Meet the Grease Monkey
KIN
"Don’t become the best mechanic in the world, become a better mechanic for the world"
Thank you for taking interest in my journey. I started cycling as a roadie when I was 16, and ever since I sat on the saddle of my first road bike, my life changed. I can still remember the heat and speed I experienced on my first ride, and I loved it. Cycling became more than just a hobby to me; I had always wanted to share that passion with others. Soon after, I realized I wanted more than just sitting on a saddle and pedaling; I couldn't keep my eyes off every time I walked past a bicycle workshop. Ultimately, I decided to work as a part-time apprentice in a local bike shop, and that's where I fell in love with fixing bicycles.
The Story of Passion
For every person who has seen me working on a bicycle, you can surely see the sparkle in my eyes. I remember when I started as an apprentice mechanic, I was servicing a hub and cleaning a freehub body with a rag. The master mechanic came and asked me, 'Kin, what should you use to clean the freehub body?' At that moment, I thought I was doing the job incorrectly or using the wrong product. I said, 'Rag and isopropyl alcohol?' He said no, try again. I said, 'Hmm, brush and diesel?' He then picked up the mallet and said 'No, again.' After seeing me sweat all over my pants, he finally revealed the answer to me: 'Use your heart.' It may seem like a silly answer to some people, but those three words have remained a valuable lesson for me to this day.
Kin’s Motto
I believe that the combination of knowledge, experience and passion will guide me to do the job right. However being a bicycle mechanic is not only about doing the job right, we have to do the right job too and that requires the right attitude which is humility and honesty.