What’s your worst DIY bike mechanic fail?

[Likes2ridefar]

.

[stien]

Ouch. You joke but those would be cool for a SS bike I might be building up. :banana:

I once cracked a square taper campy crankset by trying to put it on the wrong type of taper BB. Ah, to be young.

[tuxbailey]

I got my MTB a few years ago. it came with everything working but the seller suggested that I should maybe flush the disc brakes.

I proceeded to blow the seal in the caliper. Ended up getting a complete new brake system (call it an upgrade.) But that made the very good deal I got for the bike not so good deal and kick started an endless trail of upgrade.

[ultraman6970]

:).... mine was a set of 11 chorus brifters, for some reason the right lever was not shifting everything, chain was getting between gears.
Took it appart for broken parts, nothing was wrong with it. After like 3 days figure it out. I was shifting with the wrong lever because i had the cables crossed at the cable adjusters :D

[jtakeda]

Last week.

I was fitting my brakes on the frame and couldn’t figure out why my IS adapters didn’t line up with the brake caliper. Either the caliper mounted to the frame and the rotor wouldn’t sit inside the body or the caliper would fit over the rotor and hit the spokes.

Wheel dish?
Frame out of alignment?
Out of whack IS adapter?
Caliper body too wide?

Sat down and started writing out my experience to get some wisdom from the board and realized I put the rotors in backwards. At least it only took me 10 mins to figure out

[cinema]

i am really paranoid about torque on bikes especially fine threads. on cars i just crank everything down hard.

this week i was building up a 10s group i bought used and it took me about 3 hours to figure out why the derailleur was going into the cassette at the 25T cog.

messed with B adjustment for an hour, drop out screws, took the derailleur off, chain. finally realized the previous owner must have put the RD backing plate on upside down. probably happened when he was cleaning the pulleys to put it up for sale.

have destroyed a couple handlebars back in the day trying to fit them into quills

[bpm]

Many, many years ago I cut a steerer tube on a new fork too short. Didn't do the "measure twice, cut once" thing apparently. I was able to recoup some of the cost of the fork by selling it to someone with a smaller frame than mine, but it was still a costly mistake, and definitely my worst DIY mechanic fail.

[NHAero]

Not yet sure what putting rotors in backwards means (?)

Last week.

I was fitting my brakes on the frame and couldn’t figure out why my IS adapters didn’t line up with the brake caliper. Either the caliper mounted to the frame and the rotor wouldn’t sit inside the body or the caliper would fit over the rotor and hit the spokes.

Wheel dish?
Frame out of alignment?
Out of whack IS adapter?
Caliper body too wide?

Sat down and started writing out my experience to get some wisdom from the board and realized I put the rotors in backwards. At least it only took me 10 mins to figure out

[jtakeda]

Not yet sure what putting rotors in backwards means (?)

centerlock rotor. outside of the rotor was facing inside. Not symmetrical

[daker13]

I've had some big ones, but seems like the worst (or the stupidest) has to be the one that is just so simple, and a total PIA if I don't have an extra one on hand, and I seem capable of doing over and over and over again.. Yes, I'm talking about... the stripped seatpost binder bolt.

[slowpoke]

Background: I had been DIY'ing on 80s bikes with threaded headsets and quill stems for years (arguably still the best era). On my first "modern" bike with STI shifting and a threadless headset, I just tightened the top-cap as if was a quill stem, thought I was done, and rode off.

It was sort of like riding one of those funny swing bikes.

[C40_guy]

Many, many years ago I cut a steerer tube on a new fork too short. Didn't do the "measure twice, cut once" thing apparently. I was able to recoup some of the cost of the fork by selling it to someone with a smaller frame than mine, but it was still a costly mistake, and definitely my worst DIY mechanic fail.

Same here, on a unicorn carbon Colnago CX fork. Fortunately I left just enough on the steerer tube so that the cockpit still fits with the stem slanting up versus down as I would normally have.

