Hi guys,
Its the first time i am posting in this section of the forums (that i can remember).
This is more of a rant than anything but i would like to hear your views on the subject.
First off I am not just aiming this at cycle mechanics, this applies to a whole list of jobs though I am a cycle mechanic so I am speaking from experience.

A bit of background…
So I am a Cycle mechanic, working in one of London’s biggest bike shop, I have qualifications and i have had experience since I was 12 (I am now 19). I’ve worked in a professional workshop since I was 17, I was accepted as a Mechanic before I had my Cytech but I had already booked my course as i had thought i would need it to get a job in a ‘Specialist’ store, turns out I did not have to spend £1500 on a piece of paper to get my job.

So where am I going with this?
Well… Basically I feel massively underpaid, under appreciated and therefore not motivated; as do most. In my eyes I am being trusted with keeping cyclists safe, any bike that comes through my workshop its my job to make sure that the bike is safe for the hectic streets of London, I have seen many accidents happen because of mechanical issues such as chains snapping, or derailleurs going into your spokes. Being a cycle mechanic can be a very stressful job.

Cyclists are very vulnerable on the road, you are exposed, you have no metal exoskeleton to protect you from impact. The best you can do is put a helmet on and hope for the best. Despite the vital need to keep cyclists safe on their bikes companies are paying as little as possible to ensure there are less accidents on the road.

As a cycle mechanic I get paid less than charity workers, less than i would if i was doing leafletting. I could do a job that earns me £10,000 more per year and it requires no qualifications, no homework, revision, stress or pressure. (I am paid minimum wage).

Where is the sense?! I have heard horrible stories where sloppy mechanics have cause horrible accidents and near death experiences. And why?.. Because being a bike mechanic doesn’t pay well enough for the job that you are doing.
“If you pay peanuts you get monkeys”.

The only reason I am still a bike mechanic is because I care. I dont want to let my team down, and I dont want to let the public down. If you want good knowledgeable staff you have to pay for them.

Please share your views on this…
Sorry for the ranting… Just had to air off..

Come work with me if you like?

https://www.moorescycles.co.uk/contact-us/?___SID=U

I left the trade 5 years ago and the only job i was paid min wage in was the first year where i was learning the trade working part time around school

When i left the trade i was earning just shy of 8 plus over time rates outside of my 5 days.

Prove to your boss your worth more and ask for a payrise. If you cant prove your worth more them why should he pay more?

best bit of my job is fixing bikes.
but as you said anyone can be a mechanic, it’s not a profession.
some of your customers think you are overpaid, soem really appreciate the work you do.

it’s down to you to carve a niche for yourself.

being an average mechainic will pay a wage, but a bike fit specialist, suspension specialist or master wheel builder will be worth more, but also look at smaller shops that pay better, as can be seen at Halfords, mechanics are just there to be pushed until you leave having worked for a pittance, only to be replaced

One thing I always think is that bike mechanics are quite simple. You tend to find that most people that ride could quite easily carry out their own repairs. As s very seasoned mechanic once said to me ‘it ain’t rocket science just a few cables and some nuts and bolts’
Up the price to the public and I’d guess more would go DIY.

So, you’re 19, and think you have loads of experience? I’m 44, have a degree, loads of other qualifications, and have been working with/around bikes since I can’t remeber. Yet I still have shit loads to learn.

As a cycle mechanic I get paid less than charity workers

So, you think charity workers are worth less than you?

You’ve got a lot of growing up to do. Expecting respect, reward and recognition when oyu’re little more than a kid, is somewhat naive and possibly even arrogant.

Because being a bike mechanic doesn’t pay well enough for the job that you are doing.

Nursing doesn\t pay well enough for the job they do, neither does being a fireman, and a whole host of other jobs. Including many charity workers. Welcome to the real world.

Whilst I can sympathise (I was a bike mechanic in various shops for 7 years) I think you’re kidding yourself if you believe you’re offering a ‘public service’, maybe it’s just the way you’ve written the first post though.

As above, I wasn’t paid minimum wage for long. It’s a case of proving you’re worth more or leaving for a competitor. It’s widely accepted that being a mechanic is a job you do for love not money, it’s not likely that you’re ever going to earn over £25k being a shop mechanic.

Tis not a new issue , but if your good at it you will get more than minimum wage
But 2 years is not a huge amount of time.

