Disc brakes: bleeding Shimano hydraulic brakes

Shimano use mineral oil in their hydraulic brake systems. This is significantly less toxic than DOT fluid, so is not as damaging to your skin and your bike’s paint but it’s still a wise move to wear gloves.

Make sure that you replace the fluid with the same mineral oil; filling it with DOT fluid will damage the seals irreparably and you’ll end up with a very big repair bill. Shimano sell a dedicated bleed kit for their brakes which includes a single-use bottle of oil containing enough for one (careful) bleed. Conveniently, this means that there’s no leftover oil to sit around absorbing moisture from the atmosphere. Mineral oil changes colour as it goes ’off’, so if you haven’t bled the brake for some months and are starting to suffer poor braking, remove the top cap of the brake lever and check the fluid – if it’s lost its pink tint then you need to replace the oil. You’ll be pouring the fresh oil straight into the…

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