Video: Seth // Edit: Rich // Words: Daniel
Being in over your head isn’t fun, and you oftentimes don’t learn much, but it oftentimes builds character…not that that’s always a consolation. Working on a standard bike can be a daunting task, depending on the task at hand. Still, with a little bit of mechanical inclination coupled with learning some basic tricks and having the right tools, most people can become somewhat competent in getting a bike functional. All of that quickly goes out the window when you add electronics to the mix.
I suspect that if you polled bike mechanics on what the most anxiety-inducing or frustrating periods of their careers have been, eBikes becoming mainstream, customers bringing them into their shops on a regular basis, and them actually having to work on them, has to rank near the top. And, there are a lot of good reasons for that anxiety. A bike mechanic typically learns through years of experience on the job. Reputable shops will invest in additional training or certifications for mechanics and certain niche products, and many of the bigger brands, such as Specialized or Trek, have in-house education programs that provide a lot of hands-on training and field representatives who will travel to shops and put on clinics.
All of this education is great, and while I think that oftentimes it could go a lot further, it’s adequate for the vast majority of bicycle mechanics. A bicycle is, inherently, somewhat simple. That is, until you add electronics. Comparing the succinct curricula of even the best bike school to a more entry-level electrician school, and the path it takes to become a licensed electrician, is not apples to apples. It’s not even apples to another fruit.
