I've been a bicycle mechanic in London for the past 5 years, 3 years at a big corporate chain and the past 2 years at an independent.

Something that's become apparent during my time at my current place of work is that I am slow as **** at servicing. I can bash out small jobs no problem, but services that are supposed to take 90-120 minutes sometimes take me as long as 4 hours.

It's usually the bikes that are beaten to hell, rusty as ****, or high-end carbon nightmares. It's not a particular part of the bikes that I find myself getting stuck on, it's the overall process of getting longer services done as efficiently as possible that I can't seem to wrap my head around.

My manager is getting increasingly pissed off with me and it makes me feel like a moron. I have ADHD and I really struggle to get a clear mental checklist of everything I should be doing. I often find myself just going through the motions while my mind is elsewhere. It's something I've struggled with as far back as I can remember, my mind just wanders whilst I'm working and before you know it, I've turned a 2 hour job into one that takes me all day.

I'm getting increasingly frustrated with myself and I'm starting to worry that if I can't figure this out I might have to leave the trade. I can't see myself doing anything else and I'd be miserable if I had to quit because I couldn't bring myself to meet service time expectations.

Does anyone have any advice? I'm not sure what to do :/

When I had my own shop I used the Barnett Institute system of service manuals. It broke down service/assembly jobs by sequence of steps in the order that won't have you repeating yourself. I would keep a copy of the common service jobs at the service write up counter for showing customers. One aspect of these guide sheets was the printed statements like: "this flat rate worksheet is based on component condition which don't hinder the work. Added time to deal with corroded and damaged beyond conventional removal parts, and unseen issues can result is a greater total labor cost."

Who is doing the service write ups? Is it that boss of someone else. The best way to not lose money on repairs is to have the estimate match the results. If the service writer isn't skilled or motivated enough to do the needed assessment in front of the customer and explain it then, that store will lose money on repairs. A good service writer knows their mechanics, their parts inventory, their cost per time unit and be able to estimate accordingly.

I admit to having some of the same problem, busy mind and slow production. I can say that after a while the mechanical process/steps got easier to remember although the cerebral side still takes effort to stay on focus.

Learn to do the right work the first time, nothing adds to the time spent and an unhappy boss than returns due to shoddy work.

The fastest craftsmen in various trades I've seen are not the ones in a hurry. It's the ones who very clearly understand what they need to do and do it. No futzing around, no trying to figure out the problem, just constant progress forward. The goal needs to be efficiency.

Some surgeons in residency learn to do things in a certain number of steps. Then they practice, a lot.

A few other things come to mind. You mentioned ADHD. I've worked alongside that a lot and am probably a bit on the undiagnosed side of it myself. Checklists can help you from getting distracted. Good hydration, good nutrition, and not too much caffeine or sugar also help.

A hallmark of ADHD is clutter, I seriously struggle with this in my workshop. It's easy to spend half my time looking for the right tool only to find it right in front of me. A basically clean workspace with only the primary things really helps me keep moving. Keep the rest organized in drawers or wall hooks or however you've got it laid out in case you need it.

I'm not a professional. So those tips really aren't bike mechanic specific. Just generally helpful for organization.

Practice and study. That is the best way to become faster. However don't add speed at the expense of accuracy.

In your case ask your service manager to draw up a checklist of everything that they expect during that tune up to happen and maybe some order and give you a checklist to go through each time. Having a list can really help quite a bit. Also make sure you are free of distractions so if your manager is having you help customers you will be slower 100% that is a guarantee but if you are in the back left alone then you should have an easier time.

One of the biggest things I tell all mechanics NEVER EVER EVER BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS. Look it up, watch a video, watch it again and again till you are confident, go to your service manager or a knowledgeable mechanic and ask them as many questions as you can when you need it. A good mechanic knows when to stop and ask for help and a poor mechanic says "I got this".

I know it also can be a scary proposition to go to your service manager and have a conversation with them but that could help. Be honest about your skills, let them know why you think you are slow and again ask for help. If you are struggling at a tune because you cannot bleed brakes or wrap bars well give it to another mechanic or ask your service manager if you can do that. Good communication is always super important and can really help you out and if your service manager gets mad at you for it then it is probably not a shop you want to work at.

Up to a certain point I want to make sure I can accommodate my staff and if there is something they cannot do I have someone who can step in and help. The goal is getting the job done not forcing something on someone that clearly isn't strong in that category. I have a mechanic who is not strong in wrapping bars (though they are getting much better) so I tell them all the time "hey have X do it and just take notes on everything you did and we will have them do it later or tomorrow. I know they can do really good work elsewhere and I have someone on staff that is a wiz at bar wraps so not a problem. However these days they are getting quite good and I had them wrap the bars on my new bike and honestly they did a perfect job and I made sure to let them know because I think that is super important. Acknowledging staff is crucial and makes them work harder and better because they know you can see them. When I found out the owner of the company I worked at always wanted to get his bikes set up like mine after he passed I was over the damn moon it made me feel great though at that point it didn't matter but it made me realize how important it is to say it often to your staff because one day you might not be there so when I opened my place I make sure to praise staff when they do good work and I try to thank everyone for their work each day. It may sound corny but it helps, I can see the staff improving and really dedicating themselves to the company which is great.

