Our WMNBikePGH bike maintenance class series is FREE to attend and offered by BikePGH in conjunction with Free Ride.

Each class will be hosted at Free Ride and taught by local mechanic Opal (she/they). Classes will consist of Opal presenting information to the group on the specific topic, a demonstration by Opal, and then ample time for each participant to practice on their bike. 

Community reminder:
BikePGH’s Women & Non-Binary program was created to break down barriers to bicycling and increase the representation of people who have historically marginalized gender identities. The program is inclusive of trans and cis women, intersex people, non-binary, genderqueer, agender and gender variant folks, as well as those whose gender identity falls outside of the dominant conceptions of gender.

Participants should bring their bike and dress in clothes they don’t mind getting dirty. Free Ride has all the tools and supplies participants will need. 

Meet the mechanic – Opal Dickman

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Opal (she/they) is a part time bike mechanic and a grad student at Point Park University pursuing a master’s degree in community psychology. Opal rides bikes to explore the city and focus when life feels overwhelming, and also believes in the power of belonging in a place and with people.

Four Chances to Learn in a Safe & Supportive Environment

In 2025 we’ll host four classes, all taught by Opal, covering the following topics:

Sunday, 2/23 – Brakes

In the brakes overview class, we will cover the different types of brakes, how to determine how much wear your brake pads have, how to switch brake pads, adjust brake cables, and overall brake adjustments.
Please note *we can not bleed hydraulic disc brakes at this class.* 

Sunday, 5/11 – Bike First Aid

This class will cover what tools folks should take with them on long rides or tours, common problems that might happen on a long ride, and skills to get yourself back on the road (or trail). We want to equip people to solve basic bike issues that can come up when you aren’t close to a bike shop (or even a town).
We’ll also cover an overview of bike first aid – how to care for your bike and its components in different types of weather conditions. 

Saturday, 8/9 – Drive Train

The drive train class will cover the chain and everything it touches. We’ll identify wear, explore all the fun tools to take your drivetrain apart, and get into a bit about shifting and gear ratios.

Saturday, 10/4 – Wheels

In the wheels class, we’ll go over all the wheel parts, tighten hubs, adjust spoke tension, wheel/tire clearances, different types of tires by use, and how to fix a flat.

Pre-registration is required. There is limited capacity for these classes, please guarantee that you are available to attend before registering.

This class series is free to attend, but please consider a donation or pay-what-you-wish to help us continue to offer high quality free programming for our WMNBikePGH community.