​For this week’s Mechanic Monday feature, we are keeping it local – nationally, at least! – and featuring Cali Jirsa of Minneapolis, Minnesota!
 
For those of you who are unfamiliar with PBMA’s Mechanic Monday series, this is where we feature one mechanic each week who is chosen randomly from the pool of nominations that we receive. Mechanic Monday is all about mechanics supporting fellow mechanics, and we are proud to partner with Abbey Bike Tools, Cycling Industry News, and People for Bikes to share these great features with you.
 
Cali Jirsa was one of the first nominations we received for this year, but being the proud owner of the only solo woman-owned bike shop in Minneapolis keeps her so busy that we’ve only just had time to catch up with her. So without further ado, we are proud to share some of Cali’s story with you here in her own words!
 
 
PBMA:  How did you become involved in cycling and/or cycling mechanics?
 
CJ:  A bus strike pushed me from pedestrian to bike commuter as I opted to take close calls with cars over the too close for comfort catcalls when walking.  I had a strong desire to make a positive change in the world while still maintaining my sanity. Going into politics felt like the black holes that kept appearing in my tires; I needed something concrete. I learned how to fix my own bike and started volunteering at a community bicycle shop in my neighborhood that provided free repair education to low-income, homeless, and immigrant populations. I uncovered the stories with the duct tape and held them with respect like once lacking seat post bolts. In time I worked for other shops, and started my own in 2011.  I’m now the owner of the only solo woman owned bike shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
 
 
PBMA:  Do you have a favorite moment or story from your time in the cycling industry?
 
CJ:  At United Bicycle Institute I experienced a moment of collective uproar. A class of 16 non-binary, transgender, and female mechanics, ranging from sweet to sassy, raised a ruckus that could have cracked carbon. We were as riveted to our chairs as the material, and meticulously sweated over our Sutherland’s Manuals striving to memorize specifics that we needed as mechanics. Come to find out, the standardized tire sizing actually equated to a vast range of values to the vexation of mechanics, salespeople, and customers.  Many of us used to being known as “the only” in our respective shops and unwilling to make our lack of education known were able to revel in the catharsis of this group outrage. We basked in what had been previously silent. No gavel in sight, or galvanized spokes for that matter, and in time, we regained composure.  Thanks to UBI, QBP, Park Tool, Michelin, Powertap, and Surly we were given a chance to allow our confidence from our newly honed skills stand-in when sexism would stand-out.
 
 
PBMA:  What motivation or advice would you give to aspiring bicycle mechanics?
 
CJ:  Get and stay educated. Learn to grow with the changing nature of the industry.  Something new will always come out of nowhere—the latest attempt to reduce costs with technological downgrades or the ever innovative, rarely convenient fix to a home or roadside repair. Make connections and build your skills. I can’t say enough good things about education such as United Bicycle Institute or the PBMA Workshops. Work to meet customers where they are without judgement. You never know when someone will say “I love you for this,” newly purchased valve core tightener in hand.
 
 
PBMA:  What is your favorite tool?
 
CJ:  At the PBMA workshops, Brett Fleming gave each participant an Efficient Velo Tools Multi-finger Nipple Loading Tool. It is a handy tool – pun intended – that allows you to get a grip on spoke nipples in deep rims when lacing a wheel. Brett brings years of experience in repairing bikes, managing shops, and making tools to every speaking opportunity to educate mechanics to treat people and their bikes with respect.  I appreciate both gifts.
 
 
That’s all for this week! Thank you for following along with our series and sharing our support for our fellow mechanics. We’ll be back next week with a new feature. In the meantime, click here to learn more about our 2018 Mechanic Monday series, and here to learn more about how to nominate your favorite mechanic!

Mike Reisenleiter is the main man behind Winged Wheel Development.  He's taking his diverse cycling industry background and applying what he's learned to help others excel.

