Bicycle Mechanic Work

[madmarc]

I admire your honesty....But ! never ever doubt your level of intelligence or talent. Its your passion and drive to achieve your goals that will make you successful. I know lots of very intelligent and talented people who are complete failures in life, they have no passion or interest in pursuing greatness.

 

Your problem is the industry where your passion lies does not support your dreams, unless of course you have the money to finance it yourself. 

TorqZone is the only recognized academy in SA where an aspiring Bicycle Mechanic can get a formal recognized trade qualification. But its not cheap, so its out of reach for people who don't have the funds. Trust me, I investigated this a few years back as I had an idea of sponsoring someone

So the training facility is in place, but the apprentice system is not. I stand corrected but i know of no LBS who actively recruit apprentices or have a formal apprenticeship program in place each year like is done in other trades. One can't really blame them, as the investment is huge and the apprentice can simply leave long before the LBS get a return on their investment.

 

If i was in your shoes I would :-

 

Meet with TorqZone to discuss and understand the cost involved and what funding models are available.

Work out what the shortfall would be ie. how much would you as an individual need to invest to complete the training.

If the shortfall is un-affordable then approach some LBS with the view of getting employed as an apprentice, and they fund you, based on an agreement or term of employment to satisfy their return on investment.

 

Passion aside - LBShops are businesses, they in it to make money, they not gonna simply finance something without a return. Build a proposal that works for both of you and i'm sure lots of LBS owners will be willing to talk.

 

The difficulty of becoming a Bicycle Mechanic is in the employment and funding. The actual wrenching part is fairly easy. Bicycles are not as complicated as the industry leads us to believe. Because a bike cost 100K doesn't mean its a 100K more complicated than a PnP special for 1K. The basic concept of the bike is all the same its only the quality and technology that makes the difference. Your expertise at wrenching on both comes from experience and passion for the trade.

 

Good luck, would be interesting to hear about your future progress

[Vetplant]

I admire your honesty....But ! never ever doubt your level of intelligence or talent. Its your passion and drive to achieve your goals that will make you successful. I know lots of very intelligent and talented people who are complete failures in life, they have no passion or interest in pursuing greatness.

 

Your problem is the industry where your passion lies does not support your dreams, unless of course you have the money to finance it yourself. 

TorqZone is the only recognized academy in SA where an aspiring Bicycle Mechanic can get a formal recognized trade qualification. But its not cheap, so its out of reach for people who don't have the funds. Trust me, I investigated this a few years back as I had an idea of sponsoring someone

So the training facility is in place, but the apprentice system is not. I stand corrected but i know of no LBS who actively recruit apprentices or have a formal apprenticeship program in place each year like is done in other trades. One can't really blame them, as the investment is huge and the apprentice can simply leave long before the LBS get a return on their investment.

 

If i was in your shoes I would :-

 

Meet with TorqZone to discuss and understand the cost involved and what funding models are available.

Work out what the shortfall would be ie. how much would you as an individual need to invest to complete the training.

If the shortfall is un-affordable then approach some LBS with the view of getting employed as an apprentice, and they fund you, based on an agreement or term of employment to satisfy their return on investment.

 

Passion aside - LBShops are businesses, they in it to make money, they not gonna simply finance something without a return. Build a proposal that works for both of you and i'm sure lots of LBS owners will be willing to talk.

 

The difficulty of becoming a Bicycle Mechanic is in the employment and funding. The actual wrenching part is fairly easy. Bicycles are not as complicated as the industry leads us to believe. Because a bike cost 100K doesn't mean its a 100K more complicated than a PnP special for 1K. The basic concept of the bike is all the same its only the quality and technology that makes the difference. Your expertise at wrenching on both comes from experience and passion for the trade.

 

Good luck, would be interesting to hear about your future progress

^THIS!^

 

Don't sell yourself short. Allot of people will be willing to help and work with someone with the right attitude.

 

Surround yourself with positive people and distance those naysayers in your life that might have given your confidence a knock.

 

Good luck with establishing your future.

 

Go get 'em.

