Bedding in our brake discs

New brake discs or brake pads must be bedded in after fitting. It is only when the brake pads have been properly bedded in that they will deliver their full braking power and noise or vibration will be eliminated. If the brake pads are improperly bedded in – or indeed not bedded in at all – it may not be possible to resolve any problems that subsequently arise without replacing either the brake pads or the brake disc.

Important: Before and during assembly, make sure that the brake disc remains clean and does not come into contact with oil or grease, including the natural grease on the skin of your hands. This significantly reduces braking performance and may be a possible cause of squeaking noises or a juddering effect. To degrease the brake disc, simply use detergent and clear water. Acetone can also be used. However, never use so-called ‘brake cleaner’ for this job.

The aim of bedding in is to apply a thin and even layer of lining material to the brake disc. This layer enables the brake pad material to generate friction on the brake disc surface. Bedding in is absolutely essential for all new brakes and after replacing pads or discs.

To ensure that the material transfer from brake lining to brake disk takes place, they must both be brought up to operating temperature.

In order to bed in your new brake disc, proceed as follows::
It is very important that the brake disc does not have to perform an emergency stop when bedding in. If this happens, a thicker layer of material may be created at a single spot, resulting in noise and vibration when the disc brake is subsequently used.

1. Choose a level stretch of road on which it is safe to travel at a medium speed (approximately 20 km/h). For safety reasons, always remain in the saddle during braking.
2. Now accelerate up to a medium speed (i.e. around 20 km/h as described above) and then apply the brakes to decelerate smoothly to walking pace. As mentioned above, do not perform an emergency stop. Repeat this process about 20 times. As you do so, braking power will gradually increase.
3. At a slightly higher speed (approximately 25 - 30 km/h), once again apply the brakes to decelerate smoothly to walking pace. As mentioned above, do not perform an emergency stop. Repeat this process 10 times.
4. Allow the brake pads and brake disc to cool down before you take the bike out on its first proper ride.

If you have bedded in your disc brake following the above procedure, it should now deliver peak performance and function (almost) without any annoying noises.

Note:
Due to the additional surface treatment, i.e. the vacuum hardening of our brake discs, the bedding-in process takes a little longer than with other brake discs on the market.