BengeBoy 

I recently got a new Brooks (Swift) saddle for one of my bikes and it made me realize how cushy my older Brooks Pro saddle had become over the years (it's about 26 years old...not in continuous use, but it likely has somewhere over 6,000 miles on it).

My Brooks Pro saddle feels OK to ride, but just a little saggy to the touch, and since I've started using it quite a bit in the past 6 months I think it's definitely loosened a fair amount. I'm now worried that it will continue to sag and if I don't stop it it will (sniff) be time to put it out to pasture.

I know that Brooks sells a wrench to tighten the saddles, and am wondering whether it's time to tighten the tensioning nut. The Brooks care manual says, "Little and not very often is the key."

And Sheldon "The Oracle" Brown warns against it. In his excellent article on leather saddles on his site, he states: "In almost every case that I know of where someone has tried to adjust the tension with this nut, the saddle has been ruined. My advice is to leave it alone."

I hate to go against Mr. Brown, but am wondering -- has anyone actually done this and gotten away with it? How careful do you need to be, anyway?

deadly downtube

that quote by sheldon is strange... i have a b67.. and only rode it across the country, putting about 3,500 mi on it... one day i noticed it bolt and nut were clanging and loose... i'd also noticed that my butt was hurting, which was odd, since i'm used to a comfy ride... took it to the local retro brooks friendly shop, and they gave me the special campy wrench and told me it needed a few turns... ever since then, i've tightened my saddle a few times.. as the shop owner told me regarding how many turns of the wrench, "let your ass do the talkin"

Rowan

It might be time for a quarter turn after 26 years. I sold a Pro to a friend and at PBP in August he went to tighten the nut, and the bolt sheared off. It still left enough in the works to keep the saddle taut. So be aware that maybe a carefully directed squirt of a suitable thread lube might be needed. The Pro in question was less than five years old, but has done an estimated cumulative 70,000km with my and his riding.

I acquired a Brooks on eBay, but the seller had cunningly angled the shot used to advertise it to disguise a bad misshape on the left side, and two tears in the leather around the rivets front and rear that made the seat a write-off. And that, I think, is the danger -- tightening the adjuster to the point where it stretches the leather around the rivets so it tears faster than it should. A little increase in the tension across the sitting area is fine, but don't try to get the original shape back again.

Should the sag continue to be a problem even after a quarter (or a half turn), consider lacing the sides together. I have acquired another old Brooks sprung saddle that I am considering doing this to. The saddle is OK, but tends to settle my butt on to the framework, and it is obvious that the sides are flaring out further than they should. There are threads on BFs that have discussed lacing quite a bit. I am looking for a slightly more "elegant" way of doing it with leather loops on the inside held in place by rivets similar to those used by Brooks to hold the seat on the frame, then using leather lacing to pull the sides together. I figure that will reduce the wear and tear on my bike shorts from external lacing and probably look a bit neater.

RalphP

I used to tighten my leather saddles and never thought I'd ruined one. But now that I have a new Brooks, I applied my thumb to the old Brooks (that I haven't tightened in years) on my old bike and find it almost as soft as glove leather. But it still feels wonderful to ride so why would I tighten it? Now I think that I'll not be tightening saddles again unless there's some good reason, actual discomfort.

vik 

There have been reports of a batch of Brooks saddles with poor leather quality that have worn out [adjuster tensioned all the way] within 3,000-4,000miles. The defective ones I am directly aware of were owned by a rider experienced with leather saddle who has several other Brooks saddles in perfect condition after tens of thousands of miles so it isn't user error. He has related other cases of similar Brooks stretching problems from other riders he knows.

Brooks has replaced these saddles under warranty should you come across one.

I'm not suggesting all Brooks saddles will explode on contact or that you shouldn't buy one. I have two and a friend has one all of which have provided reliable service. OTOH if your Brooks seems to be stretching alarmingly fast don't hesitate to contact your vendor as you may have a defective saddle.

All I do to my Brooks saddles is add a small amount of proofride in the spring and fall - where I live is really low humidity. So far I haven't had to touch the tension bolt on any of these saddles.

seeker333

The current B17 adjuster bolt has 50mm of exposed thread. Clearly that's not an accidental hardware choice by Brooks since its a custom part. They've left room for user tensioning and for correction of manufacturing variances.

My experience has been that all saddles sag if you ride them enough. Simple battle between body weight against the rigidity of a plastic/leather/steel/titanium assembly, with some shock and vibration thrown in the process. Gravity wins every time. I expect shoes and the seat of pants to wear out eventually, so why not a saddle?

Sheldon shares a "fast break-in" procedure for Brooks where you soak it in oil. This does soften the leather instantly - also causes instant sag, and requires 3-4 full turns of tensioner to correct.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/leather.html

Lacing the skirt of the saddle will cure sag. See this page 40% scroll down. Use a small drill bit and some nylon string. "Tying" the saddle fixes sag but creates a new issue - a sharp transition area between the top and sides of saddle, a sharp shoulder that may become a pressure point.
https://www.wallbike.com/content/butchering.html

I think Proofide may not be the best choice for leather conditioning. Its made of tallow (beef fat) and other ingredients. This makes the saddle even more attractive to critters looking for a meal. It also has an odor that you may find offensive, which persists for 6-18 months. I suggest beeswax instead, melted into the leather with a hair dryer. Sno-seal used for waterproofing old style hiking boots for at least 30 years works great for this job.

jcm

After 26 years, you have little to risk if you look at it from the perspective of having gotten your money's worth. If you have oiled it alot, it may tear at the rivets. The Pro is one tough saddle, thicker than some other models, but I have seen them rip in half - right behind the nosepiece - from over tensioning + over conditioning. This, on older ones. I doubt that would happen on a newer blank. As you tension and ride, do it over a series of rides and examine the rivet area. If you see a "wave" trying to act like a pressure ridge, forming on the tight side of the rivets, slack off a tad.

Also, I agree with seeker333.
The thick hide blank needs little or no actual conditioning treatments unless it's been left out in the hot dry sun alot. And, a Brooks saddle should never get soft - ever. Soft is for dress shoes and glamor gloves. Saddles are working leather, and the support they provide is largely dependant upon the firm, shape holding characteristics of the blank. I also like SnoSeal, applied to the underside only, on a saddle that has been warmed thru in an oven.

deadly downtube

funny to hear people say they never tighten their saddles! makes me wonder if i shouldn't have bought a brooks from the cheapest seller on ebay! lol, i've tightened mine many times... still feels good... we'll see what the future holds!

BengeBoy 

Thanks, all.

I just ordered a wrench...I'll let you all know if I ruin it. After 26 years, it's time to take the plunge.

BengeBoy 

OK.

Got the wrench. Tightened the seat.

I even tightened it a bit more than the one-quarter turn that Brooks recommends.

The heavens did not open up. The creeks did not stop running. The cows did not stop giving milk. And the seat did not crack, split, break, or crumble.

Whew.

Hartmann

you will put your eye out!!

Supertick

I have a Brooks B-67 that my wife bought me for Christmas last year. It is the brown color and was "pre-aged". I rode the Southern Tier this summer and the saddle is just about toast. It sags so much I doubt that it could be tensioned enough to bring it back enough to ride.

I find it interesting that someone mentioned a bad batch of Brooks Saddles. My old B-17 is still going strong.

digitalbicycle

Can you explain the difference b/w tying and lacing?