Sometimes I just need to pay attention.
 

I’ve spent a few hours over the last several days working on a new build. Last night I was putting the chain on as one of the last steps. I spent two hours trying to get the derailleurs setup correctly so it shifted through all the gears with rub. At my wits end, I sat down on the work stool and just stared ahead. And, then, while still just sitting there, I noticed that the package in which the chain came said it was for 6, 7, or 8 speeds; I’m building a 9 speed triple. I had grabbed the wrong one from the parts bin. Two entire hours wasted... I hope this isn’t a harbinger of things to come.

Good luck with that! :)

The next thing to pay attention to is that little tab on the derailleur arm. Make sure you route the chain underneath that. Don't ask how I know.

Yeah, I've done that before too.

This happens in the best of families.

At least it was in a marked bag. You may have sat there for days if it wasn't.

This is what makes it fun.

Just proof that cycling can also cause brain pain. X2 what J ohn _V posted.

:lol:

True, but the neighborhood kids will still throw rocks at his house when the word gets out.:D

I think we should shun him.

:lol:

:lol:

NOS88...Who?:innocent:

Yeah. What's the purpose of that tab anyway other than making stringing the chain more difficult?

The purpose of that tab is..................to..........................uh................................mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... ..................................

It's funny how some things stick in your mind.... When I was a young man, fresh out of grad school, working in an industrial research lab, I observed something I've never forgotten. We had a piece of plastics processing equipment that needed repair. The fellow who showed up to work in the equipment looked to be about 65, and it was obvious that he'd been having a hard week. He worked on the equipment all afternoon, and needed to drill a hole through the metal frame to attach something to complete the job. He started drilling. And drilling. And drilling. You could see him falling apart where he stood, and the drill just wasn't cutting through the metal. Finally, totally exhausted and exasperated, he asked one of our techs for some help. The tech looked at the drill and told him "You've got it set on reverse."

Ever since then, if I get into a situation that seems unsolvable, I take a step back and examine what I'm doing. It doesn't always solve the problem, but it always makes me feel better.

A few years ago, I disconnected the rear derailleur cable, then reattached it later in the day. The next step is to adjust the derailleur to center the chain on the cogs. But I could only get either the large cogs OR the small cogs to center. The other end of the cassette wasn't quite right. I tried everything, even pulling the cassette and checking the spacers. (Campagnolo has different thicknesses on some cogs)

Finally, a few days later, I was at the LBS and happened to look at one of the bikes on display. The cable gets routed to the left side of the tab under the clamp bolt, not the right side. That was it! Just that tiny change in angle of the cable was enough to get it off alignment.

See H on this diagram:

http://branfordbike.com/merchant/167.../rearparts.jpg
http://www.nexternal.com/icycles/images/rdveloce.jpg

Oh yes. Happened only the other day, in a moment of absent-mindedness. It will shift, but not very well.