For some guys, bike shops offer little value. I've never bought a bike from a shop, nor have I ever taken one to them for service. I have bought components and a couple of frames, but all of my bikes have been assembled by me from my custom selection of components. When you start getting into the $5000 bikes, you run into quite a few guys who know their way around a wrench. So, in my case, the price of the components that I have researched is the only consideration. What I specifically am interested in from Giant is the frame.