COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BRAIN) — SRAM has taken its educational program on the road with STU2U. The company has offered SRAM Technical University (STU) training and education at its Colorado Springs, Colorado, facility for years, but dealers and reps noted it was tough and costly for shops to send a mechanic to the SRAM facility.
"We had the request for something in market but it was a challenge to replicate the high quality of STU in the field," said Simon Stewart, one of the instructors and technical ambassador, Americas, for SRAM. "But these classes are filling up within 24 hours. They sell out quickly."
SRAM's STU2U held its first on-the-road class last December in Charlotte. And has offered a class in Atlanta and Phoenix. In February, SRAM STU2U will make a West Coast swing hitting several locations in Southern California including Ontario, Camarillo, Irvine and San Diego. Then in March, it will head to Northern California, with stops in San Rafael and Sacramento, before arriving in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, at the end of the month. Many of these are already sold out.
"Once we're finished with the swing up the West Coast, we'll look at opening other dates out East," Stewart said. "We haven't finalized our route after Seattle."
"As the industry turns more service oriented, this is what we can do to try to help dealers be more successful in service," he added. "We're committed to hands-on education."
SRAM tries to pick central locations in every market that are easy to access for many dealers. The company will rent hotel conference rooms and set up a purpose-built lab and classroom that's mobile.
Each class has a maximum of 12 students, with one instructor per six students. Unlike the Colorado Springs class, which is three days, the in-market class is two days. Curriculum includes fork and rear suspension service and tuning, brake service and overhaul, Eagle and eTap installation overview and the class ends with a discussion on channel integrity. Students are provided tools.
"The class is 95 percent hands on, which I believe makes it a unique in-market experience," said Stewart.
The 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., two-day class costs $200 and includes lunch. Class enrollment is typically handled through SRAM's area reps.
SRAM still offers STU classes at its Colorado Springs lab monthly through May. That class is three-days, more in-depth, and costs $350.
