Totally anecdotal, but in my area, if you try to book an appointment at any local bike shop for a repair other than a flat tire, they’ll give you a date a month away. We need more mechanics here too.
In NL/BE it’s so bad that most settled bike shops won’t even plan your repair if the bike was not bought at that store. Why? Because there’s still more then enough work with only your own customers.
So you’d ask yourself, why don’t repair only places open? Because the knowledge required to start fixing bikes has evolved a lot with the multitude of e-bike systems, and moreover people already find the repair prices too expensive when the costs are slightly subsidized by the people buying bikes at the shop.
The problem with mobile repair is you drive around telling people their bikes are not worth repairing. People balk at a $60 bill on a $140 Walmart bike. Now with fuel prices Trumped, not a great business model. Unless, you can specialize in dentists bikes.
Around Toronto, mobile bike mechanics are quite popular, they have an entire shop in a van. But, they don’t make much money because most bikes are not worth repairing and it’s a seasonal job.
Totally anecdotal, but in my area, if you try to book an appointment at any local bike shop for a repair other than a flat tire, they’ll give you a date a month away. We need more mechanics here too.
But I’m learning to do more on my own now.
In NL/BE it’s so bad that most settled bike shops won’t even plan your repair if the bike was not bought at that store. Why? Because there’s still more then enough work with only your own customers.
So you’d ask yourself, why don’t repair only places open? Because the knowledge required to start fixing bikes has evolved a lot with the multitude of e-bike systems, and moreover people already find the repair prices too expensive when the costs are slightly subsidized by the people buying bikes at the shop.
Thanks, I actually asked myself that very question recently. I wonder if just selling parts and doing repairs could replace the bike sales though?
I considered the idea of a mobile repair van instead of a shop too.
The problem with mobile repair is you drive around telling people their bikes are not worth repairing. People balk at a $60 bill on a $140 Walmart bike. Now with fuel prices Trumped, not a great business model. Unless, you can specialize in dentists bikes.
I think yeah, a mobile repair biz would have to be aimed at the high end.
I’ve been watching this series on the topic and found it very helpful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyrzdtb1C50
Around Toronto, mobile bike mechanics are quite popular, they have an entire shop in a van. But, they don’t make much money because most bikes are not worth repairing and it’s a seasonal job.