So how do you get started in the biz?
When I was barely a teenager, I was fortunate enough to have a couple of close friends introduce me to mountain bikes. We weren't called "groms" yet, but that's exactly what we were.  We would hang out at the local bike shop, ride lots and dream about bikes.

I had my first job when I was 12, then worked in my first bike shop when I was 16.  When I was in college, most of my time was either spent riding, running a bike-trials focused website, or working on bikes at Johnny Sprockets in Chicago.  I was working on portfolio reviews in school and realized I really enjoyed working at the shop so much more.  

After a lot of thought I decided to see where my love of bikes could take me for the rest of my life!

What exactly is Winged Wheel, and how did it get started?
Winged Wheel is a business dedicated to giving bicycle retailers the same tools and techniques used by the best businesses in the world.  I started Winged Wheel because I believe that the world is better when communities have a local hub for bicycles; and I believe there is no better hub than locally focused retailers.

At the same time, two important ideas converged in my mind:

• Any service of the mechanic or technical nature has a high value due to the gap of skilled workers to perform those services
• Bicycles build healthy communities...they are a unique vehicle that can address health, mobility and pollution concerns all at the same time

I've heard countless stories about retails who felt they were working harder than ever to make the same (or less) income.  But as I looked at the likely future landscape of retail, I say a very unique opportunity to bicycle retailers to thrive in a way that other retailers simply couldn't... so I founded Winged Wheel to share that vision and build a nation of successful retailer.  Those who focus on the customer experience, bicycles service and community engagement.

Tell us about your background that landed you a 12 year career at SRAM.
Over 12 years, but who's counting... I started at SRAM before SRAM offered trigger shifters! When I left SRAM I held the position of Global Warranty Manager.  Prior to that I worked in sales and marketing with a focus on dealer interactions.  

I ran such programs at SRAM STU (SRAM Technical University) and SRAM's Ride Experience in addition to various events, programs and projects.  When I first started the job was based in dealer service.  I was answering technical questions for dealers and flying out to support the race truck at NORBA (pre-USA Cycling) races. This was right after SRAM had acquired RockShox in 2003.  At that time, my skillset was a good base of technical and communication skills, plus a heap of ambition.  Because I had been working in customer service and technical jobs, they gave me a chance despite my age (I was only 22).  I had been a lead mechanic at Johnny Sprockets in Chicago and Ed Nasjleti (you can read about Ed here) walked in one day to drop off a part that we needed from SRAM.  That connection got my friend Craig a job at SRAM and I joined a few months later.

When traveling you visit shops... what's going on out there?
It is wild to think about how many retailers I've visited.  Over the last decade I've probably visited around a thousand retailers on five continents!  Lately, the good things I've been seeing revolve around adaptation to the best parts of technological advances.  Retailers capitalizing on consumer excitement around eBikes, retailers utilize online booking / scheduling for rentals, tours and services.  Retailers who have worked to dial-in their inventory management through open-to-buy planning, auto re-order and so on.  Additionally, I've met lots of retailers who see challenges as opportunities and that is really inspiring:   one of my favorite retailers went through the hell of an IRS audit, but came out on the other side knowing more about his business than ever before!

On the other side, I've seen many retailers who don't have a bias to action...and worst of all: have engrained that into their culture.  I've seen retailers that don't greet customers, that show bravado instead of humility, that don't cherish every customer they have like a family member.  These are all death rattles, but can all be undone.  Winged Wheel has a service on the site called "Retailer Nightmare" and we can help you right these wrongs.

What does the future bicycle shop look like through your eyes?
I see it as a community focused hub that helps customers live a cycling lifestyle.  A place where the customer's name is known, their experiences honored and their needs exceeded. It is a place where consumers are happy to pay full price, feel well served by the retail team and advocate passionately by word-of-mouth. These retailers already exist today and are thriving.

Give us seven words to summarize the future of service.
How about two seven word answers:

• jack of all trades, source for anything
• seamless transition between service, products and lifestyle

You knew we'd ask... favorite tool?
A fresh Bondhus 5mm L-bend allen with a ball end.  There is probably no other tool that is so effective on so many fasteners on so many bikes... ok and Wikipedia, the best mechanics don't know everything but they know where to find the answer and information they need.

