An Amusement & Diversion for The Genteel Cyclist. Daily.

Friday, April 11, 2008

School Daze: How'dya like to be a REAL bike mechanic?

United Bicycle Institute is a nifty mechanics' and framebulding school out in gorgeous Ashland, Oregon. Tuition for a typical course is around $1500, and there are about 500 students enrolled at any given time. Framebuilding is currently the hot topic -- courses are apparently filled for the forseeable future, in everything from fillet brazing to aluminum welding.



If you're like me, you assume you know just about everything there is to know about fixing a bike. And if you're like me, you're wrong. Way wrong. (Take UBI's mechanics' quiz if you'd like a strong dose of our ignorance, grasshopper.)

But what I really like about UBI is their companionable easy-going style. (One shop rule: no open-toed shoes! Ever dropped a shop-sized pedal wrench on your toe?) Especially as expressed in their very user-friendly spoke calculator, to which I shall forevermore direct newbie wheelbuilders asking for advice.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Too bad a UBI "degree" doesn't guarantee a job. It's a start, but we never hired someone based on that alone. Although, the industry could benefit from some kind of mechanics certification process.

Anonymous said...

You could hire me. I got 4 out of 10 right! Of course, one of the right ones was a guess.