Quote Originally Posted by Owlie View Post
The other thing is that people don't want to put LBS bike-level money into something that they may use for one summer and then have sitting in the garage for the next five.
Or if they only plan to ride around the neighborhood for 30-40 minutes once or twice a week.

Several of my co-workers have asked me for advice on buying a bike. Usually, they don't want to spend more than a couple of hundred dollars. I always tell them to check out an LBS anyway, and I direct them to a good one near where they live. Then I tell them at the very least to go to REI, because they have real bike mechanics. I also tell them that a bike that causes pain due to poor fit or never shifts right is a waste of money even if it was cheap.

Also, I have to say that threads like this remind me of how lucky I am. I just do not have the problems at my LBS that many people have.