MrCjolsen

How does it let me know?

onetwentyeight 

when it gets all floppy. You've got a few years before you even need to think about it.

ZachS

my oldest one, which i've ridden on and off for 5 years, is not even close to needing it.

freebird

Don't mess with the nut. It'll just stretch out the leather and ruin your spendy saddle. If it ever starts to really sag out, then you can give it a couple of turns to firm it up.

billetproofsoul

Mine started to squeak. I tighten it and 30 miles later it squeaks again. But I'm a big guy, I'm sure that's what it is.

morbot

squeaking is probably from the seatpost, not the seat. make sure the seatpost isn't tightened too much on the rails of the saddle.

billetproofsoul

It's definitely the seat. When it first started I emailed Wallbike.com, they said to tighten the bolt a little. When I tighten it does go away but it comes back so soon that I don’t even bother anymore. I just ride with a squeaky saddle.

roadfix

You'll know, after 25 years....if it needs it or not...

queerpunk

well-dressed representatives from Brooks will show up at your door and inform you.

ink1373

It happens faster with sprung saddles...I think partly because they are wider, but I'm sure that the springing action is hard on the leather.

Basically, when I start feeling the metal plate in the rear of the saddle more than I ought to, I give it a turn.

Landgolier

Who else has had the adjustment rig start to squeak? mine does, and it's not the seat post, I can take the saddle totally off and make it do it. I'm not sure if I should lube that mechanism or what, or just tighten it a little. Anybody ever solved this one for good?

freebird

I've owned many, many Brook's saddles. I've broken rails, snapped springs, torn the leather at the rivets, ridden them in the rain until they sagged like grandma's panties...
Never had one squeek, tho.
Just keep riding it, maybe it'll go away. Barring that, sell it on ebay.

Leif-fire-eater

yeah my brooks just started squeaking also. Slightly annoying. Everytime I hit a bump it sings. Feels great though and that's what matters the most. I still really love my selle italia flite gel though. Might be the best saddle ever.

aadhils

It might be better to lace it up rather than re-tension it...

lasertotheface

my new brooks (about three months) is squeaky as well. bothers the **** out of me.

billetproofsoul

Lacing was the second solution I tried. It had no effect but narrowing the front. It's time for a new saddle, I don’t know if it will be a brooks this time though.

jbrams

From women's bike forum:

Here's what Bill (from wallinford bikes, which sells many brooks with an unconditional 6 month guarantee) told me to do:

1. Take the saddle off the bike.
2. Turn it upside down.
3. See the threaded bolt thingy? (in the nose) Wiggle it. The end of that bolt is round, and sits in a cup at the very front of the shackle in the nose. It's meant to move freely within the cup.
4. Did you hear your noise? (it'll be quieter than on the bike, but I heard some of my noise just FINE)
5. If that made noise, drip oil or smear grease into the edges of the cup/bolt at the very front of the nose. (I used T-9, which is Boeing's version of White Lightning.) It will work its way in.

Next:

6. See the funny silver folded thing just aft of the cup and adjustment nut? See how it folds around the end of the bent rod that is the rails and frame?
7. Wiggle whatever you can there. (I wiggled the rail).
8. Did you hear more of your noise? (I didn't.)
9. Whether you did or not, drip some oil in there anyway. Can't hurt.

Finally:

Put the seat back on the bike. Do some of the stuff that you know made the seat creak before. Is it better? Good. Repeat the above as necessary to make you happy.

Still noisy? Call Bill. Some seats are just noisy, for whatever reason. He will try to help you more specifically over the phone, or replace it.

I was just CERTAIN that the noise was coming from under my butt, not from the nose. But it really was coming from the nose, I just felt it under my butt. After riding a few times I can now hear just the faintest little snap again when I'm rocking in the saddle (climbing the Evil Hill of Doom on my commute, bad form I know). Bill said grease was best. I didn't have grease, so I'll just keep applying T-9 until I built up enough wax in the cup to get rid of all the noise.

thenewblk

it's the the sqeaky seat that gets greased

fender1

Best to just let that statement go, I can't add anything constructive.

mander

A Brooks gets floppy fast if you apply too much conditioner, even Proofide. Go easy on the conditioner and resist the urge to soak your new saddle. 2-4 coats of proofide ought to do you on a new saddle. Remember that the leather is not supposed to be soft, it's supposed to be supportive---if it's soft, something's ****ed up.

jbrams

I felt a few saddles recently and noticed that their tension varied widely but their riders each said they were "just right" (except one rider who was just beginning to break his in). None had adjusted their saddles since they got them. Mine was on the "loose" end of the spectrum though it felt fine. I'm a heavy rider and decided to give it a three-quarter turn tighter and it was still substantially looser than most the others. I understand that most people play with it too much and can cause damage to the leather which is why many people on this thread and others are warning against "messing" with it. Probably that's the best advice.

Mueslix

If it's loose, and believe me, you can tell, turn it just a little bit at a time to get it taut again. I have a sprung Brooks, and it seems I have to re-tension it once a year.

Landgolier

This cured my squeak, at least just futzing with it and sitting on it in the living room. We'll see if it's permanent once the road salt goes away.

DasProfezzional

The Brooks on a '72 Schwinn I came to possess needed all of a half of a turn. Done and done.

Wil Davis

My ol' Granny used to say that squeaking shoes meant that they weren't paid for…

…you didn't get your Brooks on a credit-card by any chance?

- Wil