Bicycle Mechanic Apprentice
Mountain Mania Cycles
Carterton (OX18 3JL)
Closes in 22 days (Saturday 7 February 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 15 January 2026
Contents
Summary
Kick-start a hands-on career as a bicycle mechanic. This apprenticeship combines practical workshop experience with expert training, helping you build skills in repairs, servicing and customer care while earning and learning on the job.
- Wage
-
£15,704 to £25,396.80, depending on your age
National Minimum Wage
- Training course
- Bicycle mechanic (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday to Saturday 9am to 5.30pm, with Sundays and one day off during the week.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 9 February 2026
- 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
- Assemble bikes for the shop floor.
- Service and maintain bicycles for customers.
- Communicate with customers and discuss repairs required.
- Learn the range of bikes we sell and service.
- Communicate with bike companies to organise and process warranty.
- Assist on the shop floor to help build a working knowledge of the bikes we sell.
Where you'll work
1 Alvescot Road
Carterton
OX18 3JL
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
ACTIVATE LEARNING
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.
Training schedule
Requirements
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
About this employer
Mountain Mania Cycles has created a name for itself as one of the leading independently owned group of Cycle shops in the South of England. It all started in Tring, Hertfordshire back in 1997, before we opened shops in Didcot Oxfordshire, and more recently Carterton in West Oxfordshire. We are part of the Balfa UK group, which was founded in 2001 as a specialist importer and distributor of high end, niche and bespoke cycling products.
With a focus on outstanding customer service, backed up with the support of some great brands, we have become one of the leading independent cycle retailers in the South of England. This is something that has been recognised within the industry, having been awarded Fenwick’s Independant Retailer of the year, and been a multiple time Bike Biz Awards finalist.
After this apprenticeship
Become a mechanic with the company, attend support events.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
ACTIVATE LEARNING
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000008881.
Apply now
Closes in 22 days (Saturday 7 February 2026 at 11:59pm)