Slow News - June Edition Hi Neighbors, Happy June! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

*Take 10, June 1st 2025 *

Slow News.

Hi Neighbors,

Happy June! Summer has arrived and the fog has rolled in to remind us that nothing is as simple as it seems. Life is undeniably full of changes, and most often, the changes come to us in the form of shocking surprises and unexpected challenges. Currently, the biggest change in my life is that for the first time since I was four years old, I’m not in school. There are no more classes to sign up for, requirements to check off a list, or lectures to attend. My degree is in the mail and as of now I have no plans for any higher education. And while yes, I learned invaluable lessons during my Master’s program, I can not wait to sink my teeth into the school of Scenic Routes.

Last summer I was supposed to attend the professional mechanic’s course at the United Bicycle Institute in Ashland Oregon. Instead, I broke my wrist and spent the summer disobeying doctor’s orders and riding my bike around with my arm in a hot pink cast. I was so devastated to miss my opportunity to go learn how to be a bike mechanic in a professional setting. My whole life revolved around my college education and I thought that learning in a classroom setting was the only way to prepare myself for the job ahead. I thought my little crash had set me back from becoming a real mechanic.

Mind you, at this point I’d already been working at the shop for nearly a year. I could do all the basic maintenance you can think of, install headsets and bottom brackets, bleed hydraulic brakes, handbuild wheels, and service parts I didn’t even know existed before I walked through the doors of the shop. Yes I still had a lot to learn, and the course at UBI definitely would have been more than informative, but what I was lacking was not skill, but confidence. A year later, part of me would trade my entire Master’s degree for that piece of paper from UBI telling me I’m a certified mechanic, but my real classroom was staring me straight in the face.

Jay taught himself how to be a bike mechanic in his dining room at the beginning of the pandemic when people were desperate to get on their bikes. The skills he has to share with me are ones that he earned through trial and error and long hours reading manuals. Joel has been a mechanic for 30 years. The skills he has to share are ones that he earned through a lifetime of dedication to the craft. “They aren’t gonna teach you that at UBI” is Joel’s favorite line to say with a smile on his face while performing miracles on bikes that haven’t run smoothly since before I was alive. Jay told me last week that I was born to work on bikes. I told him that he was born to be a teacher. I’m grateful every day that Jay gave me an opportunity to be a beginner in a field that doesn't offer many opportunities for those that fit into my demographic (i.e. young, queer, woman).

I’m passionate about the work we do at Scenic Routes. I love helping our community find ways to ride bikes that feel joyful and safe and fulfilling for them. I love leading rides and managing our inventory and writing these emails, and more and more everyday, I love being a mechanic. At the end of the day, I love bikes.

Working as a bike mechanic isn’t a path I ever saw myself going down, but because of my teachers and mentors, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. Some days I still feel like I’m just a little girl when I’m behind the counter at the shop (and I will use it as an excuse to get out of the heavy lifting) but more often than not, I can feel the confidence I was so desperately seeking from a UBI certificate coming from a place of true competence. Bring your bike to Scenic Routes and I will help you fix it. Come to our classes and I will teach you what I know. The pursuit of education doesn't need to happen in a classroom, instead, it can happen within our own communities.

And speaking of which, here are our community events for the month:

SCENIC ROUTES CAMP OUT!

Sunday, June 15th to Monday June 16th

Join us for a beginner bike packing trip to Rob Hill Campground in the Presidio. No experience required and no gear required, we have all the things you need to borrow! There will be two separate groups:

Straight to Camp - Don’t want to ride far with all your gear? Choose this option if you want to focus more on the camping part and less on the riding part. Meet at 3:30, roll at 4:00.

Hard Mode - We’ll take the long way to Rob Hill from the shop. This is for those of you who want to practice riding with a loaded bike, who want to extend the adventure. Meet at 1:30, roll at 2:00.

If you’re interested, click the link below for more info and to sign up! There are limited spots, so you MUST SIGN UP if you want to join! It’s going to be a real good time and hopefully the first of many Scenic Routes excursions! I can’t wait. CAMP OUT SIGN UP!

FLAT FIX CLASS!

Thursday, June 5th.

7:15 to 9:00pm

Come learn how to use those tire levers you keep in your kit (or learn what the heck a tire lever is). We will walk you through the ins and outs of fixing your inevitable flat tires. No experience required. Sign up here: Flat Fix

BASIC MECHANIC’S CLASS!

Thursday, June 19th.

7:15 to 9:00pm

Squeaky chain, weak brakes, some clickity clack you can’t identify? We’ll be going over the at home maintenance we wish all our customers did to keep their bikes in tip top shape between tune ups. With a little bit of knowledge and a couple of tools, your bike can feel just like it does the day you pick it up from the shop. Bring your bike (if you want) and your questions! Sign up here: Rotating Mechanic’s Class

NIGHT MOVES!

Thursday, June 12th

Meet @ 7:15pm, Roll at 7:30pm

Come cruise through the city with us as the sun is setting below the horizon. We’ll cruise through the park, down to Sunset Dunes, and serve tea while the waves crash in the background. Bring a jacket, a mug, and bike lights if you have them.

DAY GROOVES!

Sunday, June 29th.

Meet @ 10:45am, roll at 11:00am

Let’s send off pride month with a ride full of hootin’ and hollerin’ and joyful riding around the city. There will be music, there will be snacks, and there will be giggles. Every Day Grooves ride is a Pride ride, but especially this one :)

It’s shaping up to be a beautiful month at the bike shop, full of learning and riding and community joy. We just got a batch of frames back from our powdercoater and will have a handful of Quercus bikes ready for test riding any day now. Swing by the shop Wednesday through Sunday, Noon to Seven for a test ride. If you already have a dream bike but want to help someone else find their’s, take a look at our “You Get A Quercus” fund below: Membership Tiers

Lastly, to all our friends and customers riding in the Aids LifeCycle this week, we are sending you all the good vibes and luck! Our mechanic Paul will be wrenching at aid station #3, so feel free to stop by and say hi!

Alrighty, that’s all for now, I hope we see you at the shop this month!

Ayla Visit Our Site!

Scenic Routes Community Bicycle Center, 521 Balboa Street, San Francisco, United States

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