Sorry LBS guys - I get the reasons you cite, but if a shop can't have more than a single 26 inch tire in stock IN MAY - my reaction is that they don't want my business. As Flipside points out, there are plenty of non entry level 26 bikes out there (remember - you sold them to us).
As for waiting on shipping. My wife has a Prime account - I should have checked here first:
http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_6?url=search-alias%3Daps[HTML_REMOVED]field-keywords=maxxis%20tires[HTML_REMOVED]sprefix=maxxis%2Caps%2C269
Silly me for trying to support the LBS.