Now I have a note on my Park tool stating "add stem height!"

[Onno]

I've had a bunch! That's what being a DIY mechanic means--trial and error, with lots of the latter.

A couple of weeks ago I took a cassette off a rear wheel to clean it, something I've done many times. Took it all apart, carefully cleaned everything, and put it back on, wrong 4 times in a row (forgetting a spacer, forgetting a cog, putting a cog on in the wrong order, etc.). Moral of the story, never do mechanic work on a black mat (where I kept losing track of the spacers).

[paredown]

Turned the BB frame/fixed cup the wrong direction--I was using the frame as the lever with the BB clamped in the vise.

At least it cracked cleanly around the flange, so I could screw it out the right way...:banana:

Oops!

(I have found that I really have to concentrate as I have aged when something is flipped over or upside down...)

Just remembered one of the funniest--riding with my older brother--he was probably 7 or 8, I was 5 or 6--he was horsing around, and did a vigorous pull up on the bars (old school flat bar coaster brake bike). Not sure if it was his or my father's fail--but the bar and stem came right out of the frame. It was like a bad cartoon--the look of terror, the improbable few moments when he stayed balanced (and probably thought he could be that lucky) before the wobble and crash onto gravel... Ouch!

[wallymann]

summer of '86...i purchased my first "nice" bike...trek 510 w/ fully campy triomphe groupset.

for some stupid reason that i no longer recollect, i pulled off the crankset...and when re-installing i torqued the drive-side down so hard that the spindle-hole stretched and the crank contacted the chainstay! replaced with suntour superbe cranks and BB...and so began a lifetime investment in DIY upgrades and inadvertent "mechanical learnings" along the way.

[CNY rider]

Oh I've had some genius moments, and I feel better now after reading this thread.
But the one that really sticks with me and bothers me?
I was assembling my new Goodrich, with a pristine beautiful white paint job.
Putting the rear brake caliper on and dropped the Allen wrench.
It made a small nick and scratch in the paint inside the seat stay.
I bet nobody could find it without knowing exactly where it is.....but to this day it still bothers me.
I actually scratched the paint on my new bike before even exposing it to sunlight and riding it!

[pdonk]

My silliest was not getting a tire seated properly after getting a flare and toasting a rim. This was after only 300km on the wheel. There is a thread here someplace.

Others have involved dropping nuts, bolts or spacers and having to replace them from the tool box and tring to make things work.

[mev]

Used "modern" skewers on a frame with horizontal dropouts. First ride the rear wheel slipped and rubbed some paint off the inside chainstay... :crap:

[chromopromo]

Losing the tensioning cap on my Shimano cranks and thinking I could get away with it. Just one of many.

[TBLS]

Ditto on cutting the fork steerer too short...hint do not do mechanical work when you have the flu.

Still don’t know how I screwed up but made a grown man cry ....was a painted fork to match the frame...

[cmg]

Used "modern" skewers on a frame with horizontal dropouts. First ride the rear wheel slipped and rubbed some paint off the inside chainstay... :crap:

This happened to me on a Colnago Masterlight. make a grown man cry.

[MikeD]

A friend of mine was riding down this steep, knarley, loose trail called Mother's (it's a real mother, all right), when he experienced a phenomenon known as pad dive. That's where the brake pads slip under the rim and the front wheel locks up. Yep, it's a trip over the bars. Not a lot of fun.

