[Closed] bedding in

I ride down a steep road hill applying brakes hard and regularly without locking up until pads are really hot then splash water on the pads, they should sizzle if hot enough. Pads seem to last long enough having done this but I've nothing scientific to prove it.

ok thanks, i.ll try not to fly over the handlebars then as i fly downhill...lol . sod the scientific thing..who knows wots right about anything ? ! lol.... cheers

Yep - downhill is easier. I run the brake whilst pedaling really hard at the same time - you will find that you can feel the point at which the pads start to bite nicely.

Oh and by the way - if you a braking properly you will not go over the bars! Braking is [i]not[/i] just pulling on the brake levers!

i dont just pull on the brake levers, i just gently tap them on and off quickly..

Have a look through the forum, this came up a few days ago. The general consensus was that brakes don't really need 'bedding in' as such. Just ride on!

[i]I ride down a steep road hill applying brakes hard and regularly without locking up until pads are really hot then splash water on the pads, they should sizzle if hot enough. Pads seem to last long enough having done this but[/i]

Me too. It's called, 'a normal ride'.

It appears that its different for each manufacturer.

Had some formula brakes, and in the manual (yes I read the manual), it said brake from 30km/h to a stand stil 50 times.

Needless to say I broke to a standstill from about 25km/h 10 times and was good to go. Pads lasted about 5 mins, live and learn. 🙄

Pads lasted about 5 mins, live and learn

it would have been nearly 10 minutes if you hadn't been doing that...

it's a bone of some contention, as sfb v the world testifys 🙄
afraid the best answer you're going to get is 'rtfm'. if you don't have a manual, do what the rest of us have done, and use google and make up your own mind.
or just ride.
or bed them in. just don't ask how...
this is honestly the simplest and most comphrehensicve answer you'll get on this. and i've been on a night ride and beer.
now i'm eating marmite on toast. 🙂

as sfb v the world testifys

for the record there is at least one other person who thinks bedding in is bunkum. It is not TJ...

but can you [i]prove[/i] it's bunkam?... 😛

Personal experience

Hayes Sole - Never bedded them in, never had any problems

Hayes Stroker Rydes - Never bedded them in, squeal when wet or cold, but other than that they work perfectly

Avid Juicy 3 - Never bedded them in, never had any problems

Just ride your bike with the understanding that your brakes are rubbish but will get better.

It is clear bedding in pads is not bunkum - just go and have a look at what the manufacturers say and read up some of the science.

However with bicycle discs with some peoples riding styles and brake set ups the brakes bed in in normal use, some folk need to make the deliberative attempt to bed them in. Some pad formulations bed in easier than others.

Bedding in does 3 things, conforms the pad to the disc, smears a thin layer of pad material on the disc and cures the pad thru heat an pressure

A properly bedded in pad will work better and last longer - simple fact.

Seeing as the manufacturers actually have nothing to gain from users bedding their pads in properly (other than better performance), I'd imagine that their supplying bedding in instructions would indicate that it does have a positive affect.

A properly bedded in pad will work better and last longer - simple fact
(yep ive read that before)..... just that im quite a light weight for my bike (just about 8 stone),, so does it take any longer to bed in brakes (if ya not a fat basket case ) lol

elaine - you need to get the brake good and hot - at least a couple of hundred degrees c. Thats all. Being light obviously puts the brakes under less stress so makes the bedding in harder.

so if you have a long hill pedal down it dragging one brake then the other with occasional hard braking. Can be done on the flat but its harder work. Its simply a case of braking hard enough to get the brake hot - very hot.

You should be able to feel the change as they bed in - the lever feel might go harder and the brakes become more effective.

Bedding in pads properly is why my hope brakes work well and consistently with a long pad life.

don't put water or mud on the disc.

ok cheers.... yep i notice that my Hope pads lasted a long time.... infact the front brake has just worn out after 6 months ! yep 6 months,,, tho theres still some wear on the back brake pad... yep Hope pads brilliant..thanks for your advice...

you need to get the brake good and hot - at least a couple of hundred degrees c.

Does that mean you can chuck them in the oven to help the process?

sharkbait - no. 3 things remember - conform to the disc, smaer a very thin layer of pad material on the disc and cure the pad under heat AND pressure.

Well for the first time, I have not bedded in the pads on my bike - didn't have time before riding it round a very wet/muddy/gritty Cannock.

So, I'll see how long the pads last - I think minimum life of pads before was 4 months, but normal is 6 months +

I normally bed-in by riding fast/braking hard - one wheel at a time. If changing front & rear pads, I do the fronts then move them to the back as it's much easier to generate heat in the front brake, then repeat for the front pads.
No hills near me so I have to do repeated sprints up & down the road - normally 10 hard brakes or so does it and you can definitely feel the brakes become more effective after a few runs.

Never bedded any brakes in, just fit them and go on a normal ride. Maybe they would've worked better/lasted longer if I'd better them in, but can't say I experienced any negative effects by not bedding in (i.e. I didn't die in the Alps).

Mike - as I said above for some folk / brake set ups / riding styles the pads bed in fine in normal use.

'cos of the way I ride if I don't make a deliberate effort then I end up with polished / glazed pads that squeal and are ineffective.

TJ, I'm not saying you're wrong, just that I have never done it. If it works for you, cool. I'm not knocking it.

How do people know if "the way they ride" will require them to bed their pads in or not?

Mike - if the pads don't get bedded in either by deliberate effort or in normal riding you will have ineffective squealing brakes and / or the pads won't last long. thats how you know I guess.

Basically if you have trouble getting consistent brake performance or get high wear rates it might be worth the effort of deliberate bedding in. If your brakes work fine then you are sorted.

Never beded pads in, never had any problems and they last for ages. Like Samuri the suggested method is pretty much what you do on a ride anyway.