Park Tool videos are great also Zinn and the Art of _____ Bike Maintenance is great and reading though old Sutherlands and Barnetts stuff is also helpful but just being curious really helps. I am a mediocre mechanic but there are some obscure things that I know that most mechanics don't pay attention to and so I am frequently called in as an "expert" a term I vehemently deny to help with this odd stuff. Spend time on the forums here, check out other bike websites look at the new stuff they have coming out look at old sites like Disraeli Gears and learn about the old stuff and just immerse yourself in it. I came from knowing little about bikes to knowing a little more now (most would say quite a lot but my knowledge is tiny compared to some people I have worked with at least I think) and it was all being curious. (A Ted Lasso reference)

What helps me to focus is I listen to audiobooks. used to be podcasts/ Music I don't really hear much of. But my ADHD really gets help when I ride my bike it helps me focus on the road and not my thoughts too.

I have worked with mechanics with ADHD. Drifting off or getting overwhelmed is common. Consider medication.

Otherwise, you know what you're doing, so break down the job by systems: Frame, wheels, bearings, shifting, brakes, bars. Create a list that works for you, treat each step as a job, take some sort of very short break between each step, come back to the next step fresh like a new job. Write the list down and reference it. That will allow you to concentrate for shorter periods without burning out or drifting off. Don't worry about the next thing until you're done with the one you're on.

Likely underestimating the time required...possibly quoting one type of service then doing another...possibly getting distracted by everything you find wrong and fixing/servicing it even when not part of the service quoted and/or requested/authorized.

if you are costing the shop money by doing 'free' services...ie...a customer brings in a bike for a basic tuneup, which takes less than one hour, and you spend 2+ hours on it because you service things that are not included possibly because the bike owner doesn't want to spend the money, etc. you are giving away service that is costing the shop money because you are being paid by the hour...

is the shop giving realistic service/repair estimates?
it depends on a lot of things but if i were the owner/manager and saw you performing hours of labor that was not 'quoted' or authorized by the bike owner i'd be having a conversation with you and perhaps if you didn't listen would be demoted to lesser jobs that i could watch you over and consider replacing you because i don't have time to watch over you and get my stuff done...

perhaps a 'list' of what is required for each service and you only do what is on the list and check off each item and when all checked off it is done...but who will create the list...as the owner/manager i'm too busy and shouldn't have to do this with an experienced/skilled mechanic...

Man, I'm sorry. Feeling this kind of insecure at work ... sucks.

Do you have the kind of manager ... the kind of relationship with your manager ... where you could ask him to 'look over your shoulder' on a comprehensive maintenance job? In other words, could you approach him/her by saying you're ready, willing, and eager to do better and be faster, but could really use some practical advice from him or her as to the best way to do it.

So, you have a bike come in and the repair order is your most comprehensive scheduled service. If it's the kind of bike that gives you the most trouble/takes you the most time, all the better.

You're asking your manager to watch you work -- the longer the better -- and tell you where he/she thinks you could save time.

If this strikes you as too risky, then you're really in a bad position with regard to this job. A good manager should help you become a better mechanic. If you thought it would help -- and if you were willing to do it -- you could offer to do this 'hands-on training session' on your day off (ie, unpaid). That's NOT ideal, but if you thought it might be helpful, it's an option.

I also wonder whether there's anybody near you, geographically, who you might ask to be your mentor -- somebody who's been working on bikes for decades and could do for you what I'm suggesting you ask your manager to do for you: evaluate your technique, your process, your approach, and your skills, and suggest places for improvement. Some old wrench might be pleased and proud to take a younger, eager 'kid' under his wing. You might also learn a lot about older bikes from somebody with a few decades in this gig.

And ... yeah: if you're not on medication, it's probably worth considering or talking about with a physician.

Best of luck to you. I hope it all works out!

Lots of good tips here - disorganization and doing more work than the job calls for are major time contributors in my experience. This might sound weird, but don't approach a shop job like it's your own bike - that will usually lead to going the "extra mile" with a task that results in extra work being done. Example - a bike comes in for a new chain, you notice the cassette and chainrings are filthy so you go above and beyond and give them a cleaning, that adds a lot of time to the chain task.

I don't know what to tell you. I've got ADHD without the H. What you seem to be alluding to is par for the course for some of us with ADHD. Job changes every 7 to 10 years. And career changes too. Starting your own business might be the best bet for you. But that also might require some failures before you find what business you will be successful at.

