How to build a bike - Part 6: Make the brakes and shifters work

Other parts:
introduction
Headset
Bottom bracket and crankset
Derailleurs and chain
Steer and cables
Make the brakes and shifters work
Finishing up!

The last tricky part of the whole project...

First adjust the brakes. Make sure the brakes do not touch the tubes and only the rim of the wheel. For some reason rims are more suitable to use for braking then tires.

Next hold the brakes a couple of mm's from the rims, stretch the brake cable and secure it to the brake. You should be able to use your brakes now. If needed you can make some fine tune adjustments using the adjustment bolts on the brakes.

Now adjust the rear derailleur. Make sure the shifter is set to the lowest position (in which the cable is the longest). Now stretch the cable as much as you can and fix it to the derailleur.

Use the shifter to shift to the highest gear and then completely back again. Most likely, the cable is hanging a bit loose now, because it has been stretched a bit. Disconnect is from the derailleur again, restretch it, and connect it again.

Then repeat the procedure: shift up and down and check if the cable is hanging loose again. When the cable is not getting loose anymore, you've stretched it enough and shifting should work perfect! You can always fine tune it a bit using the adjuster at the derailleur. You can for example tighten the cable just a little bit more after you've stretched it for the last time, while in the lowest position.

The front derailleur works exactly the same as the front derailleur. Stretch the cable, shift up and down, and restretch it again. The only difference is that there is no adjuster on the derailleur, only the one at the frame. I found it convenient to keep the rear derailleur somewhere in the middle, while adjusting the front derailleur.

That's it! Both brakes and shifters should work properly now. Most likely you'll need to adjust these components a couple of times after a while, since cables will stretch a bit. But by now you should be a full grown expert on adjusting things on your bike, so that won't be a problem. Or am I making the mistake of getting confident now?