Reading Bike Hub

We’re hiring for a new mechanic. If you have workshop experience and are looking for weekend role reach out.

We're hiring (again) our wonderful mechanic is off to university, which is a brilliant reason to lose him but does mean we're looking for someone to join the team.

Bicycle Mechanic at Reading Bike Hub

Hours: Friday 3pm-8pm Saturday & Sunday, 11:00am–4:00pm

15 hours per week

Pay: £15–£18 per hour, depending on experience and level of responsibility

The Role

You'll be responsible for keeping our hire bikes safe and well maintained, while also supporting customers who visit the Hub at weekends.

You'll need to be confident working independently, diagnosing common bicycle problems and carrying out repairs to a good standard. Just as importantly, you'll be comfortable talking to customers and helping people who may have limited knowledge of bicycle mechanics.

Key Responsibilities

Hire Bike Scheme

Carry out regular safety checks and maintenance of the Hub's hire bikes.
Inspect bikes before and after hire.
Carry out routine servicing and adjustments.
Diagnose and repair mechanical issues.
Maintain brakes, gears, chains, tyres, wheels and other components.
Identify bikes requiring more substantial repairs and report these to the appropriate person.
Keep accurate records of maintenance and repairs where required.
Ensure hire bikes are safe, clean and ready for customers.
Identify worn or damaged components before they become a safety issue.

Bike Maintenance

Support Front of house to triage bicycles brought in for repair or advice.
Carry out repairs and adjustments where appropriate.
Explain mechanical issues clearly to customers.
Know when a repair is outside the scope of the weekend service, triage and book it in
Do bike services including indexing gears, wheel truing, replacing cassettes, servicing hubs, bleeding brakes and more
Refurbish bikes for sale
Quality check other mechanics work

Customer Service

Provide a friendly and welcoming service to everyone who visits the Hub.
Answer questions about bicycle repairs, hire bikes and other Hub activities.
Communicate clearly with customers and other volunteers about repair requirements and costs where applicable.
Deal with customers professionally and respectfully.
Help create a positive and inclusive atmosphere at the Hub.
Skills and ExperienceEssential

Practical bicycle maintenance experience.
Experience working in a professional bicycle workshop.
Ability to diagnose and repair common bicycle faults.
Good knowledge of braking and gearing systems.
Ability to carry out wheel, tyre, chain and drivetrain repairs.
Ability to work independently.
Good customer service and communication skills.
Reliable and punctual.
Commitment to safe working practices.

Desirable

Experience maintaining a fleet or hire-bike scheme.
Cytech qualification or equivalent experience.
Experience working with e-bikes.
Experience dealing directly with customers.
Experience working in a community or volunteer environment.
Personal Qualities

We're looking for someone who is:

Friendly and approachable.
Patient with customers of different experience levels.
Practical and solutions-focused.
Organised and able to prioritise jobs.
Comfortable working independently.
Happy to share their knowledge with volunteers and customers.
Passionate about bicycles and cycling.
Reliable and committed to the weekend role.

What We Offer

A friendly and community-focused working environment.
Regular weekend hours.
Opportunity to work with a varied range of bicycles.
Experience managing a community cycle-hire fleet.
Opportunities to support and develop volunteer mechanics.
The chance to make cycling more accessible to local residents.
Staff/volunteer opportunities within Reading Bike Hub's wider cycling, art and community activities.
Application

Please send a short CV or description of your bicycle mechanic experience, along with your availability. We’re open to job shares if the 3 days isn’t desirable.

Reading Bike Hub welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive working environment.

Want your kids into racing we have a range of bikes from £0 (in the Kids Bike Library) to £500. With everything in between.

We’ve popped over on the hire bikes to see lucindaanderson exhibition at the Riverside Museum. Thanks to some great work by Kidical Mass Reading and Cllr John Ennis, who convinced private landlords to shorten the barrier the whole route is car free and even comes with a cooling station on route.

Definitely worth a visit if you have time!

Did you know we work with Avanti Cycling to deliver cycling lessons? This Saturday we'll be doing rusty riders, an outside, car free session working on brakes, gears, stopping and looking.

So if you haven't cycled in a while and want a refresher sign up. :)

Rusty Riders: Adult session - Reading Bike Hub - Booking by Bookwhen Refresh your skills and confidence in cycling ahead of moving onto roads. Starting with basic bike check and set up - also covers steering, braking; using gears and signalling.

Apparently it’s ride your bike to work day this Thursday, although in our opinion every day is bike to work day ;)

So tomorrow is the perfect reason to bring your bike in for a small fix, buy a bike or buy one to get ready for Thursday (and every day after that).

We’ve been getting an insane amount of punctures in recently. We’ve asked our local ward councillor (who conveniently had her surgery in the hub) to raise broken glass on the street with the relevant team.

We do puncture repairs, but we also teach people how to do punctures every other Wednesday so why not book onto a free course (ironically paid for by the council) until the glass is swept up.

If you’re drinking outside please drink responsibly:)

We only exist because of our amazing volunteers. If you have some time to spare we’d love you to be part of the space.

- mechanics
- front of house
- collections
- helping with the unit

We’re an inclusive space so all brains, bodies and people welcome.

Come down and support the world record attempts of these amazing cyclists, and get a free bike check from the bike hub.