What Does a Teenage Bike Mechanic Do?
As a teenage bike mechanic, you will be repairing bicycles. You could repair anything from brakes to chains and bicycle tires. Repairing a bicycle can be an extremely fulfilling job, seeing as how a bike you repair can be someone’s transportation to work every day or even a young child’s way between him and his best friend’s house. This could also be a great opportunity for you to share your love of bikes with your customers or family members.
To fully understand your job as a bike mechanic, these are the day to day duties you might encounter:
a. Identifying problems with a bike and providing solutions to the customer
b. Conducting a bike safety check
c. Replacing parts
d. Cleaning and lubricating bike parts
e. Estimating costs of repairs and labor
f. Ordering bike parts
g. These are just some of the duties you may encounter on a day to day basis. You may run into some issues you might not always have a solution for. You will have to know how to work through a tough problem.
How Much Does a Bike Mechanic Get Paid?
As a bike mechanic, your pay can differ depending on your experience level and working conditions. If you were paying rent on a building to repair bicycles in, then you would charge more to cover your rent costs. If you are able to work in your garage or other spacious areas that do not charge you rent, then you would be able to charge less or more depending on how difficult you anticipate the task to be. On average, a bike mechanic makes between $8.00 – $12.00 dollars an hour, with $12 an hour being on the highly experienced side. Of course, if you wanted to charge less, you are able to do that. Depending on how great of a job you do, you may also get tips as well.
How Can I Get Started as a Bike Mechanic?
1. Before doing anything else, make sure you ask your parents for permission. As a bonus, your parents will likely know people in the community that need your services or even a great space for you to work on bikes.
2. Establish where you are going to be performing your work at. Will you be renting a building? Do you have a yard with space to work on bikes effectively? Do you have a garage to work in? These are questions you must ask yourself to establish your starting point.
3. To begin, you must have a set of tools to take apart or repair bicycles with. We recommend the BIKEHAND Bicycle Repair Tool Kit from Amazon if you do not already own one. This kit has every tool you need to work on bicycles, including wrenches. You will want a versatile kit so you have no trouble working on any customer’s bike. We would also suggest purchasing a Yaheetech Bicycle Repair Stand from Amazon. They are reasonably priced with a section built in for your tools. This will help you keep the bike upright while working on it.
4. Assess your knowledge on bicycles and their components. Are you familiar with the basics of repairing a bicycle? Is there any information you need that you are lacking? If you feel you need a refresher or even a whole lesson on repairing bicycles, watch some videos on the internet that will teach you how to repair chains, tires, etc. If you have your own bike, you could even follow along in the video and practice on your own bicycle. Always make sure you know what you are doing when preparing to work on a customer’s bike. Otherwise, you may end up breaking a part and having to pay to replace it.
5. Establish your hourly wage and your working hours. Set a price you feel is reasonable for your time spent repairing a customer’s bicycle. In addition to that, set a time frame that you will dedicate to working on bicycles. Say you want to work Saturday and Sunday 9 AM – 5 PM, Monday – Friday 8 AM – 6 PM, etc. Or you could even work on an “on call” basis. Basically, someone calls you or stops by and needs help, then you start working.
6. Create a spreadsheet online or a handwritten spreadsheet to keep track of customers and parts, almost like a mechanic shop. Write your customers name, phone number, issue with the bike, parts needed to order for the bike, etc. This will help keeps things organized if things get busy.
7. The final step: time to bring customers in! Spread the word of your bike repair service and await your potential customers. Your parents or other family members may be able to help you get the word out as well. After you have purchased your tools needed, established your knowledge and working area, you are all ready to become a teenage bike mechanic!
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Helpful Resources
- Amazon.com: If you’re looking to get the materials to become a teen bike mechanic, they are listed below.