06-12-2024 | Frank Jansen

The novice mechanic part 6: my 10 most common mistakes

Learning from mistakes! A truth as clear as day. In this article, I share my ten biggest mistakes so you don’t have to make them. Don’t forget to also read the previous parts!

Bike mechanic in action

1. Not using the right tools

Top of the list. Every time this ends in disaster: a 5-minute job suddenly becomes a 5-hour ordeal. The list is long: trying to press a bottom bracket with two pieces of wood, removing a Torx bolt with locking pliers, aligning a derailleur hanger with an adjustable wrench, or cutting brake hoses with combination pliers. Don’t do it. First, get the right tools! Not only does it improve the results, but it’s also much more enjoyable.

2. Cutting the wrong cable

When replacing cables, you typically buy a complete cable set. Pay close attention: both the outer and inner cables may have different lengths! The cable for the front brake (or front derailleur) is shorter. I cut the wrong one, so I had to buy extra cables. A variation of this mistake: cutting the outer cable while the inner cable is still inside. Been there, done that.

Cable set with long and short cables
Photo: A cable set always includes two long and two short cables.

3. Cross-threading the cassette lockring

Wow, this lockring is going on so tightly... Let’s just tighten it with a wrench. And suddenly, the lockring pops off. What happened: the thread of the freehub body is damaged, rendering it irreparable. A €75 freehub body gone. The solution was so simple: always hand-tighten the lockring with a loose socket first.

4. Using way too much lubrication

A true beginner's mistake. Too much lubrication leads to oil on brake pads and rotors, serves no purpose, and only results in a black chain. Don’t do it. For thin lubricants, just a few generous drops on the chain are sufficient. For thicker lubricants, use a tiny drop per link.

Chain lubricant
Photo: A common mistake: applying too much lubricant.

5. Trying to finish something when the bike shop is closed

On a big project, you’ll quickly find yourself missing a nut or bolt. It has happened to me so often that I couldn’t continue on a Sunday simply because the LBS (Local Bike Shop) was closed.

6. Puncturing the inner tube

This is a mistake almost every cyclist has made at some point: while pushing the tire back onto the rim, you puncture the inner tube. It's one of the reasons I switched to tubeless tires.

7. Not leaving space between the headset and the steerer tube

When there’s play in the headset, you loosen the stem and tighten the top cap. However, a crucial step is ensuring there’s still space between the top cap and the steerer tube. Otherwise, you’re pressing the cap tightly onto the steerer tube. You can turn as much as you like, but the headset will always have play.

8. Leaving the seatpost and pedals in too long

If there’s one thing that even professional bike mechanics hate, it’s stuck seatposts and pedals. This has happened to me multiple times. Yet the solution is so simple: install them with the right grease and remove them at least once a year. Pedals only need to be hand-tight!

9. Over-tightening and breaking a component

Thankfully, this has only happened to me a few times, but it’s definitely something that can happen to a beginner. Invest in a good torque wrench and take no chances, especially with lightweight components.

Essential for the home mechanic: a torque wrench
Photo: essential for the home mechanic: a torque wrench.

10. Using the wrong grease

I’ve had to make the "call of shame" twice because I lost all my chainring bolts. Since then, I use Loctite to secure them. Stuck pedals (see point 8) from not using grease is another classic. A slipping seatpost because I didn’t use friction paste is also on my list. Moral of the story: use the right grease in the right places. More on this in a future article.

In the next part: which lubricant to use and where?

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