Originally Posted by
Sixty Fiver
The basics are still the basics.
I don't expect these young mechs to possess arcane knowledge and it seems that in most cases the complaints do regard a failure to understand the basics and apply them.
The most important skill a mechanic can have is the ability to ask questions of people who know the right answers... I have had several head mechanics from different shops call me to get information on this or that (this is a pretty regular thing) while I still do the same when I run into something unfamiliar but I am rarely baffled by anything mechanical.
I read today a few articles on bike shop earnings and compensation. Mechanics on average earn less than those who have less than a high school education. So, they are working there for other reasons just as they did decades ago, to be around bikes, to help support their racing, certainly not for the money. C&V bikes are outliers to the normal course of business now, the interested or the "old hands" will have the knowledge or capability. It is of no surprise that C&V bikes do not get the attention even if the basic engineering is more straightforward. I would classify most on this forum as frugal, for the jobs a fair percentage might visit a shop for, those requiring a special tool(s), we as a group are more knowledgeable and more demanding as we know when the BS button is being used.
I read that bicycle retailing has been compared to a perfect market, a place as a seller one does not want to be. The cards are all held by the consumer. (Or the brand or distributor) better luck doing repairs and selling clothing. It should be of no surprise that the number of local bike shops has not stopped declining, apparently the shrinkage has slowed, but not reversed.