During my college summers back at home in Washington, I’ve worked as a bike shop mechanic. I started as an assembler, mainly working on kids bikes. I rapidly progressed to nicer road and mountain bikes. By the end of my first summer, I started doing basic maintenance and diagnostic work. In the time since, I’ve done a healthy mix of assembly and maintenance, while also helping with the phone and service-related sales. I enjoyed working in the shop because it gave me experience with customer interactions, but it also played to my strengths: working with my hands and on my feet.
One of the perks of working in the bike shop was gaining the skills and being able to tune up my family’s bikes at a discount. Pictured here is my dad’s custom Rodriguez with a fresh 10 speed drivetrain, keeping things practical and budget friendly while running smoothly.
Here is my sister’s Rodriguez which I upgraded just last summer. She went from a 3×9 system with a mix of components to a modern Shimano 105 11 speed system. A little bike fit work and modern shifting drastically changed the feel of the bike.
