Fleet

I have a new Brooks B17 saddle on my hybrid bike. I expected a break in period, so no big deal there. As silly as it sounds , I just don't know where to position myself on the saddle. All the way back so the 2 hard parts are aligned with my sitbones? Doesn't feel right. Other than there though, I slide down too easily. I realize this may be hard to answer, but about how far in front of the 2 hard parts on the back of the saddle do you sit? I want to break it in at the right position.

I have the brooks level, by the way.

Thanks

knobster

Might want to tip it up just a bit. The slickness of it will wear off after a while and then you can level it if you want. My sit bones usually are about an inch or so from the rivets.

m00n

Check out this thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/293546-another-brooks-saddle-thread-questions.html

Proofide helped quite a bit with the slipperyness.

jcm

Tip it up til just the seat portion is level with the ground. Like in this pic: https://i8.tinypic.com/6fja7is.jpg

I advise not to do anything to reduce the slickness. It's slicker when new, of course, but the slickness has a function. That being: keeping the rider cool and comfortable by virtually eliminating sore-causing friction. Chafing in warm weather is almost unheard-of on a Brooks. You'll form the saddle within 300 to 1000 miles and won't notice any slipping anymore. At 1000 miles it will look alot different than at 300, I assure you. At that point, the slick finish, along with the slight up tilt of the peak, will serve to keep you in the pocket.

Right now, tip it up to keep you back on the wide portion. As it forms, you might find that you'll re-adjust a little, but most people keep a bit of up angle - as is suggested by Brooks.

unkchunk

I've had mine for about a month now. From reading, I was prepared for the hardness, but did not expect it to be so slippery. I don't slide around much now and haven't really done anything other than treat it with the Brooks saddle stuff. I'm at about the 300 mile mark and it's just now starting to feel comfortable.

Mariner Fan

I like the slickness! Prevents chafing.

ollo_ollo

I always set the front part of my Brooks level or slightly down, which puts the back at an angle. Also, there is a difference in break in time from saddle to saddle. In these pics, the maroon saddle was well broken in & very comfortable after only three or four hundred miles. The green saddle had 1700-2000 miles on it when this picture was taken & now with about 3,000 miles use, it looks much the same. Owner of my LBS has one with over 10,000 miles that looks like a twin of my green Brooks. All mine are comfortable, some are just more comfortable than others. Don

Banzai

This slickness does go away...perhaps in 100 miles or so. That, to me, was the most difficult part of "breaking in" my Brooks. It's also the part I least look forward to with my new Brooks.

Eggplant Jeff

Now, on yours, I notice a couple real distinct sit bone marks. Yet the top is nearly straight. Mine get really sway-backed after I ride 'em for a bit. Have you tightened the adjustment nut to keep it straight? Also what model is that? Perhaps the more expensive models are more durable than the B17 & B67 that I have.

ollo_ollo

None of my regulars had the tension adjusted.(I weigh 150 lbs) The Maroon is a Standard B17, the green is a B17 Champion, The black one in the foreground of the 4 old saddles is a Professional & I noticed all of my standard B17s broke in faster than the Champion. I have 2 new Champion models & notice they seem to have thicker leather.

I got a $10 standard B17 at the Seattle swap meet that was over treated with proofide. The leather was soft & pliable. It sagged in the middle & had the bottom edges laced together. I removed the lacing & put about 3 turns on the adjusting bolt. It is initially very comfortable but less so after an hour of riding. I put it away in the shop hoping it will dry & harden over time. I'll try to get a picture as it shows the consequence of to much proofide.

idcruiserman

My Swift never broke in, but I think it was too small for me. I ended up sitting on the rivets, but I didn't know any better. That racing green brooks looks awesome.

ronzorini

ollo,

Not to change the subject, but where did you get that nice maroon B17? All I've ever seen are the black and honey colors in the Standard B17.

...and what brand of saddlebag is that in the middle photo?

fender1

I just adjusted my b-17 champion special after about 3k miles. I gave the nut 3 full turns and it made a big difference in the comfort. I used the Brooks wrench. The saddle had sagged a bit and I felt like i was sinking in it. I got the instructions from the Rivendell website. There is a posted interveiw with George Flegg who worked for Brooks for like 30 years who says to do the adjusment above after the saddle stretches.

I am a larger felow 6'1'' 185 and I think that wieght can be a factor for the break in/sagging etc. I know of some folks who hated Brooks saddles because they never got comfortable. Most of those folks seem to be on the lighter/smaller side. I also got mine completely soaked in a torential down pour and road my 30 mile commute with the saddle soaking wet. It had been proofdied befor and after and is fine but I think the wetness helped the saddle stretch. YMMV.

