Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Brooks Saddle

After some great advice from everyone, I went over to the bike shop in Philadephia after work and spent some time with one of the workers there. She told me all about Brooks, showed me some stuff, and educated me on other stuff. We spent about 45 minutes together which wa great. (hard to find people who will invest that much time on a single person). I ended up with a brooks b17.

What a coincidence! My Brooks Champion Flyer just arrived tonight!

Sadly, I just got done riding 39 miles and simply do not have it in me to even install it, much less take it for a spin...

Will have to wait until Thursday. Grr!!

I'm happy with my new Flyer. Just finished 175 miles in 3 days could still sit down.

ponzini: why did you pick the flyer if I can ask? was your butt bugged by the leather (breaking it in)?

About every search for "comfortable touring saddle" seemed to include Brooks in the results. I know the Bontrager had to go. My butt was too sore after only 40 mile rides. I knew the long ride was coming and I had to choose something. I chose the springs because of the increased comfort that reviews mentioned. I only have about 300 miles. I'm not sure what "breakin" means. It seems the same so far. Time wil tell.

After some great advice from everyone, I went over to the bike shop in Philadephia...

May I ask which bike shop was so helpful?

I have a B15, and once it was broken in, it is a joy to sit on compared to my old stock saddle.

May I ask which bike shop was so helpful?

I can attest it wasn't Cadence, since they don't have Brooks. My guess is Trophy Bikes or Bicycle Therapy.

ponzini: why did you pick the flyer if I can ask? was your butt bugged by the leather (breaking it in)?

Brooks makes different styles and sizes of saddles. For instance, my Brooks Imperial:

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/230435_1880742470760_1607271639_1842384_5729024_n.jpg

wfournier's B17:

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/269980_2098552715880_1607271639_2039654_714434_n.jpg

And the B67 I sold not long after this photo was taken:

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/24374_1334493094867_1607271639_783718_6085791_n.jpg

i just ordered mine sunday...crossing my fingers that I end up one of those few people who say "it was amazingly comfy from day 1!", but i know that's unlikely. can't wait!

I've had my B17 for a little over a month now. With about 500 miles on it now it's very nicely broken in. I did an overnight bike camping trip this weekend where the lion's share of the 150 miles were on dirt and gravel (i.e., not real smooth)... While other things got sore, my butt never really did. Testament to a great saddle! I <3 MY BROOKS!

i just ordered mine sunday...crossing my fingers that I end up one of those few people who say "it was amazingly comfy from day 1!", but i know that's unlikely. can't wait!

Loosen up the screw on the nose a little bit to give the leather a little bit of give until it gets broken in.

thx, i will :)

(didn't know one could do that)

I didn't mess with the screw when I broke mine in.

If you're going to, don't turn it much. They come shipped with the 'appropriate' tension. The screw is designed to take up the slack when the leather starts to stretch.

Yeah, I'd advise against messing with the tension screw at all.

Saddle just came :) too dark to try it out :(

The shop that sent it advised I loosen the tension screw a half turn for the first 100 mi, then tighten it back up....I'll see how it feels first. It is S-L-I-P-P-E-R-Y! Hope that isn't an issue when I'm riding. My roomy didn't my color choice, but I wanted to bring out the gold in the paint. I think it looks good, though will look even better if I spring for drops and leather tape next year when I've lost my belly :P

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/monkeydentity/photocopy-1.jpg
"antique brown" Imperial B17 on 2010 Cannondale Quick 3

I got a team pro last winter

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bustercrb/5982923043/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bustercrb/5982923381/in/photostream/

Well obviously I still can't remember how to post a photo. but you can see photos on my bike site

Saddle just came :) too dark to try it out :(

The shop that sent it advised I loosen the tension screw a half turn for the first 100 mi, then tighten it back up....I'll see how it feels first. It is S-L-I-P-P-E-R-Y! Hope that isn't an issue when I'm riding. My roomy didn't my color choice, but I wanted to bring out the gold in the paint. I think it looks good, though will look even better if I spring for drops and leather tape next year when I've lost my belly :P

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/monkeydentity/photocopy-1.jpg
"antique brown" Imperial B17 on 2010 Cannondale Quick 3
Do you have a tin of proofide ?
http://www.brooksengland.com/en/Shop_ProductPage.aspx?cat=spareparts+-+maintenance+products&prod=Proofide+40g+Tin

it's in the mail...

