smd4

Sure. A high school "Bicycling" class isn't going to help that type. That's what bike shops are for.

smd4

Then a general "shop" class should suffice.

jon c. 

I have fairly limited mechanical aptitude, but I can certainly change a faucet washer. Or install a new faucet. Or a new water heater or ceiling fan. A lot of basic mechanical repairs are so simple that literally anyone can do them. A fair number of folks who "can't" do these things really could do so quite easily. They believe they can't and it becomes self fulfilling prophecy.

Having said that, I do believe bicycle maintenance can be a little more complex and experience is quite beneficial. I don't do my own wrenching on bikes because I don't care to invest the time and energy. But I believe if I had to I likely could in most cases. I'm not sure HS kids should be taught bicycle maintenance because I'm not sure many of them of riding bicycles these days. But they should learn how to do some sort of "wrenching" so they understand that they really can turn a wrench. It will serve them well later in life so they can make a reasonable assessment as to whether or not the problem at hand really is something they could deal with. I know a number of folks who call in a contractor for the easiest of jobs simply because they believe they can't do it.

Maelochs

Not sure about school now, or in other areas, but where I grew up, along with dinosaur hunting we had basic shop classes ... and girls had Home Ec ... in middle school (ages 11-13.) I assume that was because educators decided that high school was to be more focused, such that people who wanted to pursue tech careers would know that while those who did not could focus on various aspects of scholastics.

big john

No, it won't necessarily help the inept. But you could say that about nearly all high school classes. There were plenty of classes I took which did nothing for me and plenty I should have taken. There are like 600,000 students in the L.A Unified District. Lots of variables among them.

mstateglfr 

24 hours are in a school day. 7 or 8 periods are in a typical HS school day.
Agreed, not every subject can be taught in high school.
As for saying you cant always do both, I agree with that too. But I also provided actual info to show how these 2 things can both exist. So since actual info showing how they can both exist has been put forth, you need to respond with something different than 'sometimes you just cant do both' because that isnt actually a rebuttal to evidence that both can be done.

Post 79 details the number of required credits as well as the number of core class hours. 1/3 of required hours to graduate are electives. An elective can be 'Applied Mechanics' where bike maintenance is taught as part of the curriculum. That is separate from any required classes, of which financial management is one.
Ill let you in on a secret- a class on model trains could even exist as an elective. There could be sections on model train history, set design and building, lessons on various architecture styles(bridge engineering/architecture for example), and more. It would be an Interdisciplinary class that, if actually structured correctly, would legitimately expose kids to a lot of knowledge and practical experience.



This is one of those times where you should listen more than speak.

big john

That was kinda my point.

smd4

Don't get me started on "LA Unified..." Glad I was in Las Virgenes.

big john

I agree with most of your post except this part. And the part about you having a limited ability. The things you described being able to do are above the scope of many people. Far above.
I've done thousands of club rides with hundreds of people. Some struggle with the simplest thing, even after fighting it for years. Some people can't work with tools.

I worked with a kid, maybe 22 or 23. Came to the dealer as a trainee and had amassed $$$ in debt to a private school. Nice guy, everyone liked him but he could not perform any mechanical tasks. We had a recall on the Volt for rear hatch struts. Pop off a couple clips and snap the new struts on. Paid .2, or 12 minutes. He couldn't do it, even after some of us showed him how and even did some for him just so he could show he had done some work. After a few weeks they had to let him go.

Putting in a faucet washer or a ceiling fan would have been out of the question.

I worked as an automotive instructor at a ROP. One of my classes was special education high school students. Some of these guys were as good with cars as many dealership technicians I have seen. Give them a complicated water pump and they could finish quickly with no leaks, no parts left over, and the car was ready to go.
Others couldn't even figure out which way to turn a wrench. Extreme example? Yes, but my point stands.

smd4

We've got guys like that at the railroad. Ask them to go grab the left-hand hammer and off they go to the shop, searching the rest of the day...

big john

It's a huge mess, for sure. I graduated in 1971 and I was so happy to be out of that hell. Went back and worked for the district in the 80s for a couple years. It's not all about the students. Politics, egos, people throwing their power around, etc. It's way too big.

t2p

our HS offers mountain biking as part of the advanced Phys Ed course

it’s very popular

based on the condition of many of the bikes after the school year - a mechanical / bike maintenance class in addition might be a good idea lol

PeteHski

My wife is totally inept at using tools and will readily admit it. But that has never prevented her from becoming a successful accountant and business owner. One of the advantages of living in society as opposed to independent isolation. I'm not great at wrenching either (I lack the patience), but I am a highly qualified and successful mechanical engineer. Some of the mechanics I have worked with are amazing with tools. I can only do the basics.

Eric F 

What part of the world are you in? The school provides bikes?

HS MTB teams in my area are extra-curricular (technically "clubs"), meeting after school and weekends. Some of the teams have a couple of loaner bikes (usually old bikes owned by team coaches), but for the most part, kids provide their own bikes. Some are pretty low-end and/or older. Some are pro-level, race-rockets. Most are somewhere in the middle. This seems to be most influenced most by the parents' involvement. Kids who have parents who ride seriously show up with serious bikes.

tomato coupe

Do high schools offer classes on coffee making?

t2p

I believe federal and state grants provide a good part of the money for the program (including the bikes)

they also do kayaking and hiking etc in the advanced PE class

just early this year they received a small grant to build a mountain bike skills course at one of the middle schools

Eric F 

It's really not different than singing. Some have "it", and with instruction, can improve their abilities to high levels. Some will never be more than mediocre, regardless of training. Others will never be able to sing a single clear note, on pitch, no matter what you do with them. None of it has to do with academic aptitude or intelligence.

Eric F 

I'm guessing you're in part of the country where outdoor recreation is a big part of the local culture.

t2p

???

not really - I would think we would rate below your area ? (and possibly well below)

the program was created by the chair of the Phys Ed department - he (primarily) was/is responsible for the program and secured the funding etc

outdoor recreation, activity, exercise is especially important for today’s youth when you see the numbers of obese etc

I see some of the bikes at the LBS for repairs … whew .. as you can imagine they take a beating …

Eric F 

Interesting. Maybe it comes down to finding motivated people to create and run the programs, and chase after the funding. As far as I'm aware, the local HS MTB teams in my area are all self-funded.

While there are a lot of options for outdoor activities in So Cal, I wouldn't consider our local culture significantly influenced by it. There are other areas in CA that are much more influenced by recreation.

Maelochs

it is a number of things .... a few motivated people who are willing to do the workl and are good at politics or persuasion a couple people who know how to work the system, and a region with eno0ugh of a tax base so that funds are available---plus a region where such programs make sense.

I don't think inner city Boston or Baltimore are candidates ... though the roads in the poorer sections of Baltimore are rougher than a lot of MTB trails. Not much demand, and money is badly needed for things like ... books, paper, pens, pencils ... teachers.

NorCal, Oregon, Colorado, probably have a lot of communities where local funding, grants, student and parent interest, all come together to form ripe zones for cycling clubs or classes or teams. In some southern states, probably there are no bicycle programs because 85% of the students cannot spell "bicycle."

I know a few places where I could possibly start a program about how to steal bikes and trade them for .... "merchandise." Probably get funding from the merchandise traders.

t2p

I mentioned mountain biking has trickled down to the middle school level - and in addition within the past few years they introduced introductory bike riding at the elementary phys ed school level