A salutary lesson and yes, I'm an idiot.

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Tim O

Über Member
I volunteered to service my son's classic road bike today - he's off on a 250 mile loop tomorrow for a few days. He was working and as I'm retired I thought it would pass an hour or two. Now, I'm not too bad at cycle mechanics (not brilliant but not bad). I had it gleaming, adjusted everything, all the gears clicked satisfactorily into their proper position etc., chain sparkling and so on. Then I tested the rear brake: a beautiful piece of engineering from Campag - a Mirage. It pulled the brake tight but wouldn't release. I checked everything: the cable, the pivot, the spring. It just wouldn't go back and the lever stayed in. I took it apart. I greased everything. No joy. I rang my LBS where one of their mechanics has retro road bikes. He gave me a lesson over the phone. Still nothing.

After an hour or two it struck me. What a complete pill**ck. I was servicing the bike on a bike work stand. Some of you will now realise... In my defence all I can say is that for the last number of years all my bikes have had internal cable routing. Lesson: don't test a rear brake on a classic bike with external cable routing on a bike work stand - the cable is caught by the claw holding the bike. I am deeply embarrassed at my utter stupidity. It got me thinking, has anyone else done something that they really should have known better? At least he's got a sparkling and beautifully working rear Campag brake!
'
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
External brake cables is also very much contemporary , internal routing is still very much a minority at the moment. But well done at realising your mistake.
 

TheDoctor

Europe Endless
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
I've currently got a new 8 speed set-up. New chain, cassette, 8 speed lever and 8 speed-compatible rear mech. All Shimano.
Do you think I can get the ruddy thing to index properly? I know I must be doing something wrong, but I've no idea what...
 
Location
London
I've done exactly that OP - a real doh! moment when the penny dropped.
wouldn't describe the bike I was working on as a classic (a self build I'd converted to V brakes by running a cable outer all the way to the rear as there were no frame stops) , and in any case I am sure there are worse problems with internal cabling.
After that experience I now mount all my bikes in the stand using the seatpost, which I think is generally considered better practice anyway.
 

Electric_Andy

Heavy Metal Fan
Location
Plymouth
I once spent ages trying to get a pedal off...until I realised it was a left hand thread
 

gavroche

Getting old but not past it
Location
North Wales
You can't always hold the bike on the seat tube. In my case, there isn't enough space so I hold it on the frame but clamp it very lightly so I don't put pressure on the frame.
 
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