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A clydes tale, breaking in a B-17

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A clydes tale, breaking in a B-17

Old 10-02-07, 09:52 PM
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A clydes tale, breaking in a B-17

For about a year I was using a clunky cloud 9 seat 10.5" wide, sprung, etc. It got to where it just was not working for me anymore. I had a normal smaller gel seat from before that I had had problems with, but
thought I would give it another shot. It was better, but after a month I decided to get a b-17. The bike lost 926 grams with this change. This is how it went.


Day 1. By the time it came I already had 24 miles in that day, but i rode 6 miles. First impression...OMG this thing is HARD! This must be what it feels like to be ridden out of town on a rail.

Day 2 Set out to do a 15 mile loop. At about 10 I decide to ad a 7 mile extra loop. Turned out to be a bad idea. At about 16 I was squirming around like a sinner in church, and my hamstrings and quads were aching. It was pedal then coast the rest of the way home. 22 miles

Day 3 I start out with the idea that if I went a little slower my legs wouldn't hurt. This lasted a couple miles until I heard the train coming. Must beat train, the race is on! The way this loop is I have to beat it twice. No problem, trains move really slow here. After the race, I'm thinking that I won't call this thing
an ass hatchet, but It's definately using divide and conquer tactics on my butt cheeks. I think I'm too far forward on the seat so I move it ahead. As a woodworker my mind wanders. In my mind I design a jig with wooden "sit bones" that I can force down into the seat with c clamps! 16 miles.

Day 4 Did 20 in the morning, it still shocks me every time I get on, how hard this thing is. I ran into our local legend long distance rider and he says probably 500 miles till comfort. I am hoping for 200. I have read that a clyde has an advantage breaking in a seat, I hope so. I find that if I get off the bike every 5 miles or so it helps. In the afternoon I did another 10. 30 miles.

Day 5 Did 8 in the morning with the wife. In the afternoon I set out to do 20 or so, but had a tire bead separate and a spoke broke. No seat issues. 18 miles.

Day 6 Picked the bike up at the shop and took the long way home. Again, no seat issues. 15 miles.

So, I put in 107 miles over 6 days and while I can't say the saddle is comfortable yet, it is no longer the main thing I think of when riding. There is no sign of any break-in on the saddle, maybe my butt is
broken in!
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Old 10-03-07, 01:10 AM
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I've put nearly 3,000 miles on my B-67. There are no "signs" that it is broken in other than a couple of small indentations. However, it is softer and more pliable, especially after it has been ridden a few miles. I was considering getting a B-17, but its small width worries me.

Have you tried other seat angles for a better fit?
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Old 10-03-07, 02:03 AM
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That's the spirit - invent a Brooks Breaker. I tend to solve the problems of the world while riding, too. You should be ok after a couple hundred more. Sounds like it's already bending to your will.
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Old 10-03-07, 02:07 AM
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Originally Posted by (51)
I've put nearly 3,000 miles on my B-67. There are no "signs" that it is broken in other than a couple of small indentations. However, it is softer and more pliable, especially after it has been ridden a few miles. I was considering getting a B-17, but its small width worries me.

Have you tried other seat angles for a better fit?
Same with my 67's, but many more miles. They never seem to form like the 17 series. I think it's because they distribute the weight and down force of the rider more. Very comfortable saddle, the 67.

If you measure your ischials and find the width to be about 140mmish, the 17's will probably be fine. They fit the widest range of riders. If you like the springs on the 67, try the Flyer. It's a 17 with the same springs as the 67.
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Old 10-03-07, 05:54 PM
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I have the flyer. I've been riding it for about a year now, so that's around 4,000 miles (changed jobs at 6 months and doubled my commute). For me, it took about 200 miles to not be painful, but more like 2,000 before I was thinking of it as comfortable. Now it has some really nice indentations in it and I don't have any complaints at all.
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Old 10-03-07, 06:34 PM
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I hesitate to ask, but I've got to know. What are ischials, and how do you measure their width?
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Old 10-03-07, 06:40 PM
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The key to my B 17 was the fine tune adjustment. One I was able to dial it in, it was increadable. I could sit on that thing all day. I broke my post and how I have to start the fine tuning all over and my bottom sure can tell. OUCH!, I can't wait till I get it dialed in again.
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Old 10-03-07, 06:58 PM
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Ischials are your "sit bones". I guess you can sit on some kind of foam and make indentations and then measure the distance between them. Sit on a new brooks for a while and you will know their exact location!
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Old 10-04-07, 02:20 AM
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I measured my ischial width by:
1)cutting off the four flaps of a corrugated cardboard box 2) stacking them 3) and sitting on them for about twenty minutes during the news 4) then, measuring the indents center to center.

However, there is more to it than just knowing that measurement. Your ischials are surrounded by a fleshy pad specifically designed for sitting. It's tougher than other areas of skin on your body. Typically, the diameter is about the size of a quarter or a little larger.

You should figure that there is another 5/8" of width on each side, or, about 1.5cm. So, add a total of 3cm to your indent width, and you'll have a better idea of what saddle width to buy.

Example: The indents are 12cm + 3cm for the soft tissue. That's 150mm total ischial width.

A B17 is 170mm wide, but only has a useable width of about 145 to 150mm, because of the steel frame under the rear/sides of the saddle, which you cannot break-in. Thus, a rider whose total ischial width is under 150mm, with the fleshy pads figured in, will fit a B17/Flyer

All Brooks saddles have the steel frame under the seat, and this should be taken into consideration when thinking about what width to purchase. I doubt that any human that has ever formed that frame to their body.
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Old 10-04-07, 09:37 AM
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Originally Posted by airbrake
There is no sign of any break-in on the saddle, maybe my butt is
broken in!
Exactly. The saddle breaks in eventually, but your butt also has to get used to it. And +1 to what Cain said. Fine tune the adjustment and all of a sudden it'll be comfortable.
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