What are some of the mistakes you have made along the way?

[abe lugo]

Mistakes..
I mostly learn from them.

The main one, don't buy stuff like it is the last part on earth.

Next , dont buy or part "together" bicycles, you will learn quick always better and cheaper to buy a complete and work from there.

If you send money to anyone on here, always start with standard Paypal. If you have been purchasing for a while from the same seller, maybe you have become "friends". But note I got burned here once and it was a good way to learn the hard way.

Bought stuff on ebay without knowing better. Now I have a list of sellers to not buy from.

Know where and when to buy repop stuff and know/be ok if you are getting said stuff. Sometimes there are good repops, sometimes there are crappy ones.

Measure and photograph or keep a folder on your phone with stuff you need.
make lists, keep measurements. save photos

 

[MarkKBike]

I have mashed up a couple of cotter pins on my old three piece cranks before getting the right tool. This one works great. Well worth it IMO.
Bob

Lol, I just messed one up this weekend trying to get it out, I'm going to try and clean the threads up with my tap and die set. If that doesn't work, luckily those raleigh pins are not to expensive on the auction site, I was just pricing them out last night.

 

[3-speeder]

Lol, I just messed one up this weekend trying to get it out, I'm going to try and clean the threads up with my tap and die set. If that doesn't work, luckily those raleigh pins are not to expensive on the auction site, I was just pricing them out last night.

I had to get a few new ones too. Found nice ones at the Bikesmith site mentioned above. I was going to tell you to look for a decent ladies bike to rob a new fork off of. You can pick them up cheap sometimes.

 

[MarkKBike]

.

The tool you posted gave me a idea, I have some vintage iron clamps that are missing the cup portion on the end of the screw mechanism. I think I'm going to cut a section out on one of the broken clamps with a angle grinder or a zip saw, and see if I can make a clone of the tool you posted. The grove would not have to be real deep, just enough to get the pin moving.

 

[Mr.RED]

Stripping bolts on French bikes, losing bolts on old Enlgish 3 speeds, overtightening bolts, stripping crankset pullers on Stronglite/ TA cranksets. In simple words English 3 speeds and French bikes I've never been a fan of.

 

[Sven]

Not coming to the CABE sooner to learn tricks of the trade..

.1) thinkng I had a goldmine, when I bought what was advertised as a 54 schwinn middleweight ( I know middleweight didnt come out til 1955, built in 1954..later finding out the serial number was also used in 1956 )

2) buying a set of Corvette fenders only to find out, later year rear fenders do not fit early frames ( without drilling and other mods)

3) Not buying a complete or almost complete bike.

4) At the age of 10 or 11, I thought it would be nice of me to take my sister's { who was at college at the time} Sears bike apart and professionally" fix" everything. Even though it was in excellent shape, but to me it needed repairs and cleaning. I even tried to fix the rear wheel, by removing all the spokes. Needless to say I had no F-n clue that it would be that hard to put a wheel back together and not be so wobbly. [Truing stand?.... what is a truing stand?} Everything else went back together fine,somewhat , I guess. My sister was soooo pissed off at me for my good intentions, when she came home for spring break. To this day, 40 years later, she still breaks my balls about it.

 

[Bikerider007]

Passing on a few good buys because I had enough bikes.

 

[K-Love]

I've made too many to recall...
Oh, here's one. I forgot to unscrew the crank bolt on a nice 3 piece crank, and stripped ALL the threads when I went to pull it off the spindle.
Instead of re-examining when it refused to move, I just pushed harder lol. Lesson learned.

 

[detroitbike]

I once told someone about a very rare bike I had discovered and was making arraingements to buy it. Another person found out where it Was and bought it....

 

[Sven]

I once told someone about a very rare bike I had discovered and was making arraingements to buy it. Another person found out where it Was and bought it....

I believe that "someone" would have to have a can of "Whip-ass" opened up on him