Giant Doofus

Hi all,

This is an odd question: Do you need a minimum body weight to break in a Brooks saddle, specifically the B67S? I saw on the Rivendell site that you must weigh at least 175 to compress the springs and that made we wonder about the rest of the saddle. I'm asking because after 300 miles on my new bike with a Brooks B67S, I see no evidence that I've made even the smallest dent in the leather. I have used proofhide a couple of times, but can't tell any difference.

This saddle is really hard, and I'm hoping it gets more comfortable soon! I don't normally commute in bike-specific clothing because my commute is only 6 miles (12 r/t), but so far I cannot bear to ride this saddle without the cushioning bike shorts provide.

A couple of details you might ask about: I do have the nose tilted up a bit. I'm sure I have it set to the right height. I weigh 115. Thanks for any advice you might offer.

Mark Stone

Hi Giant Doofus,

I abandoned my Brooks B-17 after a year and a half of trying to "break it in". It stayed hard, was uncomfortable, and I was always paranoid about someone stealing it. And I weigh about 230. I put on a generic Bontrager seat that cost 1/4 of the Brooks, and it is much, much more comfortable.

Brooks works for some people, but not for some of us -

ThermionicScott 

Proofide isn't for breaking in saddles, it's for keeping them from drying out.

It's possible that the B67S isn't the right shape for you -- a saddle that is the right shape for your anatomy (and is set up properly) should feel good immediately, Brooks is no exception. Where does it hurt for you?

Giant Doofus

It's killing my sit bones and producing serious chafing when I don't wear the bike shorts. I've even had a couple of saddle sores, which has never happened to me before on another saddle, even riding up to 50 miles in street clothes. My other bike has a specialized dolce on it -- lightly padded vinyl with a cut out section.

brianmcg123

People have this misconception that Brooks saddles "soften". They do not. It's not like a well worn in baseball glove.

Brooks for me are most comfortable on day one.

Sounds like you need to go back to the Dolce, or try a different Brooks.

tjkoko

Although they won't soften, they'll flex more over time. My B17 took at least 500-800 miles to achieve a measureable increase in flexibility.

Rerock

Yes, Brooks don't soften up; they mold to your anatomy.

Mine is as comfortable as my leather couch.

You want the nose up just enough so that you don't feel like your sliding forward, but not too much where the rivets are digging in to your tush.

tjkoko

Here's a letter written to Brooks and their comment fwiw:



BROOKS ENGLAND LTD. | CITY+&+HEAVY+DUTY | B67

Written by Mark Caspar from New Zeland 9/21/2009

COMMENT > Last year I bought B 67 saddle. I can say that it is very firm and hard to break in. Although I am not heavy, I suppose it had to be broken much sooner. So as regards comfort it has not proven very good for me.

REPLY > Did you apply Proofide? Did you adjust it properly? If your problem is that it has not shaped to your anatomy, maybe try to moisturize it and ride on it. It might help to get your shape. Before doing so, do not put Proofide.

Bike Gremlin

I left mine in heavy raind (bike locked outside), rode it 15 kms home then. Broken in instantly. Got the shape of my butt printed in it. Been god ever since... until the bike got stolen.

Leather saddles are too cold in the winter time - their only fault. Winters here are such that you can ride in just jeans, but having a leather saddle calls for extra padding on the back side. Synthetic ones seem to keep me warmer. :/

cobrabyte

OP; this saddle is designed with the intention of having the handlebars fairly high in relation to the saddle. What bike do you have it on?

TransitBiker

I had a chance to check out some brooks offerings...... they seem very hard & like they would stay hard. The moisture for softening makes sense, but you cannot use it till it dries completely.

I would recommend a simple serfas or other less expensive seat with a bit of padding built in. Even if the padding mushes down over time, it will more quickly fit you, as it is more flexible surface. The one on my bike seemed too hard and small, but when i tried my cruiser seat on it, did not work, as it is designed for a more upright position, the stock seat now seems perfect.

