The shape of things to come....

[pigman]

15 years in the bike industry, I have worked with TWO good mechanics who were also comfortable working the shop floor.

Good to know. And it's probable that that great mechanics will be great with customers similar to himself, ie the hard core cyclist. The difficulty arises dealing with someone dissimilar to themselves. Different age, gender, cycling ambitions etc. That's not to say your guys weren't as good as you say. I bet there's also some damn good software engineers who are great at parties also. But they're a minority

 

[highlandsflyer]

My bestie is a lone operator in the 'agricultural' engineering game, except when he turns up dragging me out on a job.. When customers want to stand watching him working, he says "£60 to do the job; £100 to watch me." Never stops shaping sheet or welding when a customer turns up. I leave myself well in credit with him, and send him lots of work. No-one gets his number, as a rule, but he can count on me anytime to head up into the hills. The reaction some customers get is about them more than the business.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I don't know why you are all so surprised that 20 somethings working minimum wage jobs in modern bike shops don't have the breadth of knowledge of older, and arguably irrelevant bike components.

Oh I'm not surprised, just lamenting.

It's not about expecting 20 somethings working minimum wage jobs in modern bike shops to have any breadth of knowledge of older, and arguably irrelevant bike components, especially in a world where "standards" are trotted out every second Wednesday - it's about the little snot NOT being a total nimrod and thinking he knows more about bikes than everyone else.

It's not the lack of knowledge, it's the refusal to learn. It's the arrogance and the lack of assistance. It's shops becoming "cookie cutter". It's the attitude that "I know nothing" and the fact that if I took them out the back and kicked the snot out of the little zit-on-feet, *I* would be the one getting charged. It's not fair!

It is frustrating that these kinds of shops are disappearing but the solution isn't likely to be whinging about it on the internet.

So, just use the internet for porn then?

Look, I'm an old man, and I'm having an old man rant - just back off, okay?

 

[bikeworkshop]

We wanted cheap.

(Present company excepted of course)

What we got was a trashed planet run by idiots and disposable junk sold by kids wearing earbuds.

 

[Nob]

2029 Skynet will be with us wiping out the human race as idiots continue to dabble in AI…….