[fiftyacorn]

I dont think this is new - a lot of bike shops are repair only now, with a few loyal customers.

I also think that bikes are getting more technical - electric shifters, the tolerance limits on gears means that its increasingly hard for people to repair their own bikes. So bike repair makes sense, and they can probably charge

At the higher end - lets say $1000+ bikes bike shops can still do a good trade as people new to the sport probably need a bike fit to ensure they are getting the best machine for them

[Finnucane]

My current bike I did buy at a local shop partly because I wanted to be able to test-ride before I made the purchase. And I'm glad a did. I tried a few different models, and have been pretty pleased with the choice I made. But most of the subsequent maintenance has been done by shops that are primarily service shops, and not dealers. They sell bits and supplies, of course, but their bread & butter is repair work. My experience is that I get better service from them than from dealers that just want to get your bike out of the shop as quickly as possible.