Originally Posted by
calimtb
Awesome that you are teaching a class. I don't think any of the local shops are offering. It's likely they need the business and can't be so generous as to help create a base of cyclists who don't need mechanics. I'd have to drive 45 minutes to an hour out to find a mechanics class. I'd be willing to do it though, just because it sounds like fun.
It would be interesting to know the long-term effect of a mechanically savvy population on bike shops. Today, lots of bikes that are easily fixable end up in the scrapyard. Some of the owners buy new bikes, others decide bikes are too much trouble and not worth owning.
Those of us who work on our own bikes frequently visit the LBS for parts and upgrades. The more we know about bikes, the more likely we are to buy really expensive machines. Just a theory.
Hosting a class on premises seems like a good way to get people in the door where they can see the new bikes