Article in Guardian about shortage of bike mechanics

nomadicbry
nomadicbry Posts: 223
edited December 2009 in MTB general
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... -your-bike

Change of career anyone?
Have to say my knowledge is rubbish but have a great LBS just round the corner which is quite cheap and kleeps my bike running well. so my lack of manual skills benefits the local economy...well that's how I justify it
However, I would like to pick up some knowledge to do more of the simple things myself
Enough bikes to open a bike shop but always room for one more...

Comments

  • bomberesque
    bomberesque Posts: 1,701
    it's no way to get rich...

    In Belgium you need a special license to run a bike shop and the training takes something like 3 years, quite a lot of which is mechanic training. What this leads to unfortunately is that all the bike shop owners I know bar one have trainee mechanics rather than qualified ones doing their spannering as once they're qualified they sod off and start a shop ... and pay a trainee peanuts.
    Everything in moderation ... except beer
    Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer

    If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
    then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
    ... or being punched by it, depending on the day
  • Are a self taught bicyle repairer/builder since '75 and can say a good book like Richard Ballatine or the Haynes manual is a goob place to start as I did with a few tools Now own six bikes plus service my own electric bike/moped too