I think there are some differences between a good home mechanic and a pro. You can be one without being the other, and with no loss of honor, like being a good cook without being a chef.

At home, you're not going to see 10000 bikes in your lifetime, but you have a chance to learn good general mechanical and troubleshooting skills around the house. Learn to repair anything that breaks. Learn to dive into a technology that's unknown to you. I repaired my home furnace yesterday. Learn to research problems on the web.

You guys who haven't worked on hydraulics and electronics... come on. You'd figure it out in a jiffy, because troubleshooting and "learning how to learn" are in your blood by now.

Practice preventive maintenance. Like a doctor, a pro mechanic has to make a quick assessment based on just what they see in front of them, and what the customer has told them. When it's your own bikes, you are constantly evaluating and observing their behavior while you ride. You can learn to notice problems creeping up and fix it before it actually breaks. You can also learn how your riding habits affect the reliability of your bikes. You will enjoy cycling more if every little problem doesn't eat up 2 hours taking your bike back and forth to the shop.

This is a little blog article that explains the benefits of preventive maintenance:

https://jessitron.com/2021/01/18/whe...keep-it-small/