RalphMalph

I just tried out my new Brooks B-67, and while it is the most comfotable saddle I have ever sat on, the nose area of the saddle kind of pokes me in, well, that area that is directly above the nose area.

I have a micro adjustable seat post, and no adjustment drops the nose down far enough where it is not bothersome, and still on an angle that is acceptable.

Is this normal for a brooks? Will I just get used to it?

Are there any other saddles out there that are comfortable like a brooks that I could try?

I am so frusturated, as the stretched leather concept is so very comfortable.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

unterhausen

the advice I've seen tells you to put the nose higher than you might otherwise have it with a more rigid saddle. I never ride my brooks very far, so I've never had any problem with numbness. Seems like it's possible you are riding to far forward on the saddle. Sorry I can't help more, you might want to search in the road and touring forums.

Sirrus Rider

+1 With nose up. Yeah I know it sounds counterintutive, but it rocks your sit bones back on the hard part of the saddle where they belong. Then your "nose" is tilted up and your soft parts are out of the way.

BengeBoy 

What he said.

RalphMalph

Egg Silent, I will definately try that when I get home. I guess the correct term I should f used is perineum pressure.

Thanks for the advice. If that doesn't work, I guess my only other option is some crappy gel saddle. I really hate gell saddles, but I can live with a little numbness more easily than the constant annoyance of my perineum being poked at (If the saddle at least bought me dinner first maybe).

kk4df

Also, your Brooks might not be comfortable if your saddle is much higher than your bars. The Brooks saddles seem most comfortable if the saddle and bars are just about level. That's one more reason the Brooks is more of a commuting and touring bike saddle than a race bike saddle.

noteon 

+1 on the tilt.

Unless you're a giant, your perineum shouldn't be that far forward in the first place. Your sit bones should be solidly planted as far back as they can get without feeling the metal frame of the saddle; all that leather back there is specifically intended to support them.

If the rest of your fit is comfortable, try moving the saddle forward instead of moving your butt backwards.

My B17 is positioned well below my handlebars, so the height issue is not universal; however, if tilting and sliding the saddle doesn't work, that might be the next thing to look at.

RalphMalph

I have tried everything. The only way to take the pressure off is to sit back where I am actually sitting over the metal rails. I am going to assume that is too far back.

I am just an average sized guy in every way, and that nose slaps my testis around like a speed bag as I pedal, and puts pressure on my perineum.

I have been riding bicycls since I was a kid, and been on many a seat, and I have never noticed this problem before.

Am I suppose to actually sit over the metal rail?

neilfein

...unless the numbness causes permenant damage.

harleyfrog

Also be aware that while Brooks saddles have a devout following, they are not for everyone. Having said that, I do know that a few lucky individuals have been testing a new Brooks saddle for men call the Imperial. It is, from what I've read, essentially a B-17 with a cutout in the center and laces on the underside to keep it taut. You can see a picture of it here.

I have a B-17 and I love it. I'm just an ordinary, average guy and it took a little adjusting to get just the right feel on my Brooks. Have you given any thought to trying a different model of Brooks?

harleyfrog

Also be aware that while Brooks saddles have a devout following, they are not for everyone. Having said that, I do know that a few lucky individuals have been testing a new Brooks saddle for men call the Imperial. It is, from what I've read, essentially a B-17 with a cutout in the center and laces on the underside to keep it taut. You can see a picture of it here.

I have a B-17 and I love it. I'm just an ordinary, average guy and it took a little adjusting to get just the right feel on my Brooks. Have you given any thought to trying a different model of Brooks?

climbhoser

I've suffered pressure on my perineum, both from my B-17 Champion Standard and my Team Professional. I have a Brooks B-17 Imperial as well, and it really is a lifesaver.

For me it's a very fine line of nose too far down vs. pressure. I can find the balance, but it's tricky. I've found that for the wider saddles I really need my bars at least level with the saddle, and preferably closer in. For my Team Pro I can handle some drop, but not a whole lot.

