Stupid things we all must have done

[screenman]

While refurbishing my Raleigh Trent, tired and suffering from a bad cold and not in the best of form, I built the bottom bracket with the spindle in the wrong way round and sat wondering why the chainwheel was rubbing the chainstay when it had been fine before I took it apart....DOH!

Why was it? Stop the suspense.

 

[guitarpete247]

I always work in the garage even when it's sunny. As I lost a couple of nuts and bolts into the gravel in front of the garage one hot day a few years ago. I can't remember what I was fitting probably a set of mudguards and had to search to find a couple of odd bits from my odds and sods collection.
I've since bought a box of current sized nuts, bolts and washers too. I've also put a bit of old carpet down to stop bits bouncing and rolling out of sight.

 

[tyred]

Why was it? Stop the suspense.

I could tell you but I'd need to kill you after!

 

[HLaB]

My mechanical faux pas is putting a new chain on, feeding it through the jockeys correctly but on the outside of the chain guide

 

[Smokin Joe]

My mechanical faux pas is putting a new chain on, feeding it through the jockeys correctly but on the outside of the chain guide

Done that more than once. Along with fitting it and bypassing the front mech.

 

[slowmotion]

I couldn't work out why the tyre had a bulge after fixing a puncture. I had left the nut on the valve stem inside the rim.

 

[raleighnut]

Fixing a front wheel puncture and using the 'wizzo' new quick release on the front brake to get the wheel back in (tyre inflated) then forgetting to flip the lever back before 'attempting' to use the front brake.
Have I mentioned before that I live on the top of a hill/ridge.

 

[Karlt]

Decided rear cable needed replacing so pulled it straight out of the holes in the frame where it's internally routed...

 

[jay clock]

Went to replace the rear brake cable on a 105 shifter. Nipple was jammed so I pulled and twisted it with fine pliers for about 30 mins until I wrenched it out leaving a tangled mess of frayed cable inside with the plan to pull the cable out from the rear. Only to find I had been attacking the front shifter and the cable was firmly attached to the caliper, so no great surprise that it wouldn't budge.... oopsie

 

[threefingerjoe]

Chased a "clicking" sound for weeks, before I discovered that it was coming from my KNEE!

 

[screenman]

Riding a 65 inch 10 on a fixed I had not rode before and only finished building the day before. It was only as I was about 8 feet off the ground as I crossed the finish line at speed that I realised I should not have stopped pedalling. That one hurt.

 

[martint235]

My mechanical faux pas is putting a new chain on, feeding it through the jockeys correctly but on the outside of the chain guide

Mine is fitting the chain outside of the rear triangle. Doesn't work very well

 

[GetAGrip]

Having cleaned all the bikes the previous day, the kids staying with us during one half term holiday decided we would take the bikes down the road to the Tarka trail for a sunny morning ride.
Did all the checks with the kids on their bikes, brakes, tyres, etc. Then proceeded to lead us all down the hill to join the main road which leads to the track.
Only when I tried to feather the brakes on the approach to the junction did I realise I didn't have any . I took out the toes of my 2 month old bike shoes and slightly buckled my front wheel coming to an abrupt halt when I took aim at an outreach green box about 10 yards from the junction. I forgot to check over my own bike, so didn't notice I hadn't pushed the calliper levers back down after cleaning it

 

[MattDB]

Removed and regreased bottom bracket replaced and gears were all out. Spent the day making crank bolts impossibly tight before realising there was a L and a R printed on the BB.

 

[Big John]

I've had a crap day on the bike today. If I told you HOW crap you'd swear I was making it up. However, reading this thread has made me cry with laughter. The sad thing is I think I've committed all of the above but it's nice to know I'm not alone