Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Working in bike shops for 5 years I'll assume the OP already knows repair and assembly and can do quality work - the First time, without re-works. Given that assumption and if it's speed your after, find places during a repair or assembly process to save time.

First some context: back in the mid to late 1970's I worked in shops during my high school and college years. I was taught by the best in my first job at Al's Bike Shop in Cleveland Heights Ohio. Al taught me the fundamentals which I expanded on over those years. I must have been about 17 or 18 and had been working in his shop for a couple of years but he said to me while I was over-hauling a "10-speed", "put the bearings and races into the degreaser as soon as you get them off the bike, then disassemble the other axel and do the same."

You see, I was taking off the front wheel, disassembling the axel, setting it aside and then doing the same for the rear end and the freewheel. Then I waited a while for the solvent to do its thing. Wrong. Get them soaking as soon as they're off the bike. By the time you have the rear off, the front is ready to hose down, dry, re-lube and put back onto the fork - usually.

Here's another: brake and shifter cables - I would disconnect them then pull the cable out of the housing. Wipe it down, put grease on my finger and re-grease then re-assemble. Wrong. Pull the cable out, get a rag, fold in half, and put a dab of grease on one end, pull the cable through the non-greased part and as you pull the cable the greased part re-lubes the cable...one pass takes off the old crap and puts on the new grease.

There are a host of other short things that can save a minute here and a minute there. Added up they might be 15 minutes saved. Granted parts and bikes have changed since then but the premise still holds. Find ways to more efficiently do the mundane tasks. By the way, Al taught me the time savers above.

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast...take the appropriate amount of time to do it right the first time so you don't mess up or miss anything and have to do it over again. And if you do miss something and the customer brings it back, the owner isn't getting paid for that, it costs the owner money.

Note: If the OP rarely gets a re-work to do, take note if the other mechanic(s) get their bikes back as a re-work. If you don't get any back and they do, consider approaching the shop owner and mention that none of your bikes come back so he doesn't eat any labor costs on you in re-works. Re-works can really impact profits.


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