Fit Question Regarding Brooks Break-In
01-12-08, 10:05 PM
#1
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Fit Question Regarding Brooks Break-In
My brooks is breaking in nicely and I am getting the two characteristic divots where my sit bones go. My only question is, one divot is noticably larger and deeper than the other.
The bike feels good in general. Once in a while I get a dull ache in one side of my lower back. Nothing really painful, but maybe it's related?
Have any other brooks users seen this? I suppose it could be because I am favoring one leg over the other, but really any explanation I can come up with is just grasping at straws. Any ideas? (Pretty sure this is the correct place for this post. Please move accordingly if not.)
I am not really worried about it. Just curious if it is an indicator of somewhere I should tweak the fit of my bike.
The bike feels good in general. Once in a while I get a dull ache in one side of my lower back. Nothing really painful, but maybe it's related?
Have any other brooks users seen this? I suppose it could be because I am favoring one leg over the other, but really any explanation I can come up with is just grasping at straws. Any ideas? (Pretty sure this is the correct place for this post. Please move accordingly if not.)
I am not really worried about it. Just curious if it is an indicator of somewhere I should tweak the fit of my bike.
01-12-08, 10:55 PM
#2
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Our bodies aren't symmetrical. You may have one leg longer than the other. You may have a tilted pelvis.
You may need to fiddle with the saddle height millimetre by millimetre to see if that makes a difference. I know of some riders who have their (non-Brooks) saddles angled slightly to one side of straight ahead to compensate for such things. For one leg longer than the other, you might need to look at some solutions ranging from a thicker insole in the shoe on the shorter side, to different crank lengths.
You may need to fiddle with the saddle height millimetre by millimetre to see if that makes a difference. I know of some riders who have their (non-Brooks) saddles angled slightly to one side of straight ahead to compensate for such things. For one leg longer than the other, you might need to look at some solutions ranging from a thicker insole in the shoe on the shorter side, to different crank lengths.
01-13-08, 01:33 AM
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In other words, one side of your ass is bonier than the other.
01-13-08, 02:02 AM
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Bicycle Quarterly did a recent article on this phenomenon, the reviewer experienced the same issue to a greater degree on a new Brooks Team Pro. His conclusion was a bad batch of leather/quality control issues. I guess it depends on how severe the difference is, but the pics from the BQ article showed marked sag difference side to side. I have a Brooks Team Pro and a Swallow on different bikes, both breaking in even...FWIW.
01-13-08, 05:58 PM
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I am having the same phenomenon with my B17. I'm attributing it to physiology, not the saddle. I have to imagine my body is wonky enough to cause more pressure on one cheek.
01-13-08, 08:13 PM
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one thought Maybe alittle more proofhide on the side thats not sagging as much will soften it up abit more and get it to settle more evenly.
01-13-08, 08:35 PM
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Concur with the assymetry and the proofhide suggestions.
As one who had two surgeries for dual herniated disks last year, I recommend nipping the back-thing in the bud. Consider restorative yoga and pilates, because back problems tend to snowball fast. I thought my life was over at 38. If you don't think you can relax enough in a yoga studio filled with attractive young women stretching and breathing deeply, your local library probably has some videos.
Good luck!
As one who had two surgeries for dual herniated disks last year, I recommend nipping the back-thing in the bud. Consider restorative yoga and pilates, because back problems tend to snowball fast. I thought my life was over at 38. If you don't think you can relax enough in a yoga studio filled with attractive young women stretching and breathing deeply, your local library probably has some videos.
Good luck!
