Collin's Bike Maintenance Class: Fun, Educational & Well Worth It

There are a few staples here in Eugene, Oregon:

1. Hippies (originals and wannabes).
2. Microbrews and wine.
3. Duck Football (University of Oregon for those of you living under a college football rock).
4. The Arts.
5. Biking. Everywhere. Everyday. Rain or shine.One of my favorites that I've picked up here is biking. Cycling to be precise. Thanks to the state of Oregon and its lack of sales tax, I purchased my first road bike. I wrote about it briefly in an earlier post.

2011 Trek Lexa S. 

As a first time road bike owner it was really important to me to truly understand what it all entails. Lucky for me I have a good number of friends who are serious riders and passed along tips and advice. This gave me enough confidence to undertake a few long(er) rides and feel comfortable-ish riding fast on something with such skinny tires. (Can we tell I'm used to mountain biking?) I still wanted to feel more confident in the basic maintenance aspects of my bike. I knew how to fix a flat tire if I had to, but was still pretty much a novice. I wanted to change that.

...{Enter Collin's Cycle Shop}...

There are a plethora of bike shops in Eugene. Save your time and energy trekking (pun totally intended) across town and go to Collin's. They have the perfect mix of customer service, experienced and knowledgeable mechanics and a well-stocked showroom (see above).

They just kicked off their Basic Bike Maintenance & Repair class and I was lucky enough to be one of the inaugural students. While this is by no means an exhaustive review, I'm going to share my two cents regarding the class. Here's the breakdown:

Where: Collin's Cycle Shop, 60 E. 11th St.
When: Saturday 5-30-7pm; Sunday 10am-noon (bi-monthly through the end of the year).
Who: Deireck Ritter (Collin's Mechanic) and up to five other students.
How Much: $50 - a GREAT deal for the undivided attention, use of shop tools and a gift bag full of repair necessities (extra tube, tire levers, patch kit, chain lube and a Collin's bike bottle).
What to Bring: Your bike and enthusiasm.

Deireck. Full of witty banter and encyclopedic knowledge on all things bike. Playing around with a (we hope) promotional jersey. Either that or someone made a bike that defies the laws of physics.

DAY 1: Saturday (5:30-7pm)

• Safety Basics: Went over the basics of a general safety check before you head out on a ride. I felt pretty good about the fact that I knew most of them (brakes, tires, wheels, bolts, etc.)
• Tires: Spent the majority of the class going over how to change a flat (and secure a quick patch). The greatest aspect of this was changing the tire more than once- you are encouraged to keep practicing until you feel confident. Also, Deireck gave us already damaged tubes to determine the flat cause. THIS WAS EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL. You're learning first-hand and retaining a large amount of information. 

DAY 2: Sunday (10am-noon)

• Brakes: I learned that properly adjusted brakes should feel crisp and stop approximately two finger widths from the front of your drop bar to the brake handle (phew I hope that made some sort of sense). I also learned that I am a complete perfectionist when it comes to brakes. Which is totally a good thing.
• Derailleurs. Ohhhh derailleurs, they are tricky little beasts. Rear derailleurs are much less complicated than front derailleurs. An infinitesimally small adjustment can make your bike run more efficiently, or it can seriously compromise the integrity of your chain and overall gear system. That said, it was really great to see how such a tiny adjustment can fix a major problem. Moral of the story: know how your gears work and be smart about shifting.
  
  
  

Honestly, this was the most intimidating part of the class for me. There are a ton of components and ways to adjust, but it all falls into place with a bit of patience. Don't be afraid to ask questions! I learned so much by asking Deireck his take on shifting while climbing, how to avoid slipping your chain, etc.

Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better class. I'm a hands-on learner and an inherently inquisitive person, which proved to be conducive to the class dynamic. It was a fun way to spend my Saturday and Sunday and I feel exponentially more confident in my bike maintenance abilities.

If you're new to road biking or want to brush up on your skills, give Collin's a call: 541.342.4878.

*The words and opinion of the class are my own. No compensation was received for this review.

