I've said my piece about my current LBS already in its own thread, but will reiterate here that IMO, Indysteel nailed it. It comes down to the people. I have been trying to give my LBS more chances because I don't want to dismiss it due to (mainly) a single salesperson. I try to just avoid her when I go in. I'm getting to know some of the others there, and having that more personal interaction helps. In fact, the last time I was in, I needed something that they didn't carry, but they were super helpful about ordering it for me and talking about it before the fact. Truth be told, I could have ordered it online more cheaply, but the effort they put into the transaction made me willing to pay the little extra. I'm trying to give them a second chance.

My old LBS, before I took a break from cycling, was awesome. They really treated their customers well and I felt a familiarity with them that I never will with my current LBS. Many people said that about them... from the novice to the serious rider. They treated everyone with respect and they knew their stuff inside and out. I also rode with them, though. Not all of them, as they had a some very serious racers. In fact, one of the guys, who was, I believe a Cat 2, taught me how to do a track stand in their parking lot. We were just chatting and I said something about not being able to. Since I had my gear, and it was slow at the shop, he came outside and taught me. And did so without making me feel foolish. What an amazing shop!! Amazing people, really. It is closed now. But it was things like that that made me LOVE my LBS.