Bicycle Maintenance evening class - Tues 22 Feb 2005 - Cambridge

Places are still available on the following evening class:

'Bicycle Maintenance 2' (intermediate tasks)
5x2 hour evening classes, 7-9pm
First session 7 pm Tuesday 22 February 2005
venue: Coleridge Community College, Radegund Road, Cambridge CB1 3RJ
Cost: £31 (concessions available)

Full details
http://web.onetel.net.uk/~davidwgreen/bike_maint_2_eves_info.pdf

This course builds on the basics and concentrates on other,
less-everyday bike maintenance topics, such as;

-freewheel removal
-using a chain tool & chain cleaning
-servicing hub bearings
-removing pedals
-headset servicing

The emphasis is on building your confidence to look after important
areas of your bike that usually require attention once or twice a year.
This is a practical course where you work on your own bike. You should
expect to get your hands dirty, and to have a lot of fun! By the end of
the course, you will have enough knowledge and confidence to be able to
do your own annual bike servicing.

Enrolments: contact LifeLong Learning office 01223 712340 asap.

I don't mean to be too cynical, but...

There does seem to be a general move toward courses for everything - of
course I'm in danger of being "why when I was a boy", but isn't this the
sort of stuff we use to know about at the age of 13? (by doing) ..........

Sorry, but there does seem to be a philosophy of we need a course for
everything currently being promulgated.

Graham

"David Green" wrote in message
...
Places are still available on the following evening class:

'Bicycle Maintenance 2' (intermediate tasks)
5x2 hour evening classes, 7-9pm
First session 7 pm Tuesday 22 February 2005
venue: Coleridge Community College, Radegund Road, Cambridge CB1 3RJ
Cost: £31 (concessions available)

Full details
http://web.onetel.net.uk/~davidwgreen/bike_maint_2_eves_info.pdf

This course builds on the basics and concentrates on other, less-everyday
bike maintenance topics, such as;

-freewheel removal
-using a chain tool & chain cleaning
-servicing hub bearings
-removing pedals
-headset servicing

The emphasis is on building your confidence to look after important areas
of your bike that usually require attention once or twice a year. This is
a practical course where you work on your own bike. You should expect to
get your hands dirty, and to have a lot of fun! By the end of the course,
you will have enough knowledge and confidence to be able to do your own
annual bike servicing.

Enrolments: contact LifeLong Learning office 01223 712340 asap.

Graham wrote:
I don't mean to be too cynical, but...

There does seem to be a general move toward courses for everything - of
course I'm in danger of being "why when I was a boy", but isn't this the
sort of stuff we use to know about at the age of 13? (by doing) ..........

Sorry, but there does seem to be a philosophy of we need a course for
everything currently being promulgated.

That is because we are no longer allowed to 'just do' without someone
suitably qualified supervising. And the modern folks who don't have a
background in 'just doing' (or even any relevant technical experience)
will need a bit of handholding. Part of the 'just do' skillset is being
able to work out what to 'just do', which was usually learned from
watching others also make a hash of it.

My 'just do' credentials are uncommon compared to my contemporaries. We
sued to go mountain biking before the term was invented (we called it
scrambling) with our trusty caliper braked, steel rimmed bikes. Tree
roots would dent the rims so we'd have to beat the dents out with a
mallet, and occasionally adjust the spokes with an adjustable spanner.
This would frequently knacker the nipples, rounding them off.

On one occasion, age about 13, I had stripped the thread on the rear
derailleur. Not wanting to go over the 'big hill'[1] in top gear I had
to fix it and my dad was away on business. I raided the shed, found a
die for the next size nut down, a compatible nut and cut a new thread on
the stub bolt. Add the nut and all was right and happy.

That is 'just doing'. Yes I built my own wheels and like playing with
mechanical things when I have the time (despite ignoring my current
wheels.. see post passim) but these skills are not common.

I'd like people to become more adventurous, more inquisitive, more 'a
donf'[2]. It's hard enough persuading undergraduates to use their brain
instead of being spoonfed.

