WORKSHOP
BikeBiz editor Daniel Blackham is sent to Spokes People in Milton Keynes to complete Cytech Technical One
he idea of sending BikeBiz to study the Cytech Technical One course was conceptualised by former editor, Alex Ballinger.
LEARNING THE ROPES T
Primarily, it was to help the team gain a better understanding of what you – the trusted reader – experiences on a daily basis. To do this, there are few better places than Spokes People, based on the outskirts of Milton Keynes, and run by Darren Hyland and Lee Niven.
Hyland has been involved with bikes for as long as he can remember, across BMX, triathlon and MTB. With two decades in education, teaching engineering amongst other things, he left to pursue the dream of working in the bike industry. Initially spending five years working as a bike mechanic, he set up his own mobile mechanics business. This led to him becoming a Cytech trainer and educator. Niven has worked with bikes for more than 30 years, witnessing the changes in technology, the rise of e-bikes and is well-equipped to answer any question that may crop up throughout the training.
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He is an MIAS and Cytech trained instructor and has even wrenched for Norco Factory Racing in the Downhill World Cup Championships. It’s fair to say that anyone training at Spokes People is in safe
hands. DAY ONE
The course starts with dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s of workshop practices and safety. Most importantly though, the introduction is used to gauge people’s current knowledge of bikes, tools and their general familiarity with a workshop environment. This then informs the pace at which the two-day technical will be taught.
The ratio of the class is also kept sensible. For this Cytech Technical One in early January, there are six ‘students’ under the tutelage of Hyland and it’s highly unlikely to ever exceed this on any other course. For more involved courses such as Technical Two, Technical Three or the E-bike masterclass, the ratio is reduced further to
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