As above a good small lbs will often pay more but you have no where to rise to above being a simple spanner monkey

Personaly I love bikes and love my job and can get by and be happy with out loads of money
So I still play with bikes

love oldgits comment
yes back in the 80’s it was simple

but as a mechanic you need to be able to often have to remove seized parts, service more complex suspension, often service bearings that are well seized in to frames that dont allow you any error with the drift or puller.
but now you need to learn electronics and a lot more besides.
but if you work in a well respected shop then people will want you to fix their bike because they can trust you

One thing I always think is that bike mechanics are quite simple

😯 some of the ones i know are quite articulate.

do shops service/rebuild forks, and electronic systems…shops fix those?
Admittedly forks are at the higher end of DIY,but don’t most of us use specialists over their LBS? Surely that’s where the money is.

and think you have loads of experience

I never said i have loads of experience, but I have got experience in bike mechanics, but yet I am paid the same wage as someone who has none, and it is not a case of proving myself, my wage in this company wont budge unless I move up to workshop manager. I am still learning on the job and enjoying it too, but my point was simply that i am not completely new to bicycle mechanics and somebody with experience should receive more pay than somebody without any.

So, you think charity workers are worth less than you?

Not at all, i treat everybody equally, and i admit that was poorly written, but i mainly meant walking round with a bucket in my hand on the streets should not pay more than being a bike mechanic.

Nursing doesn\t pay well enough for the job they do, neither does being a fireman, and a whole host of other jobs. Including many charity workers. Welcome to the real world.

As i said this does apply to more jobs than just bike mechanics, but I dont have personal experience in those jobs so i thought it best to stick to what I go through.

I think you’re kidding yourself if you believe you’re offering a ‘public service’

I am simply stating that it is an important job, it does require care and attention and you do become responsible for a customers safety.

Personaly I love bikes and love my job and can get by and be happy with out loads of money
So I still play with bikes

If I didnt love the bikes i wouldnt be in this job either, but it is difficult to enjoy the job and enjoy working on the bikes if the work doesn’t feel appreciated and if you haven’t got enough money to get out and do something once in a while.

I am not the best at expressing myself through text, but I do not think of myself as higher than anybody else, I love my bikes, I love fixing bikes, I love helping people, I love to spread the love, but it would be nice to be able to go home and not worry about how I will pay my next bill.

do shops service/rebuild forks, and electronic systems…shops fix those?

yes of course they do.
ever tried working with di2
or servicing fox 40’s next day.

i guess some people have gotten out the habit of using bike shop

OP – the bike industry as a whole is notoriously low paying. And bike mechanics especially so.

To some extent, its simple supply and demand. A lot of folks feel the same as you; they like bikes and look around for a job in the field.

So as others have said above, you’re young. Just starting out. Get more experience. Specialize on something that not everyone does (suspension service and tuning, for example). And look for better opportunities that will come along.

And last, there is more to life than money. Plenty of people have lots of money but aren’t happy.

oldgit – Member
do shops service/rebuild forks, and electronic systems…shops fix those?
Admittedly forks are at the higher end of DIY,but don’t most of us use specialists over their LBS? Surely that’s where the money is.

Yes to all, I dropped in today to service a KS post (owners a mate and it was the first he had sold so we both did it) he will rebuild any fork that doesn’t need a factory specific part. He wants to get the kit to do N2 charges for shocks to that he doesn’t need to send them off. They have the Di2 diagnostic tools and rewire as required.
They made their own custom internals to solve issues with the early Fox dual lockout boxes.

But all some people see is a retail job.

nd bolts’
Up the price to the public and I’d guess more would go DIY.

This is probably the only thing that will save the LBS when enough people try and fix something and fail then head off to get someone who actually knows what they are doing to fix it properly.

and to the OP

Poor cycle mechanics in London

There are many places bikes can take you, don’t go to one of the most expensive cities in the world to earn peanuts.
The Rachel Atherton impersonator in this vid was working up in the lakes in a bike shop and is now going round the world as Rachel’s stunt double…
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_6iQMLryUE[/video]

Given how many pages the bike biz jobs board is running , maybe worth applying to somwhere new

One thing I always think is that bike mechanics are quite simple

Phhhhhhhh.
Servicing your own bike is quite simple, maybe. Because you know it, because it’s quite a small, specific, collection of parts.

but as you said anyone can be a mechanic

Err no. They can’t. Some people can’t even do a QR up properly.

do shops service/rebuild forks, and electronic systems…shops fix those?

Yes. Yes we do.

i mainly meant walking round with a bucket in my hand on the streets should not pay more than being a bike mechanic.

