Cycle mechanic
Bike mechanic, bicycle technician
Cycle mechanics build, repair and service all kinds of bikes.
Salary range: £20,000 to £30,000
How to become a cycle mechanic
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- specialist private training courses
College
You’ll find it useful to have a recognised qualification like the Level 2 Certificate in Cycle Maintenance.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
More information
Apprenticeship
You could get into this job through a bicycle mechanic intermediate apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
More information
Work
You could start as a retail assistant in a bike shop and apply for a role as a trainee mechanic. Your employer may pay for your training.
Other routes
You could study for technical cycle maintenance qualifications offered by Cytech.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You’ll need:
- the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- analytical thinking skills
- customer service skills
- the ability to sell products and services
- knowledge of engineering science and technology
- problem-solving skills
- the ability to work well with your hands
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day duties may include:
- building a bike from scratch to a customer’s specification
- identifying problems with a bike and discussing solutions with the customer
- estimating the cost of repairs and giving quotes
- carrying out a bike service and safety check
- carrying out repairs and replacing parts
- cleaning, degreasing and lubricating bike parts
- giving advice to customers
- ordering bike parts and keeping a log of stock
- taking bookings for repairs and processing paperwork
- liaising with suppliers and dealers
- attending cycling events to provide repairs and technical support
Working environment
You could work in a workshop or at a store.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could progress to a large organisation like British Cycling, who employ specialist mechanics working for the British racing team.
With 3 to 5 years’ experience you could progress to head mechanic.
You could also become self-employed and set up a mobile bike mechanic business, or open your own shop. The Cycling Experts have more information on setting up a bike shop.
As an experienced and qualified cycle mechanic you could also move into teaching other mechanics.