Mechanic of the Month Winner: Rod Evans of A Mere Cycle

This month, our winner is Rod Evans of A Mere Cycles in Ellesmere. Rod started from his carpool, opening a bike hire shop following a redundancy. Here’s his story.

Walk us through your journey into the world of bicycle mechanics? What initially sparked your interest in the job, and how did you get started?

I started cycling when I was 6, first on a BMX bike. I got hooked on that and went to my local track here in Ellesmere and loved every minute of it. My old nan could see I loved cycling, so she bought me my first road bike. That’s when the fun started, cycling miles and miles with my mum as a kid, as you do.

I just kept cycling, eventually riding 500 miles in 3.5 days for Midlands Air Ambulance and raising money for them still to this day.

I’ve always been interested in bikes like other bike mechanics, but I always wanted to know how to fix them. My old dad taught me a lot, but I bought bike manuals and went from there and learnt from there. I was fixing neighbours’ bikes and friends’ bikes, and it progressed from there, friends of friends and so on.

I got made redundant from an upholstery business, and the light came on: why not start my own bike business? My dream was to serve the people of Ellesmere, my hometown, so I used the money to set up my own bike hire business back in 2015, and it just went off from there.

Tell us about your current role and where you work?

I am the owner of A Mere Cycle Hire and sales in Ellesmere, Shropshire. My shop is now in Ellesmere Market Hall. I moved out of my shop because the rent was going up, so I moved into Ellesmere Market Hall.

What does a typical day look like for you in terms of the bikes and jobs you most often encounter in your workshop?

My typical day starts like any other, with a good brew, that’s a good start!

My customers vary from TT riders, MTB riders, to roadies and the general public. Like any other bike shop, fixing punctures, replacing cables, new chains, cassettes, and changing tyres. You just don’t know what’s coming next, it could be a pram or a wheelchair or a mobility scooter wanting slime put in their tyres.

In your opinion, what is the most important, or perhaps misunderstood, aspect of a bicycle mechanic’s role? Do you feel mechanics receive adequate recognition for their expertise and the value they add?

In my opinion, it’s the bike which comes first and safety, so the customer is safe. Most misunderstood, we are not the Internet, and we can’t always do things straight away. I know people like things done, but we can’t do things straight away; we’re a service.

Both the customer and their bikes are important, but trying to get the customer to understand what’s happened or needs to be done, sometimes explaining it’s similar to a car helps their understanding, like brakes need to bed in. Many mechanics are good with the tools but find it hard with academics, and talking to the customers it’s a really hard job to do both. I know, but sometimes we have to listen hard. Take the smooth with the rough.

Do you have a favourite tool you can’t live without, or a particular type of job or repair that you find most satisfying or challenging?

My favourite tool is my wife, she’s my everything! Apart from my 15ml spanner and 5ml torque, haha.

The most satisfying job is indexing gears, and the most challenging and stubborn are tyres which won’t come off the rims.

Are you using bikebook? If yes, what’s your experience been like?

At the moment, I am not using bikebook, but hopefully in the near future, I will be.

Beyond the practical skills, what do you believe are the most important qualities that make someone a great bicycle mechanic?

I believe the most important qualities that make someone a great bike mechanic are that they listen to the customer, build a rapport with the customer, like many of my customers, they have become good friends with me, and they trust me to do the job first time and bang on everything and turn around is fast and accurate.

How important have formal qualifications or continuous learning been in your development, and what are your thoughts on their value in the industry?

Qualifications and learning are important in the development of the bike. Bikes have come a long way in the past 40 years. Learning from the correct courses is a good idea as long as they are taught face to face, not online, so practice is part of the course.

But equally, having the knowledge from years of experience, the courses and qualifications are sometimes not always the correct path.

What changes in trends, bike technology, or rider culture have you seen during your time as a mechanic? How have these shifts impacted your work and the skills required?

The changes I’ve seen and trends are that people want to go faster everywhere. Technology has made that, and the rider just wants to get there super fast. Road bikes are super lightweight and fast, mountain e-bikes are heavy, but every customer wants lightweight e-bikes; it’s never going to happen with motors and battery weight.

We bike mechanics are always learning every day; we never switch off.

What advice would you offer to someone who is just starting out or considering a career as a bicycle mechanic? What have you learned that you wish you’d known when you first began?

The advice I would give if you’re starting out is to get a good stand and build your tools up slowly.

Start small, don’t think big, because it can go wrong quickly. Spend money wisely and grow slowly. Get yourself known to your suppliers and chat with them. I’ve got really good friends in the business now, and I can ring them up for parts or advice and have a great chat with them. It’s about talking and knowing the right people.

I started in my carport, then got myself a van, then a year later got a market stall with a 6ft table selling bits and bobs. Two years later, a shop and it’s grown into what it is today.

Follow Rod on the A Mere Cycle Instagram to keep up to date with his shop.