​It’s Mechanic Monday again, and we are keeping up with our recent international theme by introducing you to Andrew Schulz of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada!
 
For those of you who are unfamiliar with PBMA’s Mechanic Monday series, this is where we feature one mechanic each week who is chosen randomly from the pool of nominations that we receive. Mechanic Monday is all about mechanics supporting fellow mechanics, and we are proud to partner with Abbey Bike Tools, Cycling Industry News, and People for Bikes to share these great features with you.
 
Andrew Schulz has truly “grown up” in the cycling industry; he started working at his local bike shop – Life Cycles in Abbotsford – as a teenager, learned by the example of his senior colleagues, and then returned to the shop in the role of Head Mechanic after finishing his formal education. Andrew was nominated for this week’s feature by his friends, colleagues, and customers, all of whom have the greatest respect for him and his dedication to his craft. We caught up with Andrew to learn more about what motivates him to excel, and we are pleased to share it with you in Andrew’s own words.
 
 
PBMA:  How did you become involved in cycling and/or the cycling industry?
 
AS:  I became involved in cycling from a young age. I remember taking a ride down to a dairy farm for ice cream on a trail-a-bike when I was 3 and falling asleep on the ride home, which was scary for my Dad who tried to keep me awake! My Dad was into cycling and would take me on rides as an older child to our local mountain. Growing up riding bikes was something we did as a family, also. We would go camping around British Columbia and ride everywhere we could, even jumping into the lake or river on our bikes.
 
When I got older I developed mechanical “empathy.” I hated to see bikes or anything mechanical not working properly. So, I started to learn how to take stuff apart and sometimes put it back together. When I turned 14, I realized I had too many expensive hobbies so I started looking for a job. Our local bike shop (Life Cycles) had always been somewhere that I had always dreamed of working. Then one day my Dad came home from buying some parts from Life Cycles and he told me that he talked to the owner about how I was looking for a job and the owner (Harvey) said to keep him in mind. So, the next week I went down to talk to Harv and gave him my resume. A couple weeks after that I got a phone call that they wanted me to come in and assemble new bikes. I showed up with my own toolbox full of tools and for the rest of the summer I assembled new bikes and took out the trash.
 
I wasn’t needed during the slow winter season, so I started looking for another job at a big box store to build up their bikes.  Fortunately, Harv called me and gave me an interview over the phone.  A few weeks later I returned to Life Cycles basically doing the same thing but with more hours. When the head mechanic moved on to a different job, I had to learn how to do tune-ups and start fixing bikes in addition to just assembling new ones. Harv hired a new, very experienced shop manager, Bart, to help me out.  We get along great and I’ve learned so much from him and all of my co-workers. Bob, the store manager who used to work as a mechanic for the Athertens, has taught me pretty much all I know about working on bikes as everything I had taught myself or learned from my Dad was not quite good enough for a bike shop.  A bike mechanic is a professional, and it really shows based on how much I have learned over the last couple years working at Life Cycles.
 
 
PBMA:  Do you have a favorite moment or story from your time in the cycling industry?
 
AS:  Honestly my favourite moment in the cycling industry is the next day at work. I enjoy what I do every day. Whether it is building a new bike or tuning up an old one and working with customers makes every day so different I never know what to expect at work. It helps that the people I work with I also get out and ride with; they are great riders that push my riding ability.
 
 
PBMA:  What is your favorite tool?
 
AS:  That is hard because we have some really cool tools! And then there are tools that are satisfying to use, but I don’t use every day. However, my favourite tool probably is a Park Tool AWS-10 because it is honestly in my pocket all day, every day at work. I use this tool probably over 80% of the time and I never have a problem with what it can do. It just keeps on working for me every day and that means a lot to me. I hate having to fix tools, or try to make something else work instead, when I know the right tool is out there.
 
