I’m not planning on leaving my current employ or anything, but I was talking to one of my kids about an idea he had of training as a bike mechanic and using the skills as a trade he could always fall back on in life.

In the meantime, I wondered how much a person could actually make as a full-time mechanic, and what sorts of business models could earn the most substantial incomes (e.g. mobile mechanic? on-site shop work? some sort of creative combination of cafe and mechanics?).

So, what sorts of experiences or insights do you have?

Going by this tread Quite a bit

Mobile with collect and drop-off would be good, that way you’re not tied to premises and you don’t have to be at work every day in case someone wants to buy a single inner tube. Weekends and evenings would be good (for customers) as well. Basically, if you’re self-employed and working from home you’re not restricted by the stupid Monday-Friday, 9-5 nonsense.

£20/hour (or part thereof) is a decent rate to aim for for ‘big’ stuff (ie anything that requires a cuppa during it.) Little stuff would have to be discretionary.

I think the whole ‘last mile’ service model will be an increasing ‘thing’.

Distributers selling direct but wanting mechanics to do PDI and final delivery to a customer, deal with maint and warranty issues.

So like an LBS but without the sales/stock requirements.

The LBS is dead. Long live the LBM (local bike mechanic).

In an LBS (a quality one at that) not much.
I’ve been a mechanic for around 15 years now, love it, but money isn’t good.
I’m fortunate enough that my OH has a ‘proper’ job & I’m also self employed doing other things evenings/weekends.

About £12 an hour in Norway, but apparently you can’t live in that there.

How much can one earn as a bike mechanic?

One will be disappointed by one’s future earnings, what.

A bit more than min wage, unless you are a manager or in an independent.

LBM is the way to go I think. Mobile or pick up/drop off could be tricky I think, got to factor in delivery time which folk won’t want to pay.

I think the whole ‘last mile’ service model will be an increasing ‘thing’.

Yup – I think so too.

Wiggle use these guys to provide pick up / drop off service within the M25.

http://www.havebike.co.uk/

Not sure how much they are paying their spannerists if a full service is about £130 though…

…but I was talking to one of my kids about an idea he had of training as a bike mechanic and using the skills as a trade he could always fall back…

Please, please, get a proper recognised trade that you can use anywhere in the world.

I’ve had to ‘fall back on’ my bike mechanic skills and it’s no fun being a grown man working five days a week for just over minimum wage.

I’ve got no money, no prospects, I can’t emigrate because I’ve got nothing to offer any other country. I feel like a rat in a closed loop full of misery and repetition. Only the right balance of chemicals allows me to act like a functional human long enough to get through the day.

Tell your kid to learn something constructive.

some sort of creative combination of cafe and mechanics?

You’re in Cardiff right? This is basically what plan2ride is – I only go there for the coffee and cake but they do repairs and sell accessories/consumables too.

Tell your kid to learn something constructive.

Tell your kid to learn some construction. Plasterer / electrician or some thing more white collar – architectural technician etc.

I did a HND in Building when I was 18, because I didn’t really know what to do. I’m now 50 and very grateful that I did.

I did a HND in Building when I was 18, because I didn’t really know what to do. I’m now 50 and very grateful that I did.

I don’t think I’ll make it to 50.

Ex colleague of mine took redundancy and set himself up as a mobile mechanic, he has his prices on his website, which might give you an idea of what you can charge/earn.

Mobile Bike Service and Repair

Seconded on the proper trade, unless he desperately wants to be one go to college and get qualified in something along the lines of plumber, gas fitter, setting out engineer, brickie etc.

That way he’ll always have something to do.

I kind of did the same, went to college, did A-Levels, didn’t fancy university, did an apprenticeship (Control & Electrical Engineering), left that company went into the late 90’s telecoms boom, made cash, moved industry and now in the rather lucrative rail industry.

They could always do the cytech (?) course in their spare time if they really want t know how to fix bikes.

This might be of interest:

https://cyclingindustry.news/velofix-franchise-requests-jump-400-on-q4-2016-eu-roll-out-begins/

can expect £16-18K as mechanic, £18-22 as senior mechanic, £22K+ for management role.

LBS will pay more (if they can) to attract good candidates, especially those leaving chain retailers where pay is often min wage or just above

I worked one of the best paid workshop roles in the UK (workshop manager, Sigma Sport) and it was more stressful than my time at Citibank, and 1/4 of the pay 🙁

I’ve been asked to look at mobile mechanics several times for employers, and we could not make the figures add up? Easy to run a zombie company…whilst working your ass off

Cytech is essential in the CV, but it won’t improve pay rates, just allow you to be considered for jobs. We won’t even interview people without Cytech (or C&G) because we need certified technicians for legal reasons, but don’t want to pay to put someone through.

