CYTECH

Cytech was created and is owned by the UK cycle industry via the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT). Since being developed over 30 years ago, over 19,000 courses and qualifications have been delivered to candidates in 30 countries around the world including staff working for some of the world’s leading bicycle distributors.

History

The professional training and accreditation scheme came about following a court case regarding a bicycle accident in the UK during the late 1980’s. A very well-known cycle shop owner was asked what qualifications he had to work on this particular bike. He started saying, “Well I’ve been in the cycle industry 45 years…” to which the magistrate responded with, “I’m not asking you how long you’ve been working. I want to know what qualifications you’ve got!” He couldn’t give an answer because at the time there weren’t any.

In response to this the ACT decided that the industry needed a qualification structure that could be delivered to the cycle trade so that if the above situation arose again, the dealer could answer with, “Yes, I’ve got this qualification.” Since then the qualifications have become the industry standard and are recognised worldwide. It’s not just the cycle industry that recognise the qualifications either, for example many insurance companies base their policies around the level of qualification that the business staff have, and councils use them when it comes to cycling events too.

In 2014 Cytech went international by launching in South Africa with Torq Zone Academy, our first training provider outside of the UK. The training scheme, as well as bicycle mechanics as a profession, has gone from strength to strength in the country with the syllabus also becoming the basis from which their recently developed National Qualification Framework (NQF) for bicycle mechanics was created. These developments are a great achievement and mean that the profession is recognised on par and in the same light with the likes of other more established careers, in South Africa and also setting a precedent for further afield.

In 2016 Cytech expanded further, launching in both Canada and Australia with Specialized Canada* and Bicycle Industries Australia (BIA)** respectively. These developments as well as others that are in the pipeline reinforce the fact that Cytech is the internationally recognised industry standard and that our qualifications for bicycle technicians and the cycle trade are applicable worldwide.

*As of April 2020 Cytech training is now delivered in Canada solely by Whistler Adventure School.

**As of September 2020 Cytech training is now delivered in Australia under ‘Cytech Australia‘.

The Cytech journey

1. The Cytech journey is a comprehensive range of technical courses designed to take even the most inexperienced mechanic and mould them into a master professional cycle technician.

It is a requirement that candidates wishing to undertake any of the Cytech technical courses have first completed those before it, e.g. a candidate wishing to undertake Cytech technical three must already have earned technical one and two qualifications.

• Theory one is your first step toward becoming a fully qualified cycle technician. Suitable for all cycle trade employees, Theory one consists of an interactive online distance learning course, providing a strong foundation for candidates to build their career upon. This can be completed in your own time, at home or at work on a laptop, desktop, tablet or smartphone.

• Technical one is a practical course that will see candidates able to work safely and efficiently in the workshop environment. Technicians qualified to this level are able to build new bikes to a high standard.

• Technical two is the industry standard for professional cycle technicians worldwide. Technicians qualified to this level can build, service and repair most types of bicycle and have a firm understanding of the basic engineering principles under which all bicycle components work.

• Technical three represents the pinnacle of technical proficiency. This level can be attained only by experienced cycle technicians with a full understanding of the advanced engineering behind high-end, performance cycles. Technical three is taught on a modular basis, and technicians who are qualified to this level are able to install and calibrate top-level electronic groupsets, service complex suspension systems and hydraulic brakes as well as building high-performance, lightweight and robust wheelsets which are specific to purpose.

Cycling enthusiasts not looking to work within the cycle trade have a different set of requirements compared to those of a professional cycle technician. Cyclists wishing to understand how to maintain and repair their own bikes at home may complete our Home mechanic courses.

So, why choose Cytech?

There are many reasons why people choose Cytech over other organisations, from wanting nothing less than the industry leading bike mechanics qualifications to receiving the highest quality of training that all of our trainers and assessors personally deliver. Here are a selection of benefits that technicians, businesses and customers all get from choosing Cytech:

1.Technicians: