When brake pads and rotors are new, they must be “bed-in” to reach their full braking potential. Doing so increases friction between pads and rotors by evenly distributing or "bedding in" pad material to the rotor. To bed-in your brakes, follow these steps: 1. Find an empty flat parking lot or low traffic area to perform the procedure on the bike. 2. Stay seated while riding, and avoid locking up your rear wheel. 3. Accelerate to a moderate speed, then evenly apply the brakes to slow to a walking speed, then release the brakes. Repeat this process 20 times. 4. Accelerate to a fast speed, then evenly apply the brakes to slow to a walking speed, then release the brakes. Repeat this process 10 times. 5. Let the brakes cool before any further riding. Repeat this every time you replace pads and rotors.