My 14 y.o. daughter is truing my wheel!
 

Her Jr. High elective this term is bike shop! She came home the other day saying that truing wheels is fun. Yesterday I noticed that the rear wheel on my commuter was WAY out of true - She volunteered to make it her project in class, promising to return it by Wednesday....

Who says they don't learn useful things in school these days? For chrissake, my "industrial arts" elective back then was "print shop". Lotta good that does me now, huh?

They didn't offer bike shop when I was in high school. :(

What else is she learning in the class?

Alas, my other bike needs a new BB, and she demurred on that one, saying she hasn't learned to do that. But she seems confident about installing and adjusting brakes and derailleurs.

This class sounds like the modern equivalent of home economics: both provide useful skills that are handy to have but that one could pay others to do. It's nice that your school district has some folks searching out new, useful, interesting things to keep the students engaged.

I"ll say. Most of these kids have bikes of their own and some, like my daughter, would never have dreamed of fixing them their selves. For some, it's the beginnings of a useful skill with employment opportunities. And as far as I'm concerned, knowing how to use a wrench or understanding why things break are more than just practical skills. They're a different way of understanding the world.

There's little that is more noble than having intelligent hands.

Truing bicycle wheel is a useful skill if not a big money maker. The most important aspect is showing females in our society that they do not have to fall into rolls previously assigned to than.

hmmm... might make going back to high school worth it... :-) most excellent!

So, you're going to let us know how the wheel turned out, yes?

I think your daughter's school employs some forward thinkers. It tickles me to think they are offering a bike repair class. What a great way to promote interest in cycling, an activity that potentially will keep them fit and active for the rest of their lives. :thumb:
When I was in school, those choices were limited to things like Metal Shop or Home Economics; I had little interest in either and opted for four years of Art. Now I can change a tire or draw a picture of a bike, but after that, I must rely on internet videos my LBS, or the gentlemen here..

She returned with it today - a day earlier than she promised originally. It looks and spins just fine. If only I got that kind of service from my LBS!

Oh yeah. And every June they take a 5-day, 100 mile bike/camping trip.

Kudos to your daughter! Most of us long time riders in the forum probably couldn't true a wheel straight if our lives depended on it!

She sounds like prime fodder for an engineering degree.

That's fantastic!

So much better than the "shop" options I had in jr. high and high school....

That's really cool. Great service and it's in the family too! ;)

Is it better to have a doctor or lawyer in the family or a bike mechanic? Tough call.