Looks good! My b17 was super slippery when I first got it, but that goes away after a bit. It wasn't really an issue when I was riding.

I still say you don't need to mess with the tension screw...get it in the correct position and it won't feel as stiff as some people say.

Loosen up the screw on the nose a little bit to give the leather a little bit of give until it gets broken in.

uh, no. :rolleyes:

suprised it didnt come with the leather treatment.

I've put about 7000 miles on two B-17s. I love those saddles. I had a Brooks Pro for a few hundred miles, and sold it. Different butts, different saddles.

dcrow: did you point your saddle up much versus a regular saddle?

dcrow: did you point your saddle up much versus a regular saddle?

A little. I've seen pictures of other's saddles tilted so much it made my eyes water. :)

The slipperiness is an issue, it is one of the reasons that most people find it best to have the saddle tilted slightly upwards - it prevents them sliding forward onto the nose. Don't mess about with the tensioning, though, whoever told you to do that didn't know what they were talking about.

uh, no. :rolleyes:

Uh, yeah. The place he bought his told him to do it, and I've had several places tell me to the same.

NOTHING wrong with the leather having a little give while it is in the process of being broken in. But do whatever you want, I don't care. All I know is my ass didn't hurt at all while breaking the saddle in.

One issue many have with there Brooks saddle are saddle position. The B17 has very short rails and many seatposts will not allow you to push the saddle far enough back.

2 seatposts that work well in this situation is the FSA SL-250 or I prefer the Velo Orange Cru seat post which has 30mm of setback, makes for easy setup.. Both are micro adjustable and clyde friendly seatposts.. The FSA has 20mm of setback. I had an Thomson setback which has 16mm of setback but had some issues with getting the right saddle position with this one, so I ended up selling on ebay.

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/seatposts/vo-grand-cru-seat-post-long-setback.html

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=21976

Uh, yeah. The place he bought his told him to do it, and I've had several places tell me to the same.

NOTHING wrong with the leather having a little give while it is in the process of being broken in. But do whatever you want, I don't care. All I know is my ass didn't hurt at all while breaking the saddle in.

On the contrary, there is a lot wrong with reducing the tension while breaking it in. That will cause the leather to stretch more than is necessary, and reduce the life of the saddle. So those people who are telling you to do it are ignorant.

On the contrary, there is a lot wrong with reducing the tension while breaking it in. That will cause the leather to stretch more than is necessary, and reduce the life of the saddle. So those people who are telling you to do it are ignorant.

Your post makes no sense whatsoever.

If anything, it will stretch less if it already has a little give in it. Do loser fitting leather shoes stretch more than tight ones?

BTW, I've had my Brooks for over 6 years. It looks brand new, and no reason it won't last at least another six years. I think I got my money's worth.

On the contrary, there is a lot wrong with reducing the tension while breaking it in. That will cause the leather to stretch more than is necessary, and reduce the life of the saddle. So those people who are telling you to do it are ignorant.

There are so many crazy methods for breaking in a brooks, most of them are very wrong and will do nothing but reduce the life of your saddle.. I was going to bid on a saddle on ebay recently, and noticed it had a funny tint to it.. I emailed seller and asked if he had used proofide or something else.. After a few email exchanged he tells he used boot grease to help break the saddle in.. To each his own but have found 2 coats of proofide on top and 1 on the bottom is all you need.. If the saddle is uncomfortable check the tilt, use a level..Get the saddle with a ever so slight upward tilt and you will all be fine.. If you live somewhere with bad weather, obernauf's instead of proofide works well too..

http://cgi.ebay.com/Obenaufs-4oz-Heavy-Duty-Leather-Preservative-/360205848201?pt=US_Men_s_Athletic_Footwear&hash=item53ddf10e89

Your post makes no sense whatsoever.

