Saw a contractor on YouTube say this happens when the primer and paint aren't compatible. Might be worth checking what brand you used before.

Tried doing it in smaller batches instead and it saved me so much stress. I just split everything up into like three separate sessions and it went way smoother. Might be worth giving that a shot if you ever feel brave enough to try again.

Oh come on, a few false alarms isn't that big of a deal. You probably could have just swapped the batteries or something, saved yourself the headache.

Only needed two new bottom brackets in 12 years" - okay, but isn't that basically the whole drivetrain? Not exactly a ringing endorsement for durability. Plus, if he's a messenger he probably wasn't doing his own wrenching, so who knows what got replaced on the sly. I'd still want the carbon just for the weight savings, personally.

Was your string sagging in the middle or just hard to see from far away?