 
We especially love Andrew’s definition of “mechanical empathy” – a phrase that we’ll definitely be borrowing in the future, because it pains us to see bicycles not working properly too!
 
That’s all for this week! Thank you for following along with our series and sharing our support for our fellow mechanics. We’ll be back next week with a new feature. In the meantime, click here to learn more about our 2018 Mechanic Monday series, and here to learn more about how to nominate your favorite mechanic!

​It’s Mechanic Monday again! We had so much fun last week featuring our first international mechanic of 2018 that we’re proudly introducing you to another international mechanic “from the other side of the pond” today:  Lewis Huggins of Reading, UK!
 
For those of you who are unfamiliar with PBMA’s Mechanic Monday series, this is where we feature one mechanic each week who is chosen randomly from the pool of nominations that we receive. Mechanic Monday is all about mechanics supporting fellow mechanics, and we are proud to partner with Abbey Bike Tools, Cycling Industry News, and People for Bikes to share these great features with you.
 
Lewis Huggins started working at Reading’s own A.W. Cycles in 2007. In the eleven years since then, he’s progressed up to Head Mechanic and he now oversees all of the shop’s service-related activities. Lewis has a fairly extensive background, including Bosch and Yamaha e-bike systems and Campagnolo, Brompton, and Cytech technical certifications. He’s also got some pretty cool stories to tell, which we’re excited to share with you in his own words.
 
 
PBMA:  How did you become involved in cycling and cycling mechanics?
 
LH:  Back in March 2007, I applied for a job as a Mechanic at A.W Cycles in Reading and joined a team of 3 mechanics, one now being the shop owner. From a fairly young age, I took a very hands-on approach to all things mechanical, so I settled down and before I knew it I was put forward for my Cytech 1 and 2 apprenticeships at ATG Training in Aylesbury. This gave me a huge morale boost and kicked me up a gear for years to come.
 
 
PBMA:  Do you have a favorite moment or story from your time in the industry?
 
LH:  Building bikes for celebrities (not going to mention names), but the chemical brothers, the Pirates of the Caribbean cast, and Formula 1 bosses have all been very good customers.
 
PBMA:  One of the photos of Lewis in today’s feature is of him with a custom frame Argos racing bike that he built for a rugby player.
 
LH:  The top tube was up near my chest! Nobody [at our shop] was tall enough to ride the thing! It was HUGE!
 
 
PBMA:  What motivation or advice would you give to aspiring professional bicycle mechanics?
 
LH:  Do not be afraid to go in your local shop and ask for a Saturday job. Have your CV printed out and make sure it is perfect. Your first impression is on that sheet of paper. Once that CV gets to where it needs to be you have to sell yourself to who is reading it. Make it stand out! Boast about how much you love cycling and what you like to ride. See if the shop you want to apply for does evening shop rides. This is a fantastic opportunity to show your stuff and meet staff members who could help you to getting your first foot clipped in at the workshop. And lastly make sure your personal bike is in good working order when you are invited in for an interview. If you look after your own ride your already halfway to the handshake and welcome aboard.
 
 
PBMA:  What is your favorite tool?
 
LH:  Well this is a tough one. My trusty Record No. 6 vise would have to be a high-ranking tool. Then there is my Park Tools TS-3 wheel truing stand, or my Snap-on roll cabinet. But my all-round favourite tool for sure is our Morizumi spoke cutter and threader. It’s just so simple to use and saves us a huge amount of money on pre-cut spokes.
 
 
That’s all for this week! Thank you for following along with our series and sharing our support for our fellow mechanics. We’ll be back next week with a new feature. In the meantime, click here to learn more about our 2018 Mechanic Monday series, and here to learn more about how to nominate your favorite mechanic!

​For this week’s Mechanic Monday feature, we are proud to introduce our first international mechanic this year, Marielle Levine of Montreal, Québec, Canada!
 
