How to Replace Your Bike's Disc Brake Pads and Rotors

   ### Community ### About Liv ### News ### Skill Development ### Guides ###   # How to Replace Your Bike's Disc Brake Pads and Rotors ## When Disc Brake Pads and Rotors need to be Replaced – and How to Do It! Now that disc brakes are on all your bikes – road and mountain – the time is now to learn how to tell when your disc brake pads and rotors are worn out and how to replace them. Check out our video and get the nitty-gritty details on how it’s done below. ****  ### What You’ll Need ### How to Check Disc Brake Pads for Wear Eventually, the brake pads on your bike will wear out! How often will your pads need to be replaced? That will depend on how often you ride, what the terrain is like where you ride, and what conditions you ride in. Riding in wet/muddy conditions or on steep roads or trails will mean you will need to replace your brake pads more often. You should check your brake pads periodically for wear, here’s how: ### How to Check Disc Brake Rotors for Wear Rotors tend to last longer than brake pads, but still should be checked periodically for wear. Here’s how: ### How to Replace Disc Brake Pads When replacing disc brake pads, the first thing to consider is what type of pads you are using. Always replace your pads with the SAME TYPE of pad material, unless you plan on replacing both the pad and the rotor. Pads can be ORGANIC (resin) or METALLIC (sintered). Metallic pads tend to last longer and are a good choice if you are riding steep roads or trails in adverse conditions. Organic pads are very responsive, but they will need to be replaced more often. If you live in an area that is flatter and you ride in mostly dry conditions, organic pads could be a good choice. Also, make sure you purchase pads that are compatible with your caliper. The make and model of your brakes should be listed on the replacement pad packaging. Here’s how to you’ll replace those pads: ### How to Replace Disc Brake Rotors First, check to make sure you have the right replacement rotor and tools for the job. There are two different kinds of rotors: 6-BOLT and CENTER-LOCK. Most newer mountain bikes will come with 6-bolt rotors and road bikes tend to come with center-lock rotors. Here’s how to replace your rotors: ### How to Bed-In Disc Brakes All disc brake pads and rotors need to be “bedded-in” or pre-worn before your first ride. This prevents excessive noise and will ensure even and predictable braking. Basically, your goal is to heat up the pads and rotors, depositing an even layer of pad material onto the rotor (or braking surface). Here is how to do it: ## More to love