If you are thinking about traveling to attend United Bicycle Institute, pause and seriously reconsider. Many students come from out of state and spend real money on flights, lodging, food, and time away from work. Based on my experience, this program is NOT worth that investment. I would NOT recommend spending your time or money here. The learning environment did not feel professional or inclusive. I experienced repeated dismissive behavior from an instructor, Peter Branson, including being addressed in ways I had clearly asked him not to use. I felt singled out and criticized rather than supported as a student. When I raised these concerns with management, the response minimized the issue instead of taking it seriously. If you are LGBTQIA + or simply want a respectful, psychologically safe place to learn, this is NOT it. The instruction quality also did not justify the cost. - Much of the class time involved reading manuals independently with limited structured teaching. - Instructors frequently focused on servicing private clients' bikes rather than actively coaching students. For the tuition and certification fees being charged, I expected far more hands on training, guidance, and accountability. Overall, this felt like an expensive and disappointing experience. There are better, more welcoming, and more practical ways to learn bike mechanics. Save your travel costs and choose a program that truly values students and provides real instruction. read more

I took the 2 week professional course and loved it. The curriculum has been refined for 30 something years, and you can tell. From 8-5 M-F for two weeks, you talk about a subject and then you get to do the associated "hands-on" activity (ie taking apart a hub, then putting it back together), usually with your daily bench partner (changes each day). By the end, you've covered most parts of the most common types of bikes. And, you get to take a 5-lb textbook home, so you can reference the "how-to" section later. I didn't take this class to get a job in the bike industry; I am more of a home mechanic who felt confused and overwhelmed with a million questions, and now I feel satiated. I can better judge whether a Craigslist part might work on my bike, I could take care of a lot of during-ride mechanicals or at least know where to start, and I can overhaul my own bike. There were three teachers; usually one lectured and then all three would walk around during the hands on practice session to answer questions, correct us, and sign off on our work. This was very satisfying after having spent many hours in bike kitchens or similar where there aren't enough people to answer or explain. Here, they really *want* to answer your question and will give you a lengthy explanation. They were all patient, kind, encouraging and knowledgeable people who both knew not only bikes but how to teach. Everything is open-book and basically everything done is for the point of learning and getting better, not competitively. If regular school were more like Bike School, the world would be a better place! Access info: - Spring was a great time to come. If you are sensitive to wildfire smoke, I hear most summers are (now) smokey. - 10-min breaks more or less every hour, and a 1 hour lunch in the middle of the day - They ask for pronouns at the beginning with your name. I can't say most people minded them, but if reminded to I believe they would. - The ratio of men to non-men is very high, and sometimes as bench partners the men may not share the work enough or explain things when you don't want them to. Let this be a warning, or, something to be mindful of. - If you want to ride in town while there (cheaply), you can go to Get-N-Gear and buy one (it may be crappy) and then often sell it back to them at the end - tip from the owner! - It really helped me to read the relevant chapter(s) before the class, so that I would have more context. Highly recommend for those who may not have a lot of experience. - If you are not super fast, you will probably have to stay for the late nights at least one time to finish building your wheels, so schedule around that - You will be very tired at the end of the day and end of the week; I considered camping and am glad I did not. - There is a pass-fail test on a computer at the end; bring your own computer to Ashland if that helps you do testing better as they'll let you take it on yours (as of this date). If you have some sort of recorded disability, it's not an easy test; consider talking to them if you need accommodations. read more

