willonabike
Member
Hi all, long time viewer, first time poster etc etc.
I've just started a separate shed build post - "my little Aussie workshop" but was advised to introduce myself.
I'm 33, married with the first child on the way and recently bought our first house.
I've spent most of my life surrounded by push bikes. When I was 12 I got and new 26" mtb and promptly started to tinker with my old 24" in dads shed. The strip down took me a couple of days but the rebuild was a 9 month process - with only a few leftover nuts and bolts that I didn't know what to do with!
At high school the only 'career' that I was interested in was working in a bike shop and I was doing that part time midway through my final year. The following 16 years have been all in the industry, with a 6 year stint of racing professionally (trying anyway!) throughout Oz, the U.S. and Asia.
After quitting racing, I went back to mechanics, doing freelance stuff for teams and working out of my shed. I then landed a mechanic job with the Australian national team and that's where I am now.
It's a pretty interesting style of mechanics in cycling, I love having a fully equipped workshop with all the tools and machines you could need. But then I could be off to do a 2 week race in China or somewhere and have to maintain bikes for 7 riders with whatever I can fit in my tool box.
We have to improvise, deal with the logistics of moving equipment around the world and some long hours but it's better than a real job!
Away from bikes I've been getting excited about some projects around the house. My problem is usually jumping right into something with knowing exactly what I'm doing so I hope to get some good advice from the crew on this forum.
That will have to do for now as I have to catch a plane for home!
Will
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I've just started a separate shed build post - "my little Aussie workshop" but was advised to introduce myself.
I'm 33, married with the first child on the way and recently bought our first house.
I've spent most of my life surrounded by push bikes. When I was 12 I got and new 26" mtb and promptly started to tinker with my old 24" in dads shed. The strip down took me a couple of days but the rebuild was a 9 month process - with only a few leftover nuts and bolts that I didn't know what to do with!
At high school the only 'career' that I was interested in was working in a bike shop and I was doing that part time midway through my final year. The following 16 years have been all in the industry, with a 6 year stint of racing professionally (trying anyway!) throughout Oz, the U.S. and Asia.
After quitting racing, I went back to mechanics, doing freelance stuff for teams and working out of my shed. I then landed a mechanic job with the Australian national team and that's where I am now.
It's a pretty interesting style of mechanics in cycling, I love having a fully equipped workshop with all the tools and machines you could need. But then I could be off to do a 2 week race in China or somewhere and have to maintain bikes for 7 riders with whatever I can fit in my tool box.
We have to improvise, deal with the logistics of moving equipment around the world and some long hours but it's better than a real job!
Away from bikes I've been getting excited about some projects around the house. My problem is usually jumping right into something with knowing exactly what I'm doing so I hope to get some good advice from the crew on this forum.
That will have to do for now as I have to catch a plane for home!
Will
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
