My bikeposts were well received and I plan to do more, but I'd like to reach out as to whether there's a topic or maybe specific questions about the whole ordeal that interests the users of this site specifically?
Like do you want to learn about tools you need for more than basic maintenance? Tips on riding in winter conditions and/or in the street with car traffic? Maybe which of the marketing buzzwords are actually important? How to train for longer rides? How to bike commute / when to bike commute?
Hit me up, I'll try to answer any question and/or do another bikepost about any topics that you're interested in and I feel qualified to answer.
what do i do if one of my brakes works fine but squeals like crazy?
i don't really bike in winter, but if i wanted to, what should i know? i'm talking -5 or -10 C weather
What type of brakes?
I'll mark down to it's own post on it but the short version is:
As forTemperature? Thick gloves, warm and water-resistant footwear. Otherwise, probably lighter clothing than you think you'd need looking at it from the inside. You do warm up quite quickly on a bicycle. Also get fenders. You don't want icy water all over you. -5 to -10C is approaching face-hurting levels, so maybe a scarf. If you're wearing a helmet, you can likely skip the hat, if not, probably a hat.
Some form of eye protection against the cold is good. Sunglasses are the obvious choice. If it's not all that bright, I know the orange or clear glasses look fairly dorky, but people wear them for a reason. You don't want the wind in your eyes, much less snow. It's just miserable.
Orange-Coloured glasses have the added bonus of making distinctions in dusky conditions, such as curbs or elevation differences in the snow, easier to spot.
Or maybe go for the quirky route and get like pilot goggles.
Make sure to give your brakes and shifters a try before you set off. They can get frozen and for the brakes especially, you do not want to find that out approaching an intersection.
As for riding in the snow and on Ice?
Lower your tyre pressure a bit, so you have more grip. It makes the ride harder, but it beats wiping out and eating shit.
Lower your saddle a bit so your center of gravity is lower and your feet can easily touch the ground. If you're doing big mileage be careful as this can strain your knees, but for like trips in the city it's a good way to save yourself from wiping out.
Brake before any turn. Do not pedal or brake while your wheels aren't straight. Your tyres have only so much friction for any given thing and on snow, you do not want to use that for anything but direction changes. Also take corners sloooooooooow and keep your center of gravity upright, i.e. don't lean into it.
Make sure to only ride over what you can clearly see. A snow bank may look soft, but that could be fresh powdering ontop of an ice block.
Take extra care with curbs and such, they can be easily hidden by the snow.
If you're dealing with large patches of ice, either don't ride your bike or get a tyre with spikes. Check local legislature on this, they could be illegal. Many people in skandinavia opt to only put spiked tyres on their front wheel, as that is easier to change than messing with the gearing in the rear and your tail wheel sliding out is much, much easier to control than your front slipping away (just like in a car, basically).
Watch out while riding tyres with spikes over metal surfaces, such as gutter grates, manhole covers or tram tracks. They're good on ice, but metal on metal is about as slippery as rubber on ice.
Also if the roads are salted, make sure to spray down your bike with water every few days. Salt is a bike killer. Maybe get a cheap beater winter bike, so your treasured one doesn't rust away.
You probably need to toe-in your brakes to stop the squeaking, there's a ton of videos online that show how to do it. All it takes is an Allen key and like 5 minutes usually, definitely worth it.
Thermal long underwear under your pants, waterproof shoes and rain paints (and/or fenders) if it's snowy, one less layer than you'd normally wear for the temp on top while you're riding, bandana over the face so you can still breathe easily but stay warm, warm gloves. Once you get below 20°F you might want ski goggles too. Be careful if it's snowing, especially when braking, and watch out for ice. Winter biking really isn't as bad as you think, the real challenge is managing your layers and remembering to bring extra just in case.