Susitna Bicycle Institute
A bike school for the community.
Remote Outreach
SBI kicked off our Remote Outreach Program in 2017 when we were invited to teach bike maintenance at the Lake and Peninsula School District science fair. The purpose of the ROP is to bring tools and bike mechanic classes to hubs, towns, and villages across Alaska that have expressed an interest in enriching and expanding their bike communities. We believe that anyone can fix a bicycle, and that the bicycle is a perfect way to learn problem solving skills, basic mechanical knowledge, and self-agency for kids. The bicycle is a simple machine with few moving parts, which makes it an excellent tool for learning concepts like machine threads, torque, air pressure, material properties, and many more that are useful in everyday life and work here in Alaska.
So far, we have brought tools and training to Newhalen, Nome, Sitka, Dillingham, and Aleknagik. Students have been able to fix their own bikes, repair discarded bikes to donate to kids in need, and open a community bike workshop. With your donations, we can ensure that these communities have ongoing support and resources to keep more people on bikes.
A Brief History of
Susitna Bicycle Institute
The Susitna Bicycle Institute was founded in 2016 by Scott Menzies, with the mission to provide access to quality bicycle education across Alaska. Charlie Lowell joined SBI in 2017, and together they have taught classes to over 1000 Alaskans from ages 8-80. Our classes cover everything from oiling your chain to fixing your bike frame. We believe that anyone can fix their bike, and that having the ability to do so empowers riders to ride more and help others on the road. Our classes are hands on, because the best way to learn to fix your bike is by doing. All of our classes are offered on a sliding price scale. We believe you should be able to learn how to fix your bike no matter what.
SBI has hosted local programs with ASD, Covenant House, Trailside, the Boys and Girls Club, Chugach Mountain Bike Riders Association, Off the Chain, Bike Anchorage, Chainbreakers, and the Womens Mountain Bike Festival. With your help and donations we can ramp up these operations even further!
A Brief History of Susitna Bicycle Institute
The Susitna Bicycle Institute was founded in 2016 by Scott Menzies, with the mission to provide access to quality bicycle education across Alaska. Charlie Lowell joined SBI in 2017, and together they have taught classes to over 1000 Alaskans from ages 8-80. Our classes cover everything from oiling your chain to fixing your bike frame. We believe that anyone can fix their bike, and that having the ability to do so empowers riders to ride more and help others on the road. Our classes are hands on, because the best way to learn to fix your bike is by doing.
SBI has hosted local programs with ASD, Covenant House, Trailside, the Boys and Girls Club, Chugach Mountain Bike Riders Association, Off the Chain, Bike Anchorage, Chainbreakers, and the Womens Mountain Bike Festival. With your help and donations we can ramp up these operations even further!
What is our Remote Outreach Program?
SBI kicked off our Remote Outreach Program in 2017 when we were invited to teach bike maintenance at the Lake and Peninsula School District science fair. The purpose of the ROP is to bring tools and bike mechanic classes to hubs, towns, and villages across Alaska that have expressed an interest in enriching and expanding their bike communities. We believe that anyone can fix a bicycle, and that the bicycle is a perfect way to learn problem solving skills, basic mechanical knowledge, and self-agency for kids. The bicycle is a simple machine with few moving parts, which makes it an excellent tool for learning concepts like machine threads, torque, air pressure, material properties, and many more that are useful in everyday life and work here in Alaska.
So far, we have brought tools and training to Newhalen, Nome, Sitka, Dillingham, and Aleknagik. Students have been able to fix their own bikes, repair discarded bikes to donate to kids in need, and open a community bike workshop. With your donations, we can ensure that these communities have ongoing support and resources to keep more people on bikes.
#lifeupdate
Building back better.
You may have noticed that we’ve been pretty quiet over the past year. A lot has changed for us, as it did for everyone. Here’s a quick update to bring you up to speed.
The winter of 2020/21 brought many changes to SBI. Our founder Scott Menzies had to return to his hometown of Austin, TX, handing the reins of the Bike School to SBI veteran Charlie Lowell. At the end of 2020, the owner of our Kincaid Road location had to sell the property, and SBI moved to its current (small) home in Airport Heights. Due to size and staffing restraints, operations remain restricted to service only. But fret not, SBI is here to stay. Charlie has been working tirelessly to grow the Susitna Bicycle Institute into the full-fledged bicycle school that Alaska deserves. While it took most of 2021 for SBI to begin to build back, we are in the process of finding a permanent commercial home, where classes will resume, and operations will begin to get back to normal. But we can’t do that without your help.
Please consider donating and help get SBI the home it deserves!