[Toeclips]

Ok I'm in
After 40 plus years of cycling I'm in for sure

That many years to remind myself that seat binder bolts still strip

The worse for me had to be with my work van,
I had a flat on the van and rushed for time, I put the flat wheel in the back in the storage bed.
Bike was behind me, driver's seat
What could go wrong

I come to a steep down hill and stop light, I just tapped my brakes to come to a fool stop and out goes the wheel. Across the tops of three tool boxes and wedges it self against my bike
Dented the seat stay and being a serotta I now have a matching seat stay and chainstay

So now I have a dedicated rain bike

[Bob Ross]

I don't have any amusing stories about my own DIY wrenching failures -- I like to think I'm astute enough to recognize my own limitations, and so anything beyond the most remedial repairs I immediately farm out to the pros -- but the thread title reminded me of this episode from my childhood:

When I was 10 years old, circa 1970 or 71, I had a Schwinn Varsity Sport. Sometime over the first 3 or 4 years that I owned that bike the bottom bracket (not that I knew that's what it was called then) developed a crunchy grinding noise. My Dad immediately set about disassembling the crankset

...ball bearings everywhere!

But, undaunted, he collected all the ball bearings from the garage floor and put them into an empty tuna fish can. Then he set about meticulously cleaning each individual ball bearing, and then greasing each individual ball bearing (!), as well as whatever parts of the bottom bracket shell and crankset that he deemed in need of grease

And then he tried to put it all back together again.


--


--


--


Four years later he finally conceded defeat and brought it to the local bike shop to have the cranks & bottom bracket bearings re-installed.
:banana:

[buddybikes]

Bought Geekhouse here with campy Athena shifters. Pulled out of box wrong, and broke the paddle.

[ntb1001]

Most of mine were done in the 80’s when young and stupid.

I remember buying the best freewheel removal tool the store had and then striping the prongs on it because I didn’t know how to use it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[thwart]

Yeah. :crap:

Y'know those Campy sheriff star hubs? Kind of a nice item. :rolleyes:

Had a spare rear wheel laced with one of these from a fixie bike I bought shortly after I got back into cycling around 2007 (remember those years... ? the height of the fixie craze). The thing sat in my garage forever, until a Forum member expressed some interest in a trade for it a couple of yrs ago. Rather than keep it simple and ship the entire wheel, I took it upon myself to de-tension the wheel, carefully cut out the cheap non-butted spokes... and free up the hub.

Oops. Good luck getting that single speed cog off now... or even going thru the trouble of lacing it back up again.

'tis truly a beautiful paper weight.

Except looking at it makes me nauseous.

:crap:

[cinema]

This happened to me on a Colnago Masterlight. make a grown man cry.

noted... so internal cam campy/shimano only on my nago

[rustychisel]

:).... mine was a set of 11 chorus brifters, for some reason the right lever was not shifting everything, chain was getting between gears.
Took it appart for broken parts, nothing was wrong with it. After like 3 days figure it out. I was shifting with the wrong lever because i had the cables crossed at the cable adjusters :D

Ahhahahahhahahhhahahhhaha

Yeah, I'm laughing now, because when I remember what it was that's exactly the sort of f***up I'd do. :hello:

[cribbit]

Yeah. :crap:

Y'know those Campy sheriff star hubs? Kind of a nice item. :rolleyes:

Had a spare rear wheel laced with one of these from a fixie bike I bought shortly after I got back into cycling around 2007 (remember those years... ? the height of the fixie craze). The thing sat in my garage forever, until a Forum member expressed some interest in a trade for it a couple of yrs ago. Rather than keep it simple and ship the entire wheel, I took it upon myself to de-tension the wheel, carefully cut out the cheap non-butted spokes... and free up the hub.

Oops. Good luck getting that single speed cog off now... or even going thru the trouble of lacing it back up again.

'tis truly a beautiful paper weight.

Except looking at it makes me nauseous.

:crap:

I've found hubs that were in that condition. You can just lace a handful (usually 4) spokes to a rim to get it off. Not too hard.

[gbcoupe]

My father was an engineer (chemical, mechanical and metallurgical). Very smart guy. Also a cheap ass! Apple hasn't fallen too far. While I don't have his brains, I've learned that you get the proper tool once and be done.

Bottom bracket installation was done with a hammer and a nail punch. I thought my 1st build was done right. Spun just fine, served me well for thousands of miles. Why worry?

