Nay, I found it's
the kind of shop.
LBS let's call him 1, youngish chaps owners and workers, sponsor a local track racer, focus on fast fast, bling, carbon, downhill Mbiking, blah blah.
They are good mechanics though, and stock a good range of bikes.
Those ones never listen to me: by now they should know I commute, still "are you riding today" almost had me in fits of laughter! Like, I'm a weekend racer or something!
When I said my brakes don't work, they did not believe me.
I asked to buy a pedal spanner, they looked at me like, "she's a weird old woman"
Lbs let's call them 2, are a family business, selling bikes suitable for any kind of riding, focusing on families.
They listened to what I wanted, they got the bike in the right size for me, went back to get stuff changed/added no probs no charge, shame they only stock Merida, I don't like the brand.
LBS 3, an old fashioned bike shop long closed now, was my nearest, run by a man in his '60s, he kept wanting to dissuade me from buying stuff.
Don't buy this it's too expensive, don't buy that you don't need it.
But I want it, bless!
The bike he sold me 7 years ago when I started commuting is still going strong, it's my ice bike/trailer bike now, a sturdy commuter with rack and mudguard.
Evans in town: ha!
The 20 something boy wanted to sell me a totally unsuitable high geared bike, because "my girlfriend has one and she loves it"
Young man, can you not see I'm of Granny age, I need all the gears I can get?
And I said shopping, commuting ... not racing!
Cycle republic, on the other hand, a branch in town frequented mainly by commuters, listened to what I wanted, procured it, was not fazed at all by a woman into utilitarian cycling.
Ime, it's not the age of the bike mechanics or sales people, it's the kind of clientele they want to attract.