Why not? How do you know what else Those charity workers do? And isn’t helping raise money for good causes worth something? After all, you’re ‘only fixing bikes’, hardly helping the sick, displaced by war, victims of torture etc.

If I didnt love the bikes i wouldnt be in this job either, but it is difficult to enjoy the job and enjoy working on the bikes if the work doesn’t feel appreciated and if you haven’t got enough money to get out and do something once in a while.

Your passion is comendable, but what you really are is a very tiny cog in the ever growing coprorate machine that is the bike industry. Instantly replaceable, nothing special. You need to perhaps step out of your somewhat arrogant and romantic ideal you have aobut your position, and take a wider look at life. And hen, maye be thankful that you are at least in a job you enjoy, rather than a soul destroying pointless crawl tto the grave.

It’s not really hard though is it? The number of different standards and the evolution of cycling technology in recent years has certainly made them more complex than they used to be but i’ve found that with the more complicated jobs – servicing forks etc. it’s a case of having the right tools and just doing it once.

I’m far from mechanically minded but I build my own bikes, service my own forks, shocks etc. I’ve built up a decent collection of tools which is a huge part of taking on the more difficult jobs but I can’t say i’ve ever been in one of those scenarios where you just wish you hadn’t started the job. I think the idea that it’s a very stressful (potential work place politics aside) or challenging job is slightly OTT. Sure, there are people who wouldn’t dare tighten a bolt on their bike but that still doesn’t make bicycle mechanics difficult.

Not at all, i treat everybody equally, and i admit that was poorly written, but i mainly meant walking round with a bucket in my hand on the streets should not pay more than being a bike mechanic.

It wasn’t poorly worded just bear in mind there are some nobs out there who will twist anything, I know some charity workers further up the food chain who are lets say not short of a bob or two through their position.
Often the guy with bucket in hand is a volunteer or having his expenses only paid

Agree with that, some folk are inept. No offence mechanics, I know a good few of you. Isn’t the big problem how much you can charge for labour? And that the bicycle is still considered ‘cheap’ transport? So either you need more bums in saddles or more kit that needs specialist tools to justify higher prices.
And isn’t there so much more to this. Sometimes when im in my mates shops I want to thump some if the ‘customers’ the ones that have got everything off the net,but want to buy from a shop with the stock they can touch, even test with backup and mechanics. It makes me feel like my mates/mechanics are just there for the nasty things.
And what about the future of the industry, is it secure enough for companies to invest?

Sorry mate but you are over estimating the jobs worth. With the possible exception of rebuilding shocks which require specialised kit for adding gases etc, fixing bikes is just too simple for words.

Qualifications are so easy that they have little value. Their main reason for existence is to allow some arse covering when cock ups are made. They look good for the un informed punter as well.
Skills that might make better money such as wheel building need time to learn and you haven’t been around long enough to get really good.
Think about what bikes you work on . I bet most of them are fairly low end. That means low end spending and these people don’t want to spend that money. they are just too lazy or busy to do it them selves.

I have spent many years in and out of bikes shops on both sides of the counter. There are things that are fiddly to do which is why shops exist. And good luck to them . Despite what PP and others say spannering bikes doesn’t have the complexity of putting together an aero engine for example.
Sorry but the job you are in just doesn’t warrant big money. If it did then you would be paid it.
finally as other posts have said. Give it a few years. come back when you are in your 30’s and see if things have changed. Unfortunately I bet they don’t unless, god forbid, the world treats bikes like gas fires.

Oh yeah.. Its not an important job. A&E nursing is an important job.

Isn’t the big problem how much you can charge for labour?

Or the perception that there are no other costs involved. I’ve never seen an industry yet where customers don’t get all shocked at quotes (see the how much should [insert building job] cost as I’ve had a quote and it seems really high, look what the Vet charges, how much for just typing a few things in)
The future of the bike industry in the traditional shop from approach may rely on the big companies discounting each other into serious problems or suppliers/manufacturers looking again at OEM/RRP and discounting. Some people have an advantage far beyond size they have access to products at prices most shops can’t get.

But in contrast to the doom and gloom spouted in the UK down here in Oz good bike shops are doing well, people pay for services, plenty drop bikes in and get it fixed – you know whatever needs doing. Mountain bikes are selling well (mate just sold another 2 this morning) the internet is an issue down here as you skip tax on import but the postage delay does make it annoying (CRC are about 2 weeks minimum currently). Suppliers and importers need to play ball as Merlin are flogging Pikes boxed retail for less than trade here.

