The tools to succeed
NEWS
In this Q&A, Geoff Wilson talks about his experience training in Cycle Maintenance and Repair at Cycle Systems Academy, and what he plans to do with the qualification …
What position did you hold in the military? Chief Aircraft Engineer.
How long did you serve? 24 years.
What drew you to bicycle maintenance in the first place? In the long term, I am looking at something for when I finally leave and settle in Australia. In the short term, maintaining a fleet of bicycles in my garage is my aim. I’ve got five mountain bikes and three or four kiddies’ bikes. I did a mountain bike instructor course in the military and so this maintenance course was the next natural step. I also do guide trail riding, so this course prepares me with the knowledge to fix when I am out on the trail.
What do you plan to do with the qualifications you have studied here at Cycle Systems? I am going into the Australian Army for now, and I will definitely be there for three years. But in the back of my mind is setting something up in Darwin, and there are also a couple of good-looking bike shops. I don’t mind going in there and telling them I’ve got this qualification, if you have too many bikes, pass me some work. I’d happily volunteer, but I will get experience and get my foot in the door.
How do you feel about running a business? Well it’s interesting but I’m not going to do it yet – it’s a dilemma for the future. What potentially puts me off is the admin and all the work around doing what I want to do, and that’s where Cycle Systems’ Associate Scheme might come in helpful.
What do you think of the Cycle Systems Academy? I looked into a few companies and it appeared to be the most reputable, but to be honest it surpassed my expectations. When you go downstairs you walk into this whole big workshop and huge amounts of tooling. I work in a fairly highly organised environment regarding tooling, so the set-up here is comparable – it’s the nirvana of a working environment. Tooling, workbench and stand, well thought out and planned and delivered. Everyone has to step up to the level. The military works in the same way – we have to account for every single tool. This lends itself to that. If anything is broken things are identified, not stuck at the back of a drawer. Although I must say there are more and better-quality tools than in my workshop!
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Tel: 020 8638 8824
email: sean@cycle-systems.co.uk
