Got this in the email today, looks like it might be fun.

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66 South Street, Jamaica
Plain, MA 02130. 617-524-BIKE (2453).

Thursday Nights, 7 pm
$30/class
Take one, take them all!
Buy 4, get 1 FREE.
10% discount on an accessory purchase for every class you buy.

JAN. 28: Brakes
FEB. 4: Gears
FEB. 11: Bearing Adjustments
FEB. 18: Wheels
FEB. 25: Headset & Bottom Bracket Overhauls
MAR. 4: Hub Bearing Overhauls

For more info or to register, call 617-524-BIKE (2453).

www.FerrisWheelsBikeShop.com

Got this in the email today, if you are in the market for some repair classes, check out Ferris. Has anyone taken these classes want to leave impression in the comments?

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Take one, take them all! Repair classes are hands-on and limited to seven
people. All classes are led by experienced cyclists and mechanics.

Repair Classes – $30
Monday 10/12: Brakes
Monday 10/19: Gears
Monday 10/26: Bearings
Monday 11/2: Wheels

Lecture/Discussion – $5
Wed 10/14: Flat-fixing demo
Wed 10/21: Riding safety
Wed 10/28: Bike advocacy
Wed 11/4: Winter riding

Get 10% off your next accessory purchase at Ferris Wheels after you enroll
in a class. Call 617-524-BIKE to register.

All classes listed at http://www.ferriswheelsbikeshop.com/

The BU Bridge is one of the most heavily traveled routes between Boston and Cambridge, affecting thousands of cyclists and pedestrians daily. Last Friday, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced an unexpected closure of the downstream sidewalk and the adjacent Cambridge-bound travel lane in order to perform urgent structural repairs. The travel lane is expected to reopen in three weeks, but the sidewalk will remain closed for the duration of full bridge rehabilitation expected to begin later this year. The upstream sidewalk is already closed for repairs and is expected to reopen later this month.

What this means for bicyclists: Bicyclists, along with motor vehicles, may continue to use the remaining travel lanes. In addition, bicyclists may use the closed Boston-to-Cambridge travel lane. Because the closed travel lane will serve as a temporary sidewalk during the repairs, We recommend that bicyclists exercise caution to avoid pedestrians and oncoming bicycle traffic. Extreme caution should be taken by bicyclists re-entering the traffic flow from the closed lane.

What this means for pedestrians: As neither sidewalk is currently open, pedestrians must use the closed travel lane to cross the bridge in either direction. Pedestrians should be aware of bicyclists traveling in both directions in the closed lane.

What you see is a pair of junky old pedals. Just mid-’80s SR SP-150s, they probably cost $10 new, if that. But cheap or not, these pedals have kept on going — at this point more than 20 years and untold thousands of miles, all the abuse dished out by yours truly. The bike they came on is long gone, but the pedals are still here, still slugging away. I’ve probably rebuilt them on average once a year, and if the outer cones are shot, with a fresh load of grease and some new bearings, they don’t run too badly.

You’ll note some serious road rash, to say nothing of some major scars. The cage on the right pedal was badly damaged in a mid-’90s bike accident in San Francisco — I was riding South of Market looking up at some buildings and hit a massive pothole. I went down, snapping off one of my downtube shifters with my knee; the edge of the pedal cage hit the road and fractured.

The end of the line for the pedals? Obviously not. Like some crazy backwoods surgeon,  I cut away the damaged edge of the cage and crudely attached what’s called an earthquake strap — soft metal bands used to attach things like bookshelves to the wall so they don’t end up on you during a seismic event. They’re useful for repairs, as they’re easy to cut, moderately supple, yet stiff enough to stand up to use. And so there it still is, a dozen years on, still screwed to the right pedal.

Oh, and those white things where the dust caps should be? Soda-bottle tops. The original dust caps went missing a long time ago — I use toe clips and have a bad habit of pedaling on the backs of the pedals occasionally, something that can spin out the dust caps — and I needed to keep out the water. Casting my eyes around, I saw a plastic soda cap. Hmmmmm. A little trimming and a lot of hot glue, and there they are. The only downside is that you have to make sure the bearings are well adjusted before you glue the caps on; if not, you have to rip them off again. But once in place, they’re watertight and do the job just right.

And that’s that. I just rebuilt the pedals yet again, and they’re going on my city bike, which gets the most abuse of all my rides. But the pedals can take it, I know — they have already.

The moral of this story? Repair, repair, repair. With a couple of tools and a little determination, you can keep pretty much any bike or component going forever.

Boston’s Ski Market (they sell bikes) is offering free bicycle clinics every Thursday. These look like a good one hour way to learn a simple bicycle task. Check it out, hey it’s free!

Free Bike Clinic
Every Thursday – 7-8 pm

* July 24: General Maintenance
* July 31: Basic Flat Repair
* August 7: Shifting 101

Call 617-731-6100 for details!

Boston Ski Market
860 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 617-731-6100
Fax: 617-232-4004

Store Hours:
Monday – Friday 10:00am – 8:00pm
Saturday 9:30am – 6:00pm
Sunday 11:00am – 5:00pm

Wrench Nepal runs a small bike shop in Kathmandu, Nepal, that is operated by bike mechanic ‘interns’ — Nepali teenagers who, for any reason, are in danger of entering adulthood without marketable job skills, or are otherwise at a disadvantage.

There are over 400 homes in Kathmandu alone for children who have been orphaned or abandoned by their families. At the moment, Wrench Nepal works with kids from a drop-in shelter and a group that supports the families of those in prison, with a seemingly endless supply of possible new interns: teenagers eager to learn a useful skill, to practice their English, and to become self-sufficient. With only one person training them, however, the shop cannot work with more than 2-3 people at a time. That’s where you come in.

They’re looking for two people at a time to act as bike mechanic instructors and program organizers. Two positions are available to be filled immediately; the second shift will be open in May, when the current instructor’s visa expires.

The requirements are:
– Working knowledge of basic bike mechanics
– Good communication and organizing skills
– Willingness to live in a foreign environment and work with people from a very different culture

Bike shop or co-op experience is a major advantage, as is experience in business administration or community activism. Grant writing skills will be helpful. Each position is for approximately 4 months and requires that you live in Kathmandu. As this is an all-volunteer program, there will be no pay, and any profit that the shop raises will be distributed among the Nepali interns for things that they need as future bike mechanics. Cost of living is very low, rent in a comfortable place can be as little as $50 per month. Volunteers can also pursue part-time paid work to support themselves while in Nepal. Wrench Nepal encourages those of you who are presently enrolled in universities to consider this as a possible independent study abroad opportunity.

Wrench Nepal will work with the administration at your school to determine if this can be a for-credit internship for you. If you do not have mechanic skills, they may still be interested in your participation as an organizer.

If interested, please send a brief resume of your relevant experience and a short cover letter to tom@wrenchnepal.org. Make sure to highlight your experience working with bicycles and working in community organizing positions.