My 1st job, other than a paper route was at a bike shop. When I bought and went to install a new crank and BB (with the proper tools), the shop manager noticed the couple mm grooves in the BB cups. I had that thing so tight, it dug way deep into the cups. extra hard training I suppose. :)

[Louis]

Years ago I busted an MA2 rim while trying to true it. Just keep tightening the spoke until it pulled the entire bed away from the sidewalls. Ooops. Luckily it was already pretty old, so I didn't loose too much.

[bianchi10]

Hahahaha oh man, this thread is right up my alley. I'll see your stupid and raise you with more stupid'er! :banana:


MOST of these were within the first 3 years of thinking I knew what I was doing OR thinking it wouldn't be that difficult to figure out. Some of these were more recent, and just lacking focus, making stupid errors. The good thing is that while I've had to spend a lot of money in repairing my mistakes, I learned from them and can now service all the mistakes below.

-Last year I was trying my darn'dest to loosen a locked pedal thread with a rounded off/worn out Allen wrench. Being in a rush (And stupid) I gave all I had. It busted lose and the momentum of my body flew back, my hand hitting the large chainring. The teeth went through the palm of my hand and then poked out about an inch further out of my hand. That was a fun trip to the ER and getting my first set of stitches. Learned to always put chain on large chainring....and to pursh down instead of pulling up lol.

-I've cracked bars from over tightening.
-Tried to install crankset while bolt was not straight stripping the threads.
-Cut brake/shift cables too short resulting in them not being usable.
-Installed bartape and cut before I should have which made them too short
-Stripped chainring bolts.
-Installed chainrings backwards.
-Stripped/Broken off Stem bolts.
-Installed headset in wrong order with spacers and caused damage.
-Tried cutting carbon steering tube myself and didn't do it straight AND cut it too short, resulting in the need for a new fork.
-I've cut cable housing too short and therefor needing to buy a new set
-I've attempted to "Micro" adjust derailleurs after watching youtube videos. Only to go WAY to far out of adjustment which messed them up so bad that I had to take the bike in.
-After watching a youtube video, I tried to shorten a new chain, only to have cut it too short which resulted in it not be usable and needed to buy another new one.


Dang, that hurts to list all those out. But, it was all good experience to learn from. I'm sure I'll be able to add to my list in the next year or so :p

Photo from the chainring puncturing through my palm
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50146513377_3a034cd1c5_c.jpg

[Louis]

Hahahaha oh man, this thread is right up my alley. I'll see your stupid and raise you with more stupid'er! :banana:


Dude, you're a menace!

Have you bought a torque wrench yet? ; )

[bianchi10]

Dude, you're a menace!

Have you bought a torque wrench yet? ; )

:p Yup I finally did!!! Took me long enough though

[gbcoupe]

Hahahaha oh man, this thread is right up my alley. I'll see your stupid and raise you with more stupid'er! :banana:


MOST of these were within the first 3 years of thinking I knew what I was doing OR thinking it wouldn't be that difficult to figure out. Some of these were more recent, and just lacking focus, making stupid errors. The good thing is that while I've had to spend a lot of money in repairing my mistakes, I learned from them and can now service all the mistakes below.

-Last year I was trying my darn'dest to loosen a locked pedal thread with a rounded off/worn out Allen wrench. Being in a rush (And stupid) I gave all I had. It busted lose and the momentum of my body flew back, my hand hitting the large chainring. The teeth went through the palm of my hand and then poked out about an inch further out of my hand. That was a fun trip to the ER and getting my first set of stitches. Learned to always put chain on large chainring....and to pursh down instead of pulling up lol.

