MY INTRO TO BICYCLES PROBABLY STARTED A LOT LIKE YOURS

Upshift Workshop arose from a repeated question from friends:

“Do you know of any hands-on bike mechanics classes in DC where you can work on your own bike? I want to learn more.”

I had been working in the Washington-area bicycle industry since 2015 as a bike mechanic, ride leader, and educator at several local shops. I came to especially love moments when I could step beyond the mechanics bench and help folks better understand their bike, watching their pride and happiness as they learned something new. I started telling folks: “I can help!”

I have now taught hundreds of group and one-on-one mechanics lessons to students, clients, and neighbors — this is truly a passion project. I want to help you become more comfortable with your bike: whether that means starting a new commute, learning to turn a wrench, or preparing for a big multi-day tour or bikepacking trip.

My intro to bicycles may have started a lot like yours. I learned to ride as a young kid back in the Seattle area in the ’90s. Bikes were speed, freedom, exploration, and completely taken for granted. When I moved to DC in 2009, my childhood bike soon followed me. I took Metro everywhere at first, but timing was unreliable, and I realized I could save $200/month just by switching to a bike commute. I knew nothing about how to care for it, and my brakes dangerously gave out one day, sending me bleeding to the nearest bike shop with many questions. I decided I needed to learn some more about this machine that rolled me so effortlessly around the city. So I studied mechanics — unexpectedly beginning a now 9 year journey down the rabbit hole of DC’s bicycle industry and incredible biking community.

In January of 2018 I received a competitive “Women’s Mechanics Scholarship” from Quality Bicycle Products to attend a Professional Repairs and Shop Operations certification course at United Bicycle Institute in Oregon. It was an incredible experience that sparked a bunch of big ideas, including a drive to empower other people — and WTNB (Women/Trans/NonBinary) plus other bicycle-industry-marginalized folks in particular — to learn more about their bikes.

I now hold three relevant professional certifications:
Professional Bicycle Technician (United Bicycle Institute @Ashland, OR, 2018)
League Certified Cycling Instructor (League of American Bicyclists, @Fairfax, VA, 2018)
USA Cycling Race Mechanic (USA Cycling) @Tucscon, AZ, 2024)

And I would love to work with you — to get your bike up and running, to help plan your new bike commute, or to teach you some new skills you can use to safely maintain your bike at home.  

— Leah Fantle
Mechanic, Educator, & Founder, Upshift Workshop