BBassett

I live in Washington state and can't seem to find a great mechanic. Inexperienced, poor attention to detail, lack of proper tools and uninspired attitudes. Any suggestions on a great shop and a superior wrench would be greatly appreciated.

shelbyfv

Not rocket surgery, learn to do it yourself. Downside is you couldn't rant on BF about the worthless mechanic.

3alarmer 

.
...they quit doing it because they could make better incomes doing something else.

FBinNY 

That's a piece of it, but the truth is that there are still great mechanics working in or owning shops all over the country.

Most mechanics are decent, working on a limited selection of jobs they're familiar with. Some are far better than that and are solid journeyman mechanics able to work on a wide range of jobs, and a small percentage are actually great, meaning having solid knowledge and instincts, and good hands. Even if it's only one out of a hundred, that means that you should be able to fine a few in any major market.

I don't know all the players in the Sea-Tac market, but know of at least a few in Seattle.

IMO - if the OP asks the same question, rephrased slightly, in the NW regional forum, I'm sure he'll get a few names. Or he can email DKCB, and ask for a referral or two. He can use my name - Francis from CHAIN-L as an entree if necessary.

Rubato

Classic Cycles in Eagle Harbor. Ride your bike across on the Ferry for $5, it's free eastbound.

shelbyfv

Also, if you are the customer nobody wants to deal with, you may not get the best service.

nfmisso

+++

Personally, I do almost all of my own work. For things I do not have the tools for, I go to Wheel Away on Hamilton in Campbell, CA. Great shop; with a truly exceptional lead mechanic.

sweeks

In some shops, this is the customer who asks questions (*any* questions). Just saying...
Steve

thumpism 

Many of us have retired to our own garages.

hairnet

Yep. It was fun when I was younger because it was a hobby I made a job out of. Loved working on all kinds of bikes and solving different problems. But at some point I knew I had to find a way to make some real money.

JohnDThompson 

Yeah. I couldn't support a family on what I was making working on bikes, so I set out on a better paid career in health care. Now that I've retired, the house paid off, and the children are all out of the house and gainfully employed, I'm free to return to working on bikes, this time as a volunteer:

https://riverviewgardens.org/earn-a-bike/

blakcloud

I always worked on my own bike but when life got to busy I took my bike to mechanics. Like the OP I could never find a good one. I would try one shop and they would screw up and I would go to the next and the same thing would happen. I lost confidence in finding anyone so I went back to finding the time to wrench on my own bike. I have accumulated almost every tool. The only thing I can't do is facing and chasing.

Andy_K 

Not true. I do my own work and I complain on here about my mechanic being worthless all the time.

cny-bikeman

I believe there are indeed fewer great mechanics working in shops. I've worked in both bicycle repair and computer support, and have seen the same phenomenon occur in both fields in recent years. In IT support it's called filling a seat. Employers primarily look at the cost of the employee, rather than the value of the person. Therefore they are less willing to pay a premium for expertise.

The skill and knowledge necessary to be a great mechanic is grossly underestimated by most people, and underappreciated by most shop owners. It takes the application of logic, physics, math, and even interpersonal skills, and the people who have such a spectrum of abilities can find better paying jobs these days using those same skills elsewhere.

I made $9.00 an hour plus 10% of billed labor as a head mechanic in 1984, roughly $11-12 per hour total. That's equivalent to over $30 an hour now. There's no way you will find a shop paying that much in the size market I was in (Lansing, MI) and probably not even in places like SF and NYC.

fietsbob

Working for the Professional race teams...

Booger1

Kids haven't figured out how to make computers fix bicycles?

HerrKaLeun

I think in the old days people did most of their repair themselves and only went to LBS for difficult tasks. Nowadays where you just pay someone for everything most people have two left hands.
A while ago I was at LBS and had to wait for a part. While standing there customers came in with bikes to:
- replace tires
- check brakes (just some adjustment)
- add training wheels
- "look it over if OK to ride after winter"

All things you don't really need a good mechanic for and it takes more time to put the bike in the car and drive to LBS than to just do them at home. I can see how good mechanics not only don't get paid well, but also got bored.

fietsbob

Noted; You have an expensive taste in equipment.

Seattle.. try R&E.. and Aaron's bike repair. the owners rather than the hired help ..

(I Don't live there; I'm in a old Fishing Port across the river, we have to scramble, with little money.)

Want to Buy A Bike Shop?



it is a even more thankless job Now, because of online sales discounters, and internet "experts"...




...

Andy_K 

Actually....

https://www.bikerumor.com/2015/10/01...ur-adjustment/

drlogik 

I think it's also in part to the age of throw-away parts and components. No longer are many parts "repaired" they are replaced. Most mechanics that I see now basically only assemble bikes, adjust bikes and replace a part. Because of that, actually repairing bikes is becoming a lost art.

Back in the day we used to actually fabricate parts for old bikes if they were no longer readily available, repair frames (brazing and straightening) and perform full overhauls with loose bearings not cassette bearings. Everything had to be meticulously cleaned and inspected.

Now bearings are often removed and replaced with a new cassette. Frames are sent back for warranty. And old bikes, sorry, Mack, we don't repair those.

There's only two shops in my town that seem to still function as a true bike shop.

As previously mentioned, yeah, the pay would definitely discourage many from working as a mechanic as a career job .


-

Lazyass

Having someone else work on my bike for me would be like losing my manhood.

Joe Minton

I taught professional level motorcycle repair at LATTC (Los Angeles Trade-Tech College) for five years. My students were collectively the brightest in the school (according to entry testing) and full of enthusiasm for the trade. They did well in the field and we were told that shop owners and even manufacturers preferred our graduates (two-year degree) over moderately experienced wrenches.

Problem was --- no one could make enough money to raise a family. Being an M/C mechanic was fun when young but was seldom a career. I quit teaching because I could no longer 'look them in the eye' and say they were doing a good thing.

Joe

Joe Minton

And another thing:

--- I know three bicycle mechanics who are true journeymen. They can fix just about any bike, build any wheel and know lots about components, component matches, etc, etc, etc.

They, each and all, are paid minimum wage and are, for various reasons, trapped --- in our increasingly dystopian national culture.

Joe

Spoonrobot 

Like everything else these days, there's no money in it unless you get on at a big box like REI and Performance. Some of the best mechs I've seen have been at these two places. They both heavily promote continuing education and advancement for the best of the best.

zacster

I do all of my own work. There are a few good mechanics in Brooklyn I suppose, but whenever I need something done I just buy the special tool and do it myself. The big difference is I always have to source parts from somewhere, whereas a mechanic may have them on hand, especially to common ones.

But I've always just thought there is no money in it, just minimum wage, and anyone that's good will find something else to do that they're also good at that pays. That is unless you own your own shop and can keep costs down so that what you take in leaves a little something for yourself.

And for the OP, I lived in Seattle in the 80s and most of my tools date from then. The problem is that every time something needs work on my modern bike it requires a new tool. At least a lot of parts are just Allen bolts. I used Wright Bros in Fremont, but I don't know what their status is. He was still there 5 years ago.