Bike Repair Common Misses (Part Two of Two)

Here are some more common misses -- watch out for these when you're fixing up your bike...

What's wrong with this picture?

Front/Rear Brakes

1. Spring tension not balanced (one pad rubbing on rim)
2. Pads not centered on rim (hanging off or rubbing on tire)
3. Brake pads not toed-in (to prevent squaky brakes)
4. Brake pads down or dried out
5. Missing parts (especially where they come in contact with the frame)
6. Missing cable cap
7. Used derailleur housing, not brake housing (derailleur housing is more rigid)
   

Chain

1. Dirty
2. Dried out/corroded/not lubricated
3. Too much lubrication (picks up dirt)
4. Tight links (watch for a 'hop')
   

Front/Rear Derailleur

1. Limit screw not set properly (not reaching gears on extremes, or overshifting and dropping the chain)
2. Frayed/corroded cable
3. Sharp bends in cable housing (makes it hard to shift)
4. Cable cap missing
5. Used brake housing rather than derailleur housing (will often cause indexed gear systems to not work properly)
6. No metal ends on the cable housing
7. Barrel adjuster all the way out/not present

Handlebars, Stem, Grips, and Levers

1. Bar end plugs missing
2. Stem loose
3. Stem higher than maximum height mark
4. Levers not secured
5. Levers not positioned properly (especially for hand size -- for younger riders, often the levers need to be brought within easier reach)

Seat and Seat Post

1. Seat post rusty/ungreased (ever encountered a stuck seatpost?)
2. Seat post higher than safety marks

Reflectors

1. Wheel reflectors not positioned close to rim/loose
   
2. Front and rear reflectors broken/not angled properly

What other issues have you encountered when fixing up a bike?