Look below for upcoming courses andfees. For course details please read The Course page.
To apply to the Quadra Bike School
Submit by e-mail or by snail-mail:- A resumé describing your mechanical experience with bicycles
- Reasons for wanting to take advanced mechanic's training
- Contact information and your place of residence.
- A $1000 deposit that will secure your spot in the course by by Interac deposit, direct bank transfer or credit card.
Fees have had to be raised because of higher Hydro costs this year.
Fees, for 2022
Tuition for Part 1. Bicycle Assembly and Tuning is $1800 plus Goods & Services Tax of 5%
Tuition for Part 2. Professional Bicycle Repair is $1800 plus GST of 5%
Tuition for the Bicycle Repair Practicum is $1800 plus GST of 5%
Taking all three courses costs $5400 plus GST of 5% ($270)
Tuition for the Bicycle Repair Practicum is $1800 plus GST of 5%
Taking all three courses costs $5400 plus GST of 5% ($270)
Additionally, the Barnett Manual is required and costs $260.00
An early PDF version 5 of the Manual will be emailed to you upon receipt of your deposit.
There are only FOUR spots available in each course because my student residence has four bedrooms. Do not ask to be added as a fifth person because you want to live your own camper, etc. The bike shop has four fully equipped work stations for students. I tried fitting a fifth student in before and it does not work.
There are only FOUR spots available in each course because my student residence has four bedrooms. Do not ask to be added as a fifth person because you want to live your own camper, etc. The bike shop has four fully equipped work stations for students. I tried fitting a fifth student in before and it does not work.
Registration is on a first come first served basis and does not become complete until your $1000 deposit is paid. This deposit is non-refundable unless you withdraw in enough time to allow another person to register for the course you reserved. If your place is filled by someone new, I will transfer your deposit to a later course or issue you a refund. The balance of the course fees plus the GST and $270 for the Barnett Manual DX need to be paid One MONTH before the course starts.
Other bicycle repair courses do not include The Quadra Bike School's all-important practical component, which is called Bicycle Repair & Practise. It's the second half of this course. You repair many types of customers' bicycles and integrate the skills you have learned in a very practical way. This is not done in any of the other courses as they are advertised. In the past this allowed my grads to move right into bicycle repair at cycle shops instead of being relegated to assembling new bicycles out of the box. Not that I understand why new bicycles are assembled by the least experienced mechanics in a bicycle shop. Bicycle Repair & Practise worked very well in the course in Toronto and continues here on Quadra Island. I also will NOT use Park Tool's Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair for an instructional manual nor do I only use Park Tools. As described in the Barnett Manual, and from my own years of experience, there are better tools available for many bicycle repairs. Especially be wary of Park spoke tension gauges which have fallen off greatly in accuracy in recent years. We use much better gauges from Wheel Fanatyk.
Other bicycle repair courses do not include The Quadra Bike School's all-important practical component, which is called Bicycle Repair & Practise. It's the second half of this course. You repair many types of customers' bicycles and integrate the skills you have learned in a very practical way. This is not done in any of the other courses as they are advertised. In the past this allowed my grads to move right into bicycle repair at cycle shops instead of being relegated to assembling new bicycles out of the box. Not that I understand why new bicycles are assembled by the least experienced mechanics in a bicycle shop. Bicycle Repair & Practise worked very well in the course in Toronto and continues here on Quadra Island. I also will NOT use Park Tool's Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair for an instructional manual nor do I only use Park Tools. As described in the Barnett Manual, and from my own years of experience, there are better tools available for many bicycle repairs. Especially be wary of Park spoke tension gauges which have fallen off greatly in accuracy in recent years. We use much better gauges from Wheel Fanatyk.
The added benefit in this course is that students can COOK for themselves in the the residence which includes all the necessary kitchen gear plus four different ways to make coffee including an espresso machine. The recommended motels at other schools do not allow cooking. Students must commute to class. As well, there are no evening or weekend practise times available. The Quadra Bike School is just a few steps from your student residence. You can practise your skills or rebuild you own bicycles outside of class time during evenings and on weekends. The cost of this course is two-thirds of the cost down south. I can't possibly calculate what eating lunch and dinner at restaurants would cost you in the U.S. There are more daytime instructional hours here. The evening and weekend practise time in the bike shop is not even contemplated in other U.S. courses. I investigated several B.C. mechanics courses too. If you contemplate any other course ask them whether they use the Park "Big" Blue Book of Bicycle Repair. It's a single volume paperback and in no way compares to over 14,000 pages of the current Barnett version 14 DX.
2021 Course Dates:
CAUTION: I'm not accepting students this year who must fly here, unless they can spend their quarantine time somewhere after landing.
CAUTION: I'm not accepting students this year who must fly here, unless they can spend their quarantine time somewhere after landing.
2022 Course Dates:
April 4 - May 6 Course 42
Apr 4 - 12 1. Bicycle Assembly & Tuning
Apr 13 - 21 2. Professional Bicycle Repair
Apr 22 - May 2 3. Bicycle Repair Practice
May 3 - 6 Free practise days & testing.
May 3 - 6 Free practise days & testing.
Two spots are reserved, two student openings remain.
May 30 - July 1 Course 43
May 30 - Jun 7 1. Bicycle Assembly & Tuning
Jun 8 - 16 2. Professional Bicycle Repair
Jun 17 - 27 3. Bicycle Repair Practice
Jun 28 - July 1 Free practise days & testing.
Jun 28 - July 1 Free practise days & testing.
One spot is reserved, three student openings remain.
Sept 6 - Oct 7 Course 44
Sept 5 Canadian Labour Day holiday
Sept 6 - 14 1. Bicycle Assembly & Tuning
Sept 15 - 23 2. Professional Bicycle Repair
Sept 26 - Oct 4 3. Bicycle Repair Practice
Oct 5 - 7 Free practise days & testing.
Oct 5 - 7 Free practise days & testing.
Four places available.
Oct 24 - Nov 25 Course 45
Oct 24 - Nov 1 1. Bicycle Assembly & Tuning
Nov 2 - 10 2. Professional Bicycle Repair
Nov 11 - 21 3. Bicycle Repair Practice
Nov 22 - 25 Free practise days & testing.
Nov 22 - 25 Free practise days & testing.
Four places available.
Postal mail: Quadra Bike School, P.O. Box 286, Heriot Bay, B.C. V0P 1H0
