Austin Blakely

Hi, I'm Austin and I started working at iFixit near the beginning of 2019. I started out in the education department, shepherding dedicated students from all over the country through our Technical Writing Project. Over time, I developed a knack for data and, pulling from my background in physics, was able to hop over to iFixit’s SEO focused traffic team. Now I work to ensure that our free online repair manual is able to reach as many people as possible in the hopes that humanity fixes as many things as possible!

I went to school in Santa Cruz (go Banana Slugs!) to study physics and later, theater. Equipped with a B.S. in physics and an M.A. in theater, I ended up landing a series of teaching jobs at a few schools and a college prep firm in San Diego. Eventually, I needed a change of scenery and ended up in SLO, where my data analysis ability and experience in education made me a great candidate for a position on team EDU.

Going to college in Santa Cruz awakened in me a love for all things bicycle. Pictured is the bike I’ve built from the frame up, replacing each part over the 8 year span I’ve owned it. Bicycles have been the subject of most of my tinkering. Past projects include a Specialized Epic Carbon Pro (think retro carbon road bike) restoration, a rusty old Peugeot I turned into a grocery getter with a way-too-large basket, and a Bridgestone XO-4. You can probably find me rolling around town most days on my Rivendell touring rig or my 1985 Schwinn Voyageur.

I try to keep my free time as diverse as my studies, and can be found biking, hiking, climbing, or just digging into the latest dramatic television series. I've also become a bit of a chef in recent years (fueled by my insatiable appetite) and can cook up a mean pizza or stir-fry.