to buy a road bike. The lack of brakes on the flat part of the bar made me nervous, so I asked if I'd look silly if I had those brakes added on. The LBS guy said, "No, just tell everyone it's cyclocross-style." In this and many other ways, he completely supported me, saying that their only interest is in getting people onto bikes, and whatever it takes to make people comfortable so that they'll ride more, that's what the shop will do.

(Shout out to University Bicycles on Pearl Street!)

Interestingly, I don't think I will ever use those brakes now, but they made me feel more comfortable when I first got the bike and felt most vulnerable -- and that's really the point.