We had a guy from a large chain retailer try out in the workshop recently, he had an-house training certification which was worthless, based on the poor quality of his bike building. He did not get the gig.

I’d recommend a skilled trade like plumbing, fibre installation, brick laying, great earning potential especially for time served freelancers

Esher – were you in Hampton Wick? I usually call in for a coffee so probably said hi as you guard the customer bikes.

Dont you think a cafe workshop venture for bromptons would work in london, like the taxi ones where they just drive in, get fixed and drive on. Could buy sell them, sell everything to do with them. Have to be on a main route near centre.

Whilst unemployed the year before last I considered all of these kinds of things, and concluded that the dream of chilling out and tinkering with bikes in flexible hours, does not align with the reality of what customers expect, and my need to be a grown-up and keep paying the mortgage.

Have a look at the job ads on BikeBiz, they almost never quote a salary, just “competitive” (which means slightly above min wage), or at best it’s in the low £20k region for a manager with qualifications and lots of years of experience.

It’s sad but true: there will always be a supply of keen youngsters wanting to work in bike shops simply because they love bikes, without caring too much about the money, and that keeps pay down across the board.

Plus, fixing bikes is pretty easy.

Sundayjumper – Member

Plus, fixing bikes is pretty easy. Fixing good bikes is pretty easy. And whilst dealing with know-it-all enthusiasts (like us!) might be taxing at times, by and large you’re talking to people who understand the cost of cycling.
Fixing shite bikes sounds really hard – you can never make them good, and the owners object to spending more than 50p to get them back on the road.

Hey him to train as a plumber or a sparky, lots of money in those trades, employed or self employed.

I would say proper trade, I run a HGV workshop for someone, some of our lads with on call and overtime will take home 800-1000quid.

if I was to go onto the spanners fixing bike I would look at getting a van and having a mobile workshop to save fuel and time running bikes every where

I’ve had to ‘fall back on’ my bike mechanic skills and it’s no fun being a grown man working five days a week for just over minimum wage.

I’ve got no money, no prospects, I can’t emigrate because I’ve got nothing to offer any other country. I feel like a rat in a closed loop full of misery and repetition. Only the right balance of chemicals allows me to act like a functional human long enough to get through the day.

Tell your kid to learn something constructive.

+1

I did the whole GCSE’s/A-levels/degree route into engineering, then oil and gas died on it’s arse a couple of years back (it’ll be back, but when, this ‘cycle’ feels a bit different to previous ones with the almost believable prospect that we’ll be driving electric cars before demand exceeds current supply).

What I could really do with right now is being able to weld (or building trades, welding just appeals more to me). Looking at job sites a HGV licence looks like very good value for money, plenty advertised as £40k OTE!

If/when I’m back in work my plan is threefold, four if you include going contract rather than staff.
1) Pay for my own qualifications rather than relying on the company to fund the bare minimum of usually internal training worth nothing on the job market.
2) Get some completely unrelated qualifications, like framebuilding with the VRQ course at downland cycles. Or at least semi-related but ‘soft’ skills more applicable to other jobs, things like project mangement.
3) Just good old fashioned save enough to be able to put my feet up for a year if the market goes tits up again.

Get a proper trade , starting working in bike shops when I was young has left me with very few options if I want to move.

I’m fortunate in that I love my job and can get by on the low wages.

Depends if its money or richness in life.
Fraser Newton here in Squamish has established himself pretty well as an industry ‘go-to’ well above and beyond just using his exceptional skills with a wrench.

I would say proper trade, I run a HGV workshop for someone, some of our lads with on call and overtime will take home 800-1000quid.

A day, a week, a month?

sorry a week

Sundayjumper – Member
Plus, fixing bikes is pretty easy.

Fixing good bikes is pretty easy. And whilst dealing with know-it-all enthusiasts (like us!) might be taxing at times, by and large you’re talking to people who understand the cost of cycling.
Fixing shite bikes sounds really hard – you can never make them good, and the owners object to spending more than 50p to get them back on the road.

I’ll expand on that….
Fixing YOUR OWN bike is easy. Only you to blame/get injured if it goes wrong, and you’ll know all about your own bike.
Anyone can sprinkle XTR on a Santa Cruz. Getting a BB out that’s been stuck for 10 years or removing a snapped and seized carbon seatpost is a gnats harder…..

Being a bike mechanic is rubbish. Don’t let him do it. I worked in a variety of setups, the sorts of jobs aren’t that different. 95% of punters just ride whatever into the ground then whinge that you’re charging to fix it.

Don’t even think about it. I’ve never been a mechanic but I’ve worked in bike shops for the last 5 years or so. I have a degree and do reletavely skilled things (bike fitting and physiological testing) and get paid f all. Desperately trying to work out how to get a “proper” job before I have an early mid life crisis!!