Understanding, Flexibility and Vicarious Learning at It’s Finest

Due to contract agreements and respect for the consulting firm, I will not disclose any details regarding my work. Especially on the vast (and largely unrestricted) internet.

As some of you know, I’m required to fulfill a 200-hour internship this summer for my graduate degree requirements. With my background in museum work, I wanted to find something outside of the museum realm, something that dealt with advocacy, best practices and the like. With these goals in mind, I decided to investigate the consulting world and was lucky enough to secure an internship with a very successful consulting firm that works strictly with arts organizations.

I was given the choice to work in either of the two largest cities in the Pacific Northwest and am extremely happy with the location I chose. There’s a wonderful balance of urban business and rural respite—I simply couldn’t be happier!

I’m inspired by my project this summer and cannot wait to start. This is where the vicarious learning comes into play...

My supervisor and I had planned to meet in the city today. I had my outfit picked out, notepad and pens packed in my purse and brain ready. Late last night I received an email from my supervisor exclaiming she was stuck in San Francisco due to thick fog. Boo-urns.

Understanding and flexibility. Two traits that I already know are a part of an internship, or really any job. I feel however, that the life of a consultant requires a higher level of these two qualities. With so many factors that are simply out of one’s control, one would have to be a master of keeping an open and patient mind. Really, two characteristics we all could benefit from adopting.

Ultimately, I think it’s a balance of these and strong communication skills that’ll shape any successful businessperson. That said however, the business world is a competitive creature. Certain people respect grit, while others appreciate understanding— catch 22, right? I’m not suggesting to be easy prey or to be the big-bad-business-bully (think Christian Bale in American Psycho, minus the serial killing of course). Moral of the story: be compassionate, but not a pushover— it’s all about a healthy balance.

What better way to test the waters of a possible career (add about 10+ years of experience onto my résumé) than to learn and observe from the best? I can’t wait to start on Monday.

What do you think are important personality traits needed to be successful in the business world?

Stuck In a Rut (Not To Be Confused With a Routine)

"The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions."

-Ellen Glasgow

This quarter has been kicking my arse. It's not that my classes are incredibly difficult, but I find myself not as engaged as last quarter. I've decided to chalk it up to the fact it's Winter and rains 75% (seems like 99%) of the time.

In hindsight, I'm still happy about attending graduate school directly after undergraduate. I know this is a field I have true passion for, yet being a student is getting really old. I'm ready to come home and not have homework, or at least not feel guilty reading a book for fun. Not to mention actually making money instead of forking it over for tuition would be quite excellent. Wow, I'm not bitter at all, am I?

I promise I'm trying to break this melancholic melodrama. It's just not who I am. Here's to finishing out this quarter and spending some much needed time at home in just under three weeks!

I Should Have Bought a Lottery Ticket...

I love to learn. I highly doubt that's a secret.

The local REI store hosts clinics every month ranging from backpacking 101 to a do-it-yourself guide for bicycle tune-ups. This month, however, they held a unique lecture about the role of photography in our National Parks (specifically Crater Lake). Exercising my wonderful REI membership, I could attend this lecture for free. So, I signed myself up.

The presentation integrated an interesting balance of both political and photographic history. The Park Ranger who led the presentation spoke about the vital roles John Muir, Gifford Pinchot and Teddy Roosevelt played in creating America's National Parks. Additionally, he also discussed the photographers who helped promote the parks to 90% of the U.S. population (who lived east of the Mississippi River at the time). These photographers with their keen aesthetic eye were Peter Britt, J.S. Diller, Fred Kiser and (later in the 20th century) Ansel Adams.

Peter Britt is credited for taking the first documented photograph of Crater Lake on August 8th, 1874:

(image courtesy of nps.gov)

The thought of the equipment this guy dragged along with him astounds me. On top of that, film as we know it wasn't in existence, everything was developed on extremely fragile glass plates!

What made the night even better? I won this!

(image courtesy of kpbt.org)

...Hence why my dad told me I should have bought a lottery ticket. Money would have been great, but I'll take what I can get- and right now that's a free $50 book!