General Cycling Discussion - Any BS employees out there?

Are there any bike shop owners and/or employees in the forums? I've decided what I want to do with my life is to own my own shop. There are no schools around me for bike mechanics though, so I'm trying to find a part-time job at one of the LBS around me for a sort of apprenticeship. I'd like to hear what you're experiences of working in a bike shop are.

P.S. If I came into your shop, asked for a job, and said for pay I'd like to have a bike and work it off, would you laugh me out the door?

I luckily got a job at a bike shop for the summer
For the most part, it's boring stuff...but then again I'm not actually working on putting hte bikes together

You will discover that most bike shop work is rather routine and boring. After all, how many interesting ways are there of changing brake or gear cables? Getting them to work afterward is the challenge. (and not a very big one at that.)

Unless you have an entreprenurial spirit, and seriously want to be a business man --are willing to study marketing, retailing, selling, psychology, ACCOUNTING, demographic trends etc, etc and so on-- then being a SUCCESSFUL (making money) shop owner is rather difficult.

It would also help if you had a college education in Business and went to a Technical School to learn everything there is to know about building frames and repairing bicycles. They are for more complicated than most people can ever imagine. And the manufacturers are constantly coming up with newer more complicated ways of building them.

As you read these Forums and hear the grips and complaints these "customers" have against their LBS's, ask yourself, "What could I have done to make them a satisfied customer." (Other than give it to them for FREE, because that is what most of them want.) Talk to your current employer about it; see how he handles these difficult situations.

You're still fairly young, Keep your options open.

No as a mater of fact we have allowed this to happen twice already. If someone comes in who shows Genuine interest and is willing to learn then we consider it. The biggest thing I find is keeping up on a yearly basis to what changes between the component maufacturer's.
That and you get to procure your stuff for a price that would blow you away in some cases.
I firmly believe though that hands on experience is your best bet.

I'm not a BS employee, but I have a BS employer :D

Originally posted by threadend
I'm not a BS employee, but I have a BS employer :D

I work for the government. Enough said.