Classes

Classes are a big part of the Bike Kitchen's mission and income. They're a great way to learn teaching skills while inspiring self-sufficiency in newer cyclists. Many mechanics benefit from teaching one or two of these classes, because it's a chance to talk through how to diagnose, overhaul and possibly repair a component in a calmer environment than the usual open hours. Thus teaching classes helps make you a better mechanic for open hours.

We have curricula for three existing classes:

• Tuneup Class
• Advanced Maintenance
• Wheel Building

Class Sales

• Online: Almost all of our allotted class spots are sold online through [1] and we encourage participants to sign up for a class this way whenever possible. Credit cards and Paypal are accepted through this site. The link to purchase a spot in an upcoming class is available on the BK website.
• In the shop: We have experimented with signing up patrons within the shop. This causes several logistical problems, though. Our classes have been selling out extremely quickly, and so adding people in the shop often makes the class over-enrolled. If you are a mechanic on shift and someone asks you about signing up for a class, it is almost always better to do two things:
  • Look at this page to double-check the protocol.
  • Tell them to send an email to [2] for more information. That email address copies to the Education Coordinator as well as recent class instructors. One of us can then follow up with them.

Class Fees (sliding scale)

• $45-$85 for members
• $85-$125 for non-members

If a patron is not a member, they must pay within the $85-$125 scale. In that case, registering for the class also buys them a one-year membership.

Setting Up a Class

The basic timeline for teaching a class:

1. Volunteer to teach an upcoming class, whether at the mechanic's meetings or on the email list
2. Check scheduling with the group, in order to make sure that your desired timeslot is available
3. Set up ticketing with brownpapertickets
4. Email the BPT link for your class, along with a class description, to:
   • The bikekitchen website administrator - to post to the web site / calendar
   • info@bikekitchen.org - to forward to a list of people interested in classes
5. If an email gets sent to the email list saying that a spot to a class has been sold in-shop:
   • Confirm that the number of places in the class in brownpapertickets has been reduced by one
   • Go into Freehub and add the service "class" to the member's profile, and select "paid". Enter the class month and title in the description/text box. This is our record of the member signing up for the class.