UBI REVIEW Aloha fellow bike enthusiasts and BiCYcle gEEks. If you know the difference, you know! First and foremost, please know from the outset that this review is being articulated by a human being and not by augmented / artificial intelligence. Having said that, AI may well produce a more succinct and sophisticated review, but I like tinkering with words and maybe even tinkering with bikes now that I've been educated. United Bicycle Institute is the real deal in terms of being a place to gain a depth and breadth of knowledge, perspective, practical advice, and experience. The experience includes plenty of hands-on exercises working on bicycles and their components, and perhaps just as importantly, experience thinking about bikes and the bicycle industry in ways one may not have previously considered. Beyond the excellent facilities, which have clearly been well-conceived and have evolved over decades of bike-centric instruction, the owner and team of bicycle professors are truly kind, helpful, awesome, stellar people. Denise, the owner, was just wonderful and all the instructors were knowledgeable and encouraging. Jeff, who I hereby designate as the master of the telecaster lead guitarist, has deep industry roots, a wealth of practical industry experience, plenty of obscure and interesting facts and factoids about the nature of bicycles in time and space. Peter, a former bike shop owner, is an endearing and relatable instructor for a variety of reasons, perhaps one big reason is because I think he rides bikes like most people ride bikes (not the Tour de France or Leadville 100), and his humble pragmatic approach to teaching is something that many people will connect with. Zach is super-knowledgeable, dry-witted, akamai, and helpful and encouraging as well. They are all great guys as individuals, experts in industry, and the team-teaching approach is where it becomes apparent how well they compliment one another in ensuring each individual, and the class as a whole, have genuinely committed instructors who take pride in their work as educators. Together, they do an exceptional job of facilitating the class and connecting with their students. I really can't say enough wonderful things about the facilities, the staff, and their ability to create a supportive and comfortable learning environment. Shout out to the Professional Repair and Shop Operation Class of September 2025, many of whom reminded me that I am clearly a bicycle enthusiast but have not ascended to the realm of BiCYcle gEEk just yet, though hope springs eternal. Now, as for my personal experience, I found the material and the learning to be far more thorough and challenging than I had planned or anticipated. This was probably due to the fact I didn't really plan or anticipate much at all. Attending bike school, for me, was sort of an off-the-cuff retirement gift to myself as I have spent a lifetime bribing friends to work on my bikes or paying for a shop to do so. Never mechanically inclined or particularly interested in working on bikes, I've always loved riding them but never felt comfortable doing much beyond fixing flats, occasionally swapping out a new bottom bracket and making minor adjustments to brakes, derailleurs, and novice level wheel truing. As much as anything, friends and family encouraged me to enroll when I said I was considering it, so I enrolled with nary a thought beyond becoming more comfortable working on my own bikes. Well folks, let me tell you, UBI teaches that and much more. The 572-page student manual and study guide for the class pretty much spells it all out in writing, and your course instructors weave it all into daily lectures and hands-on learning opportunities. They do a fantastic job of orchestrating the two weeks of learning, and the 100-question final exam is no joke. "Difficult but fair" was Zach's mantra regarding the final exam and I would say that is an accurate characterization. Listen well to the instructors, and I would say a best practice for those enrolling would be to start reading the manual before arriving for classes. Unless already a mechanic or someone who has spent years reading about bicycle systems, there is no shortage of technical terminology and information to absorb in the two-week Professional Repair and Shop Operations Class, and much of it will show up on the final exam. And speaking of finals, let's bring this review to a conclusion, finally. UBI has been a great experience, even for an old geezer who thought he might learn a little something and get more comfortable working on his own toys and transportation. I own road, mountain, commuting, and touring bicycles, and I am leaving the adorable town of Ashland feeling far more confident in working on my own equipment thanks to the wonderful team at UBI. While the material in this two-week class was likely more than I'll ever put to use personally, it is clearly information that I would consider essential to career-minded profe read more

Such a gift to have this school in the Pacific Northwest! It's authorized by the State of Oregon to certify students in bicycle maintenance and repair. The teachers are excellent and the classrooms are fully loaded for its students. read more

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The goto for the bicycle industry, UBI is an amazing asset to the bicycling community. The instructors are well versed in the overall mechanics and engineering behind the major manufactures newest products as well as the older technologies. Their dedication to the craft shows in the love for teaching each student and ensuring everyone is able to grasp every concept fully. Not only is the faculty amazing as well as the well stocked facility, they are located in the beautiful town of Ashland, Oregon leading to a full 5 star experience. Sign up now, you'll be glad you did! read more

Very top notch bike mechanic instruction and my sons have came away with a lifetime of knowledge. The learning materials are above and beyond and the instructors are supportive and offer a great learning experience. Plus all the bike enthusiasts this program attracts offers a valuable student cohort. read more