Disc brake rotor bedding idea

I have an idea I want to run past you guys to find out if this makes sense or if I should do it the regular old prescribed way. The issue is this: I got new disc brake rotors and pads for christmas and I would love to be able to use them at the first gravel ride I do this year at the end of March or beginning of April. I live in the Massachusetts so getting outside to do the proper bedding process beforehand would be a rather cold and unfriendly prospect with no guarantee a thaw will happen and line up with my schedule to be able to perform the process outdoors. There’s also just the optics of riding back and forth down the road in my neighborhood which I wouldn’t mind avoiding. So I’m wondering if I can do the same thing indoors on the trainer and save myself some discomfort and awkward looks from the neighbors.

My proposed indoor solution is this. I use a Cycleops jet fluid pro as my trainer and the plan is to take the front brake pads and rotor, mount them on my rear wheel/calipers and perform the bedding process with the spinning things up to 15 mph and braking down to 5, letting things cool and repeating the process the recommended number of times. After that I’ll put the front brake stuff back where it belongs and do the same with the back wheel parts. I know using the brakes on a fluid trainer is not recommended because it can damage the tire for which I plan to use an old junky tire that will never touch tarmac again. Think my plan will work? Are there any other considerations I should make or am I missing something that might cause damage to other parts and therefore just to be safe I should just be cold and do it outside when the roads are clear of snow? Any way this wouldn’t work? Any and all comments and ideas welcome. What do you guys do to bed in new disc brake rotors and/or pads?

Thanks!

I don’t think there would be enough inertia from just the wheel and trainer to bed effectively. I usually go outside and get up to 20mph and stop hard a few times.

You are over thinking it, and possibly overly concerned about your perceived standing in your neighbourhood :wink:

You need to get heat into the brakes to bed them in, that needs speed and weight. Depending on your brakes you want to do at least 10 stops from 15mph to zero in a controlled, firm manner.

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Like other people mentioned, there won’t be enough braking force to heat up the pads enough.
Just ride around your neighborhood!! If anyone asks, you’re not a miscreant, you live right over there. :wink:

Bedding in brakes actually means transferring material from the brake pad onto the surface of the rotor. Rotors themselves are pretty slippery metal, so the brake material left over is what slows you down. To successfully transfer the pad material, you have to heat up both the pad and rotor to ensure the transfer process works.

Lastly, you could just not bed them in until you’re ready to ride outside, then add the bed-in process to the beginning of your next ride.

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Do not try the trainer. Destined to not be ideal.

Find a local parking garage, drive there in a car (if possible). Then ride to the top, brake on the way down with the appropriate bedding procedure. You get some shelter and can get some easy re-starts with the downhill parts.

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That is part of the fun of being a cyclist!

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Lol. Just take it outside. Find a side-street if you’re that worried.

You wear spandex…
Don’t overthink this.

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:fire: :fire: :fire: :fire:

Message(s) received. I’ll have at it once the roads are clear. Figured it was worth an ask. Thanks!

That would be a lot of work for something you can do in less than 10 mins outside.