Ok, after reading this I know now that I'm using them too soft.
Don't know how I'm going to solve this problem, as I'm a slow rider, maybe I'll get a faster pal to do the bedding in for me.
Question: my disk brakes (across 3 bikes from new) only start squeaking when they get wet.
On one bike this stopped after the brakes dried, on others it carries on when they are dry, cleaning does not make a difference.
You bring up an important point here which is wet brakes.
There's nothing you can do to sort out the wet-induced squeal other than to use your brakes harder. I'll explain.
When you have two friction surfaces - in our case, brake discs and brake pads - and you introduce a liquid between them (water, in our case), the liquid at first acts as a lubricant. However, as it thins down to one or two molecule layers, it acts as a glue. Lubricant in that state is what's called in the boundary layer. B0undary layers are very, very tenacious and can't be removed mechanically by just one or two wipes. Example: you clean your car windscreen with water and squeegee it dry. You know that after the first pass of that squeegee there's still some water on there because it is hazy. Wiping it with a cloth doesn't help either. It has to evaporate before it disappears. Example two: we shave with very sharp blades yet we rarely cut ourselves. This is because the boundary layer of soapy water on the skin keeps the blade away from direct contact with the skin. Two or three passes may be required before the blade runs dry. Boundary layer fluid or gas sticks like glue.
Back to brakes. The discs/rim is very wet and most water just drips or runs off. Now you apply your brakes and the pads push all but the boundary layer of water away from the wheels. The boundary layer metaphorically glues the two surfaces together and the brakes judder and squeal. As soon as the brakes warm up the boundary layer of water evaporates and they are quiet again. If they don't go quiet, it means there's enough continuous supply of water to prevent the discs from drying out altogether.
The same argument goes for rim brakes. However, they are poor in the rain because of their close proximity to the water source and their inability to heat up enough to evaporate residual water.
As for you looking for a faster pal to do the bedding in. That's perhaps a good plan but be sure to read the procedure. It requires more than just a few fast stops. It is a gradual process of about 20 slow-downs of increasing intensity and no actual stopping.
You may find it useful to read through this thread (ignoring the 'my brakes are as silent as the grave' comments and the banter created).