Good luck. Keep at it. And keep a healthy mind and attitude.

One trick kind of mentioned but not fully is to tag team on a repair/assembly job with a fellow mechanic/manager.

The shop I still, sort of, part time at had a manager who wore those headphones that transmitted through the bones and not aloud. She would have some NPR show or pod cast running much of the time and still hear all around her (also nice for riding).

These days most bike shops around my area are hard pressed to find good mechanics and will do a lot to retain those they have. Andy.

If it were my bike I wouldn't be going above and beyond I would be neglecting it because I am so busy. However doing a little over the top within 1-5 minutes is fine and some of that is stuff that should be part of a normal tune up like wiping down the entire frame not really for cleanliness but so you can see if there are any cracks or spots of damage to be concerned with but if the bike comes back looking clean the customer is wowed and will almost certainly come back.

In your scenario the service writer did a poor job and you should be doing a drivetrain clean and replacing the cassette and possibly chainrings. The service writer should have that ticket so well set up that you won't need to call the customer for basic stuff like that which can be easily seen on entry. There can always be things that are not seen till you actually start working on bike but basics like replacing chain and cassette and doing a drivetrain clean if things are filthy should have already been caught and the customer should have known and given their approval so you don't have to go back and call them and waste more time.

Agree with the above - it's the service ticket from which you work. Divide that big job into the little jobs that go into it (and for which you eventually bill the custormer).

Then, a momentary break between all the little jobs. Seems silly, but on days I was assigned bike building/assembly, I stuck a packet of peanut M&Ms in the breast pocket of my apron or service clothes and allowed myself one after every bike. Kept me focused. You'll have to find out what works for you. Talk to the boss.

Your shop should be charging "time & materials," not fixed rates, for difficult repairs. I hate to see so many shops and/or mechanics take the hit for bikes that are in terrible shape and improperly maintained. If it takes a qualified mechanic four hours to make a bike work, then the shop should be billing for four hours! If a customer brings in a disgusting bike, you should charge a cleaning fee to get the bike in condition to be serviced. A fastidious mechanic of mine always lamented the dirty bikes by saying, "I bet these customers brush their teeth before they visit the dentist!" And yes, I'm aware of the potential environmental hurdles or costs involved with cleaning bikes in a business environment.

This is what marginalizes the bike industry. Stuff we "throw in for free" to be good guys. Sorry, that's how you run your business into the ground. And people have come to expect stuff be done for free because, "it only took a minute to do!" Well, the reason it "only took a minute" is because you have a trained, paid and insured professional doing the job in a custom workspace designed to expedite repairs that are done with proper and bike-specific tools. Everything adds up to getting thing done efficiently.

Shops shouldn't be penalized for this. It might take decades to change, but it really needs to happen.

This is a really good bit of advice. I'm going to memorise this for those nasty rust buckets that take me longer to work on and repeat it verbatim when my manager quizes me on why a bike is taking longer. All the mechanics do service write ups at our shop, just depends who the customer locks eyes with first when they walk in. We could all do a bit better on front of house quoting quite honestly, but some stuff is a bit harder to spot for less experienced eyes.

Case in point was a battered Roubaix I was working on this past Saturday. Truing the rear wheel was making nipples crack and fall apart under tension. I should have re-tensioned the whole wheel in one go with new nipples, but I kept replacing them one-by-one as they snapped (as if the rest of them weren't going to snap when I got back to truing). Cost me quite a bit of time and was easily missed on that initial service write up.

Insecurity is a bit of a bastard, I'm working on it with my therapist haha

My manager has tried a couple of things like this before, but he's fixing bikes and serving customers as well so he doesn't have a huge amount of time to walk me through the whole hootenanny (which I probably should have learned by now anyway).

We've had the conversation about the pace of my work a few times, which adds to his frustration.

He doesn't consistently enforce his expectations of faster servicing though, which is its own kind of frustrating for me. One week we're palling around and chatting the breeze, this week its noses to the grindstone. We're inching closer to the busy season now, but the tonal whiplash of the work environment from chill to maximum efficiency isn't doing me any favours.

Just got off meds after being on them for a while as they were starting to wear off and I didn't fancy upping my dosage. Trying to rawdog it

I had a much better shift today, didn't run into any nasty problem bikes but I was getting **** done and staying on task.

I'd give myself an expectation of how long the job should take me and tried to keep within those parameters as best as possible. Dividing a service up into 10-30 minute intervals for each part of the job was a big help, I knew when I had time to spend a bit longer on a problem or when I had to hustle a bit faster.

Keeping a clear mind and only thinking about the job instead of what I was doing after work was a big help as well.

