Bedding in XT disc brakes

I've not used shimano discs before and have fitted some new old stock 765s would like to know which is the best way to bed them in, a few full-on stops or just take it easy for a while? The instructions dont say.

Not sure which pads are fitted but the backing plates are copper in colour.

Thanks in advance.

Andy

Well, if nobody else is willing to kick off the great debate, here goes. Essentially you need to create both heat and pressure in the pad to bed them in and ensure they both last and work.I usually put it in low gear and ride up and down the street with the brake applied hard, you'll feel the braking become more effective within no time.
It's somebody elses turn now to suggest a different method or tell you not to bother at all:)

I changed mine for the first time last night and went out and did a lap of the ClimachX in the Dyfi Forest. They seemed fine from the off, but maybe there was a subtle improvement as they bed in. I couldn't really tell. More importantly, I re-adjusted the caliper alignment to avoind any rubbing after installing them.

Just got back from my 1st ride with them fitted, they feel much better now with more stopping power after a 2 hour ride although I've got to reset the rear caliper as it's starting to catch the disc on one side.

Thanks for advise

Is that it? No hundred post thread about cooking them in the oven? Or soaking them in wee? So all you do to bed new brakes in is ride them for a couple of hours? I never knew that! 🙄

I didn't even get the kettle on!

Yep, as it was my first proper ride for nearly 2 years and I'm very very unfit, the thought of riding up and down the same hill a few times or to ride with the brakes dragging to bed them in tired me out.
So I just rode and took it easy to start with 🙂

i'll bite then. I find at the start of a ride with new pads I need to squeeze a bit harder on the lever to get the required stopping power, by the end everything is back to normal 😀

No no no no no. We'll have less of this talk of 'just ride round a bit until they start to bite'. We need the usual pseudo scientific spiel about microscopic layers of pad material, chemical bonds, heat, cooling, pressure, repeated stops from 900mph, planetary alignment and all that. That's what you need to do to bed in pads – yours are just working fine, not properly 'bedded in' to STW standards.

oh but they are. At the start of the ride in the first heavy breaking zone when I normally have forgotten about the new pads a chemical is released along with some profanities. I am pretty sure these profanities act like a catalyst for the adrenaline which allows me to squeeze the lever at a higher pressure, in turn microscopic layers of material are removed from the pads in a similar way sanding the pads before installation does. The heat generated from this effort negates the need for me to throw the pads in with the Sunday roast and also burns off any oil residue that can occur particularly if you have not covered the joint before prepping your new pads. If I fancy warping my rotor after this unorthodox bedding in procedure I would chuck some water on it, normally I prefer straight rotors though.