Repair classes:
We aim to provide learning opportunities for bicycle maintenance to all of the university's staff and students. If you would like repair advice email us
Topics:
Tires and Tubes:
A basic repair class that demonstrates how to remove and replace tires from rims and how to properly patch a tube.
Since getting a flat tire is a very common occurrence when riding a bike, It's always good to know these basic skills
Brake Maintenance:
While the fastest way to stop every time involves running headlong into a large, solid object, it's always handy to
make sure you have an alternative means of slowing down; a way of stopping your bike safely. This class will teach you how to replace and
align brake pads, and how to run brake cable and housing.
Gears:
This class covers how to adjust you bicycle's gears. Topics covered include setting the limit screws on you derailleurs, using barrel adjusters
for fine tuning your gear shifting, and running shifter cable and housing (similar to running brake housing).
Wheel Truing
Have you ever had to loosen off your brakes so they wouldn't rub the rim? Does your wheel appear to wobble from side to side when it spins?
Does your wheel have several broken spokes? If so, you need to true it! Truing is the process of adjusting the tension on pairs of spokes to make
your bicycle's wheel properly round (vertical truing), and straight so it doesn't wobble side to side (horizontal truing). The dish of the wheel
may also be discussed.
Class dates coming soon!
DIY Repair shop:
If you have any other issues with your bike that you need to fix, or would like an opportunity to use space and tools, check out the
DIY Repair Shop link on the sidebar for the initiative's status and other related information.
Repair Education Resources:
sheldonbrown.com
Sheldon Brown's comprehensive series of articles range from general repair of certain types of components to topics
on specific new or vintage parts. His articles can be found at http://www.sheldonbrown.com/articles.html
If you can't find what you're looking for by clicking various links, you can always use the website's search option.
Park Tool's Repair Help Pages:
While Park tool is a manufacturer of bicycle tools, their website isn't just geared toward making sales. They have
a comprehensive repair help section on their site that will run you through various repair operations. This content
can also be acquired in book form in their "Big Blue Book Of Bicyle Repair" which you can order in at your local library.
Advanced Resources:
Barnett's Bicyle Repair Manual:
Geared towards professional bicycle mechanics, this is one of the most comprehensive repair manuals out there.
The resource starts off by discussing basic machining operations to bike parts (facing, tapping, etc), then moves into
detailed procedures for servicing all of the different types and generations of bicycle component systems. The only
available free hard copy in Toronto is down at the Reference Library
or it can be purchased online.
Spoke Calc:
Spoke Calc is a free spreadsheet for calculating the length of spokes needed when building wheels. It contains a database of over 350 hubs and 500 rims.
Sutherland's Handbook for Bicycle Mechanics
Sutherland's contains specifications for bicycle parts from a wide array of manufacturers as well as information on their compatibility with other bicycle parts. copies can be found at the