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17 Bike Industry Jobs & Career Paths to Explore

ByBecks Timbers
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Female mountain bike coach wearing coach jersey
a person riding a bicycle on a road near water

I’ve been lucky enough to turn my love of biking into some pretty awesome jobs. I’ve led wine country tours in California with Backroads Travel, guided cyclists across continents with TDA Global Cycling, built my blog Two Wheeled Wanderer into a business, and even spent time digging in the dirt with a trail crew.

The bike world is full of opportunities like these, whether you’re dreaming of becoming a tour leader, a mechanic, oar something totally different. In this post, I’ve pulled together a list of bike industry jobs to inspire your next career move.

Let’s jump in!

1. Tour Leader / Guide

See if Backroads is right for you
Two people posing for photo with bike and clothes caked in mud
Me ‘at work’ with TDA Global Cycling in Mexico

2. Bike Mechanic

  • What you’ll do: Repair, maintain, and tune bikes in shops or on the road.
  • Required skills: Mechanical know-how, certifications (not necessary but helpful), customer service.
  • Job search: Local bike shops, REI, mobile repair startups (Velofix), pro teams.
Park Tool School UBI School Cytech
Man doing some mountain bike maintenance from the back of a camper van in a parking area
My good friend Nick, a bike mechanic, working on my bikes in Phoenix, AZ

3. Bicycle Industry Designer / Engineer

  • What you’ll do: Design and develop bikes, components, or cycling gear, test prototypes, refine materials, solve performance or safety problems.
  • Required skills: Engineering background (mechanical, materials, or industrial design), CAD software, problem-solving, creativity, an understanding of cycling performance.
  • Job search: Major bike brands, component companies (SRAM, Shimano, Fox), or smaller boutique builders.
Find the best tips on how to buy a mountain bike including what questions to ask yourself, how to choose a wheel size, where to shop, & more!
I think Santa Cruz bikes are some of the best engineered mountain bikes

4. Bike Assembler

  • What you’ll do: Put together new bikes install components, adjust shifting and brakes, and make sure everything is safe and ready to ride
  • Required skills: Basic mechanical skills, attention to detail, ability to follow manufacturer instructions.
  • Job search: Local bike shops, big-box retailers (like REI, Dick’s Sporting Goods), or direct-to-consumer bike brands.
Man assembling bike on bike stand

5. Trail Builder /Crew Member

NWACC Trail Technician Course
Mountain biker on switchback in Back 40 trails in Bella Vista, Arkansas
Build awesome trails for mountain bikers!

6. Bike Shop Sales / Retail

  • What you’ll do: Help customers choose bikes, gear, and accessories.
  • Required skills: Customer service, product knowledge, enthusiasm for cycling.
  • Job search: Independent bike shops, REI, major outdoor retailers.
Inside of a bike shop
Bike shops are always looking for people to hire

7. Product Manager for Bike Brands

  • What you’ll do: Oversee development of bikes, gear, or apparel from idea to market.
  • Required skills: Business or engineering background, project management, understanding riders’ needs.
  • Job search: Your favorite bike brands 🙂
A to Z Guide of Mountain Bike Brands
Mountain bike on display in a store

8. Marketing & Social Media

  • What you’ll do: Promote bike brands, shops, or events through digital campaigns, social media, and storytelling.
  • Required skills: Writing, content creation, SEO, photography, social platforms.
  • Job search: Bike brands, gear companies, cycling publications, freelance work.
Mountain biker on trail
.

9. Coach / Trainer

  • What you’ll do: Work with athletes or everyday riders to improve fitness, skills, or racing performance.
  • Required skills: Coaching certifications (USA Cycling, TrainingPeaks, PMBIA, NICA, ICP), physiology knowledge, communication.
  • Job search: Independent coaching businesses, online platforms, local clubs.
My MTB Coach PMBIA Certification
Discover the best bike industry jobs including bike mechanics, tour guides, industry reps, and more. Find your perfect bicycle career today!
I’ve coached with Ladies AllRide for years and love it!

