The Bicycle Workshop

Truing a wheel is more than a skill. It is an art.  We’ve done it long enough to know how to do it and how to teach it. And one thing we have learned is that it’s simplicity is decieving. While it’s true that it’s usually just a matter of tightening and loosening spokes, it’s something altogether different to get that effort to yeild a predicatable and consistant outcome.  It’s more like functional sculpture. This class will introduce you to the art of wheel work.

Of course we take a scientific approach also, to get you familiar with the physics that take place in a wheel. And we give you lots of opportunities to practice and experiment in this class.   You will practice with several different wheels that don’t have to work out, before you take on your own, if you choose to.

In this class we will practice with conventional 28 – 36 spoke front and rear wheels. We will look at and discuss modern spoke patterns and wheels with much fewer spokes.

We’ll cover these elements for sure:

• Spoke patterns
• Spoke guages and shapes
• Nipple types and materials
• Spoke Prep vs Oil vs Dry vs Interference fit
• When to lubricate a spoke
• Side to side Truing
• Out of Round or Radial Truing
• Rim design and materials
• Hub adjustment
• Lots of hands on practice.
• How good is good enough
• Wheel truing without a truing stand

And if we have the time we’ll also cover:

• Truing with a hammer!
• Truing while out in the woods
• Rim failure

So if you are interested in both demystifying the process of building a wheel and feeling the artistry involved in good wheel work, please join us for this special class.

Bring an open mind because this is a right and left brained activity rolled into one. You’ll use your eyes, ears and feel to get it right. And you will have lots and lots of hands on practice time.

Please note, we will also show you how to use your bike as your truing stand. While a stand is a great thing to have, unless you invest in a really nice one for several hundred dollars, they can be pretty frustrating, especially for the novice. Your bike on the other hand will do a fantastic job and we’ll show you how.

So bring your bike and plan on having fun. This class can accomodate 5 students so book early.

Resources:

If you want to look at the process of wheel building, which includes wheel truing, you might like this series on the topic.  While it might be tough to get the whole process by watching a short video series, it will give you a sense of what the process includes. Not to worry, once you get some hands on experience, it will make more sense.

Also, if you do want to build a wheel yourself,  you will need a spoke length calculator. We like the one found at the United Bicycle Institute’s website.

This is the book I learned with, nearly 20 years ago. The Bicycle Wheel.

The class is $60 and is 2.5 hours long. Time flies and you will learn a ton, as always.

Hope to see you there.

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The Bicycle Workshop will be offering two classes on June 13th, 2009, in Bath, Maine.

Roadside Repair will be offered from 9:00 am – 11:30 am

Introduction to Brakes and Gear Adjustments will be held from 12:30 – 3:00pm.

Both classes are for you to learn about your bike so bring it along. It is what you will be working on. We’ll provide the tools, but if you have your own and would like to learn how to use them too, you are encouraged to bring them also. If you have tools that you carry with you on your bike, you should definitely bring them. Of course if you don’t that is fine too, since we’ll show you whats out there and we’ll send you home with a list of what you might want to buy.

To find out more about either of these classes, simply respond below. You can also click on the links above for detailed descriptions.

Pre-registration is required so we know there are enough people to fill but not overfill the class.   Class size is limited to 6 participants.  However, if two people want to work on the same bike, that’s’ OK with us.

Location: We are using a wonderful studio space in downtown Bath located at 100 Front St, unit #31.     Be aware, it’s a third story location so you’ll have to climb some stairs with your bike.  We are happy to assist you with this part too.  The door is located just to the right of a little tunnel that connects Front St to a parking lot behind the block of buildings. Go up the stairs and take a left through a door and up another flight of stairs, then left again. We’ll put up signs on class  day.

Time: The class times are listed above.  It’s advisable to get to your class about 15 minutes early so you can get settled and so we can see your bike ahead of time.

Ages: Anyone 15 and older is welcome to join.  Parents can drop off their kids if they know their child can handle a 2.5 hour class on their own, but we’d much rather have them stay and learn with their child.  We’ll only charge for the child and the parent is free.

Prices: Classes are $60/person/class. Folks often arrive with a friend or spouse who’s interested too.   However, we encourage folks who expect to need to use what they learn to bring their own bike because it helps ALOT to get familiar with your own bike, not your spouses, or buddies bike.

Supplies: If you want to take a class that lets you put on new parts (like replacing your brake or gear components during that class), we encourage you to bring the parts.   We don’t have parts on hand and we’d hate to teach you how to take your bike apart and have you leave with it in pieces because you then need to go get parts.   We also know it can be frustrating to go through all the motions of replacing something that you want to replace, but put the old parts back on because you don’t have the new ones.  Typically, we consult with each participant ahead of time and can advise you how to go about this.   Our goal is for you to leave with a working bike.  Don’t be afraid to ask us for what you want.

What to wear: Wear clothes you can get dirty in. Tires and chains will make a mess of new clothes. There is a place to change at the studio too.

For more info, please look at Roadside Repair or Introduction to Brakes and Gear Adjustments or ask questions below.
Thanks and we hope to see you there.

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This appeared in Switch Magazine, May 2009

When people get back on a bike after a long hiatus, they tend to operate from the heart more than the head. They are after a feeling as much as a function. Freedom, speed, simplicity? Maybe, but I call it magic. They want to feel the magic again.

Recently a friend dropped off a bike she wanted to use for a triathlon. She is a very rational person and wanted me to check it out before she used it.  When I said it might not fit her, she said she just wanted to ride for the summer and do one race so it wouldn’t really matter if it was too small.  In other words, she felt the magic and so this other stuff shouldn’t matter. I had to explain that bike size was like shoe size so since she wouldn’t wear the wrong size shoes for the summer and a race, we should look at it.

It also shows up with the garage sale bike where someone sees a bike that has sat for years and “worked great when I parked it there”, which is code for “your magic ride awaits.” Then the mechanic says it can work but what was once grease is now essentially glue and so it needs some work, they are so heartbroken. As if the magic has disappeared. Maybe this isn’t “the bike” after all.

Older people who come in and get scared off by all the gears, which is legitimate, suffer from this too. They are quick to say they only need one gear, like they had when they were a kid.  And the shop has to try to explain, kindly, that their knees may not agree and that they live where there are hills so gears might be integral to actually enjoying the bike. So the shop has to work to connect them to the magic in a bike that will actually be enjoyable too. This is where being a good salesperson is actually a gift.

It’s beautiful to see people so blinded by the magic really. It speaks to the underlying allure of the sport that otherwise rational people will turn a blind eye to reality in a quest to feel the magic once again. And if this describes you, don’t despair. The magic is still there because it’s actually in you. Your bike is just the vehicle.

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On Wed, Dec 10, 2008, Adam wrote:
Hey Erik,

My name is Adam, I took part in your Fall bike maintenance course at Bowdoin college this year. I know you said we could email you if we had any questions after the course, and I have seemed to come into quite a predicament with my own bike. About a week ago I was cleaning my bike, when I decided to take my seat post out. I got it pretty far out, until it got stuck completely. Continue Reading »

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