After a few years of casual cycling, I had met a pretty big network of cyclists, but when it came time to have anything worked on, or a new part, I absolutely dreaded heading to the local bike shops. There is always an ego, as well as a frequent lack of knowledge, and a huge price mark up... For the last year I've gotten in pretty well with the guys at my local co-op, Reno Bike Project. It's an incredible place! They have a ton of volunteers, and a bunch of public work stations and tools. What they also have going for them, is that they are a full service bike shop as well. They have 4 full time employees, several of which are excellent mechanics(one in particular has built my last three bikes from the frame up). These guys have their own stations, with all the fancy Park Tools you'd hope to find. Every bike I've built in the last few months has been with their help. They have a QBP account, so they have access to all the same stuff as every other shop, their markup is much more reasonable, and they'll tell you the markup upfront. Their shop labor per hour is lower than anywhere else(I often get out of this one, but always make a donation in the jar on my way out). I know a lot of people that have complained about the horrible service they've had at other shops in town, and when I tell them to visit RBP, they seem surprised at what they have to offer... So, before you decide that one of these co-ops can't help you, give it a go and you might be surprised at what all they can do, and often better and cheaper than others!
They're also very involved in the political realm, frequently advocating bicycle rights, pushing for bike lanes, and even artsy stuff...
http://www.renobikeproject.com/
