Summary
Join our family: work on bikes and kickstart your career as a bicycle mechanic!
Wage
£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
Minimum of £7.55ph
Training course
Bicycle mechanic (level 2)
Hours
Number of Hours: 40 hours Lunch break length: 30 minutes Start Time: 09:00 Finish Time: 17:30
40 hours a week
Start date
Thursday 1 May 2025
Duration
1 year 6 months
Positions available
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you’ll do at work
* Assembling and prepping variety of new bikes including pro-level equipment.
* Carrying out warranty repairs on everything from E-bikes to downhill rigs.
* Progressing to service work as you master new bike builds and warranty work.
* Assisting customers in store.
Where you’ll work
The Bicycle Chain,
24-25 Coningsby Street, Hereford
HR1 2DY
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
College or training organisation
ACTIVATE LEARNING
Your training course
Bicycle mechanic (level 2)
Equal to GCSE
Course contents
* Use specialist bicycle diagnostic equipment to identify fault and formulate a plan to solve the problems; identifying when it is uneconomical to proceed.
* Use cycle workstand correctly to safely and securely hold a bicycle on the appropriate part of the frame.
* Service a cup and cone type hub, identifying worn parts and correct replacements.
* Remove and replace sealed cartridge bearings using appropriate tools.
* Service cable operated brake systems, correctly sizing and routing cabling using the correct spare parts and torque settings.
* Bleed hydraulic brake systems.
* Service derailleur gear systems, correctly sizing and routing cabling using correct spare parts and torque settings; straighten a derailleur hanger.
* Tap the crank arm threads.
* Identify the different standards of cranks and bottom brackets; remove and replace crank arms, bottom brackets and tap and face the bottom bracket shell.
* Identify chain wear; assess compatibility issues, taking account of chain line and correctly split and install a quick link based chain.
* Tape road handlebars.
* Remove and replace a set of forks, taking account of the correct way to cut a fork steering column to size. Hydraulic fork servicing, disassemble and clean stations and cartridges and re-grease properly.
* Remove, replace and service a headset, taking account of sizing standards.
* Perform alignment checks to a bicycle frame.
* Hand-build a wheel of differing complexities (for example, from simple 3-cross to manufacturer specific wheel systems) in the patterns required for non-disc, front disc and rear disc to the required tolerance and correctly dished and tensioned.
* Set up and adjustment of internal gears.
* Conduct quality assurance check of build or repair work completed.
* Complete handover once completed build or repair is finished, including advising on further and future work required, changes to operation, required on-going maintenance and complete paperwork as appropriate.
* Serve customers or clients on any required area of the store; refer them on to a more senior colleague or to ask for help; seek after market sales.
* Communicate via suitable means with customers (telephone, text, email, social media) in order to ensure good service is maintained.
* Use catalogues (hard copy and online) to identify parts and order to fulfil customers needs.
* Use manual system and workshop diary and complete any associated paperwork.
* Deal with complaints, following employer and manufacturers policies.
* Identify when something has failed or is not fit for purpose.
* Maintain proper tool maintenance and general workshop cleanliness and tidiness.
* Use specialist bicycle diagnostic equipment to identify fault and formulate a plan to solve the problems; identifying when it is uneconomical to proceed.
* Use cycle workstand correctly to safely and securely hold a bicycle on the appropriate part of the frame.
* Service a cup and cone type hub, identifying worn parts and correct replacements.
* Remove and replace sealed cartridge bearings using appropriate tools.
* Service cable operated brake systems, correctly sizing and routing cabling using the correct spare parts and torque settings.
* Bleed hydraulic brake systems.
* Service derailleur gear systems, correctly sizing and routing cabling using correct spare parts and torque settings; straighten a derailleur hanger.
* Tap the crank arm threads.
* Identify the different standards of cranks and bottom brackets; remove and replace crank arms, bottom brackets and tap and face the bottom bracket shell.
* Identify chain wear; assess compatibility issues, taking account of chain line and correctly split and install a quick link based chain.
* Tape road handlebars.
* Remove and replace a set of forks, taking account of the correct way to cut a fork steering column to size. Hydraulic fork servicing, disassemble and clean stations and cartridges and re-grease properly.
* Remove, replace and service a headset, taking account of sizing standards.
* Perform alignment checks to a bicycle frame.
* Hand-build a wheel of differing complexities (for example, from simple 3-cross to manufacturer specific wheel systems) in the patterns required for non-disc, front disc and rear disc to the required tolerance and correctly dished and tensioned.
* Set up and adjustment of internal gears.
* Conduct quality assurance check of build or repair work completed.
* Complete handover once completed build or repair is finished, including advising on further and future work required, changes to operation, required on-going maintenance and complete paperwork as appropriate.
* Serve customers or clients on any required area of the store; refer them on to a more senior colleague or to ask for help; seek after market sales.
* Communicate via suitable means with customers (telephone, text, email, social media) in order to ensure good service is maintained.
* Use catalogues (hard copy and online) to identify parts and order to fulfil customers needs.
* Use manual system and workshop diary and complete any associated paperwork.
* Deal with complaints, following employer and manufacturers policies.
* Identify when something has failed or is not fit for purpose.
* Maintain proper tool maintenance and general workshop cleanliness and tidiness.
Your training plan
Bicycle mechanic Level 2 (GCSE).
Typical duration: 18 months.
* Dedicated performance coach.
* Functional skills Maths and English.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
* Maths and English (grade 3-4 (D-C))
Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.
Skills
* Communication skills
* Attention to detail
* Organisation skills
* Customer care skills
* Problem solving skills
* Analytical skills
* Logical
* Team working
* Initiative
* Non judgemental
* Patience
* A keen interest in bikes
* Some mechanical experience