paipo

Please forgive me if this has been done before, but what's your experience with available seats out there? Can you recommend any? Where are good places to get recommended saddles? My saddle collection is growing and I need to find some kind of bliss asap for my butt and roadbike. My big-rivet Brooks B17 Special hasn't broken in yet on two different bikes...and I know I should stick it out for the break-in, but its breaking me and making my rides less than enjoyable at times. I currently have a Pure V on the Roubaix, but I'm hoping to do better....better to relieve the pain on my perineum after 30-miles. Thanks in advance for your thoughtful advice.

cheesypoof

I love my allay saddles... Just make sure you properly measure your sitbone distance

b_young

Not saying this is it but tilt the nose of the brooks up a click or two and it forces you to sit toward the back of it. Much more comfy. I rode once in the rain, I was scared it would ruin my saddle but it was what helped break it in the most.

canopus 

If you have perineum pain, I would recommend either sending your Brooks to Monarch-Mclaren Ltd. for the slot upgrade along with the leather laminate upgrade, or ordering a Selle An-atomica for Clydes with the slot cutout.

Another option is a new saddle.

Also be careful with shorts or bibs that have a thick chamois, especially in the front.

paipo

Please explain how thick chamois/padding is detrimental to comfort on a bike saddle. Re: Brooks mods....are there links to this procedure? What does it make the saddle look like? Do you have forst-hand experience with these mods? How do they compare?

ClemY

After getting caught in the rain, I have found I can duplicate the effect of rain on the saddle by soaking a new saddle overnight in a bucket of water, then going out and riding it for at least an hour. Goes a long way for breaking it in. I just did this with a new Brooks B-17 on a new bike and it worked well.

OiS

I've never had one, but people with a Brooks swear they are fantastic after breaking them in. So, if money is not freely available to splurge on a new saddle, seems like sticking to this, with some mods as suggested (especially the slit in the middle) could be the way to go.

If the wallet could stretch to consider a new saddle, then as mentioned, it is important to get your sit-bones measured as the apparent size of your butt does not necessarily mean you need a big seat!! My 273lb butt for example apparently works pretty well with a 129mm width saddle as seen here:

canopus 

I recently purchased some Performance Ultra II bibs and the chamois in them is nice and thick, but they carry that thickness through the front of the chamois, which on me puts pressure on my perineum, more so than the Cannondale or Sugoi bibs I have and even with the Selle An-Atomica cutout. That pressure translates to numbness and an uncomfortable seating arrangement. I can handle it for about 60 miles but after that I can't. The chamois in the Cannondale bibs isn't as thick in certain places as the P.U. II's and I don't have the problem from them. The chamois is also better formed in the Cannondale bibs so it does not cause bunching, it forms to my body better.

Here is a link to the Brooks mod. with a small picture.
https://www.selleanatomica.com/dollar buyer.htm#Brooks_Upgrade_Services,_LD_slot_-_$49.50_

I used to ride a Brooks B-17 Special and a Champion Flyer Special.
I sold both and purchased the Selle An-Atomica saddles for both bikes. I liked the shape of the An-Atomica frame better than the Brooks on my sit bones but in either case I do recommend the perineum cutout. It completely eliminated perineum numbness for me.

zoste

Canopus linked you to the site for the modification. My experience was very positive. Monarch McLaren got my saddle back to me very quickly (something less than a week if I recall).

I tried riding the stock B-17 for over 300 miles, and it was like riding a baseball bat. I then tried a B-17n Imperial which was an improvement but still gave me numbness after just a few miles. I had previously tried a Selle Anatomica and found the saddle to be extremely comfortable but the leather just couldn't support my clyde size (and I was "only" about 240 at the time). So I decided to give the modification of the B-17 a try. I wouldn't exactly say the SA modified Brooks "disappears", but it's more comfortable, for me, than any other saddle that I've tried. It's still on my bike and I've done several centuries on it. I get numbness after about twenty miles or so, but I take a break, get off and walk around and I'm back on the bike. Here's a photo taken last year right around the time I did Livestrong Philly. Note that I punched the holes and laced it myself...it does not come back from M-McL like that.

garethzbarker

I can confirm that for some reason and only with my brooks that two pair of riding shorts with slightly more padding make the seat extremely uncomfortable on my nads. Brooks might not be for you but I did end up tweaking mine a lot before I got it where it is now. Probably the most helpful change was tensioning the nut a lot to remove dip. After tensioning (like Brooks advised me to do) I am able to ride the saddle level. My B17 is on a Roubaix. Still deciding if I want to cut it out or not. I only have like 200 or 300 miles on it. If I do cut it then I'll probably do it myself (there are forum posts explaining how to do it) By the way the B17 felt perfect on the butt from the minute I installed it.

XR2

Could you tell me how this is done without calling my friend Bruce??? ; )

zoste

Specialized dealers have something called (I swear I'm not making this up) an "Assometer". Basically a pad made of memory foam; they can then measure the distance between the dents that your ischeal tuberosities (sit bones) left.

garethzbarker

I thought an assometer was the part of the brain that automatically rated girl's asses from 1 to 10 when you are in public.

spthealien

I love my Fizik saddles. My sit bones are wider (or what they would refer to as a "bull") and have the best time with the Aliante saddles. I have them on my road, commuter, and mountain bikes.

zzyzx_xyzzy

Leather breaking in isn't magic. If it feels decent to begin with it will get better as it breaks in, but if it feels bad at first, then it's just the wrong shape and breaking in won't fix it.

Think if it like leather shoes or gloves. You expect shoes to have a break in period, but you still select a shoe that feels okay on your feet to begin with.

Chazzlee

I like the Brooks B68 on my Trek hybrid; it's a bit wider in the rear, and after adjusting it to the best feeling position I could find it's acquitting itself very comfortably! -AFA breaking in a Brooks goes, I haven't had any trouble with mine outta the box, but I did read where someone soaked theirs in motor oil in the hot sun for an hour and was very happy with the results... (???)