Just remember you don't go into the Bike Industry to make "good" money.  You do it because you have a passion for bikes.  I have a friend who use to be a test engineer for a Bike Suspension company.  It was a tough job because it was at a time when that technology was very new to bikes.  In the early 1990's their were a lot of "cottege industry" companies who were producing components that were for the lack of a better word junk.  The industry was caught up in pretty anodized colors, CNC machined parts and anything made out of titanium.  Most of these companies faded away at the turn of the century as the consumer demanded durability and reliability.  And the tools and processes to increase durability, reliability and design were expensive.

I have very close ties to the bike industry.  In fact, I have some designs that I currently sell through a few resellers.  The industry has changed a lot since I bought my first mtn bike a 1985 Stump Jumper.

I don't see the need to go back to school for a ME.  If you have some structural analysis skills and can take some MCAD classes at your local college that should be good.  Solid Works and Pro/Engineer are the popular MCAD programs used.  Both of those MCAD programs have their own FEA packages.  Some of the larger companies use Nastran.

 

Heckler   
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
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This post contains no political overtones or undertones for that matter and in no way represents the poster's political agenda.
 

precicely why i got out of the bike industry but am now working back in it...a certain element of fun thats hard to find anywhere else but drop me a line if theres anything you want to know