Is bedding bull?
 

After a disk brake caliper change, do you bed your brakes? It seems some do, some don't, and I got to wondering whether bedding is really necessary. What do you think?

They soon bed in. I haven't found any need or benefit in going particularly gently at first, other than to ensure I haven't forgotten any nuts or bolts...

The box spring is pretty harsh without it

Why would you not? It only takes a minute.

Some pad compounds/systems take a good while to fully bed in. When I bed in a new pad/rotor set at the shop it can take about 3-5 miles of grabbing good before they grip nicely. On my Avid BB5 mech on the city bike actually took a couple weeks of commuting in the city to fully grip. A soft compound would be faster, but I would not let anything out the door to a customer without at least an initial burn in.

Tis confusion in this thread. Bedding is is not the same as breaking in. The bed in procedure is to put down a thin layer of film on the rotor, which only takes a minute. Takes a little longer for the pads to actually break in.

More confusion: OP refers to changing the calipers, but (I think and hope) is talking about new pads.

And yeah, new pads should be bedded in.

And, generally, most people want safety equipment like brakes operating at peak condition....generally*

*There's probably a Law & Order episode where a spouse offs their to-be-Ex with sub-optimal braking on a bicycle, at this point...if not, there should be.

time for an Experiment
 

2 sets of disc brake pads ,1st do the many modulated stops, to bed in disc to pad (as you want to dismiss), then do your big test stop.

pull them out, replace them with brand new pads then go back to the start of that same test hill

compare, take notes , Post your results..





Proper Science is not based on Opinions :foo:

...

Lol, good comparison.

I've never noticed a difference between new pads and broken-in pads. But maybe it's because I don't tend to brake hard. Seems to me if the rotors are smooth (no grooves) then it's flat surface against flat surface and there's nothing to 'bed.'

You're wrong. When you bed-in properly, the surface of the rotors gets covered in an invisible thin film from the brake pads, which is more "grabby" than bare metal when the pads contact it. It also helps cut down the squealing issue.

But wouldn't there already be an invisible thin film on the rotor that had been laid down previously from the pads that I am replacing? Hmmm. It seems that Part Tool thinks something else is involved:

"New disc pads may require a “burn in” period. Solvents from manufacturing are burned off from the heat of braking. Braking performance will improve after the burn in period."


https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair...and-adjustment

I clamp the brake (first the front, then the back) and pedal hard until the brake prevents me from going further. At that point I declare victory and go for a ride. Takes about 30 to 60 seconds per brake.

No, what you read on Park is what I posted in reply #7 . Also known as the pads breaking in. Bedding the rotors is a different subject. You should always clean the rotors when installing new pads.

I do something similar.

It involves making sure the brakes work at the most basic level before I go riding off.

Then I go riding off.


-Tim-