Articles
Bicycle and motorcycle trade history: from wobbling to modern two-wheeled technologyHistory · 10 minBicycle and motorcycle mechanics keep the two-wheeled vehicles running. This article follows development from the first bicycles in the 1800s through the birth of the motorcycle and the moped's popular breakthrough to today's electronics, e-bikes and specialized mechanic trades.The mechanic's day-to-day: service, adjustment and troubleshooting on two wheelsTrade matter. · 9 minBicycle and motorcycle mechanics: the daily routine revolves around service, adjustment and troubleshooting. This article describes the typical tasks from the very simple such as puncture repair and brake adjustment to engine service and electronic troubleshooting — and why safety-critical parts require special care.The mechanic's systems and tools: drivetrain, brakes and batteryTrade matter. · 9 minBicycle and motorcycle mechanics work with drivetrain, brakes, wheels, engine and — increasingly — battery and electronics. This article covers the main systems the tools you use and the safety equipment that goes with working with batteries and chemicals.Safety and quality on two wheels: brakes, torque, batteries and responsibilitySafety · 9 minWhen you work with bicycles motorcycles and mopeds you send vehicles onto the road where the driver is unprotected. This article reviews the most important safety and quality matters – safety-critical parts proper tightening batteries and documentation.Specialties and career: bicycle, motorcycle, scooter, and electricCareer · 8 minThe education has specializations in bicycle mechanic, motorcycle mechanic, and moped mechanic. This article looks at the different directions, the importance of the e-bike and electronics, and the path forward toward responsibility, independence, or further education.How you don't forget the patient as a personThe education's structure. · 7 minFrom year 9 to journeyman's certificate: here you get the whole journey through basic course 1 and 2 the main course and the school periods that alternate with practical training in a company. You also learn which levels and specialities you can choose and what it takes to get in.Student wages and conditions as an apprentice.PLACEHOLDER_2 · 6 minAs an apprentice you get paid from day one in the company and it increases through the course. Here we cover the principles behind apprentice wages what a collective agreement means for you and what conditions come with having the journeyman's certificate.Rules, driving licence and certificates in the subjectRules and legislation · 7 minThe mechanic profession is surrounded by regulations — from the certificates you must obtain along the way to the requirement for a driving licence before the journeyman's examination and the laws that govern what a vehicle must be able to do to be legally on the road. Here you get an overview.Work environment safety and ergonomicsWork environment · 7 minA mechanic's workshop contains chemistry noise heavy lifting and rotating parts. Here we dive into how you work safely with batteries and chemicals avoid wear through good ergonomics and why working environment is a professional discipline on par with the repair itself.The industry today — jobs, demand and futureThe industry · 6 minBicycles have become transport, exercise and technology at once and electrification is changing the trade quickly. Here we look at where you can get a job what employers are looking for and which direction the industry is moving.Further and continuing educationFurther education · 6 minYour journeyman certificate is not a dead end, but a springboard. Here we look at the paths ahead — from short specialist courses and new specialities to technician and academy programmes, and all the way to engineer if you feel like it.Brake technique in depth: rim drum and discTechnique · 8 minRim brake, drum brake and disc brake solve the same task in three different ways, and each of them makes different demands on the mechanic. This article reviews the principles behind the three systems, why hydraulic brake fluid should never be mixed across brands, and how to determine if a pad is still safe.Gear systems: derailleurs, hub gears and electronic shiftingTechnique · 8 minGear shifting on a bicycle can be solved several ways — with an external derailleur, with a closed hub gear or with electronics that shifts for you. This article explains the principles behind each solution, why hub gears are so maintenance-free, and how electronic shifting like Shimano Di2 and SRAM eTap work in practice.Engine technology: 2-stroke, 4-stroke and injectionTechnique · 8 minMotorcycle and moped engines come in two basic types — 2-stroke and 4-stroke — and fuel can be supplied in two completely different ways: carburetor or electronic injection. This article explains the principles and connection to the EU's emission requirements, which today control which engines can be sold new at all.Battery technology: lithium cells, BMS and safe handlingSafety · 9 minE-bikes, e-scooters and e-motorcycles are powered by lithium-ion batteries that contain high energy in small volume — and that require respect if damaged. This article explains how a lithium cell and a BMS work, what thermal runaway is and what rules apply to handling and transport.Materials in the trade: aluminium carbon fibre and steelMaterials · 8 minA bicycle or motorcycle frame can be built from steel aluminium or carbon fibre — and the material determines how it should be treated repaired and put together. This article covers the materials' properties why carbon fibre requires a torque wrench and friction paste and why epoxy and isocyanate courses are mandatory in the education.Wheel building and truing: how a wheel becomes roundTechnique · 7 minA well-built bicycle wheel is a balance between spokes pulling in different directions yet keeping the rim perfectly round and true. This article covers the principles behind wheel building and truing, what uneven spoke tension does to a wheel, and why newly built wheels need re-tensioning after the first ridden kilometers.The journeyman's exam: how the final exam runsCareer · 7 minThe journeyman's exam is the culmination of the entire education — the practical and theoretical test that shows whether you can be called qualified. This article goes through how the exam is organised, who assesses it, and how you best prepare yourself without promising exact clock hours or marks that vary from school to school.Moped rules driving license and why tuning is illegalRules · 7 minThe moped is one of the most regulated vehicles a mechanic works with — precisely because it drives fast enough to be dangerous but slowly enough that young and inexperienced drivers can drive it. This article reviews the difference between small and large mopeds driving license and insurance requirements and why it is never a mechanic's job to make a moped faster than it is allowed to.Tires, ETRTO standard, and sustainability in the cycling industry.Materials · 7 minTire sizes can look confusing when inches and millimeter measurements are mixed but behind the numbers lies a common European standard. This article explains the ETRTO system, the difference between clincher and tubeless tires and how repair, reuse, and recycling of batteries has become part of the modern mechanic's daily work.