Classes have resumed for 2021 with the same curriculum seen here, but some changes in presentation: They will be held online, with pre-class video demos from OCBC and Park Tool, and weekly Live Google Meets — both virtual and/or in-person (outdoor, covid-safe), and special modifications to ensure your bike will be safe and reliable to ride after every class!
How much: $25 per class, suggested donation
How many classes: 4
When: Monthly, with a Live Google Meet Thursdays at 6pm
Bicycle Basics are the first classes anyone should take here at OCBC: They cover the mechanical things every cyclist should know; and, for experienced cyclists, how we present them in the simplest terms, so they can best help others — while working at OCBC, or anywhere.
The four-class series is offered every month, and follows the order — and uses the same safety-checks — that our “apprentice” volunteers use to tune-up a bike (but leaving out any adjustments that might make a bike unsafe to ride if not done correctly). However, you are welcome to take just one class if you are interested in a particular topic, and they could be taken in any order, if needed, by skipping classes as needed, and picking them up the following month.
1. Bike fit: bike sizing and style choices, and fit adjustments
2. Wheels and tires: simple wheel maintenance, and how to fix and avoid flats
3. Brakes: important safety checks, simple adjustments and maintenance
4. Chain and gears: how they work, and simple adjustments and maintenance
This series will cover the “user’s manual” information on adjustment and simple maintenance from our original Bike basics classes. Detailed pre-class reading and video materials will be emailed each week, that you can follow to preform simple procedures — at home, on your own bike — that are foolproof to safety-check, or with no mechanical consequences of failure. The last step in the weekly process will be a live online Google Meet to go over the procedures covered, ask questions, get feedback, and interact with other participants. If anyone has real trouble making sure their bike works properly after any of the classes, we will offer our Service assessment as a proven solution, just in case.
There are minimal (but optional) tool requirements for Bike Basics classes, and some simple supplies that most folks already have at home will be needed, — all of which will be listed, with vendor sources, in the material we send in two weeks.
We are again offering this class series for no charge — but will expect that if it is of value, you’ll make a donation to help us cover our costs, or complete a Pay what you can form, if you have a financial hardship.
Finally, the big bold step that will might this more interesting may depend a bit on the weather, but since this class series is designed to be like the “users’ manual” for your bike, we may offer an option to attend the weekly Live Meet in person — outdoors, for safe distancing — and actually ride the bike you work on. There are still factors to be considered in this, but it would make for superior education: after all, the test ride is the most important part of the repair process!
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