Hey everybody,

I just took delivery of my new Brooks B-17 this weekend. Unfortunately, wasn't able to ride this weekend due to other obligations, but did manage to get it installed on the bike today, and hope to ride this afternoon. It looks sweet on the bike (Novara Randonee), and intial rides around my block seem promising.

However... With the seat dead level I feel like I'm sliding off a bit. With the nose tilted up just slightly (maybe 2 degrees), it's interfering with the family jewels. Note that this was just riding around the yard, etc, wearing everyday clothes. Maybe it will be significantly different in my cycling bibs.

I'm guessing as the seat breaks in, the sliding off feel will diminish. Any thoughts on this?

I'll take the necessary Allen wrench with me on the ride this afternoon to adjust if necessary.

Also, I failed to order Proofide until today, so I won't be able to apply the first coat until later in the week. Any worries there? I suppose riding it without proofide will be fine as long as I manage to keep it out of any significant rain, no?

Thanks in advance!

You're going to feel like you are sliding untill it get's broke in and you get some sit bone indents. Just keep it as high in the front as you can without causing numbness and discomport. Then just ride for 3-400 miles and adjust it as it breaks in. I have to run an infinate adjust seat post on mine because mm make a big difference for me.

Caincando's right about the seatpost. If you don't have a micro-adjustable post, get one soon.

I've been riding a B-17 for the last 4000 miles and here's what I've determined:

- Proofide is good, but like any good thing, you can have too much of it. Just a coat on the saddle, top and bottom of the leather, 2x within the first week. Then once about every 3 months to keep things refreshed. NOTHING ELSE. I can't stress that enough. Don't listen to the leather saddle alchemists who suggest all manners of soaking it in neatsfoot oil and chanting over it by the light of the full moon. Just Proofide.

- It will take time to figure out the positioning. It took me 3 rides to get it mostly right, and 5 to really dial it in. The slipping feel is remedied by tilting it back, but if you do that too much you'll crunch your marbles. Carry an allen wrench to make on-the-go adjustments.

- It may need adjusted again as you break it in. You might need to level it out a bit, or tighten the nose bolt, or if you're like me, punch and lace the sides (took me 2000 miles to need that, though.) It's leather, so it changes over time as you put more miles on it. It will break in softer around the sit-bones, it will sag at the middle of the saddle, it will flare at the skirts... These all require some adjustment to keep things comfortable, but the effort is worth it in the long run.

The best advice: If it's really uncomfortable even after finding "the best" adjustment for it, then maybe it's the wrong saddle for you. While Brooks saddles are comfy, you have to pick the right model for your butt and type of riding. The B-17 might be the wrong width for you and your style. Or leather saddles just might not work for you at all. There's plenty of people who find that out, too.

Thanks for the replies.

I just got back from putting it's first 8 miles on it. After riding it, my initial reactions were correct. I definitely need to tilt it back up a hair.

I do believe I have an inifinitely adjustable seat post. I'm assuming that what you mean is that I can losen the saddle and slide it up/down to any position without anything that "clicks" it into one place or the other. It's a Ritchey something-or-other.

It's definitely uncomfortable right now... hard on the sitbones, but suspect it will indeed break in quickly with my 325 lbs crushing the leather. Also, way too slippery as it is. Anyway I look forward to continuing to break it in...

Downloading the pics from my ride now...

The slipperiness will never go away if you take proper care....that's part of why they get and stay so comfortable once you have it in the sweet spot......no chafing! Absolutely level or very slight tilt back is the ideal position 99% of the time and set on the rails so your sit bones are at the wide part but NOT on the steel skeleton structure. It'll act like a hammock, in a way with the leather body conforming to the individual shape of your behind. ;)

Good information. I definitely find myself sitting too far forward on the saddle. It's much more comfortable to sit back on it, I just can't seem to stay there (that's not new to this saddle).

Thanks, Tom!

Slide your butt off the back of the saddle then slide forward till your sit bones feel the steel rail on the back. Come over the rail and stop. Your sit bones should be an inch or less in front of the rail. If you go any farther forward the seat will drop and narrow and your sit bones won't be able to support you. You'll basically be sitting on you soft tissue.

Now that I've riden mine a lot I acutally like to ride the rail and sit right on the steel rail. But it took a while for my sit bones to get toughed up enought to do that. I also don't use any padding what so ever. I feel this gives my sit bones the feedback they need to keep me in the right place. I keep intending to use shorts with thin shamois for moisture absorbtion but haven't gotten around to it in the last 1000 miles.

The B-17 is a great touring saddle but is limited if you plan to ride aggressively because you can't ride the nose. Just keep riding and it will all come together.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think a B17 works best with a more upright stance. I'm thinking if you have your bars adjusted so that the bars are much lower than the saddle, then the B17 may not be right for you. I ride a Surly LHT with the bars just about even to slightly above the saddle, and my B17 feels great!

I'd say the bars are pretty even in height to the saddle. Here's a picture to illustrate:

http://operationorange.com/teambryan/2008/Cycling-03-03/images/p1010510.jpg

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think a B17 works best with a more upright stance. I'm thinking if you have your bars adjusted so that the bars are much lower than the saddle, then the B17 may not be right for you. I ride a Surly LHT with the bars just about even to slightly above the saddle, and my B17 feels great!




