About a week ago I was chatting with our fearless leader, Jessi, and I was complaining about how I wish I knew more about bike repair. I’m pretty clueless in that area and I’m always really nervous going out on long rides on my own into remote areas because I know that if something happened to my bike, I’d be up you-know-what without a paddle.

“Take a class,” she told me.

She is a very wise lady and who am I to argue so, a few days later, I signed up for a course here in Toronto called Wenches with Wrenches. It’s a course taught by women, for women, and over four nights it covers basic bike repair and maintenance - everything from fixing a flat to replacing brake cables.

A quick course like this is really a great idea for anyone who wants to feel more confident out on the roads, anyone who wants to stop handing all their money over to the local bike shop for minor repairs and tune-ups, or just anyone who wants to feel a little less like an idiot when their fellow bike riders start talking about what kind of derailleur they like.

Ask people in your local bike club or try a Google search to see if there is a bike maintenance course being held in your area. Or ask at your local bike shop (although I find that sometimes they’re not all that supportive of the idea of you fixing your own bike as it just means that they’re going to lose out on business).

My class starts in September (that’s the earliest I could get it as it’s so popular) and I’ll post what I learn each week here in case anyone else is as clueless as me – or just needs a little refresher.