Clarence Dupree

I was wondering,how can I become a Bicycle Mechanic?

I mean,I know in order to do that one need to know about how to deal with Bike Problems,but the question here is: How did Bike Mechanics learn how to do and fix up the Bicycles?

Back in my Fathers day,all he had to do was go to a Bicycle Shop was watch how the "Uncle Bicycle" fix the Bikes but these days if you try and do that,things will go absolutely awkard for some reason.

Drew Eckhardt 

Bicycles are simple machines with very little to understand so it doesn't take much.

Visit the parktool.com website, watch youtube videos, read Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance.

RubeRad

Buy a bike for $50-100 off CL, take it completely apart, clean the parts, and put it back together. Search around here and youtube as necessary. Repeat.

Velocivixen

Or you could go here: United Bicycle Institute

I'm not implying you MUST go to a school to become a bike mechanic, but just another option for you. Good luck.

howeeee

In most major cities, close to a University there are bike co ops that will let you volunteer working on bikes, and they will teach you.

There are bike shops that have repair classes, usually for a small fee like 10 bucks a class.

I am 60 years old and have been working on bicycles since I was 12, picked it up from another kid in the neigborhood. Only thing in life i like more than working on bicycles is riding them.

Somebody gave me this Schwinn Town and Country in pieces, I put it back together and just traded it for a brand new fixie that sells for over 400 bucks.

Sixty Fiver

UBI will give you a basic introduction to tools, techniques, and current technology but nothing replaces practice... being able to think on your feet and problem solve are important skills as is the habit of being a constant student to stay on top of what's new and old.

Working on your own bike is a lot different than working on everyone else's bikes... there is always something new to deal with.

Knowing where to look for answers when you are baffled is also very helpful.

Velocivixen

@ Sixty Fiver - yes you are correct. I was feeling a little cheeky, and being in Portland,Mahdi to put a plug in.
i completely agree that there is a difference working on your own bike vs someone else's AND on a time schedule. I love doing stuff to my bikes because I've got all the time in the world, but in a shop you've got productivity to meet. Get the job done well then out the door.

Sixty Fiver

I went to UBI a few years ago to get the professional certification... was only there a few days before the instructors and other students were asking why I was even there and would ride in every day on my own custom built bike.

In a class of 15, where people were put into pairs I was often on my own and still finished the projects in enough time to go and help the other students and helped tutor others before the exam.

I have also been teaching classes here for many years on everything from basic skills to more advanced skills like wheel building and overhauling internal gear hubs... quite a few people have asked if I would teach them how to build frames but I am not ready for that.

Panthers007

All things "Bicycle" are good to have under one's belt to be a very good mechanic. It will separate one from the shops that hire bucked-toothed morons who resemble Jethro Bodine. UBI is a lot of fun. So are community places that offer bike mechanics from volunteer staff and teachers. More and more of these are springing up these days. Ask around. And here's one to get you going... Bicycle Tutor - Bike Repair Video Tutorials

Kimmo

Look for a local co-op. Links in my tag.

beerbaron2002

Lol walk into bike shop get hired start working.

The pay is **** BTW.

cny-bikeman

Some good advice above, some with which I don't agree. Yes to checking out a bike co-op or formal training and to the pay being low. No to "easy to understand...doesn't take much" and taking apart a bike to learn.

Whether working on a bike or ANY machine/mechanism is easy depends very much on your thinking style and ability. One needs at least a basic concept of how things interact mechanically (aka physics) and a logical, analytical approach in order to grasp how a bike works and to troubleshoot problems. One only has to peruse this forum to discover that there are some who do not have those abilities. One has to understand the "why" of doing a procedure, not just the "how." If you are good at figuring out other types of problems then you will probably be a good mechanic. If you get stumped when written instructions don't match the situation then you will face some challenges. If you read and understand instructions and then figure out a way to do it better you're well on the way. That's true whether you're working on a bike or a compute or even assembling a piece of furniture. If you want to get very far you also need to be pretty good with math, and communication skills are very important when working in a shop. Start understanding and using correct terminology right away.

Tearing apart and reassembling a single bicycle is just as likely to teach you wrong procedures as correct ones, and what you learn may not extend to other situations. You will spend a lot of time in comparison to the benefit, on procedures that are not done very often, with tools that are relatively expensive. Instead, focus on one thing at a time, understanding everything that affects that system. On the other hand derailleur adjustment, assuming other things are OK, only requires a simple wrench, screwdriver and some lubrication.
However, a "simple" rear derailleur's operation is affected by it's attachment and alignment to the frame, the condition and type of chain, the size and spacing of the rear cogs, the condition and mounting/attachment/tension of the shift cable, the condition and type of lever, and of course the adjustment of the derailleur itself - and that's not an absolutely complete list. So it's important to understand how things interact and depend on each other.

As for back in the day - you don't learn how to work on bikes by copying what someone does. You have to understand the purpose of what's being done, and for that to happen would require the mechanic to do a lot of explaining - not what s/he is employed to do.