What gets me is pelvic tilt. When I first starting riding a Brooks I was used to the good-form of having a forward pelvic tilt. My B-17 just wouldn't allow it, so I changed to rolling my pelvis back. It put my more on my sitbones, lifted my taint, but I also lost reach and had to go with a stubby stem to make my bike work. Not a good solution. The Imperial made it better, but still not great.

Honestly, for a true road bike with bars below saddle I think you either need to get the Swift/Swallow (I've *heard* that these work great, even from curmudgeons) or a plastic saddle made specifically for that type of bike.

Team Pro seems to be best built for cyclocross/mountain bike typical position - bars maybe just a hair below saddle, and you spend lots of time out of the saddle for handling.

B-17 and wider seem best for the touring to cruiser range. They're great commuter saddles, but I really think they're best served by a bike with bars level to higher than the saddle, and closer than a typical road bike. My current commuter incarnation has wide, Albatross style bars that are about 1/2" above the saddle and they're inches closer to me than a road bike. I sit very upright and my taint doesn't even touch.

Did you get the right saddle for your bike? I don't think gel is the answer, and even though I hate to say it maybe Brooks isn't for you. There are TONS of other saddles that are good, but seriously avoid the dreaded gel.

Do you have a wide behind? Do you really or do you just think you do? What kind of bike are you riding? How's the setup, stretched out or upright? WTB makes some great, wider MTB saddles that some people love for touring/commuting too.

HardyWeinberg

If the seat's poking you where it shouldn't, it's probably in the wrong place. Need to look further into fore/aft or seatpost height.

ItsJustMe

Yup, I tipped the nose way up, it put my sit bones farther back and elevated my body up higher.

neilfein

Anyone try raising the bars a touch? I've got the height and tilt on my B17 juuuust right, but now I'm getting some hand pain on the hoods. Will higher bars help?

climbhoser

I've fit so many people who had the hand pain and started by raising their bars...eventually they get to the point where they have riser bars AND bar ends sticking straight up in the air. It's like they can't get the weight off of their hands no matter how hard they try.

And do you know what it is almost 99% of the time? Seat too far forward.

Yep. Most of these people could have avoided years of issues with hand pain simply by getting a seatpost with more setback and positioning the seat as far back as possible.

That's not to say that bar height doesn't mattter...it does. Higher and closer help, but you would be amazed at how low and stretched out you can be comfortable with if your saddle is far enough back.

Bat22

I don't have the time to ride as much MTB as I used to. I still subconsciously use the attack position on my commuter. Feet level on the pedals and pushed back on the seat for balance.
Odd as it seems, that's how I adjust my seat position. And it works for me.

neilfein

I just moved it a touch forward and it hasn't helped; I'll try going back, thanks!

unterhausen

I was riding home tonight after reading this thread. My brooks looks like it is pointing up to me, but it puts exactly zero pressure on the area that causes numbness. I don't know how those crazy Brits pulled that off, but it works. Course my backside still hurts since I'll never manage to break the stupid thing in, but it's only 5 miles, I think I'll survive

climbhoser

Yeah, it's slightly counter-intuitive. I'm sure you're like those 99% of people, thinking "ah, the closer I am the less I reach, the more upright I sit!"

Problem is until you're sitting almost 90 degrees upright you're still relying on quite a bit of back muscle to hold yourself up. No one is strong enough to keep weight off of their hands using their back muscles for extended periods of time...you will relent, you will weight your hands.

Moving the seatback allows you to use the biomechanics in your leg to do the work instead. But you need your knees behind KOPS to do so. If you're wondering, this means your patella needs to be behind the spindle of your pedal using a plum bob when your pedal is horizontal (forward pedal, of course). Then you're pushing yourself back and up. If your knee is not behind KOPS the biomechanical advantage is lost, and it's all up to your back muscles again, and you will fail.

Putting it a bit back doesn't do anything unless it gets you back far enough to be behind KOPS.