FUTURE TALK! 3D Printing and the Bike Shop

A few years ago people were saying, "Oh, the 3D printing revolution is on its way..."

Well good news everybody: the 3D revolution is here.

Where I live in Chicago, high schools and colleges teach classes on 3D printing. My local library has 3D printers for public use. There are even small businesses popping up that you can hire to make 3D printed objects; I recently got a 1/32 scale model of the Longman Eagle statue printed out of resin, and the cables guides on my Cannondale were printed by Shapeways.

What this means for the bike shop is that in the relatively near future people will stop buying parts from reputable brands, and instead will buy from reputable designers. Rather than buying an object off the shelf that approximates what the customer wants, they can have a part made custom for them, which will embody any and all desires that can be expressed by an inanimate object. Imagine: 124.6mm long stems, shift levers that mirror the rider's hand shape, perfectly round rims without weld spots or pins. There are already companies building 3D printed frames – which for the most part are assembled in sections on site – but with advancements in adhesive technology, like GE's "Iron Grip," bikes can be put together anywhere, by anyone with the skills to assemble a SnapTite model airplane.

What this means for the cycling industry is that bike shops will go from being strictly middle-men, to prime manufacturers – just like in the olden days when mechanics built frames and machined cogs, but with a modern twist. A person will find their bike part design online, download the schematic, and go to the bike shop to have their parts shaped, manufactured, and installed.

Currently, a 3D printing device that can make metal bike parts will cost a shop between $100,000 and $500,000 dollars. By 2020, that price is expected to drop considerably, but even if it doesn't, that price range is within reach of a high-volume bike shop. Even some low-volume specialist shops clear 70K a month during the season, and if the investment of factory-made bikes for stock is transferred to paying off the printer then financially there's no difference.

What this means for mechanics like me is a renewed value in technical knowledge. The Internet is a poor simulacrum to a face-to-face Q&A with an expert, and most discerning customers will prefer to let somebody else handle the technical aspects of production so they can focus on riding. The bike mechanic will not just be a servicer or repairman, but an integral part of the design process; the bike mechanic will be responsible not just for installing and maintaining off-the-shelf parts, but will need to understand design and manufacture to ensure the correct part is made.

Therefore, primary skills for the mechanic of the future will include:

• Knowledge of Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) 
• Experience with human-to-bike fitting and fitting tools
• Understanding of structural materials and bonding principles
• Mastery of frame design
• And the ability to evaluate others' designs for various applications

Many mechanics already have these skills in addition to the fundamentals of being a shop worker. But those who do not will need to train up or get left behind. This isn't to say that every shoprat needs a masters in engineering, but a practical knowledge of applicable concepts should be an expectation for a career mechanic.

Though more to the point, in the immediate future there will be a bit of a Wild West culture as thousands of would-be designers from around the world publish their CAD models and sell their designs for individual manufacture. It's inevitable that in the foreverquest to make parts lighter and cheaper, some crap will leak onto the streets. 

The average consumer can't be expected to know the difference between a good and bad design for every application, so it is imperative that mechanics fill the role of consumer protectors as well as advisors. To do this, there will need to be a methodical approach to technical training, and a system of standards for both the mechanics and the designers – as well as a testing system and governing body to ensure everybody is meeting their obligations. Doing this will not only enhance public trust in the industry, but will lead to more technical progress as a greater number of trained mechanic/designers become empowered to build and test equipment. 

The Professional Bicycle Mechanics Association is pushing the service/labor side of the industry towards standardizations, which is good, and probably necessary as bicycles become a more legitimate form of transportation in America. However, mechanics and bike shops need to look into the future, and understand what skills will be needed then, so that we can educate ourselves now.