Here is a (fictitious) job description that states what all other job advertisements leave out:

You are not only talented as a mechanic

You are also a talented mechatronics technician. Because the e-bike is increasingly replacing the non-motorized bike. They like to troubleshoot on an almost daily basis when the e-bike is acting up. As the technology here is constantly and rapidly advancing, a solid dose of learning by doing as well as a hands-on and, of course, getting-things-done mentality is desirable. They also like to work with the bike manufacturers time and again to bring the products to maturity like a banana on the market.

They like the seasons

Because the bike store is very seasonal. That means: in winter it's sometimes even chilly. On foggy, rainy November days, you might even be startled when someone enters the store unexpectedly. But as soon as there have been two nice weekends from March onwards, all hell breaks loose.

You like to be anti-cyclical

You like to work on Saturday but have Monday off. This means that many of your friends and family don't have time off. You can go biking in peace and quiet and there's plenty of space on the ski slopes. Perhaps you will meet professionals from the hairdressing business there. These businesses are often owner-managed and blessed with opening hours on Saturdays - and closing times on Mondays.

They are logisticians

In the past - i.e. before 2020 - bicycles and the most important spare parts were ordered in the fall. For daily business, you ordered from the supplier of your choice by 4 p.m. and the goods arrived the next day. Today, not only are many bikes poorly available or not available at all, this also applies to mundane components. So you are busy for hours, days and weeks sourcing components, checking backorders or even opening alternative sources of supply. Please say goodbye to the just-in-time mentality. And change your mindset: You order a 12-speed chain 18 months before you fit it to your customers' bikes.

You are a do-it-yourselfer

You can also help to clear new storage space. Because due to the shortage of goods described above and the adieu to just-in-time, it is necessary to stock massive amounts of components and bikes. And you can't order these storage capacities from any supplier. It's not uncommon for you to have to do a lot of rearranging in your own company to make room for all the goods in stock. This is where the aforementioned hands-on and getting-things-done mentality comes into its own.

You can use Google

The web monopolist now has a solid impact on business, and not just in specialist bike stores. After all, bad reviews could reliably deter web-savvy (new) customers from entering the store. You therefore have to keep an eye on who could drop a 1-star rating. It is best to work with clairvoyant qualities here, because the worst reviews are often written by people who are not actually customers of the specialist store. Instead, they simply dropped by and were disappointed that the brake wasn't adjusted free of charge and then urgently need to let the web know about it.

You can still be happy

There's nothing better than bikes. Working on them in the workshop is fun in the vast majority of cases. Selling bikes is usually a very interesting process, where you find out exactly what the customer needs and what the right vehicle is. Supporting and accompanying customers in their sport and mobility - that's unique, you can't find that anywhere else. Experiencing how the bike helps people to get more exercise, more freedom and adventure, or even more health, friendship and joie de vivre - that's unbeatable. The job in the bike store isn't perfect, but hey, there's certainly no better alternative.

About the author: Tobias Gütlin has been managing director of a bike store since 2003. He has been on board as an editor at Ride since 2010. He writes in the blog about topics from the specialist bike trade and product developments.