I'd say the bars are pretty even in height to the saddle. Here's a picture to illustrate:



I agree on both counts.

I have to run an infinate adjust seat post on mine because mm make a big difference for me.
That's what I need!
One notch is too high in the front. The next notch - I'm sliding front. And my B17 is well broken in.

Glad to hear that they have those kind of seatposts.
I'll have to stop by my LBS. Any recommendations for my Trek 720 touring bike?

There are literally a ton of options with posts. I've riden my B-17 first with a CF post then AL and now I'm back to CF. I was amazed that there was a difference in comfort. The AL transered too much more road buzz. I just bought a CF infinate adjust post from Nashbar. They are pretty darn cheap especially with the 10 % off coupon.

Try sliding the saddle forward a tad as well, as it sounds like you might have it a little too far back on it's rails.

Good information. I definitely find myself sitting too far forward on the saddle. It's much more comfortable to sit back on it, I just can't seem to stay there (that's not new to this saddle).

Thanks, Tom!

Try sliding the saddle forward a tad as well, as it sounds like you might have it a little too far back on it's rails.

I came to that same conclusion myself, Tom. I plan on doing exactly that before the next ride. Was hoping it would be today, but we've got 30 mph gusts and I'm too much of a sail :D

<graphic>
My taint is actually bleeding a little today where it chafed yesterday. I'm definitely doing something wrong. Thinking that moving the seat forward will help tremendously.
</graphic>

That's what I need!
One notch is too high in the front. The next notch - I'm sliding front. And my B17 is well broken in.

Glad to hear that they have those kind of seatposts.
I'll have to stop by my LBS. Any recommendations for my Trek 720 touring bike?

Salsa Shaft or RaceFace Evolve XC ( or Revolution)

http://www.salsacycles.com/components/images/posts_shaft2.jpghttp://www.raceface.com/comp/28/full.png

Any of them offer infinite adjustability plus the level adjustment is decoupled from the fore and aft adjustment. The Race Face is a little easier to adjust. It's worth the extra hassle of having 2 bolts.

I agree that it's not just the saddle adjustment that's important. A bike is a system that acts together on the rider. I would tilt the saddle until just the web is level with the ground. Don't go by the peak adjustment - go by the web adjustment. Make it level. Let the peak rest where it will. Set the bar height level with the peak. That puts them slightly above the web. Scoot the saddle forward if you can. That will rotate your ischials upright on the web, and tend to roll the perineal area back off the spine. Your backbone will have an arch at the lumbar area that will act as a shock absorber, as it should.

The slickness will diminish with use, but it helps in terms of comfort to try to keep it slippery. It's part of the charcteristics of a Brooks saddle that cools the rider and prevents sores on long rides. As a heavyweight, that's going to be important to you. I polish mine with some clear boot polish every once in a while. The advice on Proofide is good.

+1 to sliding the saddle forward. FWIW, mine is actually tilted up to slide me back on the wide part and it feels fine. On my mtb, it's closer to level for more clearance when actually mtb'ing.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/164/402414652_687573f4f5_b.jpg

+1 to sliding the saddle forward. FWIW, mine is actually tilted up to slide me back on the wide part and it feels fine. On my mtb, it's closer to level for more clearance when actually mtb'ing.


Another recommendation for sliding the seat forward a bit. Really improved the ride of the saddle.

Get some padded shorts and wear them commando! No underwear.....it interferes with the chamois padding and wicking, which leads to chafing. If you're embarrassed about skintight lycra, wear a pair of shorts over them.

You can get good, inexpensive Clyde sized shorts at http://www.aerotechdesigns.com

I came to that same conclusion myself, Tom. I plan on doing exactly that before the next ride. Was hoping it would be today, but we've got 30 mph gusts and I'm too much of a sail :D

<graphic>
My taint is actually bleeding a little today where it chafed yesterday. I'm definitely doing something wrong. Thinking that moving the seat forward will help tremendously.
</graphic>

I was wearing padded shorts (bibs from Performance)! Wore shorts over them. Probably not the most quality pair of padded shorts you can buy, but they seem to have a decent chamois.

Not sure if it was chafing or compression that did the damage... but I always get some damage when I ride over about 4 miles or so....

Get some padded shorts and wear them commando! No underwear.....it interferes with the chamois padding and wicking, which leads to chafing. If you're embarrassed about skintight lycra, wear a pair of shorts over them.

You can get good, inexpensive Clyde sized shorts at http://www.aerotechdesigns.com

Well, you do keep sliding forward on the saddle, you said, so that gets the sit bones off contact and you're supporting yourself with soft tissue, so my guess is compression. Definitely slide that saddle forward and uptilt the nose a few degrees.. Start with that.

I was wearing padded shorts (bibs from Performance)! Wore shorts over them. Probably not the most quality pair of padded shorts you can buy, but they seem to have a decent chamois.

Not sure if it was chafing or compression that did the damage... but I always get some damage when I ride over about 4 miles or so....

I have to run an infinate adjust seat post on mine because mm make a big difference for me.Got one at my LBS yesterday and today's commute seamed much better - but it was only 10 miles. This weekend will be a better test.