Some dude came in a few weeks ago looking for a new seat binder pin. Delving into it deeper—because he wanted some advice too—I asked what was wrong with his old one. “Well, this one just spins freely in the hole. It doesn’t matter even if I use two Allen wrenches on it.”

It reminded me of the old co-op I worked at in Seattle: “if you’re unsure, stop and ask a question before you start breaking tools and components.”

Taking two wrenches to that binder bolt is wholly unnecessary for those unfamiliar with the style. Honestly, why there are fittings on both sides is a mystery to me. One side has a ridge that fits into a notch in the frame in order to keep the bolt from spinning freely, and to keep the seatpost set tight in the frame. Well, this guy had never been to that shop in Seattle I guess, and he had rounded that notch out to a point where the bolt’s ridge had nothing to sit into. There goes another old Falcon or whatever disadvantaged vintage frame it was. He shrugged and bought a new bolt anyway, claiming that it would work. Maybe it would, but maybe it wouldn’t for very long.

Other similar destructive actions I’ve come across:

• using too small of a seatpost, causing the seat tube to become malformed
• operating bike for too long with poorly adjusted bearings
• painting the frame with components installed
• seized seatpost or quill stem
• installing a headset with the press-in cups not pressed in, nor right-side-up
• many others I’m sure I’m forgetting—a post unto their own perhaps….

Again, if you’re unsure, stop; don’t blindly proceed. Ask someone. Call a shop. Examine closely. Get online, download a picture or something. Or… bring it to a bike shop and have a professional do it!

I have suffered a violent infection for quite some time now. Today a breath of fresh Italian air has arrived; everyone can now rejoice!

I’m talking about the infection of Shimano components that has, up until now, plagued my bike. Previously, there has been a lingering 105 front derailleur causing my shifting to be less than ideal. Actually, I was extremely surprised at  how much better the shifting became after switching from 105 to Campagnolo Centaur. I was willing to live with the derailleur longer but a larger issue recently afflicted my bike that inspired this final shot of Apennine antibiotics.

While not Japanese, the Miche cassette I was running failed miserably for me. I’m no high performance rider by any means, but my strength level recently came into question. How else would a moderately priced 9-spd cassette have such a failure: seven broken teeth on a single cog? I must have really like that gear.

I’ve tossed that cluster and installed a Veloce. I’m not advocating against Shimano by any means, it is perfectly good gear, this indeterminate complete group has been ailing me—considering the cost, I’m sure I’ll resort to Shimano on future bikes for myself (I won’t say the same about Miche however). But so far, running with the full brand C group really does seem worth it. Shifting is precise, clean, and quiet. Molto buono!

It is amazing to see how many Peugeot’s come through a shop. I thought there were a lot of Schwinn’s out here. (There might be more Swinn’s than expected though).

Coincidentally, the other day there were two bikes that passed the threshold, both with Mallaird 27″ wheels sporting the awesomely obsolete Helicomatic hub.

Yes, simply amazing. It seems a day hasn’t gone by without my seeing one of these Carbolite 103 Peugeots either in the shop or out in the world. Obsolescence is a fact of life in a bike shop I guess: just today, a Schwinn, in pretty decent condition, came in equipped with Positron shifting. When’s Shimano going to re-release that gem?

What is the economy like for a bike mechanic? As I’ve written before, the money isn’t that impressive. Maybe that should be enough of an answer for me regarding whether or not my wife and I can survive and settle down with such meager income. Which is something we’ve been considering lately. Shouldn’t there be more to it than that though? I don’t know, the industry at my level—the shop customer service level that is—seems rife with people wanting something for free. That’s a hard concept to grasp: wanting to make a living selling something people don’t want to pay anything for. Hmmmm, it’s a doozy. But there’s more to this question than that (it’s a subject unto itself really). Maybe it’s the region I’m in, maybe it’s the market around here, maybe it’s the shop I’m at. What are the future prospects like? What’s the potential to make a survivable amount of money at the same shop as a head mechanic/shop manager after a year or two? Or three? Or ten? I guess “cost of living” raises can be expected. (It’d be nice to think so at least). But beyond that, what is there for the dedicated shop wrench?

Yes, we’re not in it for the money, we love bikes, we love working on bikes, and I do love helping people get themselves on the road under their own power. But shouldn’t that demand warrant commensurate pay? Responding to that demand correctly is more than what a lot of shops get from their so-called mechanics; wrenching on bikes in an accurate and reliable way is a skilled trade in my book. Yes, lots of people can probably install a brake caliper or tighten a cone, but it is true technical skill to know exactly the what, how, and when. It is the technical skill set that is learned through school (which attending shows dedication), years of experience (of which I am eager to continue putting in), and a mechanical aptitude and determination all of which should be benefitted just as any other technical vocation is. None of this is taking into consideration the public face the mechanic presents to the customer, or the how important their decisions to the business are. These are all questions as to why mechanics are historically underpaid. But where does it go from there? Can working for someone else as a mechanic be a good living?