The bike shop has to do what the internet can’t do, offer good service, fix bikes and offer good impartial advice.

OP sorry but you’re at the bottom of the food chain. That’s unfortunately the way the world works, someone has to be, and currently its you.

But

It won’t always be you, and there are ways of making your life better, but they involve a fair measure of rule#5. First off you want more money? Earn it. demonstrate to your boss that you’re worth paying more. Work more shifts, volunteer for extra work do overtime, when your bit spannering make sure your space is immaculate, be a model employee. Learn to do stuff that no one else can do, be the suspension man or the wheel build guy, but DO something rather than moan about it. It won’t come overnight and it will be hard work, but if you want to get on then you need to get on with it. No one but no one is going to say to you “oh you poor diddums, have a couple of quid on your hourly rate.” just because you feel undervalued. The world is full of people moaning about the fact that their job is underpaid and too stressful. Well, A&E nursing is stressful and underpaid, fancy that as a career?

Make sure though, when you are the workshop manager or you’ve taken the trades you’ve learned somewhere else for more money, that you treat the guys beneath you with a bit of respect

The issue is that there will always be someone to take your place- loads of people want to be bike mechanics and will happily do it for next to no money.

I used to do it and did enjoy it when I wasn’t working for a bigger chain store. I loved working on bikes, with customers and so on. And no, people don’t appreciate that mechanicing professionally is more difficult than fixing a bike at home because you get all the things that cannot be fixed and require genuine knowledge of what to do.

If you want to progress then offer to work as often as you can without it impacting your life, really get stuck in to being aware of new kit and how individual parts work and what needs doing to fix them (be aware of cable pull ratios, what kit works with what and what will really improve how things work).

Speak to the reps, really try to make customers happy even when they’re dicks and when there’s nothing to do find stuff to do (most important is usually tidying up the shop, facing up and organising the stock room and workshop, especially as no one else will want to do it).

Sadly, as with most professions these days, to really progress you will have to look for a new position somewhere else. Work hard at this one for a year or two, if nothing happens then leave. I never earnt as little as minimum wage fixing bikes. When you’re in your 20’s start looking for assistant manager then manager roles and eventually you’ll be earning a reasonable amount by the time you’re about 25.

If it helps, I left the trade a little while after I got my degree for a job that took 4 years training and only earnt £600 more a year. That sucked balls.

Enjoy it, though. Real jobs suck big fat balls compared to fixing bikes.

Real jobs suck big fat balls compared to fixing bikes

Likes munrobiker’s post. in any job the way to get ahead is be the ‘go to’ guy/girl for anything difficult

Being a good spanner need knowledge about many things not justs new bikes or mtbs
That’s why I earn an ok wage because I can build wheels , fix aw 3 speeds.
And all sorts of other odd things from Raleigh’s odd thread for bb shells
To French headsets
Oh and the odd fork or seat post service

You just need more time

The Rachel Atherton impersonator in this vid was working up in the lakes in a bike shop and is now going round the world as Rachel’s stunt double…

the first thing i noticed in that video was the dropper post stanchion is clamped in the bike stand 😯

the first thing i noticed in that video was the dropper post stanchion is clamped in the bike stand

Nothing wrong with it so long as the clamp is a good one.

Dropper posts are designed to be clamped.

One of the main issues with cycle mechanics getting low pay, is that until quite recently, there’s been no real recognised industry ‘qualification’ by which standards can e assessed. One ‘mechanic’ I know has many years of experience workinng fixng bkes, but he’s a bodger,and not as good a mechanic as others I know. He dismisses training courses as unnecessary, but his abilities are hampered by his arrogance. There’s always something new to learn; this week I discovered the Chater Lea headset.

Proper, recognised training courses and vocational qualifications wil enhance the position of the cycle mechanic; CyTech and C+G are two that are current. But these cost money, and many bike shop owners are loathe to pay to have staff properly trained. Things wil change though; customers will take their business to shops with ‘professionally trained’ mechanics, which will be good for cometition and hopefully for mechanics’ incomes.

2 years experience as a mechanic is nothing.
I worked in a bike shop for longer than I care to remember (recently moved on) and have met a large volume of mechanics and I can count on one hand the number that are “good” in comparison the number that think they are good!

Good mechanics can service suspension, build boxed bikes to a high standard in 40 minutes, chat with customers, sell bikes/products, deal with pissed off customers, deal with suppliers, explain to customers why the mech that has been smashed by a rock is not a warranty item, go without lunch and survive on an out of date cliff bar on occasion etc.etc, service bikes that look like they were stored in the north sea, I could go on…

I can also say with confidence that being cytech qualified counts for more or less nothing other than a tick box arse covering exercise.

