Bike mechanics charge how much??

[ChezCheese:)]

So I was in a bike shop today for a doohickey, and I heard them say to another customer, "We charge $100/hr for repairs... " Wow. Obviously some of that goes to rent and other overhead, but wowza! That was for acoustic bikes, btw, not even ebikes.

How much training is required to be a bike mechanic? I'm thinking about for a young person I know who needs a career. What would be involved in becoming an ebike specialist mechanic?

 

[AHicks]

With darn few bikes available to sell, I'll bet the back shops are keeping many shop doors open right now.....

I worked in small shops (boats and RV's mostly) a lot of my early career. It's great when the economy is cooking, but unfortunately, it sucks when things aren't going so well. No training required, just a good solid mechanical aptitude.

Then there's the seasonal thing. Sweep floors all winter, then work 60 hour weeks when the weather breaks......

Bottom line, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're working your way through school or something. Something short term where you don't burn out....

 

[Pulsar]

Wow. Know auto repair shops that are less than $100 an hour. Would have never guessed a bicycle shop could command that kind of rate. Maybe there is such thing as an ASE type of certified bike mechanic who has been to school and had lots of training?

 

[Art Deco]

So I was in a bike shop today for a doohickey, and I heard them say to another customer, "We charge $100/hr for repairs... " Wow. Obviously some of that goes to rent and other overhead, but wowza! That was for acoustic bikes, btw, not even ebikes.

How much training is required to be a bike mechanic? I'm think about for a young person I know who needs a career. What would be involved in becoming an ebike specialist mechanic?

Almost certainly they were quoting the "You are going to a PITA to work for...Please go away" rate. No auto shop around here charges that, the only two kinds of repair shops at that level are working on tractor trailer trucks and recreational vehicles.

 

[Sierratim]

Our LBS is at $60/hr, including ebikes. My Vado front wheel needed new bearings to finally get rid of an irritating 'chirp'. Labor and bearings came to $51. Seemed reasonable to me since, believe it or not, I didn't have the tool to do the work. Now I can ride without sounding like there's an angry bird on my handle bars!

 

[Art Deco]

Our LBS is at $60/hr, including ebikes. My Vado front wheel needed new bearings to finally get rid of an irritating 'chirp'. Labor and bearings came to $51. Seemed reasonable to me since, believe it or not, I didn't have the tool to do the work. Now I can ride without sounding like there's an angry bird on my handle bars!

That tool was probably at the other house ...

 

[AHicks]

Almost certainly they were quoting the "You are going to a PITA to work for...Please go away" rate. No auto shop around here charges that, the only two kinds of repair shops at that level are working on tractor trailer trucks and recreational vehicles.

And boats....well over 100.

Last I heard one local outfit working on RV's, with a reputation for total incompetence, were getting 140.

MOST frustrating are the bike shops that refuse to work on your bike if you didn't buy it there. What they charge per hour never even enters the conversation.....

 

[Art Deco]

And boats....well over 100.

Last I heard one local outfit working on RV's, with a reputation for total incompetence, were getting 140.

MOST frustrating are the bike shops that refuse to work on your bike if you didn't buy it there. What they charge per hour never even enters the conversation.....

Yes, I forgot the marinas; since the Susquehanna is only about 5 feet deep, those are mostly outboards and jet skis.

And the closest airplane mechanic is probably 200 miles from here.

 

[K PierreR]

The highest money is in commercial work. You might have a million dollar machine that generates $3,000 an hour break down with few people to call on short notice. The repair person is expensive but cheaper than the down time. The highest $ per hour charges are in heavy industry such as raw metal producers and chemical plants. Especially if the work is hot or dangerous.

 

[Dallant]

Diagnostics alone are a $112 charge at my Chevy dealer service center.

 

[john peck]

So I was in a bike shop today for a doohickey, and I heard them say to another customer, "We charge $100/hr for repairs... " Wow. Obviously some of that goes to rent and other overhead, but wowza! That was for acoustic bikes, btw, not even ebikes.

How much training is required to be a bike mechanic? I'm think about for a young person I know who needs a career. What would be involved in becoming an ebike specialist mechanic?

Damn. Thatś almost enuff ta git me back in the work force! Holey Moley! My car guy* only charges $40 hr.
(he´s the best ever!)

 

[AHicks]

Diagnostics alone are a $112 charge at my Chevy dealer service center.

Boat dealers play that game as well. Many have proprietary software required to read their controller diagnostics. That's bad enough, but the only people that software is sold to is a licensed dealer.....

 

[rich c]

Called a plumber lately? Part of service cost is the half hour the customer talks to the mechanic about the issue before it even goes back for service.

 

[bones774]

Damn. Thatś almost enuff ta git me back in the work force! Holey Moley! My car guy* only charges $40 hr.
(he´s the best ever!)

where is that?

 

[john peck]

He´s near port townsend WA. The man does such great work quick & always fixes something I didn´t ask for
in the bargain. Never had a mechanic so honest & with such a great work ethic as this old guy.

 

[bones774]

He´s near port townsend WA. The man does such great work quick & always fixes something I didn´t ask for
in the bargain. Never had a mechanic so honest & with such a great work ethic as this old guy.

trying to find a good guy for my daughter, she's a bit far away in MT
thanks

 

[kmccune]

My "crewchief' charged by the job. 25-30$, I would usually give him around $50.Some of these old boys could fix anything, I was surprised at the number of Country boys that were into diagnostics. Paid one of my Neighbors on the other side of ridge $500 bucks to overhaul the rearend in my former "Dakota'( ran it low on oil- otherwise it would surprise you from time to time with needed repairs, the circumstances on the differential were actually a comedy of errors).
Nowadays I do my own bike work, the only thing I wouldn't do was lace a wheel or true one. With the proper parts the ebike builds are rather easy.

 

[dodgeman]

I’m a retired land surveyor, in our business our goal was to charge 3 times what we made an hour. This covered everything, equipment, office secretaries, trucks and other overhead. There was also a lot of hours we couldn’t charge our time, if I could charge 75% of my time in a year it was good. A lot of business‘s have a similar model, in the OP’s case this would mean the tech is making $33 an hour. I suspect he is making less and there is a little extra profit built in.

 

[AHicks]

My "crewchief' charged by the job. 25-30$, I would usually give him around $50.Some of these old boys could fix anything, I was surprised at the number of Country boys that were into diagnostics. Paid one of my Neighbors on the other side of ridge $500 bucks to overhaul the rearend in my former "Dakota'( ran it low on oil- otherwise it would surprise you from time to time with needed repairs, the circumstances on the differential were actually a comedy of errors).
Nowadays I do my own bike work, the only thing I wouldn't do was lace a wheel or true one. With the proper parts the ebike builds are rather easy.

Realizing full well this is off topic, but having recently learned how to lace a wheel from scratch, I would encourage anyone with some time and patience to give it a try. Takes a bit, not something to be done in a hurry, but the satisfaction gained from a new DIY skill feels pretty good! A spoke tension gauge is about the only tool required - at about 45.00 or so on Amazon. You don't need a 100 dollar gauge to lace up a wheel or 2....

 

[ChezCheese:)]

Damn. Thatś almost enuff ta git me back in the work force! Holey Moley! My car guy* only charges $40 hr.
(he´s the best ever!)

He's a guy I need to know! Would you PM me his name/business phone number, please?