The immediate direction I foresee—for myself at least, that is—is opening my own shop (no one need worry about new competition, it won’t be in this area, nor anytime soon). But ultimately that’s not going to generate much “income” right away, I’ve never seen any shop owners sitting back being fed grapes by any servants in my time. But that’s alright, I don’t need a lot, just a bit more than the close to starving tax bracket my wife and I are currently in. And having the goal of a self-owned bike shop really (really!) sounds nice; i.e. being my own boss, calling the shots, actually seeing where a decision I’ve made goes, etc. The pressures of self-owning also sound good, of course it’ll be a difficult road, but as I’ve mentioned, we’re not saving people’s lives here. (So to speak I mean.) Bike shops are meant to be laid back and relaxed atmospheres, no one’s life hangs in the balance due to the grime built up on their jockey wheels. Working as hard as we do though, sometimes you’d think someone’s did.

But back to the point, what are the alternatives? What if I didn’t want to own my own shop? Is there simply a limit to the mechanic’s economy? Do I become a sales rep? Honestly, what’s an ambitious, aspiring, bike mechanic to do? How does one make money in the bike industry?

I want a workshop where I can diagnose like Dr. House. I’d also like to actually have a staff that can run differentials with whatever the hell those are. Ultimately though, I’d simply like to have some help—being the only mechanic and manager of a shop is difficult, especially as we’re heading into spring and summer.

On a related note, whenever a customer freaks out about time or priorities, I always remind myself that I’m glad I’m not a doctor, none of this work is a life or death situation. No one, that I can think of, is going to die if they don’t get their bike back when they thought they should have.

Note: I don’t own a television, but as a very deliberate activity, I do enjoy the occasional show on the internet in order to relax and vacate my mind. Today was busy, I might just do that now.

I’ve just been perusing the VeloNews Buyer’s Guide I was given at the NAHBS up in Indianapolis the other week. The descriptions of 7900 DA and the 11-speed Super Record are informative in a mechanical sense. But the pages of actual bike reviews are a bit much to take in. Especially the “Recession Rides” section, like I’m going to save money by buying a $4000 Cannondale as opposed to a $5500 Specialized—I guess $1500 is savings. Seems like a bunch of misleading schlock, “I guess Junior is gonna have to do without books this year, daddy has to justify a new bike every year.” To what demographic is this guide being directed? No need, I understand who. But if I were in the market for an $8855 bike, would I need a guide? Maybe some people just don’t know how to spend their money.

Is this cynicism a detriment to my career in the bike industry? Am I shooting myself in the foot because I think more people should ride comfortable, more realistically affordable bikes? Is it bad that I question the fact that most people aren’t “racers” and therefore shouldn’t necessarily be riding race bikes? I like to go fast, but that doesn’t mean I need the latest and greatest (my Record 9-speed is fine for me, even I admit it’s overkill, I’d honestly be fine with 7, or even 6). Maybe if I took a shot at racing I’d have my eyes opened to something I’m overlooking. 

Don’t get me wrong, I really do appreciate the mechanics of it all, the technological advancements (some of the items in the Innovative Beauty section were cool), and I would seriously be stoked to work on any of these bikes, but it is just so much money and I guess I’m under the impression that these bikes aren’t one-of-a-kind pieces of art like we saw at NAHBS—these aren’t “custom” bikes. In that sense of the word, are these bikes really unique in any way? Are these bikes so exorbitantly priced merely because they are so severely limited in production?

My bottom line might actually just be this: that I’d hate to think people reading this guide, who can’t spend that kind of money on a bike, might devalue their own, or feel the entire enterprise of riding a bike is financially inaccessible. What do I expect though, this is America!

One day not too long ago, some shabby looking dude walks in with a bike. Bags hanging from the bars, cane strapped to the top tube—this was a really hard ridden ride. With desperation in his voice he asks if I can fix it, pointing to the rear derailleur. At first glance it looked as though the chain had gotten wrapped around it somehow. Not wanting to put out too big of a charity vibe, I ask if he’s got a few bucks. To which, in reply, I receive a litany of reasons why I should do this repair for free. These ranged from his just paying rent, bus fare, and something about his needing to meet his parole officer in an hour. “Just a quick fix to get on the road man!” So it was to be free, and quick! I relented to look at it closer and see if I could help the dude.

