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The Escuela Técnica de la Bicicleta (ETB) is a comprehensive research and training centre focused in all aspects related to the design, building and mechanics of the bicycle.
In the absence of any educational institution where bicycle studies are imparted as if they were an engineering career or technical profession, the ETB aspires to create a basic body of knowledge, techniques and procedures that can be transmitted to the student in an effective and systematised way for its subsequent practical application at the workshop.
The aim is to offer a solid base of knowledge and skills from which students can develop independently in their respective areas of interest both at a professional or personal level.
The courses at the ETB are conceived to cover a wide range of training requirements and follow a modular structure that allow them to be undertaken either individually or combined to create a integrated modular course (MIB). They are aimed to appeal a broad range of students, from the bike enthusiast interested in learning to design and build a one-off custom bike to the person considering to quick-start his/her professional career in bike-design, frame-building or bicycle mechanics.
All courses are taught in reduced groups; all students perform practical exercises individually to ensure that the training received is adapted to the necessities of each of them and meets high-quality standards. The courses are aimed to provide students with the necessary knowledge and resources to continue learning and developing in their area of interest independently after their completion.
Our commitment goes beyond our courses. The ETB also offers its students a series of on-line resources and supervised practices to help them attain their personal goals. We like to follow closely the progress of our students who have already started to take their first steps as frame-builders and bike-mechanics. We also organise different events and activities for sharing knowledge and experiences, thus contributing to create an active community brought together by a common interest and passion for the bicycle.
Finally the ETB is also a centre of research which collaborates with departments at different universities (both domestic and international) towards the goal of achieving a better understanding of the various technical aspects of bicycle design and frame-building.
Who Are We
The ETB has a permanent staff:
ANDRÉS ARREGUI
Doctor in Chemistry from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) in the field of Chemical Physics, area of Molecular Dynamics.
Founder of ETB Academy (Escuela Técnica de la Bicicleta) and Arregui Velázquez. Specializing in bicycle manufacturing, he teaches courses in custom bicycle design and construction and collaborates with various brands in the manufacturing and/or production monitoring of limited series.
Director of the Master’s Degree in Product Design at UDIT.
Partner of International Bicycle Engineering Research Group (IBERG).
He has played the saxophone for over 20 years.
ALEXEY ALEXANDROV
(Blagoveshchensk, Rusia) es Licenciado en Tecnologías y Sistemas de Telecomunicación por la Universidad Estatal de Telecomunicaciones de San Petersburgo y Alumni de La Escuela Técnica de la Bicicleta. Soldador homologado por la norma ISO 9606-1.
Toda la vida dando pedales, años de experiencia como mensajero y constructor de cuadros le llevaron a cambiar de país y afincarse en España para trabajar como profesor en la Escuela Técnica de la Bicicleta.
Alex también tiene su propia marca de bicicletas a medida, HNK. Alex es especialista en el proceso de fabricación de cuadros de bicicleta (prototipado y seriado) y es el profesor jefe en la ETB.
Amante de las largas rutas en piñon fijo, de la comida China y de la buena música.
MORGAN TAYLOR MEREDAY
Morgan (she/her) joined our team at ETB Academy to support our latest marketing and social media strategy and find bold new ways to tell our story. Originally from New Jersey and now based in Madrid, she’s navigated the creative world across four cities and two countries, picking up skills in journalism, editorial, publishing, marketing, and creative direction along the way.
With a BA in Professional Writing from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master’s in Digital Marketing from ESIC in Barcelona, we’re excited to have her onboard to add a new dimension to our bicycle design and manufacturing team.
Teaching Methodology
Our courses offer a balanced combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills that enables students to make progress independently once their training with us has been successfully concluded.
At the ETB we approach the design, building and assembly of the bicycle in a way in which the student is encouraged to participate actively in the learning process from start to finish. The theory imparted in our courses provide students with the basic concepts which later on will help them to understand the different techniques and procedures that are put into practice during the training at the workshop. In this way, the student acquires an understanding not based exclusively on the repetition of particular action, but rather on the comprehension of the theoretical principles and their practical application along established procedures.
The approach of the ETB to the design, building and bicycle mechanics is firmly based on offering a high level technical training to the student by teaching:
- a tried-and-tested working methodology
- different procedures that can be repeated and evaluated objectively.
The bicycle is not an art based only on the experience and skill of each person, but rather a set of theoretical principles and practical procedures which, accordingly, makes possible the development of different tasks and operations in an adequate manner in order to achieve optimal results both in terms of performance and security.
Collaboration and Research with IBERG
The ETB is part of the IBERG (International Bicycle Engineering Research Group), a collaborative network of engineers from different world-wide universities whose aim is to promote the development of the research and the dissemination of advances in the field of engineering and applied technologies to the bicycle.
The materials and components are evolving constantly and, for this reason, it is necessary to modify the methods for the design, building and assembly of the bicycles in the light of these changes like, for example, the development of new materials (new alloys and composites), brazing and welding techniques, new typologies and standards in bike components, as well as advances related to bio-mechanic studies or the certification of the processes and products.
In addition of keeping in regular contact with frame builders and university researchers of different countries, the ETB also organises some events with visiting researchers or frame-builders to explore a particular area or subject of expertise which are open to all current and former students to attend and benefit from.
At the moment the ETB is involved in the following on-going studies*:
– Differences at fundamental level between different brazing techniques (TIG and Fillet-Brazing) Study of the mono and bimetallic joins.
– Structural differences of welding in the HAZ in relation to filler material and welding temperatures
– Importance of fillet size and composition in the structural performance of bicycle frames build with different types of steel tubbing.
*all studies sponsored by ISEA, as part of “Steel Bicycle Project”.
Premises
We are located in the South-East of Madrid city in the popular neighbourhood of Carabanchel, just five minutes away from the tube station of Oporto (Metro Lines 5 & 6). Our premises are divided in two main areas, one ‘clean’ area for imparting theory lessons and doing bike-fitting studies, another larger area for our workshop with different working spots for frame-building and bike mechanics. The workshop is equipped with all the necessary tools for the courses and has also plenty of natural light during the day
Food: all students can make use of our pantry to prepare or heat their lunch or enjoy a strong expresso from our coffee machine Rancilio Silvia. There are also few restaurants in the area that offer lunch at competitive prices.
Accommodation: If you are not resident in Madrid and require to book an accommodation during your stay, we recommend you to look for a hostel or apartment at the centre of Madrid (Chamberi, Malasaña, Centro, Chueca, Universidad) so you can enjoy the city in the evenings. We are just 20 minutes aways from the centre by public transport.
If you are interested to learn more about our courses and visit our premises, please give us a call in advance to arrange for an appointment.
