April 19, 2002

Breaktime

Robert St. Cyr: He keeps UC Davis moving forward

By Ellen Chrismer

Robert St. Cyr performs a checkup on a 10-speed. The Bike Barn manager faced his first two-wheeler challenge at the tender age of 11, when he assembled a bike from an assortment of spare parts. Debbie Aldridge

To many, Robert St. Cyr might just have the dream job. After all, he spends his days in much the same way he did as a kid: fixing bikes.

St. Cyr, the manager of the UC Davis Bike Barn, was about 11 years old when his father came home with the boy’s "new bike" – a box of used parts. His family didn’t have much money, said St. Cyr, who grew up in Hopatcong, N.J.

But he took to the mechanical challenge and got that bike to run, the first of many clunker bikes he has resuscitated in his career.

"I’ve been doing this longer than about anything in my life other than eating and sleeping," St. Cyr said.

While in high school he worked under the hoods of muscle cars. During a stint as an Air Force mechanic, he repaired fighter jets. St. Cyr’s worked as a security guard and delivery driver. But he always came back to repairing bikes.

"I always enjoyed cars, but I really had a knack for bikes," said St. Cyr, who is an avid bike commuter and certified bike safety instructor. "By listening to the sounds and clunks of them I knew what to repair."

Bike work also requires more ingenuity, he said. Customers can still buy parts for older cars off the shelf. But when a student comes in with a bike from 1978, the chances are spare parts aren’t available.

"I have to be creative to solve the problem and find modern parts to fit the bike," he said.

St. Cyr came to UC Davis about five years ago after managing a bike shop in Fair Oaks. On campus, he enjoys the chance to train talented student employees, and he appreciates the family-friendly work hours, he said. St. Cyr and his wife, Kathy, have three children: James, 8; Rebecca, 4; and Joe, 1.

"In retail, I worked all the weekends and holidays," St. Cyr said. "That got old quick."

And St. Cyr has lately been diversifying his interests. An active member of the Friends Community Church, a Quaker-affiliated congregation in Sacramento, he recently enrolled in a correspondence degree program in theology at Bethany Baptist Seminary in Michigan. He plans to put his degree to use as a Sunday school teacher at his church.

"It’s impossible to get a degree in bike mechanics," St. Cyr said. "If it was, I’d probably have a Ph.D."

What was your first job?

I was a paperboy. I was 12. Riding a bicycle in zero-degree weather in January was interesting. I would come home so cold I would be in tears. It was fine in the summer.

What’s the best part of your job?

Students here learn really fast. They are really intelligent. You tell them something once or twice and they get it.

What’s the worst?

After four years students are completely trained. I would put them up against the best bike mechanics in the country. And then I have to say goodbye to them. I lose them, and then I have to train new people.

What’s your favorite place on campus?

I like the arboretum, especially in the spring. It’s just so pretty and peaceful. Another place is the Bike Barn; I don’t dread going to work.

What kinds of bikes do you most like to work on?

It’s all good. I’ll work on a very expensive bike and a piece of junk bike, and I’ll enjoy every minute of it.

What’s the most important bike safety advice you can give?

Wear a helmet. That’s the smartest thing you can do.

Also, the League of American Bicyclists has the ABC Quick check-up before a ride. A, you can check the air pressure in your tires. B, you can check your brakes. C is for your crank and chain. Quick is for your quick release (which holds your front wheel on). Always make your quick release is on tight. •