How do mechanics learn? I would guess that many just start by doing little things, but again while thinking about what they are doing. I started in grade school working on a coaster brake bike, with almost no assistance from my father. I have a very analytical and curious mind, and am both adventurous and careful, so I often try new things but go slowly when in new territory, and I think that is a large part of what makes me a mechanic.

deeth82

"Amen" to everything above. I'll echo Sixty's sentiments here:

◘ Read voraciously and don't pigeon-hole yourself into simply following one book/site or the other. You've already fought half that battle by seeing the varying opinions/techniques on these forums. You can learn a lot here!
◘ Put what you read into practice. As suggested by Ruberad, put a small investment into a "tinker" bike and tinker around with it. Use the instructional materials/advice you've learned to break it down and build it back up again after properly cleaning/lubing it. Once you know how it all goes together, you've conquered your goal of learning the general rules of those specific parts/frame types.
◘ Be mindful of your toolset. An adjustable wrench won't do it all when working on bikes, but it can help you as an extension of other tools, such as a bottom bracket removal tool. Remember: Some specialized tools are specialized for a reason; as you grow in experience you'll learn to recognize whether the cost of a specific tool is worth it, or whether you can accomplish its prescribed task with tools already in your possession. I'm able to remove headset cups with a long flathead screwdriver and a rubber mallet with patience and careful pressure, but if I don't want to damage the inside of the headtube, it might be best to break down and get/make the specialized tool for this task.
◘ Learn to step back and breathe. Rome was not built in a day, and even Sixty & Co. will tell you that some bike jobs require patience and paced thought, even in the face of deadlines. This is where critical thinking and creative problem solving can come into play in a major way. Learn to strike the balance between being patient, methodical, motivated, and driven.

vstkrc

I'd suggest following up with the co-op suggestion. As mentioned by cny , tearing apart a bike and rebuilding it won't necessarily teach you anything (or anything correct) so I would suggest having someone teach you. Maybe you start working on your own later, but it's rough to read instructions and look and diagrams trying to figure things out on your own.

billnuke1 

Either you is or you ain"t! I can work on all of my bikes. I have enough bikes and tools and inventory to be called a Bike Shop! I hung out with a buddy who is a "Bike Mechanic" for an afternoon. It is his vocation! I get stuck on a repair and I can take the bike down until I feel like working on it again! He just soldiers on! Do you have a romantic vision of being a bike mechanic? Why do you want to be a "Bike Mechanic?"

Bandera

If you are interested in low wage seasonal employment w/o benefits or professional advancement being a Bicycle Mechanic is for you. Go to school instead, get a real job and wrench your own kit as it pleases you.

-Bandera

dbg

So I'm going to +1 on the "school and real job" sentiment --and then do bicycle mechanics as a hobby.

Regarding getting started: I ordered a bunch of grab-bag bicycle parts on ebay many years ago (early days of ebay) and just started trying to figure out every part I received. But I also am obsessive on my hobbies and love doing mechanical stuff and working with my hands. I think you kinda have to have a mechanical "gene" in you --to be good and creative in your approach.

wphamilton

But what if that's where someone's interests and talents lie, as opposed to school and "a real job"? It's honest work, a real job that needs specialized knowledge and worth our respect, and that's got to be useful even if you don't want to be a bike mechanic forever.

I have to disagree with the kind of perspective that has bike mechanics as "twisting a hex key" and little else. Yes I know all about my bikes, and I'm OK with my wife and kid's mountain bikes, and yes it is easy on my bikes, but that doesn't make me a bike mechanic by any means. Get me away from that narrow range and I'll be at square one again, just like anyone else who isn't a real mechanic. I'd love to have the knowledge of an expert mechanic - I might use it along with what I do know to create B2B product for example. I'm just saying that we should be cautious about putting it down as a vocation.

Panthers007

[QUOTE=wphamilton;16747994]But what if that's where someone's interests and talents lie, as opposed to school and "a real job"? It's honest work, a real job that needs specialized knowledge and worth our respect, and that's got to be useful even if you don't want to be a bike mechanic forever.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seems our culture rather negates the worth of any occupation that doesn't bring home a Rolls-Royce every week. Some folks find that working as something that Donald Trump would fire you for is their "Land O' Plenty." Learning to be practical so as to pay the basic expenses is a learned skill in life. But landing that lucrative position in a Fortune 1000 company, along with pulling out one's hair in clumps and beating the kids after work is, thankfully, not what many folks find to be the best way to live.

So go ahead and become a bike-mechanic. Maybe you'll meet some great people that way. And in the Winters, drive a snow-plow!

Do what's right for YOU.

Have fun!

Wilfred Laurier

i would reccomend talking to the mangers and owners of lbss in your area
and tell them you are interested in working there

you will almost definitely not be hired as a bike mechanic
but try to get a job working in sales
or sweeping up and taking out the garbage

if you can get a job at an lbs
take every opportunity to solve mechanical problems with bikes
and ask if you can assemble some new bikes out of boxes

also
be very open to criticism from more experienced shop employees
and ask questions and listen carefully to the answers

Sixty Fiver

Working at a bicycle mechanic is my real job, I find that too many folks devalue this and say it is "simple" when being a competent technician involves more than just turning wrenches.

The bicycle industry is just as bad when it comes to putting value on competent people... this does not stop them from charging some atrocious labour rates although these rates do not trickle down to the people doing the work as well as it should.

I work on bicycles that are worth more than either of my vehicles and handle parts that are also worth thousands of dollars, a failure on my part could result in serious injury or death to my customers.

That would hurt business.