Been knocking around a few ideas lately as I have an impending forced career change in a few months. Just wondering if anyone has done one of the bike mechanics courses and then managed to either set themselves up or got a job in a bike shop? I’m liking the thought of it, but not entirely sure whether it’s a viable option. Can a decent wage be earned?

Can a decent wage be earned?

Not working in a bloomin bike shop!!

I have been thinking the same ,I’m a pretty competent self taught mechanic and can do most stuff myself.
Thought about doing a Cytech course to make sure that-
A.I’m doing things right
B.And gain more experience in areas such as wheel building and fork servicing.

Longterm objective was to set up as a mobile mechanic, some concerns for myself were things like the area I currently live in is not the most affluent,there are suburbs which are more affluent than others and areas such as Alderley Edge(Cheshire) and Didsbury(Manchester) amongst others which have some stinking rich people there.
Point being how much work would I be likely to get from the average joe in a less than affluent area.

I have worked as a cycle mechanic/salesman in a bikestore in Oz and enjoyed the work,so to a degree know what to expect.

I suppose as with any business a lot of the success depends on the individual.

im a competent mechanic, trained in a shop in the 90s, enjoyed it, would do it again, IF the wages could match what i earn as a bus driver.
but they aint even close.
and im not well off, im only on 20k a year.
my mate has a shop, hes not much better off than i am, and he owns the business!
my advice: do it if you are gonna be the main (or only) man, but not worth it to work for somebody else.

You’ll have infinite Jaffa cakes.

Or Fig Rolls. If that’s the way you, ahem, roll.

Bike mechanics are often woefully underpaid for the skill and knowledge they wield.

Bike mechanics are often woefully overpaid for the skill and knowledge they wield.
Just thought I better get that in there first before the rest arrive 😉

In the right place I think it can work as a self employed one man band deal, but there are very few places IMO. I think it would be very tough in a rural area. You need cash rich time poor people who use their bike a lot to make it pay. i.e. cycle commuters with well paid jobs. I the right areas of London can be ok, I don’t know about any other Cities. Other places might be Oxford and Cambridge as there are a good number of cycle commuters around there too.

Problem is,that area is’nt exactly short of bike shops tbh.

Jobs

Think about

How much would I pay for a repair or per hour if I was the punter

Adjust for likely turnover of work, factoring in travel time and deduct overheads, including professional tools, van costed our properly.

How much do I need to earn – is equal or less than the above then it’s a runner

Be honest on all points

Got to say it’s sounding like back to the drawing board. Shame really as it would have been nice to do something I actually enjoyed. The courses do seem to be quite expensive too.

It astounds me how little LBS’s charge for work.

Thinking about it a bike mechanic would be a nice little job when I retire to add to my pension.

I’m Cytech level 3 qualified, DT wheelbuilder, suspension specialist course etc. etc.
Had ten years running a shop for someone else as main sales & mechanic & was earning £8 per hour & that was considered reasonable money.
As a mechanic only the going rate appears to be around minimum wage.

You’ll have infinite Jaffa cakes.

ROFLMFAO
You’ll hear from me soon, I now need a new keyboard:)

Only way I could see you making any money from it is with the commuter market and whoever else wants a ‘you go to them’ service, otherwise you’re competing against bike shops and although they have more overheads they’re likely getting parts cheaper so not sure you’d be any cheaper and I know I’d rather hand my bike over to a shop than a guy who’s ad I read in trade-it or something.

The vast majority of cyclists, in Cambridge, commute on pub bikes ie rust buckets which might get a new tyre once every few years. Hence, they’re not really prepared to spend anything on servicing as the bike’s perceived worth is only £50 ish. Unlike cars, where once you’ve spent £10k+ buying it, you’re prepared to pay £50/hour for someone to service it.

Yes, but only in addition to my day job. I targetted cash rich time poor commuters and roadies and it turned a fair profit but not enough to make a decent living so I let it slide and now only do customers who I have had on the books for a few years. TBH I could make more money running skills and coaching courses for new / returning cyclists.

as the workshop manager of one of London’s flagship bike stores (we have just passed £3 million turnover from Jan 2012 to present) I make a living (somewhat less than £20K), but not a “good” wage compared to my previous jobs, including running a bike store for an independant

my 4 mechanics are making just above the minimum wage, that is what the job pays..all are Cytech qualified and were put through the Cytech training by the company

when the shop hits target (our weekly target at moment is just over £100,000) then we get “bonus”, but this target has been hit twice in the past 4 months, so its not something we regularly see

I can make additional money working additional hours when we are super busy, 12-13 hour days were not uncommon last month meaning an additional 46 hours of pay on top of my salary

regarding paying for Cytech? I would not spend the money, better off finding an employer willing to pay for you 😉

Bike shop pay is a bit on the rubbish side. There are several individuals around Glasgow who have set themselves up as mobile bike mechanics and are doing OK. Hourly rates are around £30 p/h with set prices for different levels of servicing required.

I took a slightly different line and was trained to Velotech Platinum and now, as an aside to my day job deliver the Velotech courses. As the rates are set by Velotech, the pay is OK, but it’s up to me to promote it and keep up to speed with bits and bobs/make sure tools and equipment are suitable for use.

The work also tends to be in spits and spats, largely depending upon when grant funding is released to organisations. One reason why it’s not my main job!