Community Hire Bicycle Mechanic Apprenticeship

Summary

We are looking for someone to assist on the day-to-day running of a new social enterprise project that has a total focus on delivering innovative cycling accessibility to the community, to ensure those least likely to believe that cycling is for them, are able to get on a bike. Duties include servicing and repairing community asset bikes.

Wage

£13,741 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

We intend to have this facility as a mainstay of local cycling excellence for the longterm If successful in this mission the opportunities for higher pay and lead positions are as great as the project as a whole

Training course

Bicycle mechanic (level 2)

Hours

Monday to Saturday, 8.00am - 4.00pm on a 5-day flexible working rota that can be tailored to suit the right candidate.

35 hours a week

Start date

Tuesday 1 July 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

The bicycle mechanic’s role is fundamental to our daily operation and will be critical to our long-term success. You will be essential to ensuring customers get the best experience and feel part of their community hub.

The role will work both autonomously as well as alongside other volunteers as a new social enterprise. The candidate will have the opportunity to expand the brief as the project expands its own offering.

We need someone who is passionate about delivering a new local cycling project, for the good of the wider local community and its residents.

Ultimately, we want to establish a network of club service centres embedded in local communities to serve as many ordinary residents as possible. This is the sincere ambition.

Basic & more advanced mechanic duties will be ordinarily required to include (in order of likely magnitude):

Build and check new bikes ready for inclusion in community fleet
Build and check new bikes ready for customers
Refurbish traded-in bikes for inclusion in fleet
Service and repair customers’ bikes
Maintain a clean, safe and tidy workshop
Liaise with partners as required before, during and after servicing
Create and maintain written records of work undertaken and carried out to ensure safety audit trail of community fleet

Personal qualities:

A good command of spoken and written English, with the ability and personality to advise our wide variety of customers
Overall, the desire to be part of a long-term project that makes a difference to a community and to take greater responsibility as we grow
Good team player who is looking forward to working with team members and sharing successes and failures together as one
A passion for fixing things and start ups
Pass in GCSE English & maths preferred but not obligatory

Where you'll work

Westhumble Street
Westhumble
Dorking
RH5 6BS

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)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

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 equivalent)

Further details on exact components of Level 2 can be found below:

https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/bicycle-mechanic-v1-0

Apprenticeship training lasting 18 months to be delivered by Activate:

Bicycle Mechanic (level 2)
Building, repairing and servicing all kinds of bicycles
Qualification level 2 equivalent to GCSE
Typical duration 18-months
Apprenticeship category - Engineering and manufacturing
English and maths qualifications form a mandatory part of all apprenticeships and must be completed before an apprentice can pass through gateway

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

English & Maths (grade 5)

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
Administrative skills
Analytical skills
Logical
Team working
Creative
Initiative
Patience

Other requirements

Some ride-testing and wider cycling of bikes (to recover/ deliver hire units) will likely be necessary. Arrangement of bikes within the hub (ground level arrangement only) will be required. Some limited loading of bikes onto (bike-based!) trailers might also be required.

About this company

We are a unique cycling social enterprise that has a total focus on delivering innovative solutions to those demographics in the community without the ability to afford their own means of active travel. We intend to fully enable their participation and enjoyment of cycling, on their terms. We are a not-for-profit, with a greater goal in mind at all times. We focus on inspiring wider cycling usage, from those who perhaps traditionally wouldn't ordinarily consider themselves cyclists, through novel solutions, predominantly via community hire. We are the opposite end of performance cycling (although we respect this element too!) Based in north London we will use cycling as a tool to tackle social and environmental challenges across London suburbs and the surrounding areas. We will leave no one behind in our push for greater cycling accessibility to address the inequalities being experienced by those most likely to be left behind, with a focus on wellbeing outcomes for all. We also have environmental objectives woven into the core fabric of all our activity.

http://www.thefamilybikeclub.com (opens in new tab)

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

The mechanic role will be integral to the long-term success of the project
We hope that growth in our services will provide with opportunities to help in other parts of the business additionally
If we are able to expand our provision to additional hubs (as is the ambition), the scope for working alongside and managing the overall provision would be something we would be very keen to give responsibility particularly to founding members

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

The Family Bike Club

Luke B

thefamilybikeclub@gmail.com

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000324972.

Apply now

Closes in 14 days (Saturday 28 June 2025 at 11:59pm)

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