Ask the Idiots

**ticketchecker** · 05-13-2022, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by muted reborn

Everything I do on my bikes is an exercise in frustration and incompetence. I couldn't even put on a cable cap on some new cable housing last night. I just decided to keep the old cable and end caps that I took off than spend another couple minutes fumbling around like an idiot.

AMA- I'm an idiot, how can I help you?

Kudos for bringing us the Costanza thread.

“Jerry, I can go bummer to bummer with anyone!”

Sent from the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen

**XXX-er** · 05-13-2022, 07:55 AM

[QUOTE=Dumbest Known Time;6614117]Anyone have advice for what other kind of shit to litter the floor with so that any little bolt you drop in is more perfectly camouflaged? /QUOTE]

don't look for what you dropped, look at the floor and you will see what you dropped

**nickwm21** · 05-13-2022, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by GeorgiaSnow

I recently was excited to get a new build together so (late at night) while shortening the hose length down on my brand new code RSCs I remounted the hose with the olive in the wrong direction. Fully assembled the bike before noticing brake fluid dripping from the lever. Damn olive stuck in the lever when I removed the hose. Still trying to figure a way to get that little fucker out. Might be out two new levers. But the little rainbow bits look so good on my workbench.

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Wait…… olives have a direction??

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**El Chupacabra** · 05-13-2022, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by nickwm21

Wait…… olives have a direction??

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Or did he put the olive downstream of the compression nut (not on the lever side, but on the caliper side)

**HAB** · 05-13-2022, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by El Chupacabra

Or did he put the olive downstream of the compression nut (not on the lever side, but on the caliper side)

It wouldn't have gotten stuck then...

Sram olives do have a right and a wrong direction.

**toast2266** · 05-13-2022, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by HAB

It wouldn't have gotten stuck then...

Sram olives do have a right and a wrong direction.

Don't all the directional ones thread on, so they'll only go on one way?

**nickwm21** · 05-13-2022, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by HAB

Sram olives do have a right and a wrong direction.

Ok.. Wooooosh…… That was a close one

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**muted reborn** · 05-13-2022, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by ticketchecker

Kudos for bringing us the Costanza thread.

“Jerry, I can go bummer to bummer with anyone!”

True. I feel more like his dad though, thrashing around and spit-yelling while I work on bikes.

Also, some of you are not true idiots posting here. Just because you made a dumb mistake once or twice doesn't mean you belong in this thread. But I enjoy the company so no worries.

**Backward_Banana** · 05-13-2022, 09:17 AM

It took me a full bottle of fluid and 8 hours to bleed some SRAM G2s, including popping 3 different pistons out on accident. Do I qualify?

**HankScorpio** · 05-13-2022, 09:21 AM

I buy large containers of mineral oil and tire sealant because more than half usually ends up on the floor of my garage.

**Andeh** · 05-13-2022, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by Backward_Banana

It took me a full bottle of fluid and 8 hours to bleed some SRAM G2s, including popping 3 different pistons out on accident. Do I qualify?

I'd say yes. Were you trying to bleed them with your mouth or something instead of the amazing SRAM kit?

**VTskibum** · 05-13-2022, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by Andeh

I'd say yes. Were you trying to bleed them with your mouth or something instead of the amazing SRAM kit?

So I haven't used the latest generation SRAM bleed kit, but in previous ones that's a bit of an oxymoron compared to the ease of shimano. With your 3rd hand tap the line to make sure you tap out the bubbles in the line as you hold a vacuum on both ends.

**rideit** · 05-13-2022, 09:43 AM

I belong in almost any thread that has the word idiot in it!

**Backward_Banana** · 05-13-2022, 09:54 AM

I'm still unclear on how this happened, but somehow my G2s don't have the bleeding edge, but my old Guide's did. Probably because I took them to a shop to replace (after I cracked 3 pistons on the guides, see a theme?) as there was no way I was gonna be able to swap them out myself.

**Eluder** · 05-13-2022, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by toast2266

Don't all the directional ones thread on, so they'll only go on one way?

You can thread them either way. I have never completed the install but have done it while staring blankly into space.

Originally Posted by Backward_Banana

I'm still unclear on how this happened, but somehow my G2s don't have the bleeding edge, but my old Guide's did. Probably because I took them to a shop to replace (after I cracked 3 pistons on the guides, see a theme?) as there was no way I was gonna be able to swap them out myself.

Sram deleted the bleeding edge off of the R's, a true shame. The squishy lever should have been enough of a difference to the RS.

**chicken feathers** · 05-13-2022, 10:49 AM

Dumb things done wrenching the last few years were (1) chew up a 2x/3x switch for an XT front shifter by trying to figure out how to switch it myself vs. reading the directions (2) spill mineral oil all over my rear brake doing the quick Shimano bleed where you overfill & leave the pads and wheel on.

Dumb thing on a ride last summer was I contaminated a brand new bb and possibly my wife's new hubs & bb too fording a river...wasn't thinking about it and just rolled the bikes through the water for something to lean on.

**jackstraw** · 05-13-2022, 11:16 AM

I built up my last frame (first one ever) and it took me forever. I think the most stressful part is ordering the right size of everything. After the 'expert' thread about my new frame and what shock it takes I called my mechanic and told him I have a frame for him to build because I'm an idiot! He's going to order all the parts and give it a pro build. I'm just going to fix shit when it breaks now...hopefully.

**Wes Mantooth** · 05-13-2022, 11:31 AM

One time when I was a kid I put a full coating of tri flow on my rotors

**jackattack** · 05-13-2022, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Wes Mantooth

One time when I was a kid I put a full coating of tri flow on my rotors

Did they stop squeaking?

**GeorgiaSnow** · 05-13-2022, 03:22 PM

Glad my idiocy got highlighted. Happy to serve the greater good. Whether I imagined it or forced it, I got that olive to thread on in the wrong direction for sure. Free beta for all. Hopefully going to grab a small self tapping screw to correct my mistake this afternoon.

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**Dee Hubbs** · 05-13-2022, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by GeorgiaSnow

. Hopefully going to grab a small self tapping screw to correct my mistake this afternoon.

Rennsteig are the best screw extractors to buy, a good quality German made product. You can actually get them at Home Depot, although they are not always in stock.