HardyWeinberg

My 1st did that, I tentatively attribute it to having it too far back, which the saddle it replaced required, and my putting too much weight in the middle. I have moved it way forward, but 500 miles in that position hasn't resulted in any change from the first ~2000 miles in the wayback. And now that bike is somewhat relegated behind my new ride, which has my new brooks (one of those AEBike daily special jobbies posted here a while ago; if I hadn't ordered that saddle, maybe I wouldn't have gotten the new bike...) which, at ~700 miles, has no slickness and no real visible shaping either. Comfortable as all get out from mile 0 though. I leveled it front-to-back with a torpedo level when I mounted it. Maybe I'll take a higher-than-cell-phone res comparison shot of the two when I get home.

I did take the mtn bike w/ swaybacked brooks out for some errands a couple wks ago and it was a completely different feel, for sure. No discomfort, but definitely different.

Eggplant Jeff

Yeah, I'm closer to 6'4" 220. And they definitely stretch when wet. One of mine got so stretched when I rode in to work in a downpour that when I got off the bike, it was loose. As in, I snugged up the nose bolt by hand. It tightened up when it dried, but still...

HardyWeinberg

Here are mine, one (~2700 miles) swaybacked, and one (~700 miles) not. Both are about equally level stem to stern, just not so much in-between...


both are as far forward as they go on the seatpost (now), but the black one spent it's 1st 2k miles toward the opposite end, about as far back as it would go (and stay level).

ollo_ollo

A few years ago, I found the Maroon B17 on e-Bay with a "buy it now" of $45, $52 shipped. Seller said it was an ordering mistake which he thought wouldn't sell. Apparently Brooks thought so too, as I haven't seen any more in that color. Should have ordered 2!

I picked up that bag used at Seattle's Recycled Cycles for $5 & it had a brand new Minoura clamp on bottle holder inside! I later found the bag was sold by Rivendell but is now discountinued.

Half the enjoyment of this hobby is finding bargains.

tarwheel 

My B17s were comfortable from the first time I rode them, but they fit even better with more mileage. The big issue with Brooks saddles is getting them set up right. Most riders -- including myself -- seem to prefer to have the nose of the saddle tilted up. I felt like I was sliding forward when I set up the saddle level as with previous saddles. I have had problems using Brooks saddles on frames with steeper seat tube angles -- eg, 73-74 range. The rails are pretty short on Brooks saddles, and I can't move the saddles far enough back on my frames with steeper angles. However, the saddles fit fine on my Merckx frames that have 72.5 angles.

cerewa

That's a well-known characteristic of the leather used in some drums, at least. Every time it gets wet, the tension goes down and every time it dries, the tension goes back up.

cooker

Tell me about it. I had a hard time breaking in some loafers because the rear edge on one of them was a bit tight and cut into my heel, but eventually they stretched and became very comfortable. On Monday I put them on as I headed out the door on a two day trip and immediately noticed one was tighter than usual but I foolishly ignored it. It had gotten wet and then dried and shrunk to it's original size and for the last two days I was on the road with a shoe that really hurt!

Banzai

Looks like one of those saddles desperately needs to be tensioned, Hardy!

ekitel

I tried to put mine like that but it caused pain in the perineum and areas near there

Portis

I have 4 B17's with various mileage, from 100 miles all they way up in the tens of thousands on other bikes. So I can surely say that your question is relevant. It is not silly. These saddles do tend to push you forward. I don't think it is entirely do to "slickness" either. If you look at the saddle you will see that it is much higher in the back and slopes to the front.

This is the main cause of sliding forward sensations. . Regardless, if you level the NOSE of the saddle with the ground and possibly tip up a tiny bit, you should be fine as far as tilt goes. One thing about placing the sit bones, that i have found is that i often need to get the saddle WAY back on the rails to get my sit bones to land in the meat of the saddle. Otherwise there is a tendancy for me to sit on the back rail of the saddle.

So you might want to try tinkering with your fore and aft, move the saddle backwards and see how that feels. Again, these saddles are notorious for shortening a cockpit. The slickness that everyone speaks of is a non issue for me. My saddles with 10,000 miles aren't noticeably "less slick" than my new saddle with 100 miles. They may feel a little less slick, but on the bike i don't notice that i am sliding more on the new one than on the old.

Lastly, i always tell everyone that it is breaking your backside into the Brooks that matters here. Forget about breaking in the saddle. You sort of have to learn how to ride a Brooks, at least you have to learn how to be comfortable on one, because they do "push you forward" compared to most other saddles.

Portis

That looks like a very poorly adjusted saddle. Bad idea. Level the NOSE of the saddle.

thebankman

After riding the Brooks B17 with seat even with the ground for a couple hundred miles, I kept slipping forward and moved the nose up a bit. It works great but I would like a wider seat as my sit bones hit the rivets. Not painful but could be better.