If you are worth more than min wage look elsewhere and get it. When you hand in your notice you might get a counter offer for more cash.

IME good mechanics can earn 18k to 20k + perks which is not a bad salary for working in a bike shop.

The issue is that there will always be someone to take your place- loads of people want to be bike mechanics and will happily do it for next to no money.

+1 and you’ve got to remember that they do that because it’s compensated for by getting everything at massive discounts.

Sorry mate but you are over estimating the jobs worth. With the possible exception of rebuilding shocks which require specialised kit for adding gases etc, fixing bikes is just too simple for words.

Yes and no – I’d take issue with that really. All the people on here saying they do their own mechanics, it’s really simple etc… They’re usually the worst people to have as mechanics in a shop. Fixing your own bike is dead simple. Building up a boxed bike for display is dead simple.

Fixing some 10-year-old beater bike that’s never seen the inside of a workshop in it’s life and has an ecletic mix of obsolete parts is not simple. Re-programming a Di2 groupset on a £5000 road bike is not simple (well it is but it takes some very specialist equipment and knowledge).

OP: currently (no disrespect) you’re at the stage where you’re building boxed bikes and doing the easy fixes. That’s like building an Ikea wardrobe – you can’t call yourself a master carpenter just cos you can knock up some flatpack furniture in the same way you’re not a master mechanic cos you can cable up a Deore rear mech.

Bike mechanics is a funny old world though; the majority of people doing it were students so it’s not really in the shop’s interest to pay huge wages or complicated training when the kid is going to graduate and disappear.

I can also say with confidence that being cytech qualified counts for more or less nothing other than a tick box arse covering exercise.

Interesting. I’d agree that the qualifications are pretty meaningless without experience, but in my experience, the C+G courses are very good (we have fantastic trainers), and having experience plus the qualification gies a mechanic a greater position fromwhich to negotiate, than just one or the other on it’s won.

IME good mechanics can earn 18k to 20k + perks which is not a bad salary for working in a bike shop.

It depends on your age, and needs. Someone living in London wanting to actualy live rather than merely survive, £18-20k isn’t great at all. OK for under 25s living at home maybe, but still relatively poorly paid for what is a pretty responsible job.

OP: currently (no disrespect) you’re at the stage where you’re building boxed bikes and doing the easy fixes. That’s like building an Ikea wardrobe – you can’t call yourself a master carpenter just cos you can knock up some flatpack furniture in the same way you’re not a master mechanic cos you can cable up a Deore rear mech.

Wise words. Some of the youngsters on our current course think that they’ll be seasoned experts once they’ve finished. I tell them that perhaps another 10-15 yearsor so might see them rech that level. 😉

Bike mechanics is a funny old world though; the majority of people doing it were students so it’s not really in the shop’s interest to pay huge wages or complicated training when the kid is going to graduate and disappear.

Crap shops have that attitude; we service an awful lot of bikes that come from such shops, broght in by customers fed up with poor service and low standards. Too many glossy showrroms full of shiny new kit, not enough decent and conscientious workers staffing them. Still, it’s good for us, so long may they crack on.

Cycle mechanics are very very very simple hence the poor pay.

You are still young and you sound switched on but don’t let yourself get caught in the negativity too quickly, create a plan of where you want to be in 2 or 3 years, the pay you want to achieve and search locally to see if this is possible. You might need to diversify your skills to create a niche for yourself for the future.. working hard and being the best cycle mechanic will only lead you to the top of a very very small tree.

How much do you want to earn? Is anyone paying that for a grafter with skills?

munrobiker – Member
If it helps, I left the trade a little while after I got my degree for a job that took 4 years training and only earnt £600 more a year. That sucked balls.

TBF you’ll be earning way mor in a few years.

This is capitalism. There’s no concept of value of a worker beyond the money you have to pay them and the revenue they bring in. So workers will be paid just above the level that will make them quit and do something else. The consequence of this is that most non professional people are only just above intolerable levels of shit. Doesn’t do much for the nation’s quality of life.

Also applies to public sector workers too sadly, because they are squeezed by the ballot box.

OP, if you want inspiration follow bencooper’s page on FB 🙂

There’s no concept of value of a worker beyond the money you have to pay them and the revenue they bring in.

Maybe the OP should become self employed and then he could pay himself as much as he thinks he’s worth. 🙄