Originally Posted by Rev.Chuck
"At least some bike shops send their personnel to bike school. I just sent one person. I may send another this summer. I obviously think it is worth the couple of grand it cost me to do that (one week only: salary, lodging, tuition)."
Not many do. If you have an inexperienced guy, why not. If I could take a $50 test and get certified I would, I am not spending a week, doing rote adjustment of headsets and hubs to take a test. I spent a year in tech school(3.8gpa) worked as an equipment mechanic for ten years and as bike mechanic for three, back to equipment for three, and now back to bikes for four so far(At the only place that ever kept track my repair rate was 99.6%). The only thing we don't do is major frame repair, i.e. tube replacement. My rep is good enough that a former world champ interupted my dinner( I can't make it through a meal even at home) tonight to drop off his Record Prince because he dosen't want any one else to touch it. That is enough certification for me.
Rev,
I think you are the exception to the rule. You are obviously an actual mechanic that works on bikes. A lot of "bike mechanics" are simply someone with little or no mechanical ability that somehow got a job working on bikes. These are the guys that would benefit from a certification course, along with the customer. What people don't realize about certifications, trade certs and things like helmet safety certs, is that they are MINIMUM requirements. Also, unfortunately, industries that do not require certs usually have most of their people working at below what should be the minimum required level.
I work in the IT industry and have several certifications. I found that you learn about 1/3 in the course, 1/3 by experience, AND 1/3 by studying for the certification exam. I have seen some people with lots of experience and no certs making some serious fundamental errors.
What do you call a person that got a D- in medical school**********
DOCTOR
