How To Become a Bicycle Mechanic

Want to become a full-fledged bicycle mechanic? Maybe you want to go on to be a pro race mechanic.

There are three main options for your education: practice, school, and employment.

Be Your Own Bicycle Mechanic

Practice: It is not a good idea to just take your (or your friend’s) bike apart without knowing how to put it back together. Start small. The best thing to do would be to buy a book on the subject. View some here.

Once you’ve done some reading, you can move on to real-life practice on your own bike. If possible, practice repairs on your “beater bike” or secondary bike, especially if you use your bicycle often.

 

Bicycle Repair School

School: You may be able to attend a course or seminar on bike repair depending on your location. Park Tool School is one option.

United Bicycle Institute also offers a true bicycle repair school.

 

Work In a Bike Shop

Employment: Working in a bike shop will make you a wrench in no time. Learning from the other mechanics is easy. If you can’t get a job, offer to volunteer during busy seasons.

Don’t expect to get paid a lot of money, and expect to work evenings and weekends.