Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on October 16, 2009 at 4:51pm

Johnathan, Working Bikes is always looking for volunteers at their warehouse on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons to help tune up bikes that will be put up for sale at their storefront.

Their storefront is located at 2434 S Western. Give them a call to find out where the warehouse is currently (it's definitely closeby).

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Permalink Reply by Bailey Gene Newbrey on October 16, 2009 at 7:23pm

There is a free basic maitenance class at Rapid Transit Cycleshop on Sunday, October 25th at 5 PM. Stop in the shop or give 'em a call to register. More information is available at http://www.rapidtransitcycles.com/

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Permalink Reply by Duppie on October 17, 2009 at 6:50am

I am currently taking the build-a-bike class at West Town Bikes and so far I am highly impressed. There are 2 great instructors on 8 students. Not quite one-on-one, but I can ask all the questions I want and they never fail to give an answer

I thought I had some decent mechanic skills, but the detailed explanations, followed by a demo, and then hands-on has taught me a lot more than I expected. I think it is well worth the $200 admission.

On the far north side The Recyclery also has build-a-bike classes modelled after the classes at WTB.
Frank

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Permalink Reply by Noel Cunningham on October 17, 2009 at 8:32am

i went to basic bike maintenance at west town bikes and it was great... it seemed like there was around 10 people there plus four instructors. i got a lot of one-on-one help when needed and it was really fun. for this particular class, they suggest a donation of $10 or whatever you can afford. this class was a good starter class and i'd like to take something more specific and detailed in the future.

here's a list of their upcoming classes:
http://westtownbikes.org/event

another way to learn could be to volunteer at recyclery or working bikes.

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Permalink Reply by jonathan kabb on October 17, 2009 at 12:58pm

Did you bring a bike you currently use, disassemble it and learn to reassemble it or did you do something else for a bike?

Duppie said:

I am currently taking the build-a-bike class at West Town Bikes and so far I am highly impressed. There are 2 great instructors on 8 students. Not quite one-on-one, but I can ask all the questions I want and they never fail to give an answer

I thought I had some decent mechanic skills, but the detailed explanations, followed by a demo, and then hands-on has taught me a lot more than I expected. I think it is well worth the $200 admission.

On the far north side The Recyclery also has build-a-bike classes modelled after the classes at WTB.
Frank

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Permalink Reply by Duppie on October 18, 2009 at 3:40am

Participants bring their own bike to work on. Each week one subject (bottom bracket, headset, etc.) is tackled. WTB provide the tools and consumables (grease, lube, etc)

jonathan kabb said:

Did you bring a bike you currently use, disassemble it and learn to reassemble it or did you do something else for a bike?

Duppie said:

I am currently taking the build-a-bike class at West Town Bikes and so far I am highly impressed. There are 2 great instructors on 8 students. Not quite one-on-one, but I can ask all the questions I want and they never fail to give an answer

I thought I had some decent mechanic skills, but the detailed explanations, followed by a demo, and then hands-on has taught me a lot more than I expected. I think it is well worth the $200 admission.

On the far north side The Recyclery also has build-a-bike classes modelled after the classes at WTB.
Frank

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Permalink Reply by Sean W. on October 19, 2009 at 5:33am

Adding on to Ryan's post above, Working Bikes' entire operation is now located at 2434 S. Western, with the storefront on the 1st floor and the shop upstairs. Hopefully the heat is working by now :)

Tues. evenings from 5-9pm there's a volunteer's class. Wed. and Sat. from 12-5 the storefront is open, and they have need for volunteers both upstairs and down. For your first time you'll usually start by stripping down a dead frame to salvage parts, learning to use most of the tools available and how the bike is put together. They'll move you on to local donation bikes next, and as your skills improve you'll progress on to rehabbing storefront bikes. There's always a professional mechanic on hand to provide guidance and answer questions, and they provide a meal for the volunteers as well. It's a great way to learn more about bikes and help a good cause at the same time.

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Permalink Reply by lauren sailor on October 19, 2009 at 11:15am

Martin Hazard and I co-instruct the BikeWinter Basics classes that will be happening the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month through winter at West Town Bikes. It's definitely the Basics: parts of the bike, ABC Quick check, fixing a flat, lubing a chain, plus some winter riding/clothing tips. It's just 3 hours and a nice intro, but if you're looking for something more in-depth I highly recommend West Town's DIY Tune-Up class AND Build-A-Bike, both of which I've taken.

If memory serves, Build-a-Bike is two weeks longer and covers the bottom bracket (which DIY tune-up doesn't cover); the only downside is that it puts a bike out of commission for a few weeks. (For the DIY tune-up class, we worked on our own bikes but had them back into riding condition at the end of every class.) AND if you want to do Build-a-Bike but can't spare a cycle, you can always ask about using one of the shop's. The classes I took had 2 instructors per 8 students, so there's plenty of time for individual questions.

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Permalink Reply by wig [ isaac ] on October 19, 2009 at 5:00pm

building a bike is such an enjoyable thing to know how to do.. in fact ones you can truly understand the bicycle all other machines make sense... so go for it and enjoy...

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Permalink Reply by Sean W. on October 22, 2009 at 7:26am

Sean W. said:

and they provide a meal for the volunteers as well.

Found out yesterday that, due to budget constraints, meals will no longer be provided for volunteers. Thought I'd pass it along.

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Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on October 22, 2009 at 8:15am

I have an extra bike that was abandoned in my gangway over the summer. I PROMISE. I contacted my neighbors and no one has claimed it for months. It's currently semi-sheltered but still outside.
If anyone is looking for a bike to use for the rebuild class and doesn't want to sacrifice one of their own, I'll donate this one if you pass it forward after the class.

Direct message me here and we can set it up. First come, first served.

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Permalink Reply by jonathan kabb on December 19, 2009 at 7:02pm

I highly recommend everyone sign up to take a WTB build a bike class. There is so much valuable information and the instructors are well versed in many types of bikes. My only regret is that I did not take notes because there was so much great information. It is definitely worth the money and even if i forget half of it, I feel so much more confident in the understanding of how my bike was built. do it.

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