Oregon Southpaw

So being budget minded and being a cyclist is usually a losing proposition. You buy the cheapest stuff the first time - which isn't really all that "cheap" - then it breaks / doesn't work right and you are faced with buying the right / better / thing that works.

So somehow in the flurry of WANTING a Brooks bad, my dad and I managed to get ourselves a great price. On the Professional S.

In the excitement I didn't put this together. I got it last night, applied the Proofide like a good Brooks drone should, installed and mounted it. TAINT CRUSHER.

Got the nose down a little further and went on a 10-miler this morning to test it out. Obviously the new leather was a little rough on the sit-bones but altogether better than before.

Now I'm the moron here so I don't feel right about trying to get the company I got it from to refund my money. They provided their end of the deal. And putting the proofide on there...still its doesn't feel at all bad on the 'bad spot' but I did notice some discomfort if I slid too far (particularly during shifts).

I will post a pic later, maybe you guys could advise on making this work. Or not...

PS - I've heard the S is just "small", which makes sense because it looks sort of tiny. Fortunately I'm pretty light in the trunk currently.

Wanderer

The S means short, as opposed to regular.

Start with it perfectly level, and adjust it for position (fore/aft)

Once there, make sure you are situated so yur sit bones impact in the middle of the spot you sit on.

Adjust it nose up/down until you don't slide fore or aft while pedalling.

Fine tune the tilt if you can feel the saddle anywhere but the sit bones.

Enjoy the ride.

The_D

Read the fine print; you now have to get a sex change. Sometimes less, as they say, is more.

Machka 

The only difference between a men's Brooks and a women's Brooks is that the women's Brooks is ever-so-slightly wider, and shorter. That's it.

And with Brooks saddles, you don't want to tilt the nose down ... you want to tilt the nose up. Go look in the Long Distance forum at the Century Bicycle thread and have a look at all the Brooks saddles in there. Most are tilted up in front. Tilting the nose up forces you to sit on your sitbones.
https://www.bikeforums.net/long-distance-competition-ultracycling-randonneuring-endurance-cycling/270172-your-century-bicycle-s.html

And proofide just protects the leather.

Good core strength also helps with riding well on a Brooks. Suck your abs in, and tilt your pelvis under just a bit.

Retro Grouch 

Why don't you want to check into exchanging it for the saddle that you really want?

JohnDThompson 

What's the problem? I use an Ideale mod. 92 Diagonale "Dame" saddle on one of my bikes, and my weenie hasn't fallen off yet.

stapfam

If you go to a Specialised dealer- they have an "Assometer". it is memory foam that you sit on and the width between the sit bones can be measured. That will denote the width of saddle to be used.

I am short- slim and lightweight- but "apparantly" I need a wider saddle than I currently use. Road bikes and I have narrow- Flite saddles but MTB's are a bit wider and on the offroad Tandem- where I sit more than on the other bikes- I have a wider still saddle. It is a San Marco "TransAm"- the womens version. On the Tandem it is comfortable- not on any other bike but it definitely is right for the Tandem.

So either get the sex change or fit it to an offroad Tandem. (Think it would be cheaper to have the sex change though)

Wanderer

The only difference being that the B-17 S is 7mm wider, and 35mm shorter. About 1/4" wider, 1 3/8" shorter. Actually preferred by some....

Phone the seller, if you want - you've nothing to lose "either way!"

Oregon Southpaw

Saddle pointed upward? I have found a pretty good position with it currently about level, but I do find myself "scootching" more than I feel like I should.

Perhaps this is a personal thing, but whenever I put the nose up that creates a TON of perienial pain. Does that indicate incorrect saddle height / fore-aft position?

Retro Grouch 

Brooks saddles feel a little slippery when they are brand new but that goes away pretty fast.

Machka 

You don't have to tip it up a lot ... some people do, but others have it up just a little bit. And focus on sucking in your abs and tucking your pelvis under as you ride.

But yes, Brooks saddles are slippery to start with so you might have to get past that stage first.

Wanderer

And, you should not feel it anywhere but your sit bones in your normal riding position.

randya

personally, I order the women's models on purpose, they are a bit wider and I like them better that way