Ansir

That's what the owner of my LBS asked me today when I went to get a KMC missing link. He has helped me build my current bike and been a huge help and I guess he thought I seemed competent.

Currently I am chef here in NOLA and that is my career but having a chance to wrench in the morning to forget my stock pot blues would be rad!

Dunno why I posted this here just enthusiastic and wanted to tell someone who is a bike person and my friends are all runners...

Thanks!

ron521

I'd love it myself...factory trained as a BMW motorcycle mechanic, but make more repairing locomotives. I've always built and repaired my own bikes, and could easily transition if the money were there.

TheKillerPenguin

It's a good time, but beware the walmart beater bikes that will probably be the majority of your workload.

Ansir

Yeah I doubt I will make much but no worries I will just sign the back and hand the check to him for bike schwagg. My chef salary gets me by alright. Wow locomotive mechanics that must be pretty cool, I love making things work smoothly and getting a train up and running sounds fun.

Ansir

haha, as I walking out a guy with a GMC denali walked in and this is what transpired.

GUY: The tire is messed up

LBS: Do you have a flat?

GUY: I dunno the tire won't hold air

Nick Bain

lol i bet that happens alot, I had to stop and overhear a lady who had a "problem" with her QR, the spring was on backwards.

Carbon Unit

I wouldn't want to work in a bike shop for a living, unless I owned it. But, I would like to volunteer my time so that I can become a good bike mechanic.

Nick Bain

technically it is correct from a troubleshooting standpoint to state that the problem is that the tire wont hold air.

Nick Bain

from what I hear there is no money in it. especially when one guy in my town is almost doing it for free and another started a shop in portland where you can work on your own bike for free. Thats why they now have combination bike shops and restaurants.

ls01

Nahhh, its only flat on the bottom.

jrobe

Lets see - greasy hands all day, evening and weekend hours (when customers are off work), very low pay, little respect from the babes, etc. etc.

Maybe it would be better to strive for something a little more in life. Maybe you should spend your extra time in school. Then buy a garage full of nice bikes to work on for fun.

hhnngg1

I'd actually LOVE to spend a month working in a bike shop. Unfortunately, at this stage, life gets in the way. When you've got kid, big mortgage, and a really demanding job, it's not gonna happen.

I wouldn't do it as a 'dream job', but I'd really like to get familiar with all the tools and skills that you really only get from repairing a LOT of bikes, of all different kinds. I think racing bikes are the easiest, actually, as they're usually not too far from being ridable, whereas a lot of Wallyworld beaters that are brought in are near-death with really difficult to resuscitate parts.

I've found that trying to learn in my limited time by maintaining my own, single bike, which is usually near-ready-to-go anyway, simply does not give enough experience to really feel knowledgable about repairs.

The sad part, is that I don't work in an uber-high paying job, but it compensates pretty well (it's also really hard to get such a job - uber competitive market), and I make more in 15 minutes of work than a typical bike tech would make from an entire day of work. I definitely would NOT do anything bike-related for the money, because there isn't any except for the very top pros.

kstephens

I think it sounds great!

I used to be an avid tournament fisherman (still to some extent - and it is also an expensive hobby). I worked some in a tackle store part time, and never made a dollar there - just traded hours for a dollar amount worth of gear. It was great, and I have stuff I never would have bought otherwise.

DropDeadFred

but then how would we afford these expensive carbone bikes?

TheKillerPenguin

It's actually a lot of fun. I felt like I was being paid to hang out where I'd normally hang out anyway. An added bonus was that I got to work with my hands, which I find extremely satisfying.

I'm actually starting up a business in addition to doing grant writing for a nonprofit, and I asked my old shop if they had any hours for me just because it's a fun way to spend the day.

rangerdavid

as opposed to working in and being senior partner of a law firm? that option is attractive every day I breath.

TheKillerPenguin

Different strokes.

MegaTom

I'd love to if they paid a decent salary... Alas, even at my lowly wage I'm still making nearly twice that of any of the local, non-management, bike mechanics.

clx1

I retired early at 55, am a keen cyclist, have four bikes and am pretty friendly with the guys at my LBS. They opened a high end "Road Only" boutique style bike shop in a nearby town. Shop sells Giant, Felt, Cannondale, Colnago and Pinarello.
Imagine my delight when they asked me if I wanted to help out in the shop!
I work two days a week serving customers, can't believe my luck, it's like being paid to work in a toy shop hanging out with like minded people all day.

ImChris

Did you happen to catch the part where he said he was a chef and was doing just fine money wise? (this reads snobby, but its actually not)

I think if it'll make life happier then do it! Its always nice to make sure you are happy doing what you are doing.

.Chris

NathanL

Where do you work as a chef if you don't mind me asking?

Also what bike shop, shopping for a decent shop as I just moved to the northshore.

KiddSisko

OP from NOLA - go for it! Just be sure to wash your hands well before beginning your chef duties.

I often ride with a group of guys from a high end bike shop in a busy region of the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles area). Among them is the owner, who rides his mntn bike along the local mountain ridgetops for his commute, and gets out on road rides at least twice a week. This morning after a spectacular 30 mile ride, a group of us gathered around a large screen TV in the shop to watch TdF. The head mechanic was just about to begin a vintage bike overhaul (Nishiki from the late 70's, kept in storage for nearly 20 years). I learned that detailing (polishing the metal and paint) is not included in an overhaul. So I offered to clean and polish the wheels while sitting and watching TV. He and the owner just laughed and said to just sit and look pretty for customers walking in the door.

wphamilton

This kind of stupid question is why I hesitate to patronize bike shops for service.

abikemechanic

I feel like you have your logic all backwards, evening and weekend hours make it easier to ride during the day, employee discount totally makes up for the low pay and I get mad respect from the real biker chicks.

kenji666

fify