[Mokgaga'a mmakubela!]

i know i might sound old school but i think you should consider furthering your studies at varsity or college first and think about other things later. the world is tough out there, i kid you not

[XiperStarchild]

There are so many responses that I cannot hope to reply to each individual one with my gratitude and thoughts, so I'll say it in this post. Thanks a lot for all the information. It helps, especially with my self-confidence, and gives me a lot of hope.

 

I have saved all the responses so that I may read it at home where I have no internet access, and start planning from there, based on the information given to me. I plan as well on consulting the mechanics themselves so as to find out more what it's like and whether they think it's worth it or if I should indeed pursue something else.

 

I can honestly say that if something is not my passion but I want to make it work, I will do whatever I can in order to make it work, including becoming passionate about it.

 

Once again, I really appreciate it, and if I have any follow-up questions I will let you know.

 

Keep well.

[Paddaman]

There are so many responses that I cannot hope to reply to each individual one with my gratitude and thoughts, so I'll say it in this post. Thanks a lot for all the information. It helps, especially with my self-confidence, and gives me a lot of hope.

 

I have saved all the responses so that I may read it at home where I have no internet access, and start planning from there, based on the information given to me. I plan as well on consulting the mechanics themselves so as to find out more what it's like and whether they think it's worth it or if I should indeed pursue something else.

 

I can honestly say that if something is not my passion but I want to make it work, I will do whatever I can in order to make it work, including becoming passionate about it.

 

Once again, I really appreciate it, and if I have any follow-up questions I will let you know.

 

Keep well.

A honest, clear, humble and intelligent response.  Maybe you should consider travel journalism as a part time career while you are cycling the world.  Many magazines will pay good money for good copy like this.  Consider writing something about your experiences on the bike, or record your experiences as you pursue your journey into the world of LBS's.  I think Ride magazine and possibly Bicycling magazine may consider initially publish it as a series of letters.  If reader response is good, you might even get a monthly column.  

[Vetplant]

A honest, clear, humble and intelligent response. Maybe you should consider travel journalism as a part time career while you are cycling the world. Many magazines will pay good money for good copy like this. Consider writing something about your experiences on the bike, or record your experiences as you pursue your journey into the world of LBS's. I think Ride magazine and possibly Bicycling magazine may consider initially publish it as a series of letters. If reader response is good, you might even get a monthly column.

Agreed, nothing wrong with your writing skill, use it to your benefit.

[BigDL]

Education opens doors, no argument, especially as the world becomes less about skills with your hands and more about machines. However, I have met so many people with a qualification that I don’t consider qualified and so many people without a qualification who are supremely qualified through experience.

 

Don’t sell yourself short. Decide what you want to do and go and make it happen. I left school with a standard nine, despite having a very academic family, and have never been unsuccessful. I now work for an amazing tech company that values skills over qualifications (largely), but at age 46, I still haven’t worked out what I want to do.

 

Get out there and start building relationships, learn your skills, and keep moving forward. One of the real keys is always to remember that nobody is going to do it for you and that your success depends on you. Lots of people will have opinions and advice, some good and some bad, but you need to own your decisions and keep moving forward.

 

Good luck

[GraemeS]

 

So the training facility is in place, but the apprentice system is not. I stand corrected but i know of no LBS who actively recruit apprentices or have a formal apprenticeship program in place each year like is done in other trades. 

 

I can assure you that the apprentice system is in place in the form of the National Qualification's Work Experience Component. Generally speaking there has however been resistance to change in the industry.  For this reason there has been a very slow uptake  .

 

Only once the customer starts pressurising the industry and asking the question "is your/my technician qualified" will we see a change.

[madmarc]

I can assure you that the apprentice system is in place in the form of the National Qualification's Work Experience Component. Generally speaking there has however been resistance to change in the industry.  For this reason there has been a very slow uptake  .

 

Only once the customer starts pressurising the industry and asking the question "is your/my technician qualified" will we see a change.

 

I fully agree, but this is only one component which "as I said" is in place. The other component being LBS who are willing to employ apprentices and make use of your component isn't there, without both components in place, the system is useless to people like the OP. So until there is a fully fledged Bicycle Mechanic apprenticeship in place this great opportunity is lost.