-I've cracked bars from over tightening.
-Tried to install crankset while bolt was not straight stripping the threads.
-Cut brake/shift cables too short resulting in them not being usable.
-Installed bartape and cut before I should have which made them too short
-Stripped chainring bolts.
-Installed chainrings backwards.
-Stripped/Broken off Stem bolts.
-Installed headset in wrong order with spacers and caused damage.
-Tried cutting carbon steering tube myself and didn't do it straight AND cut it too short, resulting in the need for a new fork.
-I've cut cable housing too short and therefor needing to buy a new set
-I've attempted to "Micro" adjust derailleurs after watching youtube videos. Only to go WAY to far out of adjustment which messed them up so bad that I had to take the bike in.
-After watching a youtube video, I tried to shorten a new chain, only to have cut it too short which resulted in it not be usable and needed to buy another new one.


Dang, that hurts to list all those out. But, it was all good experience to learn from. I'm sure I'll be able to add to my list in the next year or so :p

Photo from the chainring puncturing through my palm
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50146513377_3a034cd1c5_c.jpg

Ouch! I've had chainring punctures, but it's been from other riders chainrings.

[bianchi10]

Ouch! I've had chainring punctures, but it's been from other riders chainrings.


Yeah, it takes a very special kind of person to do this with your own chainrings while the bike is standing still hahaha

[BobbyJones]

I dig your honesty. I wouldn’t admit to half of those!

Hahahaha oh man, this thread is right up my alley. I'll see your stupid and raise you with more stupid'er! :banana:


MOST of these were within the first 3 years of thinking I knew what I was doing OR thinking it wouldn't be that difficult to figure out. Some of these were more recent, and just lacking focus, making stupid errors. The good thing is that while I've had to spend a lot of money in repairing my mistakes, I learned from them and can now service all the mistakes below.

-Last year I was trying my darn'dest to loosen a locked pedal thread with a rounded off/worn out Allen wrench. Being in a rush (And stupid) I gave all I had. It busted lose and the momentum of my body flew back, my hand hitting the large chainring. The teeth went through the palm of my hand and then poked out about an inch further out of my hand. That was a fun trip to the ER and getting my first set of stitches. Learned to always put chain on large chainring....and to pursh down instead of pulling up lol.

-I've cracked bars from over tightening.
-Tried to install crankset while bolt was not straight stripping the threads.
-Cut brake/shift cables too short resulting in them not being usable.
-Installed bartape and cut before I should have which made them too short
-Stripped chainring bolts.
-Installed chainrings backwards.
-Stripped/Broken off Stem bolts.
-Installed headset in wrong order with spacers and caused damage.
-Tried cutting carbon steering tube myself and didn't do it straight AND cut it too short, resulting in the need for a new fork.
-I've cut cable housing too short and therefor needing to buy a new set
-I've attempted to "Micro" adjust derailleurs after watching youtube videos. Only to go WAY to far out of adjustment which messed them up so bad that I had to take the bike in.
-After watching a youtube video, I tried to shorten a new chain, only to have cut it too short which resulted in it not be usable and needed to buy another new one.


Dang, that hurts to list all those out. But, it was all good experience to learn from. I'm sure I'll be able to add to my list in the next year or so :p

Photo from the chainring puncturing through my palm
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50146513377_3a034cd1c5_c.jpg

[2metalhips]

Hahahaha oh man, this thread is right up my alley. I'll see your stupid and raise you with more stupid'er! :banana:


MOST of these were within the first 3 years of thinking I knew what I was doing OR thinking it wouldn't be that difficult to figure out. Some of these were more recent, and just lacking focus, making stupid errors. The good thing is that while I've had to spend a lot of money in repairing my mistakes, I learned from them and can now service all the mistakes below.

-Last year I was trying my darn'dest to loosen a locked pedal thread with a rounded off/worn out Allen wrench. Being in a rush (And stupid) I gave all I had. It busted lose and the momentum of my body flew back, my hand hitting the large chainring. The teeth went through the palm of my hand and then poked out about an inch further out of my hand. That was a fun trip to the ER and getting my first set of stitches. Learned to always put chain on large chainring....and to pursh down instead of pulling up lol.

