Mechanic School?

[Red Rock]

How does one look into becoming a bike mechanic? Is it better to go to the Park Tool School? Are there other schools outthere? Do most people do internships?

How does all this work? Any ideas?

Thankyou,
Red Rock

[DebW]

There are two professional schools in the country, to my knowledge: United Bicycle Institute in Ashland, OR, and Barnett Bicycle Institute in Colorado Springs. I believe Park Tool has a curriculum that is taught in various bike shops around the country, but not of the same professional level. I did the UBI 2-week course in 2008. Students range in age from 19 to 65 and in experience from nothing to several years in a bike shop. Those with no experience struggled, and those with moderate experience had a great time and really added to their knowledge base.

What is your background and experience? Are you looking for full time employment as a mechanic, or will this be a side-line or part-time career? If you're starting from ground-zero, taking a Park Tool course or whatever you can find locally would be a good start. You may find a bike shop willing to hire you and train you, but some shops only hire experienced mechanics.

[Red Rock]

DebW- I would be a beginner for sure. There are not any Park Tool Schools even in my town. Arrgh.

I was thinking out of the box, so I thought I would ask. I love my bike and cycling so much, I thought that this might be a possibility for full time work. Not only that I saw an opening for one of the local shops here in town needing a mechanic. So that is what got me thinking.

Red Rock

[DebW]

DebW- I would be a beginner for sure. There are not any Park Tool Schools even in my town. Arrgh.

I was thinking out of the box, so I thought I would ask. I love my bike and cycling so much, I thought that this might be a possibility for full time work. Not only that I saw an opening for one of the local shops here in town needing a mechanic. So that is what got me thinking.

Red Rock

Stores like REI offer bike maintenance classes. Or try asking at some local bike shops. Maybe you can find a mechanic willing to tutor you. Learning bike mechanics is fun and gives you the ability to do all your own bike work, so it's worthwhile even if you never get a job in a shop. But if you're thinking of this as a full-time career, consider carefully. Unless you own or manage a shop, work as a bike mechanic tends to be seasonal. The small shop I work in employs 3 mechanics from April to October, but otherwise the manager works alone. I have another part-time job, so that's OK for me. Large shops or shops frequented by racers may offer year-round work to some employees. In addition, the pay is pretty low, so deciding to be a full-time bike mechanic is a lifestyle choice (I guess that's the nice way to say you'll live like a college student your whole life). If your world revolves around bikes, that may be good for you. But think twice if you want disposable income. On the other hand, bike mechanics is a useful fall-back skill (I went back into it after 30 year in science when research funding started to dry up) and I love the work and extra income. I know another mechanic who gave up an engineering career to do bike work full time. She's managed to stay employed year-round but lives car-free.

[lunacycles]

Don't overlook UBI's one week basic mechanics course just for women held every year--usually in the summer when it is gorgeous in Ashland. It covers the same stuff as their other basic course, but is a friendlier atmosphere as far as feeling like a newbie goes. I tought it for a few years and it was always a blast.

UBI's web site is bikeschool.com

[Red Rock]

DebW and Lunacycles thankyou for your input and various answers. It is making me think twice about this. In the meantime, I will checkout some of the websites you all mentioned and go from there.

Red Rock

[Tuckervill]

I've been thinking about going to UBI, myself. Thinking we need a bike shop here in my little town. I just can't jump on it yet, due to other obligations. My son is dying for me to open a shop. He wants to sell bikes on one side and guitars on the other! lol. (I actually think it could work.)

But I think in this small Southern town, I'd need to earn some credibility by going to bike school. hmmm....just dreaming right now.


Karen

[madscot13]

I would love to go to UBI or the Barnett's school, but since I don't live near them the extra cost of room, board, and transportation is very prohibitive. I did an REI one day bike class. everything was very short and abridged. It taught me the basics of keeping my drivetrain in good order and how to dismantle it. I wish I could have learned how to set up cables and repack my headset but time was so short. I would recommend it for learning how to take care of your bike and to avoid taking your bike to the shop for its annual check up by doing it yourself. I don't think it taught me enough to build a bike up from parts.

[Red Rock]

This might sound terrible, but I do not even have access to a "local" REI even though I am a member! It might sound like I'm in the sticks. We do have a few chain/BIg Box stores here but none of the fun stuff. I have to drive for that. So right now, I'm reading and have been reading anything and everything on cycling probably for the last four years in my spare time. My DH might think it is my new drug of choice.

I am dealing with squeeling brakes on my HT lately. From what I have read it could be a matter of using sandpaper on the brake pads to give them a surface or "toeing-in" the pads themselves. How the second one reduces the squeeling, I have no idea.

It would be really useful to at least take a comprehensive course that covers everything. Bike Mechanics 101. That way I would be exposed to everything. Then if I wanted, I could expand on the base that I had.

More random thoughts,
Red Rock

[Tuckervill]

Oh, how terrible! No REI!!!!??!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

:D

There's not an REI within 350 miles of me. :-\

Karen

[Red Rock]

Tuckervill-that is about the closest REI to me as well approx 350 miles. More are further away. We might be in similar situations.

Being that far away keeps the tempations down for sure.

Red Rock

[withm]

For me it's 100 miles north to a city I never go to, or 150 miles west where I go often, for the nearest REI stores. But it sure cuts down on the impulse buying :). Hmm same situation for Trader Joes - which is more of a hardship. At least at REI I can shop online!

[newfsmith]

Red Rock, Barnett Bicycle Institute is located in Colorado Springs. They have a 5 day intensive course that sounds like it would be a good start for you.
http://www.bbinstitute.com/baa.htm If you like it, you can always go back for more advanced courses. Not cheap, but no school is. I went to the UBI course Lunacycle mentioned. It was very good, but I suspect that this course would be quite similar and it is a lot closer to you.

[Red Rock]

newfsmith: Thankyou for the website, I checked it out. There is a lot to think about in all of this. All of those courses would be great to have is you were opening your own shop. I liked how comprehensive they seem at least.

I will keep thinking.

Red Rock

[madscot13]

how far was the closest REI? it is at least a one day course.

what kind of brakes do you have?

[Red Rock]

madscot13- I have two choices for REI, roughly 250 miles or 450 miles. Whenever we go to the city 250 miles away, it takes planning. We try to make a weekend out of it or something along those lines. Since I became married, I don't just jump into the car anymore and go someplace (on a whim).

My brakes are the V-brakes/cantilever type-not disk. After I logged off here last night I went to the biketutor.com and re-listened to what they had to say about brake adjustment. In his tutorial he said to use sandpaper to put the surface on the brake pads. If the brakes continue to squeel then I would need a better quality brake pad. So I went and got some fine sandpaper and will put the bike up and get my pads sanded a little bit before I go for another ride.

Red Rock