What the hell is this bit? (tiny washer thing)

[gbb]

Its off the splinge valve....trust me

 

[Kastrol]

Or maybe the left falangy......

 

[dan_bo]

Looks like an inner tube lock nut

If the inner tube is from action man's bike perhaps.

 

[winjim]

EUREKA! It's off the shifter, where the cable enters the back. Here's the left shifter, with washer in place:

And the right shifter with washer missing

Just need to decable the rear mech and sort it out...

 

[Colin_P]

Good news but how on earth did it come off then if the cable is contiguous to the rear mech?

 

[DaveReading]

Having a bit left over just means you've found a more efficient way of reassembling whatever you've taken apart.

 

[zacklaws]

Thats good news if you've found out what it is, I was begining to think it could be the "left Phalange" and if it is, then it could be disastrous, if there's a problem with one in an aircraft, its evacuated in seconds, heaven knows what would happen if you had a problem with one missing on a bike, especcailly fast decending hills, probably total break up in motion.

 

[winjim]

Good news but how on earth did it come off then if the cable is contiguous to the rear mech?

I've been cabling a new build. It must've come out when I threaded the gear cable out the back of the shifter.

 

[winjim]

Thats good news if you've found out what it is, I was begining to think it could be the "left Phalange" and if it is, then it could be disastrous, if there's a problem with one in an aircraft, its evacuated in seconds, heaven knows what would happen if you had a problem with one missing on a bike, especcailly fast decending hills, probably total break up in motion.

I'd be fine, it's my wife I'm building the bike for

 

[S.Giles]

Bin it. It probably doesn't matter.

Following this sort of advice is probably a good idea!

 

[youngoldbloke]

Good news but how on earth did it come off then if the cable is contiguous to the rear mech?

It is easy to push it off as you thread the cable through the shifter.

 

[Andy_R]

Good news but how on earth did it come off then if the cable is contiguous to the rear mech?

cos the OP is a ham fisted spanner bender...or not....

 

[PeteXXX]

The other thing I thought the part might be is an 'unfindable noise creater'.
Kind of like the bored joker car builders who used to pop a small fishing lead on line, glued into place in the chassis of a car... The only way it was ever found was when the owner drove it to be cut up for scrap after years of frustrating searching for the clonking....

 

[Gixxerman]

Having a bit left over just means you've found a more efficient way of reassembling whatever you've taken apart.

That is the conclusion that my mate and I came to when we had a Honda C50 rat bike for riding round a field in our youths.
Every time we stripped the engine / gearbox to fix it we ended up with various washers / spacers and the odd nut / bolt left over.
The pile of extraneous bits and pieces got ever larger, but the bike kept running just as good (bad) as it ever did.
Obviously a lot of redudancy in the design.

 

[Cyclopathic]

Round.