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Maintenance

Cycle mechanic Green Job

Cycle mechanics build, repair and service all kinds of bikes.

Annual Salary

£20,000 to £30,000

Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

42 to 44 a week

You could work: evenings / weekends; on shifts

4.1%
Future employment

There will be 4.1% fewer Cycle mechanic jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

In your day-to-day duties you could:

  • build a new bike to a customer's specification
  • identify problems with a bike
  • estimate the cost of repairs and give quotes
  • carry out a bike service and safety check
  • carry out repairs, maintenance tasks and replace parts
  • order bike parts and keep a log of stock
  • take bookings for repairs and process paperwork
  • liaise with suppliers and dealers
  • attend cycling events to provide repairs and technical support

Working environment

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work in a workshop or at a store.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • specialist private training courses
College

You'll find it useful to have a recognised qualification like the Level 2 Certificate in Cycle Maintenance.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
For more information
Apprenticeship

You could get into this job through a bicycle mechanic intermediate apprenticeship.

This usually takes around 18 months to complete as a mix of on the job learning and study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
Work

You could start as a retail assistant in a bike shop and apply for a role as a trainee mechanic. Your employer may pay for your training.

Other routes

You could study for technical cycle maintenance qualifications offered by Cytech.

More information

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With experience, you could progress to a large organisation like British Cycling, who employ specialist mechanics working for the British racing team.

With 3 to 5 years' experience you could progress to head mechanic.

You could also become self-employed and set up a mobile bike mechanic business, or open your own shop.

The Cycling Experts have more information on setting up a bike shop.

As an experienced and qualified cycle mechanic you could also move into teaching other mechanics.

How does this job help to address the impacts of climate change and protect wildlife and nature in the West of England?

Cycle and e-Bike Mechanics will be needed to build, repair and service all types of bikes in the West of England, as the commitment to reduce C02 emissions from public transport and private car journeys involves an increase in cycling schemes across the West of England region.

Examples of post-16 courses you could study at local schools or colleges

  • Level 2 Certificate in Cycle Maintenance e.g. Bristol Based Life Cycle UK

Click here to find a local provider

Apprenticeships you may be able to take with local employers

  • Level 2 Bicycle Mechanic Apprenticeship

Click here to search for a local apprenticeship

For more information on the different routes you can take to get into working as a bike mechanic, take a look at the 'Routes into this job' section above. 

Click here for an explanation of the different course and apprenticeship levels.

Local employers 

For more local employment opportunities see the 'Live job vacancies by region' section above.

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Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • analytical thinking skills
  • customer service skills
  • the ability to sell products and services
  • knowledge of engineering science and technology
  • problem-solving skills
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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