Quote Originally Posted by latelatebloomer

ps - the front brake of my hybrid is squealing badly. A neighbor told me to oil it, and I said ok. He came running over to tell me he was only joking, he realized I was gonna do it!! How to quiet the brakes? I'm making dogs howl...
The squealing brake problem can usually be fixed by toeing in the brake shoes. The front of the pad should contact the rim slightly before the back of the pad, or the whole pad should contact at the same time. If the back of the pad hits first, they will squeal (though the noise depends somewhat on the brand of brake and the pad compound - Mavic brakes squeal no matter what). To fix this problem, take a crescent wrench, set the opening to fit snugly on the flat of the brake caliper just above or below the pad, and bend gently until the pad is flat or slightly toed in.

LLB, sorry to answer these one by one and a day late. If you'd posted under "Bike Maintenance" rather than "New Riders" I would have seen it quicker.