Career in the bike industry

Transcend · Jul 12, 2006

Find a better carreer.

MMike · Jul 12, 2006

Why aren't you going back to Nicolai?

w00dy · Jul 12, 2006

That G-boxx standard is ugly as sin!

Look for openings on bicycleretailer.com. You might want to leave that nicolai thing out of your portfolio, though.

patineto · Jul 12, 2006

keep in mind the Old bicycle store joke...

"How do you make a million dollars on the bike industry.... ??

you start with Two million"

as a Industrial my self I can tell you that is far better fields in the design world to make a career but I also understand your atraction to bicycles since they are so simple at first glance but so complex and fasinating if you really look at them in deep...

patineto · Jul 12, 2006

w00dy said:
You might want to leave that nicolai thing out of your portfolio, though.

what are you taking about...??

for sure Nicolai design does not have much Bling, but at the same time is one of the few bike design companies that really push the boundries of the performance possibilities (i do accept linkages are some how anticuated) any good designer or engenier will be proud to work at..

bluebug32 · Jul 12, 2006

Don't give up on your dream. I'm a hopelessly underpaid starving artist. You'll get used to the taste of canned food and cereal...it just takes time.

Ciaran · Jul 12, 2006

bluebug32 said:
Don't give up on your dream. I'm a hopelessly underpaid starving artist. You'll get used to the taste of canned food and cereal...it just takes time.

Well said. Sometimes what you do is far more important than what you make. Heck, I just gave up a nice cushy job to follow my crafts and my art. (Thank God the wife has a decent job!) I am broke but I am sooooo much happier.

:thumb:

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to bluebug32 again.

I would so approve if I could!

sanjuro · Jul 12, 2006

I second the Bicycle Retailer, which you should subscribe too. You can also cruise the job posting pages of the major bike companies. I know Bianchi might be looking for someone...

dump · Jul 12, 2006

patineto said:
As a Industrial my self I can tell you that is far better fields in the design world to make a career but I also understand your atraction to bicycles since they are so simple at first glance but so complex and fasinating if you really look at them in deep...

Hey patineto, are you going to get back to us about the sale? I'm in Berkeley... can I swing by for a look?

http://ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2197474#post2197474

thanks.

patineto · Jul 12, 2006

dump said:
Hey patineto, are you going to get back to us about the sale? I'm in Berkeley... can I swing by for a look?

http://ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2197474#post2197474

thanks.

sorry about that, I being talking to a friend that wants to buy ALL my things for a pretty decent price...

and to tell you the truth it get really, old really fast when a component retail for a $100 dollars and the guys here offer you $10 for it, with the old "Help a brother out" argument, now i'm starting to understand why everybody preffer E-bay since is a lot less trouble and deception not to mension you get more money at the end...

some of my parts are here at my house in berkeley but ost of them at my workshop in castro valley, plus my camara is broken and I'm waiting to borrow one to take proper pictures, (for example I have about 45 stems after 20 years of collecting them)...

me bad...

now back to regular programing...

dump · Jul 12, 2006

gotcha... guys here can be pretty lame (in my experience) ...

Transcend · Jul 12, 2006

dump said:
gotcha... guys here can be pretty lame (in my experience) ...

Hey now, we had a good trade!

dump · Jul 13, 2006

Transcend said:
Hey now, we had a good trade!

not you?!?! :mumble:

it's kiddies asking if I can ship stuff to then before I see any money... becuase, you know, they're getting paid next week...

Honus · Jul 14, 2006

Hang in there. I worked in the industry from '85 to'97 -all the way from shop wrench and learning to braze frames to working in R&D at Onza to being a partner in my own component manufacturing company Real Design. I can honestly say if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing. The money wasn't uber-fantastic but it wasn't that bad either and the experience, knowledge and friendship I gained more than made up for it. Money is nice but it isn't everything. I sure as hell don't want to go to a job every day that I thought sucked just because it payed a little better.

My advice is to start cold calling. Make a list of every bike company you'd want to work for and pick up the phone and start working it. If it's your dream then go for it.

fluff · Jul 14, 2006

Could you start your own company, maybe hook up with a guy who has welding skills?

dan-o · Jul 14, 2006

Honus said:
Hang in there. I worked in the industry from '85 to'97 -all the way from shop wrench and learning to braze frames to working in R&D at Onza to being a partner in my own component manufacturing company Real Design. I can honestly say if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing. The money wasn't uber-fantastic but it wasn't that bad either and the experience, knowledge and friendship I gained more than made up for it. Money is nice but it isn't everything. I sure as hell don't want to go to a job every day that I thought sucked just because it payed a little better.

My advice is to start cold calling. Make a list of every bike company you'd want to work for and pick up the phone and start working it. If it's your dream then go for it.

It is possible to find a good job in the industry if you have real skills and ambition. I've been in it for 17 years (recently left to start my own biz) and have always had interesting jobs, travelled the world (including living in EU), and had a generally amazing experience/lifestyle while making decent money.

IMO, the key is not accepting a crappy job just to get your foot in the door, the bike industry isn't THAT cool.

erastusboy · Jul 14, 2006

I'm surprised that there are this many designers on this forum. I sent a pm to joe but I will ask here as well. I am in school for ID and starting next summer I am required to get a paid co-op as a designer. Anyone know of any companies that would hire for a 3 month co-op period?

Also it would be really cool if any designers currently or formerly in the industry would pm me and let me know what its like. I dont have my heart set on working on bikes but I love bikes and if I could think about bikes all day that would be a pretty good deal.

jonKranked · Jul 14, 2006

erastusboy said:
I'm surprised that there are this many designers on this forum. I sent a pm to joe but I will ask here as well. I am in school for ID and starting next summer I am required to get a paid co-op as a designer. Anyone know of any companies that would hire for a 3 month co-op period?

Also it would be really cool if any designers currently or formerly in the industry would pm me and let me know what its like. I dont have my heart set on working on bikes but I love bikes and if I could think about bikes all day that would be a pretty good deal.

what school are you at? mine does that too.

But yes, I find it much more important to do something you love than something to make a lot of money. I am currently doing a co-op and making good money, but I hate the job, a lot of my co-workers, and in the inflexibility of it. My only real motivation is not to get fired so I can finish the co-op (I need it to get my diploma). I'd rather be broke and happy than well off and having to throw up every morning before work because I hate it so much (yes this was happening to me for a few weeks).

erastusboy · Jul 14, 2006

Im at University of Cincinnati

What about you?

What about everyone maybe there should be a designer/wanna be designer thread.

amydalayna · Jul 14, 2006

Ken at Rennen is someone you might want to talk to. Went to school for Engineering. Designed tires at Maxxis and then did the Rennen chain tensioner gig. He's here on RM. you might want to drop him a PM.

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