Bicycle maintenance and repair courses for the everyday and adventure cyclist
Learn how to look after your own bike at home, or deal with mechanical mishaps on the road or trail.
Save time, money and frustration
Gain the confidence to take on your next great adventure, or just a hassle free commute
Choose from four separate modules covering a variety of topics. You can do any combination of the four.
Module 1: Basic bike maintenance and repair (1 hour - no prior knowledge required)
This module teaches you how to keep your bike running smoothly and safely, as well as how to fix a puncture with a traditional tubed tyre system (an essential thing to know even if you’re running a tubeless system). It will also save you a lot of money over time in reduced component wear and fewer trips to the mechanic.
What tools you will need to perform basic bike maintenance and repairs
How to prevent punctures
How to fix a puncture
How to clean and lubricate your chain, and how often to do this
How to perform a safety check
Wholistic bike care; how often to get your bike serviced based on bike type and usage
Module 2: Chain care in depth (30 mins - no prior knowledge required)
Did you know that most people (including many bike mechanics) maintain their chains in a way that significantly increases its rate of wear? Did you know that many of the most widely stocked lubricant brands perform poorly in simulated real world testing?
More than any other area of bike maintenance, chain care is rife with myth, hearsay, empty marketing claims and plain false information. This matters because drivetrain components (chain, cassette and chainrings) often represent the biggest maintenance cost to bike owners.
Learning an evidence-based approach to chain care will save you a lot of money over time, particularly if you are running recent 11 or 12 speed groupsets from the major manufacturers.
Module 3: Tubeless tyre maintenance and repair (1 hour - knowledge of basic bike maintenance required. Specifically, how to remove and install a tyre and tube.)
Tubeless tyre systems offer fantastic performance benefits and the promise of fewer punctures, but they do have their potential pitfalls. Learn how to live hassle free with tubeless, and perform an actual repair on a donor tyre (bring your own repair tool if you want to try it out, or use a supplied one).
Overview of how to manage tubeless tyre systems
Approaches to puncture repair
How to fix a puncture in a tubeless tyre using a tyre plug (you will get to do this on a donor tyre).
How to refill sealant.
Module 4: Brakes and gears (2 hours - knowledge of basic bike mechanics recommended)
Brakes and gears can go out of adjustment or have other issues between services, or on a trip. This module teaches you how to diagnose and resolve some of those issues, and to recognise when you need to go to the mechanic.
How set up and adjust brakes and gears
How to replace brake pads
How to replace brake and gear cables
Hydraulic brake assessment and troubleshooting (does not include bleed procedure)
Module 5: Field repairs for adventure cycling (2 hours - knowledge of basic bike mechanics required)
This module aims to give you the knowledge to get yourself out of a sticky situation on the road or trail. At the end of it you will have the confidence to take on that big adventure you’ve been dreaming of.
What tools and spare parts to take on a ride
How to remove and install a chain.
How to remove damaged chain links.
How to set up an emergency single speed in case of derailleur failure
How to replace a spoke using an emergency fibre spoke and traditional spoke. Includes the use of a mini cassette lockring tool
How to true a wheel
FURTHER INFORMATION
All courses are run by myself, Peter Foot, the founder and editor of this website. I am an experienced adventure cyclist and have worked in the bike industry for ten years as a mechanic, wheel builder and salesperson.
Each module comes with a printed and/or e-document outlining the course content, which is designed for you to refer to in future and remind you of what you’ve learned. All materials will be provided. All you need to bring is your bike and any tools you may want to learn how to use. Even if you don’t have a bike yet, one can be provided to you. Some of the materials used in the course will be available for purchase at the end. If we install a part on your bike in the process of teaching (eg cables, quick links), this is at additional cost.
Courses are taught one-on-one at the moment. This is only because I haven’t done much teaching with multiple students yet, so I’m not confident about how much longer that would take and therefore what I should charge. I’m happy to try and teach two people at a time, so long as you’re happy to be charged on a per-hour basis, with the price varying depending on how long it takes. Additionally, if there are specific things you want to learn that don’t fit into the course structure described above, I am happy to teach you what you want also on a per-hour basis. In either case, just fill out the form at the bottom of this page detailing your requirements and I’ll be in touch.
LOCATION
Courses currently take place in my front driveway/garage at my home in Preston, Melbourne. It’s a basic set up but it works, and keeps my costs down, which allows me to deliver what I think are very good value courses (see pricing below). The value here is in the course content, which I have a high degree of confidence in.
That’s because my time in the industry has given me an appreciation for common difficulties faced by those new to cycling, as well as a wealth of technical knowledge and an ability to communicate this knowledge clearly and without using unnecessary technical jargon. I created these courses because my experiences showed me how much people appreciated a bit of knowledge about how to look after their bikes, and I wanted to bring this knowledge to bike riders in a consistent and structured way.
TESTIMONIALS
Guy
"I can't recommend Peter's course highly enough! At the start of the day the only thing I knew about bikes was that I wanted to ride one; 4 hours later I could fix a puncture, mend a damaged chain, and replace a spoke, amongst other skills. More importantly, it gave me a foundational understanding of bike mechanics to build on, and the confidence to kick off on my first bike tour across Australia. Peter is a friendly and patient teacher with a wealth of knowledge and an obvious passion for helping people to kickstart their own cycling adventures. Not only does his course make bike maintenance and repair intelligible to beginners – it also makes them enjoyable. Sign up and buy his book!" —Guy
“I have ridden bikes on and off over many years but have never learnt any maintenance or repair skills, relying on others to sort issues from punctures to gear and brake adjustments for me.
It was time to become independent allowing me to take on longer and more remote and adventurous rides. This is where Peter stepped in.
I have completed a one on one course with Peter that took me from puncture repair to gear and brake adjustment, chain repair, emergency fixes such as spoke replacement and how to do a basic bike service and general bike safety check.
It is wonderful to feel empowered with this knowledge and these skills. I now know a “cassette from a derailleur” thanks to Peter. Highly recommend this course.” —Maree
Ben
“Pete's a fantastic teacher; he has a great relaxed and non-judgmental approach. He's super patient and isn't phased if you ask him lots of questions or the same question over and over again (as was the case for me!). His workshop's really well set up - you can practice maintenance skills (changing a tyre, brake pads or fixing a puncture on a tubeless tyre). He's also helped me greatly in understanding the specifics of my own gravel and road bikes. I came away from the basic and tubeless tyre repair workshops with a much stronger understanding of bike maintenance. Thanks Pete!!!!!”—Ben
Adrian
“Pete has a wealth of knowledge about bikes and after attending several sessions with Pete I can now complete basic repairs and diagnose most problems on my bike.
He is also a fantastic teacher who can adapt his style to suit people's skills and experiences.
If you are wanting to learn the fundamentals of servicing and repairing your bike, I would recommend him!” —Adrian
Pricing
Pick the module/s you want to do, add up how much time it will take, and refer to the below pricing structure.
1 hour: $80
1.5 hours: $110
2 hours: $140
2.5 hours: $160
3 or more hours: $60/hour (includes a half time break with a cup of tea and a biscuit)
Additional charge for module 3 tubeless repair (to cover single use materials): $20
Additional charge for module 2 chain care in depth (to cover single use materials): $10
BOOKING
I don’t have an automated booking system yet. The dates and time slots available are listed below. To book, fill out the form at the bottom of this page with the following information:
the module/s you would like to do
the day and time you would like to do it
I hope that’s all clear enough. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask them via the form as well.
Available times and dates:
Sunday 19/5/2024: 10am-5pm
Sunday 26/5/2024: 10am-5pm
