Got Basic Tools? 5 Bike Gigs and How to Start Each

Washing a neighbor's bike

Paid bike care: five bike gigs for neighbors, simplest first. Number five: washing a bike, near $17 an hour on one wage table. A bucket, water and a rag get you started, and your neighbor pays directly. You scrub it with brushes and cloths, then rinse and dry it.

A clean rag wipes the dirt off the wheel rims. After a salty ride, a rag wipes the chain and gears dry. A neighbor's word of mouth is the most powerful way to find clients. As you clean, you check the bike for damage too.

By our count, a single Saturday morning covers a few neighbors' bikes. Water and grease on the floor can cause slips, so keep the path clear. Next, a check you do with your thumb.

Checking and pumping bike tires

Number four: pumping tires, about $18 an hour on a tire repair wage table. You press each tire hard with your thumb, and if it dents, you pump it. The right pressure is printed on the side of each tire. A floor pump with a gauge makes it simple.

One city guide suggests checking the pressure every week. Flyers and a note in a local paper cost little to try. Say Noor checks and pumps five neighbors' bikes in two hours. By our count, two hours at $18 and thirteen cents comes to $36 and twenty-six cents.

If practical guides like this help you, subscribe. Every official page is linked below. Worn tread, splits or cracks mean the tire needs replacing. Next, the chain, a step up on the wage tables.

Cleaning and oiling a bike chain

Number three: cleaning and oiling a chain, $19 and five cents an hour on one wage table. You turn the bike upside down and wipe the dirt off with an old rag. Then a light coat of chain oil goes on as you turn the pedals slowly. You let it soak in for a few minutes, then wipe off the extra.

A rusty or stiff link shows up as you turn the pedals backward. Chain oil is the one small thing you may need to buy. Your written quote lists the work, the cost and how long it stays valid. Say Ben cleans and oils four neighbors' chains in two hours.

By our count, two hours at $19 and five cents is $38 and ten cents. Textured gloves give you a better grip on oily parts. A separate clean rag keeps oil off the rims and brake pads. Oily rags go into a sealed metal bin, not a pile.

Next, an allen key and a better fit.

Setting saddle height and handlebars

Number two: setting a saddle and handlebars, $20 and fifty-seven cents an hour on one wage table. You adjust the bike to fit the rider better. At the bottom of the pedal stroke, the knee keeps a slight bend. Too high and the hips rock; too low and knees can hurt.

You hold the front wheel between your legs and try to twist the handlebars. If they twist, you tighten the stem bolts with an allen key. Quick-release levers on the wheels and seat get closed all the way. You agree in writing on when and how you'll be paid.

Say Priya fits three neighbors' bikes in two hours. By our count, two hours at $20 and fifty-seven cents is $41 and fourteen cents. Anything you can't fix goes to a local bike shop. And number one, at the same figure, fixes the most common problem.

Fixing a flat with a patch kit

Number one: fixing a flat tube, the same $20 and fifty-seven cents an hour on that wage table. One city guide calls a flat the number one bike problem. You need tire levers and a patch kit. With the bike resting on its seat and handlebars, you check the tire for glass.

You peel the foil from the patch and press it firmly onto the tube. Then you pump the tire to the pressure printed on its side. Once you've tried it, it's fairly easy. Lots of flats can mean the tire itself is worn out.

Say Leo fixes three neighbors' flats in three hours. By our count, three hours at $20 and fifty-seven cents is $61 and seventy-one cents. You spin each wheel, and a sideways wobble means a trip to the bike shop. You keep a record of every payment on your phone or laptop.

Rules on side income differ where you live, so check yours. Prefer screen work to bike grease? Click the video on screen now for seven real sites that pay you to train AI.