So, when you've finished building up…

… fettled your gear shifting, the weather's not too bad so you say to yourself "I'll head off for a little ride", remember to chuck your allen keys in the backpack along with the waterproofs and the cereal bars. Because you *have* forgotten something.

In my case, just got back from my first ride after repainting and rebuilding the Sunn. 900m vertical, took the road up to finish buggering about with the shifting, a 50/50 mix of singletrack and 4x4 track down. Going up, no problem beyond the usual lack of fitness. After about 100m of descent, thought "that feels funny", looked down to see the bars off at about 15°. Guess who hadn't finished nipping up the stem bolts?

An "interesting" ride down ensued.

Been there, handlebar clamp to as soon as I hit the trails everything spin around and out of reach.

Forgot to tighten up my Klein's rear wheel BITD made stopping interesting. Ahead stem bolts are always a worry. Now the worst thing i forget is a water bottle.

As you go a bit faster and anyone who's had a nasty fall will tell you, the mind is on things like bolts and their torques Especially these days when its 'precision' with set torques that arent that high, certainly not like bitd cranking the bolt ultra tight.

I bought one of these torque wrench things. Does a lot for confidence.
https://www.probikekit.co.uk/bicycle-to ... 0wodFTAKaQ

I am testing out a lefty with a crack in the steerer clamp bolt hole shoulder. not overtightened by me I add.

the torque for these is 9nm so I tried it with 6nm - but after 5 miles of honking it uphill and ragging it down dale - the bars were no longer straight!

So I now have 9nm in both and I am keeping an eye on the crack. it seems to be ok. its not getting any worse so I think it might be nowt to worry about!

+1 for torque wrenches. I used to be an absolute bugger for over tightening everything bitd. Dread to think the amount of bolts I've stripped over the years. Torque wrench om everything I can now (especially on the car!)

Careless torque costs lives.

Shall I get your coat?

I broke my arm following an over the bars to tarmac when the steerer clamp on my Z3's loosened off. As per dyna-ti, I am very wary of things working themselves loose now!