moar bike stuff

[sistawendy]

Remember how I said my rear bike brakes are squishy? Well, I stopped by the bike shop and I learned a thing or several:

1. My brakes are hydraulic! I don't know what they were on FM Bike, but Miss Indigo has hydraulic brakes.
2. The cheaper kind of hydraulic brakes use mineral oil as the fluid. The more expensive kind use "DOT", i.e. Department of Transportation, brake fluid just like cars do.
3. Of course I have the cheaper brakes.
4. The seals on these mineral oil brakes don't perform as well at temperatures below 50°F (10C). Remember, folks, I live in Seattle. I've got many months of riding in those temperatures every year. (The bike mechanic I talked to is from Alaska. He says they always use DOT up there.)
5. Like any hydraulic brakes, you can have somebody "bleed" the air out of the brake lines. That didn't help me noticeably, though. I haven't had a serious issue yet.