Touring - Wobbly Brookes B67

Hi guys,
Been advised to post this here..

I have a Brookes B67 saddle, purchased in August 2008, and it feels a bit loose. In fact, very loose..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsC_DT3_0-Y

A friend has the same saddle in tan, bought more or less at the same time, and it's bone-hard. Mine isn't uncomfortable per se, but I'm guessing that that amount of wobble isn't a good thing. Does anyone know how I adjust/tighten it?

Thanks.

ROFLMAO :D



You need to adjust the tension on it. There is a small odd sized nut up under the nose of the saddle. The nut needs to be tightened just enough to snug the saddle up, too tight and you will pull the rivets out.

Brooks makes a special "spanner", but sometimes you can get in there with a small metric open end wrench.

Aaron :)

http://brookssaddles.com/en/ResampleImg.ashx?imgurl=../images/shop/shop_spareparts/Maintenance_Products/htr129.jpg&Width=700&Height=500&format=jpeg&bkColor=FFFFFF

Often a bike shop who stocks Brooks products will have one to give you (or at least use). Don't over-tighten it. Also, each person and each cow is different. Your friend with the similar saddle could very well push into the saddle less, weigh less, or have a saddle made from a cow much younger (or a different part of the cow). The tension bolt is completely safe to use, but don't go overboard. People will tell you not to use the bolt - it's there for a reason. Brooks is a company that has been doing nearly the same thing for almost 200 years. I trust their product and its features (i.e. the tension bolt), if used properly. I've used the same B17 for 10s of thousands of miles, since 2008, and tensioned it thrice so far. It's long now, but it still does it's job, and has really taken a beating. A B-15 from the 50s, that is just now drying up, due to lack of care (though I'm reviving it, but it will take a long while before I can use it again) - I alone have a few thousand on that one as well.

A saddle won't last forever, and I don't expect it to. I spend $30-40 per touring tire, and they go out every 5-12k miles. $100 for a saddle (the most important part of comfort on a bike, IMO) that lasts 10-40k miles if taken care of, has more than paid its dues. Try hard, and you can get even more miles out of them.

Thanks, dude. I tightened up the saddle a bit using a spanner I had here. Not too much, I hope - although difficult to know (which was what made me hesitate previously).

Again, thanks to both o' you.