| Bike shops mark up accessories and clothing much more than they do the actual bikes. Most bike shops make more money on accessories and clothing than they do on the bikes. In fact on per square foot cost/revenue basis sometimes bicycles can be money losers (ie, bikes take up a lot of space, but don't provide much return revenue). But you can't very well have a bike shop without any bikes, thus the difference is made up in the accessories and clothes markup.
Most bike shops are dealers for a particular brand (Schwinn, Trek, Raleigh, etc) and it is part of their dealer agreement that they cannot sell a bicycle that has not been assembled (ie, shipped directly unassembled).
What bike shops are selling more than the actual bike is the service and the potential for repeat business (where upon you presumbably purchase accessories and clothing). That's why most bike shops offer free tuneups and adjustments for a certain period of time (usually 1-3 months).
So while you may get a better deal buying online, you may not get the level of service or guidance you may get from the local bike shop. Maybe not a big deal if you're mechanically inclined or have experience working on bicycles, but if not, then you get what you pay for I suppose.
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