Thanks everyone for your advice, warms the cockles to have a helpful community of mechanics in cyberspace like this

Finding a good order of operations can help. Once the bike is up in the stand, quick assess it, figure out if seems like there is anything that might be trouble, and if what the bike needs matches up well with what the service writer put down. If the bike is rusty and crusty, lubricate everything first, including spoke nipples, derailleur and brake pivots, or better yet, see if the service writer can quick lube these parts when checking the bike in so there is more time for the lube to soak in. Identify every part that will need to come off of the bike for the tune-up, and remove them all first. If there is something that could get in the way of completing the bike on time, like a wheel that might be too messed up to fix while a replacement is not on hand, or a headset that is so loose that it might have compromised the frame, tackle those things first so you don't waste a bunch of time fixing a bike that can't be fixed, or so you can call the customer and ask for approval to order parts or add on things the service writer missed.

On an average tune-up, this is the order I do things:
Grease seatpost and get bike up in workstand > Look the bike over > Pull off every part that needs to come off > Throw parts in parts washer if that is part of the specified tune-up package > Clean the frame and fork > Overhaul/replace headset if needed > Adjust and/or overhaul hubs > Clean Wheels > True wheels > Change tires/inner tubes if needed > Put wheels back on bike > Put the bike on the ground and swap or adjust stem, handlebars, and levers if needed > Put the bike back up in the stand, grab and clean any parts in the parts washer, install brakes, drivetrain, and any other parts that came off > Adjust and/or replace bottom bracket or crankset > Replace or lubricate cables and housing if needed > Adjust brakes > Adjust drivetrain > Adjust headset > Test Ride > Fix any issues discovered on test ride > Wrap bars if needed > Install or adjust accessories if needed > Double check by another mechanic

Some things might change up the order. For example, if a bike has cantilever brakes with a headset mounted cable hanger, then the headset adjustment should happen before the brakes.

Staying focused with ADHD can be a challenge. Medication/Caffeine certainly can help. Music helps me a lot. If I really need to bust out some repairs quick, thrash metal and power metal get me in a flow state better than anything else. Figure out what gets you into a flow state while working.

Absolutely, it's important that everything should have its place, and get put back after use, something I really don't manage in my home shop, I"ve not been so bad at work because everything had to be put away at the end of the day, regardless of unfinished jobs. Interrupting an activity because you can't find a tool or small part can be very disruptive, I can lose track of what I'm supposed to be doing, and what time it is.* The other ADHD thing that makes time management difficult is forgetting things that need to be done by a certain time,

* I just lost over an hour to nothing in particular, when I was interrupted in the middle of writing this comment. Fortunately I only have one thing to finish today, but I have a big thing to be ready by Friday afternoon and I'm starting to worry about that because I'm clearly not managing my time effectively, and I can be distracted by just about anything. But then I can get really into a task and hyper-focused - it's a shame that's not available on-demand.

Arrowana,

"Grease seatpost and get bike up in workstand > Look the bike over..."

This is a concise, useful list.

Thanks and good health, Weogo

'A fastidious mechanic of mine always lamented the dirty bikes by saying, "I bet these customers brush their teeth before they visit the dentist!" ' LV2TNDM

I have used this exact reference in how customers deliver their bikes to a shop for service. But what has been sort of surprising is how many reply with "but that's what i pay them for". As though the reason to have a clean bike is because it was just serviced and not to keep it from needing that service to begin with. One big reason I teach people to clean their bikes routinely is to have a chance to look at it up close and get to catch a problem in the bud and not after months of chosen ignorance. Andy

It sounds like your supervisor is messing up. If you can do small jobs fine, he should just give you those. Any big job could also be broken up into small jobs.

From your end, I would suggest trying self talk - even quietly out loud. Talk yourself through each repair and keep yourself motivated and not make mistakes or do stuff that wastes time.

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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Great - I was going to suggest this.

Also, have you tried mindfulness? I don’t know how effective it is for people with adhd but after about a week of trying I got the hang of it - I find it incredibly useful at getting me focussed. 15 minutes in the morning is great but even just grabbing 5 to clear the head works for me.

There’s a podcast called “waking up” that has a free tier worth trying.

organize your toolbox.
organize the spare nuts/bolts.
i've watched otherwise brilliant mechanics waste an hour searching for a specific bolt or washer... in a 5 gallon bucket of random crap.
i have been chewed out for organizing a nuts/bolts bins system the shop had paid a thousand dollars for... when confronted... i held up thirty or so nylok nuts... and then quoted how much i last paid for similar ones.. then mentioned that they were previously mixed in a Five Gallon Bucket of random crap that ate up shop time every time it got dug through... the manager then said,,, "huh... ok... carry on."
i did my organizing during the winter doldrums time... like, this time of year... and snuck in some at other times...
we went from a $100k loss to a $250k profit in my first year there.