General Cycling Discussion - Squeaky Brooks Flyer and other questions

My brooks flyer squeaks when i apply and pressure to the top of it. the squeak doesnt seam to be coming from the springs but rather the leather rubbing against the metal. i could be wrong though. any tips on how to remedy this? i tried just dropping some oil in between, but it didnt do much. the top of the saddle also has some give when i press down in my hand, i dont remember how it was when i got it, but do you think adding some tension would be good?

also i dont wanna start a new thread so ill just post it here...

my rear cassette or freewheel, i dont know which i have, wobbles slowly when the back tire spins.. will this become a problem? how should i fix it? sheldon brown claims its due to a hyperglide on a compact body, but im sure my bike is stock... its a miyata 712

thanks everybody, im sorry if i have some repeat questions, i promise i searched before i asked, but i just didnt find the answers im looking for.

[QUOTE=kevinjw;7817131]My brooks flyer squeaks when i apply and pressure to the top of it. the squeak doesnt seam to be coming from the springs but rather the leather rubbing against the metal. i could be wrong though. any tips on how to remedy this? i tried just dropping some oil in between, but it didnt do much. the top of the saddle also has some give when i press down in my hand, i dont remember how it was when i got it, but do you think adding some tension would be good?

For your saddle try a short spritz of WD-40 on the tensioning bolt, then tighten it about 1/8 turn.

I have experiencd similar problems with squeeky saddles. The problem usually seems to come from the bolt(s) that hold the spring to the rest of the saddle frame. It is absolutely maddening and very difficult to fix with standard tools. You can try to melt some grease and pour a little bit of it onto the bolts in hopes that the grease finds a home in the correct spot.

Sadly, WD-40 (convenient) is not a long-term solution.

A drop of light lube (like tri-flow) to the tension bolt will work just fine.

A drop of light lube (like tri-flow) to the tension bolt will work just fine.

Yeah--if the standard stuff hasn't solved the problem, look for something else. It might be the tension bolt or a slightly loose saddle clamp, something like that. I'd apply a light coat of Proofhide all over the BOTTOM of the saddle, if you haven't done that already, then start looking for metal-to-metal contact if that doesn't work.
I don't know the Flyer, but I have three B-17s and a Pro, from five to 15 years old, and I weigh 240, and I've never had to tighten a tension bolt.

thanks guys, yeah the standard stuff just doesnt seem to cut it. i might try to melt some beeswax and pour that onto the bolt. the squeak is irritating!

nothing is working this is bugging the crap out of me. i might take the sheldon brown break in approach and soak it in neatsfoot oil

Use Proofide where the front bolt-head bears against the leather of the saddle. Now melt this with a heat gun so that the whole configuration is coated. This will also prevent cracks appearing around the rivet.

Better to use a hair dryer when trying to melt that beeswax around leather.

A heat gun is way tooooooo harsh, and will damage the leather. If you can't hold your hand in front of it, it's tooooooo hot for leather.

I had a squeak on my BFlyer and had a hell of a time finding it. Finally found the culprit seatpost rubbing on the upper set of seat rails. A slight prying of the seat rails wider solved the problem.