bicycle technician, this profession “too little valued”

Frandroid was able to meet the Sup de Vélo training organization during ProDays 2024. The opportunity to discuss the profession of bicycle technician, in which the company has been training many people for 10 years already. And to highlight a profession that is often “too little valued”.

You just need to take a look at the job offers relating to the cycle sector to realize how popular the profession of bicycle technician is. Even more so with the growing number of electric bikes on our roads, machines requiring specific and more technical skills.

Many “bicycle schools” exist today in France. “There are even fifty of them “, explains Cécile Frayssinet, administrative and financial assistance at Sup de vélo, whom we met during ProDays 2024. This training company has been teaching students the profession of bicycle technician for 10 years now.

Training for all profiles

The idea and launch of Sup de vélo are to the credit of Centrale Cyclelab, which also oversees the Culture Vélo, Bouticycle and Vélo Station networks. “Our school is linked to all that, but we don’t only train people from these stores. We really welcome everyone», would like to remind Cécile Frayssinet.

Sup de vélo offers several types of training: from the sales unit manager (Bac + 5 minimum), to the cycle option sales technician, including the expert advisor in electric bikes or hydraulic training. Each training course has its own specificities, modules, duration and price.

Cycling training inevitably experienced a significant boom just after Covid-19. “Our numbers have doubled, even tripled. We had an average of 100 training courses per year, we went up to 300“. Between 2020 and 2023, the sector will experience a golden age. “Then things calmed down in 2023, we returned to pre-Covid standards“.

“Since Covid, we have had to train around 1000 people“. Above all, the transformation rate is more than interesting: 80% of people trained then find work. “Many of them also go into business on their own, as self-employed. We have follow-up after 6 months”, which allows us to trace their evolution.

Salaries considered too low

For the remaining 20%, the economic aspect is generally the determining factor: “These people are caught up by the economic side, because at the beginning, it can pay off moderately. When you join Decathlon as a bicycle technician, it’s 1400 euros per month“. We imagine that in Paris, salaries are potentially leveled upwards. Note that the Indeed website estimates the average salary of a Cycle Technician at Decathlon at 1,687 euros.

“It is a profession that is too undervalued, salaries should be increased. Recently, there have been positions for 2000 euros. Companies are obliged to attract younger generations», in particular to replace certain retirements and cope with the increase in demand.

We can easily imagine that training dedicated to electric bikes, the cycle segment that has progressed the most in recent years, has been particularly popular. This type of training focuses on controlling an e-bike according to the manufacturer’s procedure, maintenance and assembly, diagnosing a malfunction, sales and arguments.

More specific modules on Bosch and Shimano systems – the two most popular in the world of VAE – are notably on the program. “They get their hands dirty, except for Shimano and Bosch who have locked their system. For example, we are not allowed to dismantle a Bosch engine; it is a diagnostic tool that takes care of the analysis.», Explains our interlocutor.

Different typologies of students

Obviously, not all engine manufacturers work like this. “Ozo, for example, allows us to disassemble their engines“. For damaged batteries, however, it is difficult to intervene.

What types of profiles make up Sup de vélo? “This could be people who are already trained and want to add a string to their bow by focusing on electrics.», enlightens us Cécile Frayssinet. “Otherwise, they come from all over France, there are even Belgians, Swiss and people from the French Overseas Territories.“.

However, one type of profile stands out more than the others: “These are mainly people in the process of retraining.“. Paradoxically, or rather ironically, Sup de vélo trains a large number of former employees… of Airbus. “We are close to Toulouse, so we had a lot“.

An important “human aspect”

“These are people who had a job that was the opposite of cycling. But they want to change their lifestyle, take their time and think about well-being, even if it means making concessions on salary.», continues our interlocutor.

The job of bicycle technician is also more than that. “People think it’s simple, but there is also a lot of management work, sales technique, postural study and advice. There is also management, and an important human aspect to bring people into the stores.», concludes Cécile Frayssinet on this beautiful note.