Chuck M 

I almost made another mistake tonight. While adjusting the headset on an overhaul tonight, I remembered I didn't tighten the bottom bracket fixed cup before tightening the adjustable cup. I've also moved a small beer fridge into the room where I work on bikes. I'll double check that headset in the morning.

Russ Roth

Just had my daughter quoting me righty-tighty as I was just truing up my rear wheel, had to explain to her that while that was right she had to remember I was technically working on the spoke nipples upside down which just confused her. My biggest screw up lately was buying cheap brake pads. The stupid posts were twisting in the pads and making them useless.

sjanzeir

Speaking of near-disasters, there was that time when I almost turned the alloy frame of a brand new bike into junk. After I had taken the seat post out of the frame for some reason, I then went on to tighten the quick release clamp onto the empty seat tube... you know, for safekeeping and all. It was at the very last moment that I realized what the heck it was that I was doing when I saw the aluminum bending in on itself at the slot and immediately let go. I cringe to this day at the mere thought of how that might have turned out.

SoSmellyAir

Is this part of the mistake?

Chuck M 

The beer fridge was a good decision. It can just lead to mistakes.

sbrudno

I like Motobecane bikes. I purchased a Motobecane frame on eBay that was a great deal with rear derailleur drop, brazed on brake and shifter cable mounts and clean decals. What I did not check was that the frame was for 700C wheels and I had stored up for a project 27.5 wheels. I had Campy brakes for the bike which were, of course, for 700C wheels and the reach was not long enough. I am now trying to make some accommodations for the mistake so that I can get all my leftover Campy parts to work. The desire to bang my head against the wall is nearly overwhelming! The previous quote of this being liberating is true enough, as long as I fix the error...

MikeEckhaus

I've done the usual cutting a finger when mounting a tire with a lever. Also pinching a tube while mounting. My best (worst) is probably not getting a chain pin in all the way. First time I put any watts into it, the chain separated. Cost me a rear derailleur and some skin and blood and pain.

sjanzeir

Ya'll know that little tab about halfway down the length of the rear derailleur cage, between the two jockey wheels... after I had soaked the chain overnight in my favorite cocktail of Tide laundry powder, Simple Green automotive degreaser, Kärcher general-purpose cleaner, Permatex Fast Orange hand cleaner, and Mr. Muscle glass cleaner, and left it to dry (and rust from the inside out) in the morning sun, I routed it back through the drivetrain, dry-lubed it, and went for a 10-mile ride.

The ride was, shall we say, a tad rough and a little noisy. As it turned out, when I rerouted the chain through the derailleur cage, I routed it on the outside of the tab that was supposed to keep the chain inside the cage.

I did that twice.

sjanzeir

There was the time when I used olive oil to lubricate the drivetrain of my first junior road bike - a Chinese six-speed (2x3) that never quite worked as it should. In my defense, I was a mere 10-year-old in early 1980s Jordan who didn't know any better. I distinctly remember the look on my dad's face when he asked me, "did you pour olive oil all over the gears?" It was as though he could barely hold in his laughter. That episode must have been one of the many, many reasons he harbored serious doubts about his then-only son's mental competency. I cannot say with any amount of honesty that I made any real effort to prove him wrong

BCDrums

You're aware of the Campy Drop bolt? Comes in two lengths. You can stay all-Campy! There are also other brands and modern knock-offs. Ebay has many.

Causual_Cyclist

Spent a solid 40mins adjusting the rear derailuer in the rain after falling over on the drivetrain side thanks to a section of wet, slippery tile . It only dawned on me that the derailuer hanger was bent towards the spokes when I attempted to line the L and H screws by eye......

Also, lubricating my drivechain using generic store brand oil and not wiping the excess off. It worked as lubrication and kept the chain decently smooth and quiet but eventually left a nasty chain tatoo on my fingers when I tried to fit the chain back onto the chainring after a hard downshift.....

sbrudno

Is there a UTube video for doing this? I have the drop bolts but have not the slightest idea how to do it...

BCDrums

You take your side-pull Campy brake apart; remove the nut, the two arms and the spring, plus any washers from the mounting bolt, and re-assemble the brake onto the drop bolt. The spring goes into the slot on the drop bolt. The result is the brake is "dropped" lower and has more reach.

I imagine that the long drop bolt is for the front brake so it can mount through a fork crown, and the shorter bolt is for the rear brake.

Good luck!