Shop Classes
This course will show you everything you need to know to maintain, or "tune-up" your bike. You may bring your own bike if you have specific questions, but won't be doing a
tune-up during classes: to practice what you learn on your own bike, the course fee includes a year's co-op Membership to use the shop and tools, with additional help as needed. "Overhaul" or bike-building tasks not covered in this class also can be done in this way. However, volunteering is strongly encouraged as the best way for students -- beginners especially -- to gain hands-on experience before working on their own bikes.
The series of four classes is offered every month. There are two sections to choose from: either Tuesdays from 7 to 9 pm, or Saturdays from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. You can view current class schedules on our calendar. If you cannot make those times, we can arrange private classes at OCBC or elsewhere.
This course also includes all Bike Basics Classes (held immediately before the Shop classes, so they can be taken in one visit), and the Traffic Skills Intro riding class, held on Saturday mornings.
Space is limited to 10 students, so please sign up in advance on our events registration page here. To guarantee your space, your registration should be paid, or covered with volunteer credits. If there are less than 4 students registered the series may be canceled.
The cost is of the course is $100, which includes a year's membership, a Bike check-over, and two hours of personal shop-use. Subsequent years' membership renewal is $50/year. In-shop Earn A Bike students may attend Shop Classes for free with their adult chaperone (who can earn shop credits for most of the cost of the classes while the student earns their bike).
Volunteering credits can also be used to pay for classes: you must have enough credits before the course begins to guarantee a spot, but may "pay as you go" if the course is not full.
For more follow up info, please see our "Thank you for registering" page.
Taking the course of repair classes (or testing out of them) is required for co-op membership; so you must do so before using the shop for personal projects, even if you are an experienced bike mechanic. (We do have a public-use work stand with basic tools, though, for emergency repairs). The goal of this policy is for all members to have basic repair skills, to avoid expensive mistakes, and so members can better help each other.
These classes cover concepts and techniques, and some essential hands-on tool-use: the lab-time to practice what is covered in this course is during any of our retail hours (to work on your own bike, using the shop time included in the course fee) or on Apprentice Wednesdays (working with an experienced mechanic on one of our bikes, while getting shop credit).
To really practice what is taught in this course, it is an excellent idea to volunteer in the shop doing bike-related tasks like de-tireing or de-spoking wheels, prepping bikes or wheels for repair, truing wheels, or tuning up a bike. This way you can practice needed skills without worrying about making mistakes on your own bike, or forgetting what you have learned before your bike needs work.
Shop classes should be taken in order, especially for beginners, and follow the curriculum below. There are brief descriptions on this page, or you can find more detailed outlines here. We are a Park Tool School, and they are a supporter of our educational work. Park has great repair help here.
Here is the curriculum for the entire class series. The Bike Basics portions are held from 5:45 to 6:45pm Tuesdays; and the Maintenance portions from 7 to 9pm Tuesdays, or 4:30 to 6:30pm Saturdays.
1st week
Basics: Fitting your bike for comfort or speed
- Basic bike fit concepts
- Handlebar and seat adjustments
- Basic maintenance concepts
- Hands-on Safety Check
Maintenance: Shop and tool use
- Necessary work assessment Safety Check
- How to use the shop and tools
- Useful mechanical concepts: lubrication, leverage, and love!
- Wheel removal -- on the ground and in the workstand
2nd week
Basics: All about flat tires
- Hands-on tire change
- How to Fix a Flat
- How to get fewer flats
- Tire pressure, tread pattern, and rolling resistance
Maintenance: Wheels and Bearings
- Wheel theory: how they work, wear, and fail
- Bearing function, assessment, and adjustment
- Wheel maintenance
- Hands-on wheel truing
3rd week
Basics: Locking, loading, lighting, and layering
- How to keep your bike from getting stolen
- carrying stuff on your bike; and loading your bike on a bus, train or car
- Use lights at night!
- Clothing choices for any weather
Maintenance: Brakes and Cables
- Cable types, function, and assessment
- Cable maintenance and adjustment
- Brake types, function and assessment
- Brake maintenance and adjustment
4th week
Basics: Chain and Gears
- How gears work, and how to keep them working
- Hands-on chain lube
- General maintenance tips
- Safety Check for drive-train issues
Maintenance: Chain and Gears
- Drivetrain function, wear, and assessment
- Hands-on chain breaking
- Assessment of cranks and bottom brackets
- Hands-on derailleur adjustment
If
you are an experienced educator or bike mechanic, we are seeking
instructors to present this curriculum at other locations, like your
local recreation center. Please email education@ohiocitycycles.org if interested.
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