What will I be doing?

Once a major mode of transportation, bicycles are still popular as recreation vehicles. They once were tools; now they’re toys.

Fortunately, toys get attention when they’re broken. A bicycle repair service maintains, repairs, restores and recycles cycles. If you enjoy bicycle riding and happen to be handy with tools and repairs, consider starting your own bicycle repair service from your home or garage.

What will I need to start?

To fix bicycles, you must understand how they work. Though children’s bikes are basic machines, those that adults ride are more sophisticated—and require more knowledge to repair.

One successful bicycle repair service began by purchasing children’s bikes in any condition. He paid $10 if he could roll them away and $5 if he had to carry them. He then dismantled them, replaced parts as needed from other bikes, painted them and resold them at a profit. Some of the profit went toward attending factory schools for major bicycle brands. Within a few years, his weekend service had become a full-time bike shop specializing in racing bikes.

Who will my customers be?

Kids don’t buy kids’ bikes; parents and grandparents do. Adults also buy collector bikes, mountain bikes, racing bikes and exercise bikes. So your customers will be adults buying for kids or the kid in themselves. Appeal to both the logic and the emotion of your customers and your business will succeed.

Most bicycle repair services promote themselves with small service ads in local newspapers, on area bulletin boards, in bike shops and through referrals.