FEATURE
function to being central to the business’s commercial identity. The workshop generates repeat custom throughout the life of a bike and builds long-term customer relationships in a way one-off sales can’t. Mechanics are also becoming among the most trusted people in the shop - relied on not just to fix bikes, but to diagnose problems, explain options and give safety advice. We’ll likely see more specialisation too. E-bikes, electronic gearing, hydraulic systems, suspension and integrated components require a broader range of skills than a traditional workshop may have needed, so businesses may build specialist capability within their teams. E-bikes in particular will drive change - servicing them means combining mechanical ability with electrical systems knowledge, diagnostics, battery safety and understanding the legal distinction between compliant and non-compliant products. Retailers also need to treat the workshop as a commercial operation in its own right: understanding technician productivity, costing jobs accurately, charging properly for skilled labour, and investing in the tools and training higher- value work requires. A busy workshop isn’t automatically a profitable one if skilled labour is undervalued. All of this should raise the professional standing of mechanics, who deserve to be recognised as skilled professionals whose expertise has real commercial value - increasingly central to customer loyalty, reputation and long-term commercial success.
Looking at the broader retail landscape, what positive shifts have you observed across UK workshops in recent years? Despite a challenging retail environment, there have been some genuinely positive shifts. More businesses now see the workshop as central to the commercial success of the shop, rather than simply something that supports bike sales. Service volumes grew by 8% in 2025, which underlines just how important workshop work has become. Workshops are also getting more commercially minded -
more retailers are looking closely at labour rates, job costing, booking systems and turnaround times, with growing recognition that a busy workshop isn’t necessarily a profitable one unless time and overheads are properly accounted for. There’s more focus on customer experience too, with online booking, clearer service packages and more transparent estimates.
Another encouraging shift is the growing recognition of mechanics as skilled professionals, with shops increasingly investing in training and clearer development routes. Workshop capability is expanding too, as more complex bikes push shops to invest in new tools, diagnostics and specialist training. We’re also seeing growth in different workshop models - mobile mechanics, service-led businesses and community workshops - reaching customers a traditional bike shop might not. Perhaps most encouraging, the wider industry is
www.bikebiz.com
starting to understand that servicing and maintenance are fundamental to cycling participation, not incidental to it.
What are your goals for Cytech, and how is the ACT supporting the next generation of mechanics coming into the trade over the next few years? Our overarching goal is to keep Cytech as the internationally recognised professional standard for bicycle technicians, while making sure it keeps evolving alongside the industry. Priorities are maintaining quality and consistency, keeping the pathway aligned with modern workshop needs, widening access, and creating clearer long-term career opportunities. Course development is a major priority - content is
reviewed continuously, and the full suite of updated training materials is due for completion in Q4 2026. We’re also exploring a possible additional course to address an emerging skills need the industry has flagged. We’re also widening access to that training. Earlier this year,
Cytech opened its first dedicated training centre in Wales, operated by Cycle CPD in Swansea. It gives retailers, existing mechanics and people looking to enter the trade easier access to Cytech qualifications closer to home. The ACT also wants to widen routes into the profession. Our support for programmes such as Bikes Beyond Bars is part of that effort, opening the trade to people who might not otherwise have considered it. We’re also working to raise the profile of cycle mechanics
as a credible, rewarding profession, which means closer relationships between training providers, employers, schools and colleges.
That challenge extends beyond the UK, which is why I’m also
involved in the NextGen Mechanics Vocational Education and Training subgroup, looking at how mechanic training can be strengthened across Europe. We’re also keen to make better use of funded training
routes where they’re available. In England, that includes apprenticeships and other government-backed skills programmes, which can help employers bring new people into the industry and develop existing staff. If we’re serious about addressing the technician shortage, we need to make it easier for businesses to access training as well as promoting cycle mechanics as a career. Ultimately, I want Cytech to support mechanics throughout their careers, combining high- quality training with wider entry routes and clearer progression to build the workforce modern workshops need.
Interested in gaining Cytech Qualifications? Scan the QR code to see centres near you.
October 2026 | 19
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