...d

[1] Not very big at all. The little bump between Kingston and New Malden
on the Kingston road/Cambridge road.

[2] 'Just do it' - motto of Dame Ellen.

In article , David Martin
wrote:
Sorry, but there does seem to be a philosophy of we need a course
for everything currently being promulgated.

That is because we are no longer allowed to 'just do' without
someone suitably qualified supervising

I don't have a certificate to do with cycling but I have been a
grease monkey for 40 odd years - am I qualified?

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village
http://www.millport.net

Sandy Morton wrote:
In article , David Martin
wrote:

Sorry, but there does seem to be a philosophy of we need a course
for everything currently being promulgated.


That is because we are no longer allowed to 'just do' without
someone suitably qualified supervising


I don't have a certificate to do with cycling but I have been a
grease monkey for 40 odd years - am I qualified?

Ok, I wasn't being strictly accurate, just a bit embittered at how
anything remotely adventurous has been removed from our childrens lives
and impoverished us all..

...d

In article , David Martin
wrote:
I don't have a certificate to do with cycling but I have been a
grease monkey for 40 odd years - am I qualified?

Ok, I wasn't being strictly accurate, just a bit embittered at how
anything remotely adventurous has been removed from our childrens
lives and impoverished us all..

I have a collection of "different" bikes in the shop - monkey bikes,
wheels, skatebikes, a few tiny bikes and a "childs" pennyfarthing -
the kids love to have a play on them and I have to tell the parents
that the bikes are out for the kids enjoyment - if I didn't want them
to have a play the bikes wouldn't be left out.

I don't make any money from them - the smiles and laughter are enough.

It is amazing though that I get more please and thank you from the
kids using them than from most anyone else and the kids come from all
parts of the social spectrum.

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village
http://www.millport.net

David Martin wrote:

[1] Not very big at all. The little bump between Kingston and New
Malden on the Kingston road/Cambridge road.

Ah yes, currently doing that little bump every weekday morning. :-)

--
Dave...

David Martin wrote:


On one occasion, age about 13, I had stripped the thread on the rear
derailleur. Not wanting to go over the 'big hill'[1] in top gear I had
to fix it and my dad was away on business. I raided the shed, found a
die for the next size nut down, a compatible nut and cut a new thread on
the stub bolt. Add the nut and all was right and happy.


Wandering off topic here, I am having trouble visualising what your
problem and repair were, what is "the thread on the rear derailleur" ?
The one holding the cable ? The one holding the mech onto the frame ?

On 10/2/05 11:02 am, in article , "MSeries"
wrote:

David Martin wrote:


On one occasion, age about 13, I had stripped the thread on the rear
derailleur. Not wanting to go over the 'big hill'[1] in top gear I had
to fix it and my dad was away on business. I raided the shed, found a
die for the next size nut down, a compatible nut and cut a new thread on
the stub bolt. Add the nut and all was right and happy.


Wandering off topic here, I am having trouble visualising what your
problem and repair were, what is "the thread on the rear derailleur" ?
The one holding the cable ? The one holding the mech onto the frame ?

The one holding the nut which clamps the cable. It was a nut rather than a
bolt on this aged simplex mech. I had overtightened the original nut and
stripped the thread.

...d

David Martin wrote:
On 10/2/05 11:02 am, in article , "MSeries"
wrote:


David Martin wrote:


On one occasion, age about 13, I had stripped the thread on the rear
derailleur. Not wanting to go over the 'big hill'[1] in top gear I had
to fix it and my dad was away on business. I raided the shed, found a
die for the next size nut down, a compatible nut and cut a new thread on
the stub bolt. Add the nut and all was right and happy.


Wandering off topic here, I am having trouble visualising what your
problem and repair were, what is "the thread on the rear derailleur" ?
The one holding the cable ? The one holding the mech onto the frame ?


The one holding the nut which clamps the cable. It was a nut rather than a
bolt on this aged simplex mech. I had overtightened the original nut and
stripped the thread.

..d

Ah right so. Thanks.