 

In fact i'm surprised that the bike retail sector has moved so slowly into securing technical talent for their businesses. No wonder we hear of so many complaints about bad service and shoddy workmanship, is because they employ anyone who can flip a screwdriver and don't bother to train them.

 

I hear many cyclist say "i'd never let an unqualified mechanic work on my bike" that's very funny because the bike shop they using has no qualified mechanic and i refer to an apprenticed qualified mechanic. their workshop staff are simply people who learnt over time tinkering with bicycles and Google or Youtube.

 

It would be interesting to see the stats of how many LBS have sent their workshop screwdriver flipper to TZ to gain full NQF qualifications which they finance, as apposed to pvt individuals who pay themselves. 

[ChrisF]

.....

 

I generally use CycleLab, even though they are more expensive than my various LBS' because I know that the work is usually done correctly. I have had too many unhappy experiences with my various LBS' to want to go back to any of them. But it's a real PITA for me to get my wheels to CycleLab and back. I would gladly pay a few hundred Rand more to be able to save that time and spend it with my family or spend it cycling.

.....

 

WOW !!

 

so true !!!!!!

 

 

I have used a particular place for some time.  They are good, but been getting busier and busier over the last few years ... to the point where something had to give ....

 

 

Took my bike in: "Please REPLACE the brake pads, and give the bike a full check-up.  Let me know if anything needs attention"

 

 

Got there two days later .... took the bike into the parking lot and checked the brakes - NOTHING was done !!  Obviously the bike was not checked out either .... Walked back in, and asked about the brakes .... quick fix - spray some brake cleaner on and it feels better.  Not even one ride and the problem returns.

 

I spend R100 and a few minutes and replace the pads myself, many trips later and the bike is perfect.

 

 

 

Take the other bike in to the same shop ... hoping this was once bump in a long relationship .... this time they are asked to replace the back cogg (which I can do myself, as I do have the tools), but more importantly to give the full suspension bike a proper check up !  ONE trip later the rear wheel bearing collapses !!

 

 

 

all we want is QUALITY service.  Dont take on more work than you can handle, if it means the client has to wait a day or a week so be it, but dont rush off the job ....

[GraemeS]

I fully agree, but this is only one component which "as I said" is in place. The other component being LBS who are willing to employ apprentices and make use of your component isn't there, without both components in place, the system is useless to people like the OP. So until there is a fully fledged Bicycle Mechanic apprenticeship in place this great opportunity is lost.

 

In fact i'm surprised that the bike retail sector has moved so slowly into securing technical talent for their businesses. No wonder we hear of so many complaints about bad service and shoddy workmanship, is because they employ anyone who can flip a screwdriver and don't bother to train them.

 

I hear many cyclist say "i'd never let an unqualified mechanic work on my bike" that's very funny because the bike shop they using has no qualified mechanic and i refer to an apprenticed qualified mechanic. their workshop staff are simply people who learnt over time tinkering with bicycles and Google or Youtube.

 

It would be interesting to see the stats of how many LBS have sent their workshop screwdriver flipper to TZ to gain full NQF qualifications which they finance, as apposed to pvt individuals who pay themselves. 

 

With exception of a certain large store and one or two smaller ones most technicians that come for training pay themselves. I know of instances where those technicians have also had to take unpaid leave from the shop to attend training.

[ChrisF]

With exception of a certain large store and one or two smaller ones most technicians that come for training pay themselves. I know of instances where those technicians have also had to take unpaid leave from the shop to attend training.

 

Two questions :

 

- Do you have a presence in other provinces ? (Cape town)

 

- do you offer night classes and/or weekend classes, for those working people that want to attend outside of office hours ?  I certainly would love to get hands on training regarding the suspension systems.  

 

 

 

thanks to my trade, and years experience, I am comfortable with the other items.  

[GraemeS]

Two questions :

 

- Do you have a presence in other provinces ? (Cape town)

 

- do you offer night classes and/or weekend classes, for those working people that want to attend outside of office hours ?  I certainly would love to get hands on training regarding the suspension systems.  

 

 

 

thanks to my trade, and years experience, I am comfortable with the other items.  

 

Best to take this off line. Pop me an email to academyinfo@torqzone.co.za.