A Bike Technician builds, maintains and repairs bikes
Ever since the London 2012 Summer Olympics, the UK cycling industry has been growing. There are more cycling clubs taking to the roads on the weekends, and more people are opting for cycling as a greener, healthier, and cheaper way to get to school or work. The pandemic also motivated more people to adopt cycling as a leisure activity.
With many more bikes being used, there are good opportunities for bike technicians. As well as supporting people with maintenance and repairs, bike technicians can also be involved in building specialist bikes from scratch. In addition, they play a role in encouraging more people to choose this greener way to get around. You could be the technician who ensures people have dependable bikes for their journeys, thereby helping to reduce carbon emissions.
With experience you could progress to being head mechanic, responsible for leading a team. You could also decide to be self-employed and set up your own mobile bike mechanic business, or shop.
There are also large organisations, including British Cycling, who employ specialist mechanics to support British racing teams. Alternatively you could progress to working for a bike manufacturer.
There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.
But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:
Options available after GCSEs:
Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.
The range of bikes available today is bigger than ever before. You could be involved in the maintenance and repairs of road, mountain, touring, folding, BMX, cruiser, and fixed gear bikes. The popularity of electric bikes is also growing, so you could grow your electronic as well as mechanical expertise.
This role can also be known by some other job titles including:
Cycle Mechanic
Bicycle Technician
