Winterborne Bicycle Institute: Building the Biking Experience Winterborne Bicycle Institute (wwwwinterbornebikescom) was founded in 2001 in picturesque Guelph, Ontario by Jason Filer. Winterborne is a small company whose typical customer is a cycling enthusiasta serious rider who knows a considerable amount about bicycles and is ready to move up to a highquality, custom-designed, handbuilt bicycle. The main parts of a custom bike are the frame and wheels, and the company offers a number of choices for each type, style, and price range. Extensive bike-fitting sessions are part of the design process. The customer can also specify the paint nish and component set that completes the bike build. in conjunction with a local college, Winterborne has also begun to offer intensive bicycle-maintenance and training courses so that customers and current and aspiring bicycle mechanics can gain practical knowledge and experience with regard to all major bicycle components, including frames, bearings, wheels, drive trains, brakes, and shifting systems, on a variety of bicycle styles and vintages. Many customers come to the shop looking to purchase a custom bike or wheels or to upgrade pieces for their current bike, such as forks, suspension, handlebars, pedals, gearing, shifting, brakes, saddles, and seatposts. The company offers a number of brands in a wide range of styles and sizes. Filer and his business partner, retired information systems executive Alan Medcaif, both consider Winterborne more of a vocation than a business, and they help customers make the best possible choices for their cycling wants and needs. Both Filer and Medcalf are well-trained technicians, who set up each bike and offer such services as customization and bike repairs. Customers also rely on them for recommendations on a wide range of biking accessories, such as helmets, riding gear, lighting, gloves, and shoes. The company's website provides customers with information about products and promotes events, such as weekend maintenance clinics, the advanced maintenance course, group rides and clubs, trail-maintenance days, and educational seminars