Rolling his bike to the back I saw it had decent old school Suntour components on it. An older nicely crafted Schwinn made with CrMo Columbus Tenax tubing. Closer inspection revealed however that this bike was trashed. Just over-used and abused. Sadly I had to tell the dude there wasn’t much I could do for him. The Suntour Sprint rear derailleur was blown out and lacking a pulley, but surprisingly the right dropout itself was stretched to about twice the normal at the opening—significant frame damage. His rear wheel was forced fit into the the damaged dropout with the QR screw-down method. This bike was wholly unsafe to ride. 

After my safety explanations were flatly ignored, I listened to another deluge of excuses and reasons why I needed to get him back on the road. What was I to do? Here was a guy, requiring a cane to walk, with a bike that needed considerable repair, that needed to get to a parole hearing within the hour lest he go back to prison. I could no doubt fix his bike, repair his dropout and return this mistreated machine close to its original glory, but there was nothing I could do for the dude. And with either case, I couldn’t do anything within such a time restraint.

Either his protests prevailed, or I merely wanted to see him packing, I explained thoroughly that the bike was unsafe to ride, recommending he only walk the bike. I chose a moderate cog on the freewheel and cut the chain to length rendering the bike a single speed. I didn’t like doing that, but I also didn’t like putting the guy out. It was a lousy compromise, I hope he made it to his meeting and hasn’t landed back in prison. 

This wasn’t the first similar instance and surely won’t be the last. Who knows what’s happened to these bikes before they come into the shop? Maybe the dude is not the original owner, one can guess that the bike has been stolen and resold, lost and then found. What adventures could it tell us? What are people doing in order to damage their bikes in such a way. I know the bicycle is a tool, and we use them in different ways, but like any tool, good care should always be applied. 

A philosophical mind might draw a parallel between the bike and the rider. Life can sometimes result in jail time, poverty, or physical handicaps; the harder the life, the more likely perhaps. I guess, whenever possible, be good to your life, it might be the last one you get.

Ever get a customer in your shop who says they can get a deal on a groupset or some other expensive bike component for such and such an amount but asks what you can sell it for because they “want to do business with your shop”. No matter how low you can bring the cost down, they insist they can get it cheaper, and still claim they want to do business locally? Campy 11 doesn’t grow on trees brother! I’m still waiting to hear back from this dude, my bet is he wanted to save money more than help the local bike shop. I can’t say I blame him, but I’d rather not have wasted any time researching costs—maybe it was my billing him for this in labor that drove him away.

It’s an annoying precedent to set from the get go. In my opinion, if you can get something for such and such, then get it. None of this BS about wanting to “do business locally” unless you really want to do that business—if you really want to, sometimes it’ll cost more, but it’s better for everyone in the long run. You’re not helping a local shop stay afloat if it has to lower it’s prices to the point of not making any profit. 

I’ve heard a lot of racers out there have a similar attitude. The mentality that they should get something for free, or next to nothing. How much does this devalue local businesses? When the everyday customer finds out (or more likely already knows) they’re paying top dollar for something some hack competitive racer got for free. Does it cheapen the local businesses? Does it build envy among other cyclists? What does a sponsored rider really do for that business? (I ask because I really only have assumptions on the subject).

This topic brings me to another point, and that’s the policy of getting an employee discount [a subject I'm sure I'd like to discuss in the future]. Isn’t this one of the major benefits of working in the bike industry? It’s entirely different in my mind when compared to what I described above, because we’re not typically wealthy, and we don’t make a lot of money to begin with. If anything the mechanics should get their gear for free! I don’t know, just rambling here in a way. I’m curious what other people out there think on this subject. What are other shop policies on employee purchasing? Sponsored riders? And cost estimates?

This post on Arthur Mag (or where it’s linking to: Platform21) is in agreement with my philosophy about being a bike mechanic. The DIY attitude and it’s inherent sustainability are part of the foundation of my changing careers and becoming a mechanic. Rather than increase our addiction to the flashy and exciting new consumption, fix that bike, keep it rolling and riding. More often than not we don’t need new; we need grease, we need lubrication, we need adjustment (and we sure as hell don’t really need ten or eleven gears either). Repair is keeping bikes working and in good order. The big names have a lot of history (Shimano/Campagnolo) one of the biggest reasons I prefer brand C is because it has a reputation of the ability to be rebuilt.

Have you tried taking one of these apart? Sacrificed Shimano 105 integrated shift lever.

In contrast, I’ve heard of some shops that refuse to work on bikes they don’t sell, or simply won’t work on “old” bikes. I assume their intentions are more in line with selling a new bike, but I don’t agree with that either; any of that attitude smells of ripe snobbery. If someone already has a bike, they don’t necessarily need (or want) a brand new bike, they just want their bike to ride better—to be repaired, not replaced.