For Sale: Fixed Stuff For Sale...Velocity Deep V's,Surly Steam Roller,Hatta BB,Dildo Bars....

What I do have a problem with, is the attitude of the shop management. The mech would have to be very special to be getting more than £7ph, even though the shop can be charging up to 10x this for his/her labour. I don't see how anyone can carry on working in a shop, knowing that this is happening to them. Managers who are extracting 90% of my labour can fuck right off.

I can see your point here, but what you have to bear in mind is that the money made from labour time, after paying the mechanic, isn't all profit, as much of it will go toward overheads...i.e. tools and supplies etc. For example, those little cable crimps that pretty much any bike shop will include free are actually supposed to retail (so i discovered recently to my horror!) at around 20p....as i said this is just an example, there are several ways in which money is spent without it being returned directly.I hope this doesn't come across as trying to be picky but this is just how it is.

But yeah as dogsballs states, i do work as a mechanic myself, however, i have managed shops before, therefore having a better understanding of the way money is made within the shop to keep it alive. The fact is, selling new bikes doesn't create a great deal of profit, as mark-ups on bikes are pretty low (depending on manufacturer). The sale of any accesssories is a bonus, but the majority of money made within a bike shop is made in the workshop....i can't see how any bike shop could survive without a fully functioning workshop. So anyway, the point i'm making here is that the profit made from the mechanic(s) plays a huge part in keeping a shop going, well particularly independant shops. I personally think i'm paid adequately for my work, plus i actually really enjoy my job, and there's not many people who can say that?! Again, i hope this doesn't come across the wrong way, this is just my point of view i guess. And of course i can't speak for the BLB mechanics, maybe they are unhappy or unmotivated...but then it is notoriously hard to find a GOOD mechanic who really knows every tool and part inside out.

Anyway, rant over. Sorry. Just want people to see the bigger picture.

p.s. charging for air is indeed fucking criminal!!