- Andy

fietsbob

they are not idiot (doofus) proof , nor right for everyone ,, thats why there are several thousand makes and models of saddles made these days.

I have a 30+ year old Brooks pro I got new .. then. when I weighed 160 ish .. It's still fine.. though I left it on my touring rig.

... that's parked since my last long adventure.

Dirt Road

Hi, GD - It may be your saddle's idiosyncrasy. I had a B17 that simply refused to yield. I think it came from a cow that had already fossilized. Fifteen years later I'm back at it with a Team Pro, and it's working as advertised. It began to show the barest indention after the first ride, and now at a month or two, the notches are pronounced. Not deep, though! I still have to deliberately position myself so my sit bones are properly in the dents. (And the team pro is supposed to be one of the stiffest saddles they make.)

I'd try leaving a dampened cloth on it for a few hours and attempting an imprint right after. But don't stay on long. See what happens. If that doesn't work, try a longer/wetter soak, and a longer time on top. And if that doesn't work, you probably have one that came pre-fossilized or from a mad cow disease bovine. It shouldn't be overly hard to sell if it still looks new.

BTW, I've heard that it's terrible to actually RIDE a wet Brooks, but there's contention about this.

tjkoko

Here's the reply I received from Brooks:


Dear Terry Moistening of the leather should only be considered as a last resort measure; it is a dangerous procedure and is undertaken entirely at your own risk. The first actions that I would suggest that you try are:- Applying some Brooks Proofide to the leather. Leave this on overnight before buffing off. Proodide does soften the leather Add more tension. Give the tension pin one full turn. This is will encourage the fibres of the leather to begin their natural stretch and conforming actions. ------------------------------------------------- If you do decide to try the leather moistening, then please do not over-wet the leather. You should ride on the saddle while the leather is still wet (even though this might result in colour dye staining on your trousers). The leather is more pliable and easier to mould when it is wet

Giant Doofus

interesting. Thanks for the info.

It's on an Achielle Oma, a Belgian-made bike that's like a traditional Dutch-style step through. Pretty much an upright ride.

It does look new, but I'd like to get it useable if possible instead of selling it. It just looks so gorgeous on my bike!

Okay, I'll try dampening the saddle this weekend. Might tighten the tension too.

Thanks all.

JoeyBike

I was 115 lbs when I broke in my first Brooks Pro in 1974. I rode it at least one hour every weekday (30 to and from school) and sometimes more on weekends. This was long before they made any "pre-softened" models.

Giant Doofus

Okay, good. So it's not a weight issue. I ride mine an hour a day (30 min. each way) four days a week, so that's pretty close to your experience.

JoeyBike

Keep in mind too that my road bike for getting to school was set up like a road bike - minimal weight on the saddle. I would sometimes try to make it all the way to school riding with no hands but I have a feeling the saddle was broken in by then. It's a matter of time, not weight.

Medic Zero

I had a very similar experience. Friend sold me his B-17 Imperial (with the cut-out) as he didn't like it. Don't know how many miles he tried it for, but I doubt is was more than a hundred or two.

When I first put it on my bike it was as hard as you can imagine. I describe it is harder than a rock. It felt like old hard plastic. No give that I could feel, it just felt like I was on something completely unforgiving. This went, on and on, for hundreds of miles. If my saddle support hadn't fit it (and my old saddle not), and I hadn't been pretty poor at that time, I'm sure I would have given up on it and used something else. Because I didn't have much in the way of options at that time, I just kept riding it. And kept riding it.

Somewhere after about 700-800 miles it finally eased up some. Some. It's nowhere near as comfortable as my old double-sprung gel saddle, nor is it anywhere near as comfortable as my Selle Anatomica was. I still wonder why Brooks have such a following actually. Now, after about 4 or 5 thousand miles it seems to be getting more uncomfortable, I think I may need to tighten the tension screw, although all the Brooks horror stories I've read over the years have me terrified to even attempt it!