^^ For me, the choice was mainly based on the experiences I've received at the local bike shops I've visited in the last few months. That, and my budget of around $2k + tax.
I bought my first bike from cove bikes. Chaz is a great guy there, gave me an excellent deal on my JtS, but they mainly focus on mtb stuff and didn't have much of a road bike selection.
I visited West Point Cycles, and didn't have a good experience. Both my gf and i felt that they tried to sell us something that didn't fit, or tried up selling us into something we couldn't afford, but tried convincing us that it's best to spend double rather than to "cheap out".
BSP in north van were great and had a huge selection of trek and cannondales.
But when it came down to it, I really enjoyed the people at Speed Theory and La Bicicletta. Both places gave me the time of day, chatted me up at length about what my goals were, budget, what i'm currently riding etc. I've only been into cycling since the beginning of summer, so my knowledge is slim on bike tech.
Both Speed Theory and La Bicicletta carried similar brands, but Bicicletta had a better deal and I enjoy riding down to that area.
At the end of the day, what I was really looking for was a good LBS that i can go ride with, hang out at, etc... a place that's kinda in line with what I'm about..
Just like a car shop
For the immediate future tho, I'm looking to do some of their bike maintenance courses, and next year get into something competitive hopefully.