If anything, it will stretch less if it already has a little give in it. Do loser fitting leather shoes stretch more than tight ones?

Don't be absurd. If it is slack, it will stretch more. As for looser (not loser, though that misspelling is strangely appropriate) shoes, they will stretch in the wrong places. Most importantly, they won't fit.

OH. MY. GOD.


So I put the Brooks on today and took it out for a 30 mile ride. Oh. My. God. Instantly the thing felt at one with my butt. It was like a zen experience. I was a little put off by the slipperyness for a grand total of about 3 seconds then it didn't seem to matter after that.

After about .3 miles it became apparent that I was putting too much weight on the handlebars because I was slipping forward, so I had to get off and readjust the nose upward a bit. Felt a little weird at first because I'm not used to a saddle nose being that personal with my junk, but it felt better after the initial weirdness of it went away.

Went the entire 30 miles without needing to stop, which is a new record for me. Furthest I've gone before was 20. Suddenly, my goal to make a century before November doesn't seem so dire anymore. WOW. Wow wow wow.

The greatest thing about buying a Brooks saddle is that once you have paid for it, it's yours. :thumb:

You can boil in whale oil, soak it 10w30, massage it with Lard, take an acetylene torch to it, soak it in sea water and leave it in the desert sun for a week to dry out, beat it with a meat tenderizer for hours on end or even chew on the leather to soften it up.
Heck you can even sight in your deer rifle on it.

Urban myth has it that some folks even follow the Maintenance and Care guide that comes with the saddle ... :D

socal: good call on the seat post. I tried to move my seat all the way forward this morning and the seat clamp wouldnt let me do it.

mith: did you get a b17?

After I put about 500 miles on mine I was able to lower the nose to where the front 2/3's is level. I think the hard to see, but easy to feel dimples hold me from sliding foward. I believe the sit bones each have a pocket to rest in.

took mine out for its maiden voyage today...stopped twice to adjust tilt, but once set (and I stopped slipping forward), I was surprised to find that it felt fine! no pain in the middle feeling like on the soft saddle that came with my bike! I did feel some soreness on my sit bones, but i understand that's normal when one starts biking (they weren't getting bruised up on the squishy saddle). FINALLY feel like maybe all the comfort things are worked out and my bike is how it should've been when I bought it!

Uh, yeah. The place he bought his told him to do it, and I've had several places tell me to the same.

NOTHING wrong with the leather having a little give while it is in the process of being broken in. But do whatever you want, I don't care. All I know is my ass didn't hurt at all while breaking the saddle in.

Don't mean to be contrarian, but the instructions that came with mine said you should never have to adjust the tension at first; it will be at least a year or two before you ever have to mess with it.

mith: did you get a b17?

Sort of. Champion Flyer, which is the B-17 with springs.

212515


I commute on a lot of bumpy roads (live in a conservative area, so repairing roads = evil socialism! And bike lanes? Forget about it!), so the springs were necessary.

In fact, I contacted brooks to try to figure out which one would be best for me, and they actually said that I shouldn't use the B17, because it's not rated for my weight. He said the B17 is only rated up to 300 pounds, so I should use the flyer. I love it, it seemed to suck up all of the imperfections in the road.

I understand why Wallingford Bike Parts has that "6 months full refund" policy on Brooks now... I'm wondering if anyone *ever* sends any back! That's a brilliant marketing plan; lure people into buying them with that safety net policy, and then never have to follow through on it because the product is so good no one will ever use it! Ha!

Uh, yeah. The place he bought his told him to do it, and I've had several places tell me to the same.

NOTHING wrong with the leather having a little give while it is in the process of being broken in. But do whatever you want, I don't care. All I know is my ass didn't hurt at all while breaking the saddle in.

uh no. There is simply no reason to loosen the tension bolt unless for some reason the saddle is over-tensioned. But of course you have some kind of instrumentation in your ass that tells you that loosening the saddle is exactly what caused your butt not to hurt, right Vic? The millions of us who's butt doesn't hurt without loosening the tension are deluded...it actually hurt, we just had tougher asses than you, right?

