HELP - Messed up my Vado SL 4.0 after trying to change rear tire.

[Stefan Mikes]

Messed Up My Vado (And Then Fixed It)

That's a funny story! @TS25 will laugh!

For quite long time, I have had trouble riding my Vado in granny gear: some scraping sound could be heard. I didn't much care about it and simply didn't use the lowest gear. (I must say I'm controlling the chain stretch regularly and it is still within good limits).

Blunder after blunder

1. At the finish line of my 131 km/80 mi ride, the chain broke. OK, my brother replaced the broken link with a Quick Link I produced from my pannier (Jacek is strangely absent minded nowadays and he didn't check that master link for compatibility). Then I observed chain skipping. When I took my time, I discovered the spare master link was for 12-speed chain, not for 11s one I replaced the link with the proper one and could be riding again.
2. I and Jacek were on long trips in hilly area. I discovered something strange: Once I shifted to the granny gear, the derailleur wouldn't shift up later (it was necessary to move the chain onto the higher gear by hand). My absent minded brother said: "The chain must be too short. Don't ride in the granny gear or lengthen the chain". So, I lengthened the chain with four more links.
3. Then I went on a metric century ride and it was a disaster: chain was skipping, I had trouble to downshift or upshift, a tragedy!

And then I really took my time to observe the derailleur, chain, cassette on my work-stand. I was terrified seeing what was wrong:

• The advice to add some links to the chain was incorrect. To maintain the proper position of derailleur cage (and proper chain tension), I had to remove said 4 chain links (returned to 126 links).
• I had managed to route the chain the wrong way through the derailleur cage! Again! (Fixed).
• And the most important (something completely overlooked by us): The shifting cable housing had jumped out from its socket at the derailleur! That was the Mother Of All Issues Yes, I had to loosen the screw that was holding the cable core at the derailleur, re-insert the cable housing into its socket, and then properly reattach the cable...
• Chain still skipping! I was totally frustrated. (On the last chain fixing activity, I wrongly placed the chain on Narrow-Wide chainring...) Fixed!
• Finally, I switched the Shadow clutch on.

Now, the drive-train of my Vado works properly and silently.
There are so many things about the drive-train one needs to be careful about. And I'm not the person to be allowed to touch the bike mechanical parts at all! (But I'm learning).

 

[Dallant]

There are so many things about the drive-train one needs to be careful about. And I'm not the person to be allowed to touch the bike mechanical parts at all! (But I'm learning).

You are lucky your brother is such a good mechanic AND that you live close together! This is why I work to maintain a good relationship with my local LBS!

 

[TS25]

Messed Up My Vado (And Then Fixed It)

That's a funny story! @TS25 will laugh!

OK. Done as ordered.

Now, the drive-train of my Vado works properly and silently.
There are so many things about the drive-train one needs to be careful about. And I'm not the person to be allowed to touch the bike mechanical parts at all! (But I'm learning).

Learning by doing, I suppose you wanted to say.

And if your memory/mind is playing tricks on you it seems your strategy to fight that is:
repeat mistakes often enough until you can remember that you shouldn't make them ...

Ohh, life would be less enthralling without that kind of stories.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

repeat mistakes often enough until you can remember that you shouldn't make them ...

What would I do without you, TS!

Indeed, the chain routing through the derailleur cage is still the hardest part to memorize!

 

[Art Deco]

OK. Done as ordered.



Learning by doing, I suppose you wanted to say.

And if your memory/mind is playing tricks on you it seems your strategy to fight that is:
repeat mistakes often enough until you can remember that you shouldn't make them ...

Ohh, life would be less enthralling without that kind of stories.

Memory is one of the first things to go ...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Memory is one of the first things to go ...

My more serious issue is I'm too lazy to even try and understand how the bike parts work. Now, after I studied the drive-train behaviour, I'm amazed how smart and well thought these things are. (The only thing I don't want to understand is how derailleur movement is limited by adjustment screws).

I'm so glad I could have fixed my Vado myself. I could not stand the shame when the LBS mechanic would have looked on those all blunders I had managed to make...