-I've cracked bars from over tightening.
-Tried to install crankset while bolt was not straight stripping the threads.
-Cut brake/shift cables too short resulting in them not being usable.
-Installed bartape and cut before I should have which made them too short
-Stripped chainring bolts.
-Installed chainrings backwards.
-Stripped/Broken off Stem bolts.
-Installed headset in wrong order with spacers and caused damage.
-Tried cutting carbon steering tube myself and didn't do it straight AND cut it too short, resulting in the need for a new fork.
-I've cut cable housing too short and therefor needing to buy a new set
-I've attempted to "Micro" adjust derailleurs after watching youtube videos. Only to go WAY to far out of adjustment which messed them up so bad that I had to take the bike in.
-After watching a youtube video, I tried to shorten a new chain, only to have cut it too short which resulted in it not be usable and needed to buy another new one.


Dang, that hurts to list all those out. But, it was all good experience to learn from. I'm sure I'll be able to add to my list in the next year or so :p

Photo from the chainring puncturing through my palm
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50146513377_3a034cd1c5_c.jpg


You win! :)

[Onno]

But, better to have tried and failed then not have tried at all, right!?

I love working on my own bikes, even when I know I don't really know what I'm doing. I know I'll learn, and I kind of expect to make mistakes, and I do what I can to make them not to costly. And of course now Youtube has information on basically EVERYTHING you could ever want to know in the bike repair department.

I'm much more puzzled by even long-time riders who never really try to do anything on their bikes, other than pumping up tires and maybe putting some oil on their chains (after someone else suggests that this might make their bike a little quieter).

[parris]

Mine goes back to my first "good" road bike. I had just about zero money left after buying the frame set so was reusing parts from an old Peugeot that I was riding at the time. I couldn't get the fork crown race to fit the fork so brought both to a local shop. They used their fork crown race cutting tool to bring the crown race into spec for the race that I had. I didn't realize that the diameter was different than just about everything else out there. I also cut the steer tube to work with the VERY short stack height of the head set.

Those 2 things made it "difficult" to fit anything else to the bike. To this dayI still have the fork hanging in my shop as a reminder.

[colker]

Hahahaha oh man, this thread is right up my alley. I'll see your stupid and raise you with more stupid'er! :banana:


MOST of these were within the first 3 years of thinking I knew what I was doing OR thinking it wouldn't be that difficult to figure out. Some of these were more recent, and just lacking focus, making stupid errors. The good thing is that while I've had to spend a lot of money in repairing my mistakes, I learned from them and can now service all the mistakes below.

-Last year I was trying my darn'dest to loosen a locked pedal thread with a rounded off/worn out Allen wrench. Being in a rush (And stupid) I gave all I had. It busted lose and the momentum of my body flew back, my hand hitting the large chainring. The teeth went through the palm of my hand and then poked out about an inch further out of my hand. That was a fun trip to the ER and getting my first set of stitches. Learned to always put chain on large chainring....and to pursh down instead of pulling up lol.

-I've cracked bars from over tightening.
-Tried to install crankset while bolt was not straight stripping the threads.
-Cut brake/shift cables too short resulting in them not being usable.
-Installed bartape and cut before I should have which made them too short
-Stripped chainring bolts.
-Installed chainrings backwards.
-Stripped/Broken off Stem bolts.
-Installed headset in wrong order with spacers and caused damage.
-Tried cutting carbon steering tube myself and didn't do it straight AND cut it too short, resulting in the need for a new fork.
-I've cut cable housing too short and therefor needing to buy a new set
-I've attempted to "Micro" adjust derailleurs after watching youtube videos. Only to go WAY to far out of adjustment which messed them up so bad that I had to take the bike in.
-After watching a youtube video, I tried to shorten a new chain, only to have cut it too short which resulted in it not be usable and needed to buy another new one.


Dang, that hurts to list all those out. But, it was all good experience to learn from. I'm sure I'll be able to add to my list in the next year or so :p

Photo from the chainring puncturing through my palm
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50146513377_3a034cd1c5_c.jpg

I admire your perseverance. Never give up.