Bicycle Maintenance & Repair Classes

As an icebreaker at the League of American Bicyclists' League Certified Instructor class that I took recently, we were asked what our first bike meant to us. The most common answers from our class of 15 were freedom and fun. You know what doesn't make for freedom and fun? A broken bike!

That's why the Community Bike Project Omaha has started a series of 12 bike maintenance and repair classes to teach you the skills you need to keep your steed in tip-top shape and to learn how to mend it when it's not. Whether you want to learn how to fix a flat tire or how to adjust your hub cones, we've got a class for that. We love nothing more than helping to empower people so that they feel the freedom that comes with the confidence and independence of working on your own bike, all in a stress-free, hands-on, fun learning environment.

Our next upcoming class is on Brakes, something we all could probably use help with! Here's the list of all our classes, which run every other Tuesday at 6pm and are held at our Shop at 525 North 33rd Street:

2010
10/10 Pedals, Saddles, Seatposts, Handlebars, and Stems
10/26 Brakes
11/9 Derailleurs
11/23 Chains & Chainwheels
12/7 Hubs and Quick-Releases
12/21 TBD

2011
1/4 Headsets
1/18 Cranks, Bottom Brackets
2/15 Wheelbuilding
3/1 Wheels—Truing & Dishing
3/15 Frames
TBD: Tires & Tubes

All classes are taught by experienced local bicycle mechanics who will mix instruction and discussion with hands-on practice. You can bring your own bike or use one of the bikes we'll have set up at the Shop. Cost is a suggested donation of $10/class. Space is limited, so please RSVP for any class you'd like to attend by emailing me at matt@communitybikeproject.org. If you have any questions or would like us to cover a topic you don't see in the list above, please email me.

Thanks to OmahaBikes for helping us get the word out about these classes!

Matt Martin
Community Bike Project Omaha