Mobile cycle mechanic.

[Brandane]

Is there much call for such a thing?

I am currently without work, but have an income from a pension from a previous job. The mortgage is paid, so I'm not looking to earn a big income. Pocket money will do.

I like the idea of being self employed, and it would be an extension to the hobby of cycling. I have been pulling bikes (and cars/motorbikes) apart and putting them together again since I was about 14 so it is also a labour of love.

I realise that before people will entrust me to repair their bikes, I will need to gain some sort of recognisable qualification. Have been looking at doing a Cytech course but they don't come cheap (start about £1500 for a level 2 course). The other major expense would be a van, but I have a car which I could sell/trade-in against it.

Any opinions as to whether this might be a worthwhile venture would be welcome, or alternatively feel free to shoot it down while it is still just an idea!

PS.. I live in Ayrshire where the number of cyclists is errrr, "limited", thanks in part to our climate. So it wouldn't have a potential client base comparable to somewhere like London, obviously.

 

[neil earley]

Think you could do well , wish you all the best in your new venture and every success if you do go ahead

 

[ianrauk]

Stevew on this very forum is a mobile cycle mechanic in and around Bromley environs.
Perhaps ping him a pm for some advice.
He travels about using this.

 

[VamP]

There's a lad does exactly that, operating out of Sutton. He parks his van at Box Hill on weekends, and picks up passing trade that way. He then gets people who used him there, reaching out to him directly because they know he does a good job, and will come out to their home, place of work or whatever to sort things out.

I am not sure how good a living he makes out of it, but as a lifestyle it's hard to beat. You might need to find a place where a lot of cyclists gather at the weekends, to get the customer base.

 

[oliglynn]

Our workplace had one come in last year, think he must have serviced/repaired at least 10 bikes that day. Perhaps look for local companies that promote cycling to work and see if you could offer your services - esp. at the end of Winter when seasonal cyclists find they need a tune-up!

 

[ttcycle]

The one thing to consider if you're self employed is getting yourself some sort of liability insurance as a mechanic -thankfully we're not the States but if you're fixing people's bikes there is the issue of liability and being sued if a repair wasn't deemed fit. It's no big deal if you're working for a company but if you were to be self employed or freelance then the responsibility would rest with you. I have to take out public liability for the work I do as a photographer in case someone is harmed/gets hurt on a shoot.

 

[mickle]

My mate has a very successful operation of this kind in Brizzol. I was very skeptical when he started but he's made it work very well and I've had to eat my words. Augmented, I should add, by some lucrative local authority work such as 'Dr Bike' workshops and work for local businesses. The key to success is marketing as much as mechanical ability I suspect.

Here:

 

[yello]

Have you a good range of bike tools already? It could be quite expensive to kit yourself out with a decent set and there is variation between bikes. The right, good quality tool makes a huge difference to getting the job done.

I'm not trying to put a downer on your idea and wish you well should you decide to pursue it because I reckon, if you're only looking for tickover money, it's probably a goer (location dependant).

 

[Spinney]

Do you need a qualification? I'd use a mobile mechanic by word of mouth, not by asking to see a bit of paper.

I realise you need to get some customers first before word of mouth will work, but perhaps you could try offering free services (well, free labour, anyway) to start with. Couldn't be more expensive than that course you mentioned!

 

[Brandane]

Thanks for all the replies and advice so far.

Stevew on this very forum is a mobile cycle mechanic in and around Bromley environs.
Perhaps ping him a pm for some advice.

Have sent him a PM.

The one thing to consider if you're self employed is getting yourself some sort of liability insurance

Good point. Will need to check out the cost involved as it is obviously a necessary expense.

Have you a good range of bike tools already? It could be quite expensive to kit yourself out with a decent set and there is variation between bikes. The right, good quality tool makes a huge difference to getting the job done.

I have a good range of tools; but only what I need for my own bikes! So yes I would have to factor in the outlay of additional tools.

Do you need a qualification? I'd use a mobile mechanic by word of mouth, not by asking to see a bit of paper.

TBH I would be perfectly confident, as long as customers only had a Specialized Tricross/Secteur or a Trek 6500 MTB! I wouldn't be happy setting about someones carbon framed £4k pride and joy with my current level of knowledge, so I would consider some form of proper training as essential. Word of mouth would also be important, but only if you're good! Make a mess at the start and it would be doomed to failure.

 

[jim55]

yeah id say go for it im sure there would b a demand ,,most peeps use a guy on reccs and if its just tickover youre looking for then im sure it would work ,maybe a bit slow initially but im sure word of mouth would get about , as said its getting known/marketing that u need initially ,,id imagine you would undercut a bit on labour rates but im sure ud break even pretty quick

 

[Pat "5mph"]

[quote="Brandane, post: 1713916

PS.. I live in Ayrshire where the number of cyclists is errrr, "limited", thanks in part to our climate. So it wouldn't have a potential client base comparable to somewhere like London, obviously.[/quote]

Hey, great idea! Here in Glasgow I think there is somebody semi-mobile, called Doctor Bike, they go to certain locations on certain days, they are quite expensive I think, but I just had a fleeting look at them.
You might want to "position" yourself in a busy town centre - In Rutherglen, where I live, you can hardly see anybody cycling, but as soon as I reach the city centre or the west end I see plenty of cyclist, even when the weather is awful - like almost every day
You might want to leaflet a few office blocks, perhaps? Or simply place yourself near a busy spot, with a big sign on your car/van? Enquire if you need a license for that
The possibilities are quite a few: organization is the name of the game, you don't want to waste your time and spend too much money before making any.
You will need a simple bookkeeping system for yourself.
If you are starting to make money, you will need to open a bank account just for the business, register for national insurance contributions, declare your income.
I would get insurance straight away if you are all set to start, get quotes.
Goodness, I sound like a small business adviser: your local small business gateway will tell you all, go see them, it's free.
I think you will do well once people get to know about you - a lot of small businesses fail because of overheads you will not have (rent, rates, utilities)
A lot of cyclists, I think, would pay somebody like you for the convenience of having minor repairs done on the spot, in conjunction with their lbs for major jobs/purchases. This also means you don't have to carry/buy all the tool a shop would have.
I would not worry about qualifications, who's gonna ask you for your papers when they need an inner tube/brake job in a hurry to go home??
Good luck, I really think you can do it!

 

[the_bing]

great idea! the best of luck! good advise from pat 5mph...

 

[lukesdad]

Encamp yourself outside your local Halfrauds, that should do the trick

 

[jim55]

another thing that im sure would go down a treat is a mobile recovery service ,pick people up when they have a major failure /cant make it /a minor off and they dont want to continue ,something like that .
im sure people would pay for this ,its not well advertised so id say thats a potential market to target ,i for one dont have a "get me home emergency service "of course this would involve a van capable of carrying bikes and a bit of space,but a van would b essential anyway for most things