For those of you who are unfamiliar with PBMA’s Mechanic Monday series, this is where we feature one mechanic each week who is chosen randomly from the pool of nominations that we receive. Mechanic Monday is all about mechanics supporting fellow mechanics, and we are proud to partner with Abbey Bike Tools, Cycling Industry News, and People for Bikes to share these great features with you.
 
Marielle Levine has been working in or around the cycling industry for the last 20 years. In that time, she learned from the best, and she has become one of the best. In that time, Marielle worked her way up to being the senior mechanic and service manager at Cycles Gervais Rioux, a legendary and much-respected shop in Québec province. Marielle recently left Cycles Gervais Rioux to work in the engineering department at Alizeti, a Montreal-based e-bike conversion kit company. Her journey to get to where she is in the industry is as one-of-a-kind as she is, and we are excited to share it with you – unedited – in her own words.
 
 
PBMA:  How did you become involved in cycling and/or cycling mechanics?
 
ML:  I worked as a bike messenger through Montreal winters in the late 1990’s and early millennium.  I had had many frustrating experiences with bike shop employees, which resulted in my getting involved in bike repair co-ops and learning to fix my own bikes.  I basically spent the 1990s keeping rusty, worn-out bikes from the 1970s and 1980s on the road.
 
By the mid-2000s, I was also working as a freelance film subtitle editor, and when the main company I worked for shut down, I got a job at a used-bike shop that had a reputation for hiring inexperienced queers and having difficulty issuing paychecks.  I never did get paid, but after a couple of weeks one of my co-workers left to start a fixie/commuter upcycling shop called Revolution Montreal, and I soon followed, working in both mechanics and sales.  My brother started dating the owner of the shop, and set up his hair salon on the sales floor, and soon the shop had a reputation as a queer-friendly, women-friendly hangout spot. The shop failed mainly due to being massively underfinanced, was eventually was sold to two former employees, and became Bikurious Montreal.  It was the most feminist place I have ever worked, the only time I’ve worked with other female mechanics, and the only bike shop I’ve worked in where English was the main working language. 
 
After that, I started my own short-lived mobile repair business, and quickly realized that I was much more interested in fixing bikes than I was in bookkeeping.
 
In 2010, I started working at my first high-end road shop, where the workshop was run by Sasha Bastien.  Up until this point, I had never even touched a carbon fiber bike, and most of my skills involved unstucking rusted parts, so I spent the first season terrified that I would break something expensive.  When Sasha hired me, he asked me if I wanted to be one of the best mechanics in the city, and he basically taught me how to think like a professional, how to self-educate, and how to sell work that foregrounded safety, compatibility, predictability, and reliability. 
 
In 2015, I started working as a senior mechanic and service manager at Cycles Gervais Rioux, a road and triathlon bike shop that has been owned by the owner of Argon 18 since 1990.  This store has a beautiful workshop with a wet-washing station, and a reputation for the highest quality of work, largely due to the presence of Eric Moody, a meticulous and detail-oriented mechanic with a long and respected history in the local racing scene.  It’s a lot of fun working on state-of-the-art racing bikes that are pushed to their limits by serious athletes, as well as on the bikes of enthusiasts who want a high-quality, comfortable and worry-free ride.  In my role as a service-writer here, it has been extremely satisfying helping customers understand the benefits of having their bikes maintained in peak performance shape and working with them to meet their specific needs.
 
It’s also been fun working next door to the workshop of Jacques Gallant, a local metal fabricator and framebuilder with lots of interesting knowledge about material properties, tooling, and bike fabrication history.  (Last year Jacques built me a 650b road bike that I designed.)
 
 
PBMA:  What motivates you to excel as one of the few women mechanics in our industry?
 
ML:  Almost every day at work someone (usually a customer or industry rep) challenges my competence, or makes it clear to me that they see me as a novelty or an outsider. 
 