Loosening the tension, along with half the other wacky ways people come up with to "break in" a Brooks, can cause more harm than good. "Breaking in" is a matter of miles and butt sweat...and comfort is more a function of saddle position/bike fit than the tension of the leather. Indeed, a saggy saddle is decidedly uncomfortable for many...and gets worse when the butt sweat (or rain) gets to flowing.

I think we have eight Brooks' in the family and one on the way. I have never had to loosen the tension nut on any of them to break them in, but have had to tighten it on several. The most was on a Ti Swallow, and I went a bit far, so had to undo it about half way.

Loosening to break it in still isn't something I would consider doing.

Wow, the reading comprehension of most people is atrocious.

Not once did I say loosening the tension screw would help break it in faster. It only makes the saddle more comfortable while it is being broken in. Sorry, I prefer sitting in a saddle that has a little give instead of being hard as plywood.

Do whatever the hell you want. I don't care. Loosening it a tad does no harm whatsoever. Myself and a few friends are evidence of that fact. Adios.

I would never loosen the tension adjustment. I've also never seemed to need a break-in period on a B-17. They start comfortable for me. Maybe my ass is weird.

I had a B-17 start to sag over time, it turned it into a hammock that caused numbness in bad places. I tightened the bolt, and laced the bottom. It's now comfortable again.

Wow, the reading comprehension of most people is atrocious.

Not once did I say loosening the tension screw would help break it in faster. It only makes the saddle more comfortable while it is being broken in. Sorry, I prefer sitting in a saddle that has a little give instead of being hard as plywood.

Do whatever the hell you want. I don't care. Loosening it a tad does no harm whatsoever. Myself and a few friends are evidence of that fact. Adios.

Or you could tolerate a little discomfort so you could actually position the saddle correctly (which is the root cause of your discomfort), thus eliminating the pain in your tender tushie altogether without risking a saggy saddle that will only get saggier, requiring you to tension and/or lace the saddle.

FWIW, Wallingford says "Your new Brooks saddle should be pretty comfortable right from the start but you can back off the tensioning bolt a half-turn or so to put a little sag in the leather. Take the half-turn back after a couple hundred miles."

Wow, the reading comprehension of most people is atrocious.

Not once did I say loosening the tension screw would help break it in faster. It only makes the saddle more comfortable while it is being broken in. Sorry, I prefer sitting in a saddle that has a little give instead of being hard as plywood.

Do whatever the hell you want. I don't care. Loosening it a tad does no harm whatsoever. Myself and a few friends are evidence of that fact. Adios.
This is not true. You may perceiveit to be as hard as plywood when applying force with your fingers. but if you press down with the palm of your hand, you will notice the saddle will give and the sides flare slightly. This is the inbuilt suspension of the saddle. If you multiply the force of your palm by as many times as needed to get the force applied by your sitbones, you should get a clue as to how these saddles work.

Conversely, saddles that are constructed of foam first of all need the foam to be compressed virtually down to the plastic platform underneath, which as we know is very rigid. Where the foam is not compressed, it does its own compression... of your flesh, thus also compressing blood vessels and nerves that lead to discomfort, chafing and maybe longer-term damage..

The key element to the Brooks design is that it forces you to sit on your sitbones, not on your butt's fleshy bits.

While I respect Wallingford's position in the Brooks marketplace, the advice on loosening the nut goes against what I am aware is the advice offered by Brooks Saddles, who manufacture the darn things, have been doing so for a mightly long time, and should know their products' vagaries better than anyone else.

There seem to be a lot of people with their own voodoo variations on breaking in a Brooks - I think most of the reaction is just around the nature of telling someone with a brand new one to do something expressly warned against by Brooks, without sufficient context.

I have a B17 on my Salsa Vaya, but I'm not sure I'll keep it on there long term. I have a generic saddle (like a Fizik Arione?) on my road bike that I love, and I might look for a similar one for the Vaya.

road 40 mi with my brand new brooks today. well, after 13 two days ago...almost brand new. tension screw not loosened, butt sore but not as much as with the stock saddle after 20 mi. very impressed.