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

[Tim O]

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]

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.

 

[winjim]

Clamp by the seatpost, not the frame...

 

[roubaixtuesday]

It got me thinking, has anyone else done something that they really should have known better?

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/i-am-a-total-div.261149/

 

[TheDoctor]

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...

 

[raleighnut]

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...

It's not an 8 speed 'Dura Ace' lever is it, they're one of the non compatible Shimano oddities.

 

[ColinJ]

I made the 'threading new chain outside derailleur cage' blunder just before riding out to meet someone. I wondered why the bike sounded so rough on the way over there...

 

[Blue Hills]

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]

I once spent ages trying to get a pedal off...until I realised it was a left hand thread

 

[gavroche]

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.

 

[fossyant]

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.

Pah, both my 30 year old road bikes have internally routed rear brake cables.

Commoners ! 👅

 

[Smokin Joe]

I made the 'threading new chain outside derailleur cage' blunder just before riding out to meet someone. I wondered why the bike sounded so rough on the way over there...

I don't know anyone who hasn't done that.

 

[ColinJ]

I don't know anyone who hasn't done that.

I bet over 50% of cyclists don't replace their own chains!

 

[Rusty Nails]

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.

As long as the seatpost goes down far enough into the seat tube there's no problem clamping on the tube.

 

[DCBassman]

Clamp by the seatpost, not the frame...

That doesn't always work either - I have one bike where cables run along the top tube AND the seat tube! And the seat post isn't extended enough on any to use that either...