rosefarts

For most of the spring, I've been struggling on rides. My ass hurt, my shoulders and neck hurt, rides of the distance I'm accustomed we're hard, and my balance seemed off, I couldn't even eat with my hands off the bars.

Was it a neuological problem? Was I just getting old? Did I piss off a wizard?

Two days ago I was running through my bike fit basics out of desperation, if I couldn't get right on my bike, there was no way I could ride the Triple in just over a month. I held a foot at bottom dead center and my other leg didn't look right. Reversed it, same thing.

Something ain't right. I jump off the bike and look closer. The crank arms are not 180 degrees apart!!! I'm one notch off on the Ultra drive crank that I installed this spring. This is a 60 second fix.

I put about 6 hours on the bike yesterday. Shoulders, fatigue, and ass are only what I'd expect. None of this insane pain I have been having. I didn't even shift into my low gear on the big climbs of the day.

Moral of the story, umm, don't be stupid. Feel free to laugh at me.

trailangel

Some people should not be allow to purchase tools.

mixteup

Good rationale for square tapered BB's ..............

rosefarts

Probably a better rationale for getting a babysitter while I fix my bikes, rather than trying to rush things during short lived naps.

For the first couple hundred yards yesterday, my bike felt wonky. Funny thing, I was the one that was wonky, I had just gotten used to it.

Marcus_Ti

Or any crank interface that doesn't allow fine-incremental screwup of the crank timing...

rosefarts

Yes, Campy could easily have made a large tooth in one spot to make this impossible. I don't blame them. Who can't figure out 180 degrees on their own?

Marcus_Ti

Oh that was an Ultra-Torque? LOL...yea, the timing was pretty far off.

Unlike Hollowtech that has many more wrong options. I liked my BB386 cranks as they only had 5 wrong timing options IIRC.

HillRider

It wasn't any version of Campy's crank/ bottom bracket, the OP said it was Ultegra and almost certainly HT1 (Octalink), which would allow installation a few degrees off 180º. The newer HTII bottom brackets are keyed with one larger spline so they have to be installed correctly.

rosefarts

Ultradrive, ultratorque, tomato tomato. It's 11S Campy Chorus.

Ultegra octalink would also be possible to do this on but would be more off if I remember correctly.

Dan Burkhart 

Cranks that can be inadvertently (or intentionally) mounted out of phase make for some really good pranking of one's LBS co workers. Ask me how I know this.

HillRider

Yeah, I should read more carefully, the OP did indeed say Ultra, not Ultegra. Yes, an Octalink would be off by more than a few degrees since there are only 8 positions, and seven of them are wrong.

davidad

Murphy was an engineer.

dsbrantjr

Or omitted one.

Bmach

Ronsonic 

Big fan of Harley Davidson and that lopsided V-twin thing....

70sSanO

phtomita

The other day I removed the chain to clean up.
After it was nice and clean, I hurried to install it and lube - was lunch time or something.
A quick ride to see if all looks good - everything looked fine but seems making some noise.

Next day, I do a quick lube, clean it and go to a short ride.
After some 4 miles and the strange noise, I look the rear derailleur and what the f*&%#$@????
The chain was outside (in front) of the metal that is in the middle of the cage plates - between the jockey and idler.
Turned around and get home slowly and fixed it.

It that metal to protect the chain/drivetrain in case of some hazard?

Since didn't have anything to detach the quick link, turned around and went back home...

Ronsonic 

That tab is there so you can feed the chain around it incorrectly just like I did some years ago.

Jeff Wills

Well, a friend built a bike equipped with Bullseye cranks, which have (had) a fine spline attachment at the left crankarm. He rode the entirety of Seattle to Portland and was packing up his bike when I pointed out that his cranks were off by one spline. So don't feel (too) dumb.

exmechanic89

Well at least it was an easy fix, OP. Didnt cost anything, and no worst case scenarios came true.

Bigbus

Glad you got things balanced out.... (still laughing)

livedarklions

Did you try unplugging the bike and then plugging it back in?

livedarklions

BTW, I've done way dumber, I just don't have the guts to tell about it.

Kudos on being able to laugh at yourself!

juls

I stripped a jis crank arm by forgetting the washer...aaack! (Wandering mind because I know better) Had to have it rethreaded to stronglight size and find a cap to fit. Well this is a custom crankset now; lol.

Jeff Wills

I watched my former boss do that to a Campagnolo Nuovo Record right crank. He should have known better- he had been a racer and bike mechanic for decades.