10. Bike Courier / Delivery Rider

  • What you’ll do: Deliver food, packages, or documents by bike.
  • Required skills: Navigation, stamina, knowledge of city streets.
  • Job search: Local courier companies, food delivery apps, some urban logistics startups.
Bike commuters on paved bike path between two bodies of water riding in to Providence, Rhode Island
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11. Event Organizer / Race Staff

  • What you’ll do: Plan and run cycling races, gran fondos, or community events.
  • Required skills: Organization, logistics, people management, event planning.
  • Job search: Cycling race organizations, nonprofits, local bike clubs.
Mountain Bike Festivals by Month
Mountain Biking ROAM Fest Sedona Arizona2

12. Bike Industry Media & Writing

  • What you’ll do: Write gear reviews, destination guides, or news for cycling outlets.
  • Required skills: Writing, photography, SEO, bike knowledge.
  • Job search: Cycling magazines, bike-related websites, freelance writing, personal blogs (like Two Wheeled Wanderer!).
Write for me!
Woman cyclist smiling for photo wearing helmet and sunglasses on top
.

13. Demo Van Driver / Demo Rep

  • What you’ll do: Travel around with a fleet of demo bikes, set them up at events or shops, and let riders test them out. You’re the face of the brand on the road, answering questions and keeping bikes in top shape.
  • Required skills: Driving (sometimes long distances), mechanical knowledge, customer service, event setup.
  • Job search: Major bike brands like Specialized, Trek, Santa Cruz, Pivot, and Yeti often hire seasonal or full-time demo drivers.
Pivot Bikes Demo Van
Pivot is one brand that does a lot of demos around the US

14. Bike Park Lift Operator / Patrol

  • What you’ll do: load bikes, keep lifts running safely, respond to injuries, monitor trails.
  • Required skills: Customer service (ops) or first aid/EMT (patrol).
  • Job search: Bike Parks
Complete list of bike parks in the US
mountain biker riding around large dirt berm at bike park
Spending your summers at a bike park doesn’t sound all the bad….

15. Sports Photographer / Videographer

  • What you’ll do: Capture cycling events, riders, trails, and gear through great photography and videos.
  • Required skills: Photography, filming, editing, storytelling, ability to work in fast-paced environments.
  • Job search: Races, cycling brands, magazines, freelance work.
Katie Lo Sven Martin
Mountain biker riding of wooden ramp at bike park
Breaking into sports photographer isn’t easy, but there are opportunities if you work for it

16. Territory Sales Rep or Account Manager

  • What you’ll do: Manage relationships with bike shops and retailers, grow sales in a region, and represent a brand to its partners.
  • Required skills: Sales experience, communication, relationship building, knowledge of the cycling industry.
  • Job search: Bike brands and distributor companies.
ountain bike van
Sales reps often travel around their region visiting bike shops and dealers

17. Gear Advisor

  • What you’ll do: Help riders choose the right bikes, apparel, and equipment either online or in-store.
  • Required skills: Product knowledge, customer service, ability to match gear to rider needs.
  • Job search: Local bike shops, REI, Backcountry, Competitive Cyclist, Jenson.
Jenson Gear Advisors
Loaded bikepacking bike leaning against tree stump

Where to Search for Bike Industry Jobs

If you’re ready to start looking, here are some great places to search for bike industry opportunities:

  • Brand websites: Almost every bike industry brand will have a little career button down at the bottom of their website. Click on it to see current openings! This is how I landed a job with Backroads Travel as a trip leader.
  • LinkedIn & Indeed: Many bike companies post their job openings directly here.
  • Outdoor Industry Jobs: Jobs across outdoor and cycling companies. Very dated website, though…
  • Bicycle Industry Jobs – Another job board for outdoor job seekers. They’re not just about bicycles (despite the name), but you can filter for biking jobs. Again, the website is very outdated.
  • Cool Works – Cool Works posts job openings for tons of ‘dream’ jobs like heli-ski lodge help and dude ranch hands. Occasionally they’ll have biking jobs like mechanics or opportunities in world-class biking destinations.
  • Malakye: Action sports and outdoor lifestyle jobs.
  • Basecamp Outdoors Facebook Group: Very active community with user-generated job shares. You can also sign up for their newsletter to get weekly job opportunities.

The bike industry is a lot bigger than most people realize and there are so many ways to turn your love of riding into meaningful and fun work. Whether you’re drawn to hands-on roles like mechanics and trail building, creative paths like photography and writing, or professional careers in design, sales, or marketing, there’s a place for you.

Hopefully this list gave you some ideas and maybe even the push to start chasing down that dream job!

Do you work in the bicycle industry? What is your bike industry job and why is it a good fit? What other bike job did I miss? Leave a comment below!

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I'm the creator and founder of the bike blog Two Wheeled Wanderer. I’ve been riding bikes and traveling the world since I was a kid and I like nothing more than enjoying some flowy singletrack or embarking on a multi-day bikepacking adventure. When I'm not blogging, I work on multi-month, cross-continent tours with TDA Global Cycling.

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