Your "I am an idiot" moment?

[crazyravr]

Here is mine.

Last weekend I replaced my brake pads and rotors. Pushed the calipers back in etc.
Front wheel in, beatufil. Didnt even have to adjust the brake caliper position.
Rear wheel in, rubbing. Ok..... started to play with the caliper position. Using all the tricks for aligning (brake squeeze, brake sqeeze with the spacer on the rotor, by eye with light through) nothing worked. Still rubbing, very gently but all the time as the wheel spins. After about an hour of uninstalling and re-installing everything like a mad man, I noticed that with the light shining through the caliper, at no time the rotor was making contact with the caliper. Never. Plenty of clearance. So now I was really stumped. So then I walked away. Came back few hours later to do laundry and walked by the bike still on the mechanic stand. Quick glance at the front mech. Slapped myself for being an idiot.

The Di2 cable somehow go pulled a bit and it was now making contact with the tire.

[pavlo.k]

I measured steering tube for cutting after I removed the stem...

[00Garza]

Routed a chain wrong for the first time last week. Struggled to get the shifting right for about 30 mins before I realized the issue. Never thought I'd be that guy, but I'm that guy.

[alfiomotrambo]

Lol nice thread, one of the first time that i change chain i installed wrong on the shimano rear derailleur cage, crazy loud sound coming from that

[SometimesFast]

I installed a flat top chain upside down and it snapped 6 times during my first ride….

[kbernstein]

a while back, noticed my chain was getting worn out on my main bike so i poached one from my other bike which had 11-25 cassette. chain looked long enough but i didnt really check and i ripped hanger+RD+chain on an upshift. luckily i was zwifting but that was costly

[jhearrtot]

bought a crank with adjustable length via flip chip inserts (160, 162.5, 165).

Set it up for 165 length and tested outside. left leg felt different so i stopped to check. didn't notice i used the 162mm chip (they all look similar) which i can't 'flip' (because the hole sits smack in the middle) instead of the 165 because i was too excited to ride and test it out

[hubba]

I once tried to cut the steerer with the compression plug still inside.

[BikeLab]

I once tried to cut the steerer with the compression plug still inside.

Me too! 🤣

[crazyravr]

I once tried to cut the steerer with the compression plug still inside.

And? Did it work?

[zealot128]

What a delightful thread - several that came to my head:

- after a handlebar change, did not tighten the bolts enough, sure thing on the ride out i forgot the multitool and the handlebar started rotating to one side... had to stop several times to center it, then riding like 1km until it was tilted too much again
- several years ago: a lowq saddle/seatpost combo did break during ride, so I lost the saddle after levering it down too much with my bottoms. Rode home about 10km without saddle ..
- "measure twice cut once" - first time sewing a carbon fork did try to adjust for extra spacer on top, but instead somehow subtracted the necessary width of a spacer instead of adding it. Ran with the 1-2cm too low handlebar for a couple of years.
- Took the bike disassembled to a family trip. When taking it out, found out both brakes lost pressure a lot (the brakes i had, had no fitting distance thingies and lost them during the drive); Front brake still had a little juice and the trip was on total flat terrain, so I rode out about 120km with one 50% front-brake with no further issues.

[hubba]

And? Did it work?

No I remember thinking how is this so hard it's like I'm trying to cut metal? Then I realized I'm an idiot.

[crazyravr]

No I remember thinking how is this so hard it's like I'm trying to cut metal? Then I realized I'm an idiot.

Its that feeling that comes over when you realize how simple and how dumb you were for doing something lol

[Leo.D]

spent an hour trying to figure out why my new brake bleed felt spongy no matter how many times I cycled the lever. Gave up, took it to a shop. Mechanic unscrewed the lever bleed port, looked at me, pointed at the yellow plastic bleed block still clamped between the pads, and said exactly nothing  ....

[ZacItaly15]

1-lost the needle tool press exactly the same day I was mounting the brake, so i installed the needle with hammer. Found some minutes later
2-forget to put the ogive BEFORE installing the needle
3-realize I also forget the shimano bolt to joint the shifter

bad night