You could be: 

• identifying problems with a customer’s bike, discussing what repairs are needed and giving an estimate of repair costs 
• building a new bike, or customising an existing bike, to a customer’s specification 
• cleaning, degreasing and lubricating bike parts, or repairing or replacing broken or worn components such as wheels, bike chains, gear sprockets or brake cables 
• working with tools such as wrenches, spanners or pliers, and chemicals such as cleaning products or greasing agents 
• carrying out bike services or safety checks 
• ordering bike parts and keeping a stock inventory 
• liaising with suppliers or bike dealers 
• making sure the workshop, equipment and tools are maintained 
• running bike health workshops for customers. 

The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates may vary, depending on: 

• where you work 
• the size of the company or organisation you work for 
• the demand for the job. 

Salaries for cycle mechanics tend to start at around £19,000 a year, rising to around £25,000 a year with experience. Senior cycle mechanics can earn around £30,000 a year. 

You may receive additional benefits such as a bonus scheme and be part of a cycle to work scheme. If you are working with a chain retail store or larger organisation, you may also receive other benefits such as a pension scheme, or discounts on company products. 

• There are no formal entry requirements, but a good general education is useful, including National 5 English and Maths or Practical Metalworking.
• Normally you should have some knowledge and experience of working with bikes. There are many day and evening classes in bike maintenance on offer from local colleges or organisations to get you started.  
• You could enter by getting a job as a retail assistant in a bike shop and applying for a trainee cycle mechanic role. 
• Alternatively, you could take a recognised Cytech or City and Guilds qualification course in cycle mechanics - many employers expect you to attain these. See the ‘Training’ section below for details. 
• You could take the Cytech Home Mechanic 2-day course, which gives you a good level of mechanical ability and covers a range of maintenance areas. BikeforGood Scotland run accredited Cytech courses.  
• SQA also offer the Cycling Award qualification at SCQF Level 1 or 2 – this can be a helpful introduction to bike maintenance. 
• You may need a driving licence for some jobs. 
• For some jobs, you may need a satisfactory criminal record check from Disclosure Scotland, if you are working with a community or charity organisation for example. Contact Disclosure Scotland for details on the type you would need.

You need to be able to: 

• work as a part of a team 
• manage your time effectively 
• work without supervision 
• work to health and safety guidelines. 

• Training is mostly on the job. 
• You can work through the Cytech scheme to gain technician status. This involves working your way through a series of technical qualifications to attain accreditation at the following levels: Cyech certified (Cytech technical one qualification); Cytech technician (Cytech technical two qualification); Cytech senior technician (Cytech technical three qualification); and Cytech master technician (Cytech technical three qualification and/or assessment within the last 3 years with regular validated assessments). 
• Once you have achieved technician status, if you want to work with e-bikes, you can work towards the Cytech e-bike certified status by studying the Technical e-bike – Giant module. 
• You could take the City and Guilds Entry level 3 Award in Cycle Mechanics, Level 1 Award in Cycle Mechanics and the Level 2 Certificate in Cycle Mechanics as an alternative route of training.  
• You need to keep your knowledge up to date with the latest developments and products in bikes and bike components. 

• With experience you could become a senior technician or mechanic, where you could be responsible for training other mechanics.  
• You could be responsible for maintaining a fleet of bikes for an organisation, such as a local authority bike hire service. 
• You might be able to join a larger organisation such as Scottish Cycling, where you would work on bikes for a racing team.  
• You could start up your own bike shop or repair workshop. 
• You might specialise in one area, such as frame or wheel building.