PARK TOOL BICYCLE
MECHANIC CLASSES AVAILABLE
The 12-hour Park Tool School
Bicycle Mechanic Course provides the opportunity to learn bicycle mechanics on your
own bike or bikes while supervised by a very experienced mechanic. Participants learn about tools, parts
of the bike, tire & tube installation, gear &
brake adjustments and other aspects of bicycle maintenance & repair.
The fee for the
12-hour Park Tool School Bicycle Mechanic Course is $150.00. If you want to keep your Park Tool
School Student Manual there is a $20.00 cost for that, too. You must join CAT to take the
course and the annual CAT membership fee is $25. This fee includes a one-year membership in CAT. CAT membership entitles you to use of
the Park Tools and other Bethlehem Bicycle Cooperative (BBC) benefits in our
shop on Thursday evenings from 6-8 PM and Saturday afternoon, Noon to 4 PM,
March through October; 5–7 PM and Saturday afternoons, Noon to 3 PM,
November through February,. For more information about the BBC: http://www.car-free.org/bbc.htm.
The Park Tool School Mechanic Class
includes a great overview of bicycle maintenance. Tires and tubes, brakes,
and gear adjustments are demonstrated, discussed, and worked on by
participants. Course participants
learn, on their own bikes, to adjust bearings, remove cogs, service chains,
adjust brakes & adjust gears.
The tune-up on your own bike alone is worth twice the price of the
class.
All
Park Tool School classes are taught at the
Bethlehem Bicycle Cooperative over 3 sessions.
Classes are
4 hours long. Three classes
complete the 12-hour course.
The next
sets of classes are running
Thursday
evenings 5-9 PM
1st 12-hour
course: March 13, 20 & 27
2nd 12-hour
course: April 3, 10 and 17
3rd 12-hour
course: May 1, 8 and 15
Saturday
mornings 8AM to Noon
1st 12-hour course: March 15, 22 and 29
2nd 12-hour
course: April 5, 12 and 19
3rd 12-hour course:
May 10, 17 and 24
The current instructor is League Cycling
Instructor Frank Pavlick. Frank has more than 20 years as a full
service bike shop mechanic, much of it as shop manager. All students taking the course from
Frank have rated the instructor excellent.
More than 50 people took the Park Tool
School Bicycle Mechanic Course at the Bethlehem Bicycle Cooperative
during 2007.
*The Park Tool Bicycle Mechanic Class
is a must for any CAT volunteer interested in working on bicycles in our
bicycle cooperative or during our bike derbies or other events. To reduce
associated liability and improve safety while working on bicycles CAT
recommends volunteers become certified in the Park Tool School.
This 12-hour
course will help you enjoy riding your bicycle more than ever. Coffee or other beverage and a snack
provided for all students by Genesis
Bicycles. Genesis also offers
a one-time 20% discount to all Park Tool School graduates to buy tools or
supplies after the class is over.
Genesis also gives all new bike buyers a $20 off coupon for the 12-hour
Park Tool Mechanic Class.
Students (except police officers) must
pay in advance to attend. The
class will not be held until there are at least 4 students pre-paid. The maximum number of students in any
class is six. If you make a
payment and are not in the first six payments received for any given class, you
may NOT attend that class, but your payment will be applied to the next class
you can attend or refunded, at your choice.
Make checks payable to CAT and mail to
60 West Broad Street #97, Bethlehem, PA 18018. Indicate Mechanic
Classes in the memo/note line of the check and/or on a piece of paper with the
check. If you wish to pre-pay for the $20 textbook, make the check for
$170. If you are not a CAT member yet, the fee is $195 or $175 if you do
not want to keep the textbook.
Download the CAT
Member Application
If you do not want the textbook and are
not yet a CAT member, the fee is $175 (Class fee $150 + Membership fee $25 =
$175). We can now accept credit
cards and paypal payments through our website.
Go to the home page http://www.car-free.org/
and click on the donation button. Please note: the fee for the Park
Tool Mechanic Class is NOT a donation to CAT as a charity, but a fee for
service. The $25 membership fee is
a charitable donation.
Police officers who wish to take the
bicycle mechanic class should have their training officer or chief of police
call the CAT office for our special rates for police officers.
Direct
all inquiries concerning the CAT Park Tool School Mechanic Class to
Steve
Schmitt
CAT-Coalition
for Appropriate Transportation Director
60 West Broad Street #97
Bethlehem, PA 18018
610.954.5744 fax 610.954.0142
director@car-free.org
If
you wish to be on a mailing list to receive personalized messages when new
classes are scheduled please email the CAT office at cat@car-free.org and indicate bike mechanic
class in the subject line of your message.
Thank
you for your interest in bicycle mechanics.
CAT Programs:
http://www.car-free.org/guts/program.htm