Becoming a bicycle mechanic...

I'm 16 years old and have been working at a bike shop building and repairing bikes for the past 7 months or so. I just put in an application and they called me in to see how much I knew. I threw some bmx bikes together (I've been riding bmx for around 5 years now, and just got into riding road bikes around 2 months ago) and they told me I was hired. After about a week they taught me how to do MTB and road bikes. Just put in apps at different shops and see what happens.

I'm gonna' post this in the equipment section in case that's a better place. Peace, FTU

i started workin at a shop right when i turned 16... still there (almost 19). if u wanna do it as a carrer go to UBI or somethin. But there is so much to know... im fairly good with modern stuff but all the old campy stuff im learning lol. i can suggest reading a southerlands cataloge or even buying one, yes there expensive but well worth it.

WOw, it's so easy to prove yourself naive. A simple google search gave me a good idea of the bike schools out there- two in the US?! Not to mention that the schools aren't like automotive mechanics school. You don't go for 4-6 months. More like 40 hours here, 2 hours here, 6 hours there. Then addressing the whole question of how to get into bike mechanics- it seems apprenticeship/starting at the very bottom of the shop and working your way up is the most common. I don't see how someone over twenty, without the help of their parents, could become a bike mechanic without some other divine intervention. It just doesn't seem possible to live on that kind of start up income-- of course it is though. Hmmmm.....what to do, what to do. Maybe going to college is a smart choice....I'm going to have to work that out somehow. I could, as they say, wet my feet in the industry there. I'm even pondering whether or not I want to go to massage school. I gotta' get a trade going though. Lais, FTU

FasterthanU said:

A simple google search gave me a good idea of the bike schools out there- two in the US?! Not to mention that the schools aren't like automotive mechanics school.

Here's a great one and it's just down the road from you.😉

bikeschool.combikeschool.comOpen ↗

Lw

Couple of things that they may not teach you in school, but served me well in the years I worked as a bike mechanic:

You must be, first and foremost, a good cyclist yourself. If you aren't out riding, and trying new bikes and accessories, you can't give the customers the benefit of the latest knowledge. If you don't love riding, you won't convey that passion to your customers, and they will know it.

Once you have learned the basics of cycle mechanics, your value as a mechanic will depend upon your knowledge of current bikes and equipment - what works well in a given situation, and what does not. What accessories or upgraded components help them, and which ones are a waste of money. Can you talk to a customer, get their riding needs, come up with the best solution, and then assemble it?

It really helps to show a personal interest in each customer. Bikes are a very personal item, and the owners can be a bit picky about who they turn their bike over to. And it really, really helps to put the customer's best interests first. At one time, I had a couple that would drive 80 miles to bring their bikes to me, largely because I was more interested in helping them stay on the road, than nickel and diming them on a lot of stuff they didn't need. While I may have lost a few sales of accessories, I got a lot of repeat business, plus the bonus of pride in knowing that I had given that person a professional service. And made a few lifelong friends, too...

JohnO said:

Couple of things that they may not teach you in school, but served me well in the years I worked as a bike mechanic:

You must be, first and foremost, a good cyclist yourself. If you aren't out riding, and trying new bikes and accessories, you can't give the customers the benefit of the latest knowledge. If you don't love riding, you won't convey that passion to your customers, and they will know it.

Once you have learned the basics of cycle mechanics, your value as a mechanic will depend upon your knowledge of current bikes and equipment - what works well in a given situation, and what does not. What accessories or upgraded components help them, and which ones are a waste of money. Can you talk to a customer, get their riding needs, come up with the best solution, and then assemble it?

It really helps to show a personal interest in each customer. Bikes are a very personal item, and the owners can be a bit picky about who they turn their bike over to. And it really, really helps to put the customer's best interests first. At one time, I had a couple that would drive 80 miles to bring their bikes to me, largely because I was more interested in helping them stay on the road, than nickel and diming them on a lot of stuff they didn't need. While I may have lost a few sales of accessories, I got a lot of repeat business, plus the bonus of pride in knowing that I had given that person a professional service. And made a few lifelong friends, too...

Well put John. I would like to add one thought, learn the old-school stuff as well. There is still a ton of it out there. Take some time to learn about friction shifters, and components, 27" wheels and tires, older center pull brakes, bendicks brakes, banana seats, and don't laugh when you go to lift an 87 WorldSport on the stand and it feels like your back is going to give out😄 If you learn some of the older engineering you won't get the "Snot Nosed Kid" remarks from the older customers.

Have fun, see if you can hook up with some of the Universities teams as a team mechanic.

Lw

FasterthanU said:

WOw, it's so easy to prove yourself naive.

i was just throwing out a suggestion man, most kids who work at shops dont even know there are schools, or what a southerlands manual is.

i think he was referring to himself.

IEatRice4Dinner said:

i was just throwing out a suggestion man, most kids who work at shops dont even know there are schools, or what a southerlands manual is.

ishiwata said:

i think he was referring to himself.

darn internet (shakes fist) :o o well it happens

IEatRice4Dinner said:

i was just throwing out a suggestion man, most kids who work at shops dont even know there are schools, or what a southerlands manual is.

I did not know there were bike schools until I saw this thread, and I still don't know what a southerlands manual is, yet my boss tells me I'm one of the most impressively gifted teenagers he has ever hired to fix/build bikes. Just goes to show that special schooling is not needed in the field of bike repair.

ToffoIsMe said:

I did not know there were bike schools until I saw this thread, and I still don't know what a southerlands manual is, yet my boss tells me I'm one of the most impressively gifted teenagers he has ever hired to fix/build bikes. Just goes to show that special schooling is not needed in the field of bike repair.

goin to a school looks alot better if your trying to apply for a job or esp a manager...im shure u can get a few $'s raise cause your certified or if u wanna work with a race team or somethin it's good. southerlands manual tells u how to do everything lol, from cable housing length to anything u can think of.

I'll be honest...as a manager of one of the biggest bike shops in colorado, this is a lot I hire based on. First It doesn't matter if you have gone to school. A lot of good shops, could care less if you went to BBI or UBI...not to take anything away from those schools, it is just not needed, and from a business standpoint, what they teach you will never fly in a real shop...6 hour tune-ups lets, get serious...

What matters to me is are you a dependable person...do you have people skills...do you have good customer service. Because in a good shop, no one should just be a mechanic. Show the shops that you love bikes....all kinds of bikes, not just your nice new road bike...and try not to act like you want the job just for a discount that is an instant turn off. Good luck and i hope this helps in one way or another...

and about a former post....most good mechanices have never gone to school...and they don't read manuals...

aj

sorry for the typing....wife is dancing around in bra....too bad ribs are broke. 😉

I hadn't touched a bicycle with a wrench for 15 years, when I decided to get back into cycling. It all came back quickly, and while the bikes have changed, basic mechanics haven't changed that much. About the only thing I've seen that requires special training are the low spoke/high torque wheelsets like Rolf or Kysrium.

Everything else can be handled with common sense, attention to detail, and a passion for cycles. If you love what you do, it solves a lot of problems.

ToffoIsMe said:

I did not know there were bike schools until I saw this thread, and I still don't know what a southerlands manual is, yet my boss tells me I'm one of the most impressively gifted teenagers he has ever hired to fix/build bikes. Just goes to show that special schooling is not needed in the field of bike repair.