WORKSHOP
ensure attention isn’t spread too thin. Each attendee has a fully-equipped workstation, decked out with leading brands and there is a wealth of bikes of varying ages and conditions to keep it as realistic an environment as possible. Day one covers the bulk of the practical training to be
expected from an introductory course. There is a detailed tutorial on checking frame alignment, lubricants and greases, headset bearings and cockpit setup. Woven into these teachings are nuggets of information that can only be delivered by someone who has worked on bikes for many years.
This is followed by a demonstration on cable operated disc and rim brake systems with students encouraged to make it wrong and then fix it on their own workstand. Gear adjustment is next with cables and both front and rear derailleurs covered in depth with students tasked to achieve smooth shifting across the range. Before you know it, day one is in the history books
DAY TWO Part two of the Technical kicks off with torque settings and the pitfalls of going too far either way. Attention then turns to tyres and tubes with a brief demo on removing and fitting both before everyone has a go themselves.
Completing the teaching element is fitting pedals alongside 22 | February 2024
the basics of wheels with a truing demonstration and the difference between cassettes and freewheels all explained in a clear and simple way. To pass Cytech Technical One, all attendees have to pass an assessment.
In short, the objective is to address all of the content that has been learned in the previous day-and-a-half. In this case, all workstands have a bike in that has been
tinkered with to simulate a product fresh out of the crate. Each student has to go through a traditional PDI checklist ensuring that all tasks have been completed and then the tutor will come round, check all work and offer feedback if required.
CONCLUSION Did I pass the qualification? Yes. Do I feel ready to walk into a bike shop and crack on? No, I don’t think so. But Cytech and its providers didn’t claim that I would be. Cytech Technical One provides the foundations to build on – ideally to Technical Two and so forth. It may not be right for some, and that’s fine, but it should not be discredited. It should be encouraged and seen as a valuable asset for both those launching a career and the trade it serves which is so desperate for good workshop staff. As long as it’s being taught by experienced and trusted providers like Spokes People, then the future of bicycle mechanics is bright.
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