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Weldtech is Weldtite’s Bicycle Association approved cycle maintenance course. Head instructor Jeff Beach has 30 years cycle industry experience and is based in the Weldtech workshop in York.
However, Beach is also now available to lead cycle maintenance days for clubs and other organisations. Last month, Beach was a hit at a Go Ride youth cycling club. He’s seen on this video showing a set of kids how to mend punctures, inflate tyres and correctly tighten quick release bolts.
"You need to see a slight indentation in the palm of your hand," he demonstrated to a ten year boy.
The bike-mad kids had previously shown zero interest in maintaining their own bikes, said surprised parents.
Weldtite director Hamish Stewart said:
"The price to have Jeff Beach is £330 per day plus expenses of mileage. When this is split over say ten students it is really good value for money."
Beach, a former frame builder and tech support on races around the world, has instructed teachers, school travel plan officers and road safety officers. He has worked with a wide range of adult learners as well as sixth formers and special needs children.
As well as the one-day Weldtech course on offer to clubs, Weldtite offers five day training courses which include wheel building.
The one day course can be tailored to a club or organisation’s needs. The Go Ride cycling club asked children and parents to come up with the maintenance topics they’d like covered:
How and why to inflate tyres (including types of valves).
Why do chains come off, what’s the best way to put them back on and why do they sometimes get completely stuck?How to operate a quick release boltHow to raise/lower saddles and why.Why lube is needed on a bike and where to place it (and where not to place it)How to tell if your brakes and/or gears need adjusting (and what you can do about it).Rubbing noises. What causes them, how to fix them.Cutting frazzled brake/cables with a cable cutter and inserting a cable endAdjusting front and rear suspension. Oil vs air and how to tweak on the fly and in the workshopWhat are bike shop jobs and what can be handled at home?
What’s the bare minimum tool selection you need when riding?
