2/11/2020 0 Comments Two classes and a biddy bop. In these past two weeks I helped lead two maintenance classes and went on a lil group ride! It's been really fun getting together with different people and talking about bikes and riding and just overall genuine cool experiences.
The first class was at Grand Valley State University's sustainability class. One of our customers and daily commuters teaches this class and asked me if we did educational programming, and while we didn't have anything in place yet for the season, I said yes. We made plans and last week my manager and another coworker and myself crammed into one of the company's Honda Element along with our three bikes and a bin of tools and bike pumps. Once we finally found the appropriate classroom and got set up, we began speaking about the benefits of biking and why and how we bike commute. I also wanted to be sure to mention some bicycling history and highlight a few women and people of color who changed cycling for the better. It was really exciting to talk to the room, as there were about 20 students and only two of them were guys. After the little lecture, we had everyone get up and we taught them how to change a tire. We didn't get too much of a reaction from the class as we spoke but when we were in smaller groups a few kids opened up and said they were stoked on what we had to share. I didn't realize it at the moment but it was great practice for the next class that was taught at the shop! On Monday we started our mechanic class series at our Fulton shop. The first, in the series of four, was all about tubed and tubeless set ups, and how to set up and repair both! We had a great turn out and about half the class was women! Our guests asked great questions, were very open to hands on learning and walked away excited to come back for the next class! I really enjoyed walking people through changing a tube, or even removing and reinstalling the rear wheel into the drop outs, and then seeing it click! I think education like this is really important to make bikes approachable and fun! I began my bike journey by volunteering and then working at our local non-profit co-op, the Spoke Folks. (RIP thanks for the great memories!) We taught people how to repair, build and maintain their bikes. As I moved on to for-profit shops, the urge to show people how to fix something stayed with me, however not always encouraged. Now that I am at a shop where we want enlightened customers, I am stoked on continuing these classes and helping people feel confident about their bikes. It's also a win for us when our customers are able to explain what is wrong with their bike, and we can save sometime and don't have to chase down that mystery creeking noise. And on another note, but similarly related in the way of sharing and growing, some ladies and myself went on a little bop around Reed's Lake one Sunday morning. It was so fun and just what we needed! On the group chat where we planned our ride, one friend, Jenny, expressed interest in joining but not having the right bike (a polo bike would be a little sketch on this particular slushy winter day). I offered for her to ride a bike of mine. She was game and was over within an hour, trying out the fit of my winter commuter (which I recently put drops on and is very hot) She fell in love and we were off to go meet up with the other bbs. As Jenny rode with us and checked out our bikes and gear she grew more excited about getting a bike of her own to do the same! That ride helped her feel more confident riding on the roads and also realize that she has the sense and enough knowledge to get herself going! And with that, the very next day she brought in a bike (that she actually picked up from the Spoke Folks final sale) and asked me to set it up for winter riding and commuting! I installed a new pair of tires, YELLOW tires, that would be more compliant in slush, a rear rack and got it all tuned up. When she picked it up, she was wearing a yellow sweater, it couldn't have been more perfect!!! (I am stoked for her too if you can't tell) I can't wait to hear all the stories of where she goes on that baby! But back to our 'biddy bop' as I call it... It wasn't anything crazy, we all rode our commuters, stopped to pet dogs, and ended with coffee. But it was the fact that we all got together and rode. Riding with your friends helps you sort your brain out, gets oxygen in there and helps you feel accomplished. There are a lot of organized group rides, though not always in the Michigan winters. Most are faster paced, geared towards race training and what not. And then there's a group of my male co-workers and friends who bop around after work but I can never make it cause I gotta go home and see my Mel- Dog. So intentionally getting together to ride for fun with the ladies was so refreshing. I haven't ridden 'for fun' in a while, I bike commute to work but don't have a ton of time outside of that to bop. I can't wait til the days get longer. I am so excited for the tangible growth and am looking forward to the sun being on our side so we can be out longer and continue to learn together. Peace out and ride on!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorLiz is a bike mechanic in Grand Rapids MI. She is one of two female mechanics in the city. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Drawing and has one dog and one hedgehog. Archives
March 2021
|