In many ways, I am an outsider, and not just because of my gender.  I’ve worked in many sport-oriented shops, and I love working with athletes on high-end racing bikes, but, with the exception of a few alleycat races a long time ago, I have never been personally involved in bike racing.  I am an unashamed commuter and leisure cyclist.  Also, for the past 9 years, I have worked almost exclusively in French, which I speak with an English accent.  My accent also leads some people to underestimate my competence.
 
Being an underestimated outsider motivates me to exceed expectations.  Because every move I make is often scrutinized, I am motivated to be intentional and thorough in the way I go about my work in order to produce predictable results.  I like to know how a component was designed to work, and to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when servicing it.  For this reason, it has been extremely interesting to work in a shop that has a close relationship with a bicycle engineering and manufacturing company.
 
 
PBMA:  What advice would you give to girls or women who aspire to be professional bicycle mechanics?
 
ML:  In my mind, the symbol of a smart bike mechanic is someone with a breaker bar in one hand and a torque wrench in the other.  I try to check the torque on every bolt, both because my main concern is rider safety, and also because it is a great defense against customers worrying that I might not be strong enough to work on their bike.  I like to use leverage instead of brute force to open fasteners because if something goes wrong and I am operating under the limits of my strength, I am more likely to feel the point at which something starts slipping before the tool interface is completely destroyed or something dangerous happens. 
 
If you want a long career as a mechanic, you need to use smart ergonomics and take care of your body.  Learn which tools are comfortable and efficient for you to use, and either own your own tools or work for a shop that is committed to buying the tools that are necessary to prevent workplace injury.  I originally bought most of my tools when I had a mobile shop, but since then I have had many fewer injuries while working in shops where I’ve been able use my own tools, as opposed to the shops that supplied tools that provided poor leverage, that had handles that hurt my hands, or that made it impossible to use a torque wrench.
 
I know this is very controversial, but I’m not a big fan of road testing every job.  Road tests on road bikes aren’t that useful unless your customer has a similar build and strength to you, whereas many creaking and cracking noises can be reproduced in the shop by grasping the bars and seat and putting pressure on the pedals or cranks, regardless of the size of the bike or mechanic.  If you follow manufacturer’s instructions and repeatable procedures, replace worn or damaged parts, and clean the dirty ones, most jobs don’t need a road test.  I live in an area where, for half the year there’s a good chance that while I’m doing a tuneup the weather outside is very different from the normal conditions in which the bike is usually ridden.  In winter, it makes no sense to take a bike that’s just been overhauled and ride it through the salty, gritty, slushy roads. On top of that, if your shop is in a high-traffic urban area, you might have to go pretty far to find somewhere quiet enough to hear noises coming off the bike.  If you think it will be useful to do a road test after the job, you’d better ride the bike before the job as well, so you can observe the effects of your work.  If you can’t reproduce the issue, or if the customer doesn’t want to replace incompatible or worn out parts, ask the customer to allow for enough time for them to test the bike (outside or on a trainer) when they come to pick it up, and be careful what results you promise.
 
 
PBMA:  What is your favorite tool?
 
ML:  It’s hard to pick favourites. I love whatever tool makes it easier, faster, and more comfortable to accomplish job at hand. When I worked on a lot of vintage bikes, the combination of a Hozan fixed-cup tool and a Park frame bender made me feel like a superhero, and a Bicycle Research crank thread chaser saved many a neglected and DIY-botched crankset.  An old Eldi No.61 pedal wrench has near-perfect ergonomics for me.  The Abbey HAG is always a pleasure to use. I never install a tight tire without a Kool Stop Tire Bead Jack. My favorite tool that I use the most on high-end bikes is a set of Vessel Rainball hex keys.  These keys fit snugly in most bolts, their short and angled heads access hard-to-reach spots, and their alternating flat and wavy faces let them firmly grip bolts that have already been damaged by soft or poorly fitting keys.
 
 
That’s all for this week! Thank you for following along with our series and sharing our support for our fellow mechanics. We’ll be back next week with a new feature. In the meantime, click here to learn more about our 2018 Mechanic Monday series, and here to learn more about how to nominate your favorite mechanic!