Bicycles
Maintain, Repair, Design, Build, & Ride
Bicycles provide affordable transportation for youths and adults. They expand the area within which people may travel for employment, education, and recreation.
Employable knowledge and skills developed through Bicycle Education Projects include:
- Safe and efficient use of hand and power tools
- Materials Handling and Fabrication Processes
- Technical Drawing and Computer Assisted Drafting
- Mathematics, Geometry, Physics, and Chemistry.
Many Provinces and States approve Bicycle Education Projects as part of the Primary and Secondary School Curriculum (K – 12). Many Colleges and Universities offer courses or programs which, in whole or in part, focus on bicycles.
The transferable knowledge and skills learned through Bicycle Education Projects provide a foundation for Trade, Technical, and Professional occupations, such as:
- Agricultural Machinery Technician
- Automotive Service Technician
- Boilermaker
- Draftsperson
- Engineer
- Heavy Duty Equipment Mechanic
- Industrial Mechanic (Millwright)
- Ironwork (Structural)
- Machinist
- Motor Vehicle Body Repairer
- Steamfitter-Pipefitter
- Steel Fabricator
- Truck and Transport Mechanic
- Welder
Pilot Program Proposal
There is a growing demand for workers with Trades related skills in Northern Saskatchewan, which has been identified by the Northern Labour Market Committee (NLMC).
A partnership skills development program between Northlands College, Northern Teacher Education Program (NORTEP), Northern Lights School Division #113 (NLSD), and the Northern Apprenticeship Committee (NAC), would be a valuable addition to existing education and training efforts in La Ronge.
NORTEP students would learn to tear down and rebuild bicycles in Northlands College shops, as an introduction to the practical skills development required by trades workers in Northern Saskatchewan, with the support and cooperation of the Northern Apprenticeship Committee. The skills learned would be utilized and shared by the NORTEP graduates when they are later employed by Northern Lights School Division as Teachers, preparing students for entry into the workforce.
The time required for NORTEP students to tear down and rebuild the bicycles would be about 25 hours. The cost of bicycle repair tools for the program would be about $1500, or somewhat more if bicycle repair stands are purchased rather than fabricated in-house by Northlands College students in a Welding program.
The time and cost requirements have been established through conversation with:
Roger Bortignon – Program Head / Technology Teacher Education Program / British Columbia Institute of Technology / Phone: 604-412-7412 / Fax: 604-431-8422 / www.bcit.ca/manufacturing/tted / Roger_Bortignon at bcit.ca
Northlands College might also find this 25 hour skills development package valuable as a part of programs with a focus on Employability. The equipment could easily be taken into a community in a cargo van, by an Instructor.
The practical skills learned would also enable the children and adults of Northern Saskatchewan to enjoy a lifetime of bicycle riding in their communities.
Bicycle Education Projects and Resources
- Atomic Zombie (Plans, Parts, Forum, Links)
- Bamboo Bike Project (Earth Institute, Columbia University)
- Bicycle Federation of Australia
- Bicycle in Culture, Science and Technology (Conference Report)
- Bicycle Reference Manual for Developing Countries
- Bicycle Trade Association of Canada
- Bicycle: A Vehicle for Teaching Physics (Dean A. Zollman)
- Bicycle Victoria (Australia)
- Bicycles for Humanity
- Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN South Africa & Namibia)
- Bike CAD
- Bike Frame (Wikipedia)
- Bike Lab Society (Victoria, Canada)
- Bike Project Co-op of Urbana-Champaign
- Bike Rumor
- Bike Wise (New Zealand)
- BIXI Public Bike System
- Cadbury Delivers 5000 Bicycles to Ghana
- Canadian Cycling Association (CAN-BIKE Safety Training)
- Center for Appropriate Transport (Alternative Education Program)
- Chicago’s Bike Lane Design Manual
- Darrell Noakes (Saskatchewan)
- Digital Library & Archives of Virginia Tech
- Edmonton Bicycle Commuters (Community Work Shop)
- Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation)
- Have Cycle, Will Study (ANK in Pune, India)
- HelixSphere Technologies (Redesigned Wheelchair & Bike)
- Henry James (Paterek Manual for Bicycle Framebuilders)
- How to Build Your Own Recumbent Bicycle
- Instructables (Plans, Pictures, Instruction, & Discussion)
- International Bicycle Fund
- League of American Bicyclists
- Lumiar Institute (Ricardo Semler, Brazil)
- MAKE (Bike Stand Project)
- Momentum Magazine (Canada & USA)
- Mountain Bike Operations Certificate (Capilano University, BC)
- National Center for Bicycling & Walking (USA)
- Park Tool School
- Pedal Power Bicycle Generators (Plans & Parts)
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
- Professional Bicycle Mechanic Course (Conestoga College, ON)
- Project Bike Trip for Youths and Adults
- Recycle – A – Bicycle (New York)
- Saskatchewan Cycling Association
- Tony’s Trailers and Handcarts
- United Bicycle Institute
- VeloPress (Books on Maintenance & Endurance Training)
- Whirlwind Wheelchair International
- Worksman Cycles (Industrial Duty)
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