surmakyl

I just purchased a Brooks B-17 does anyone have any tips for the perfect break-in. i.e is it better to ride w/o padded shorts? Are there any remedies that resemble breaking in a baseball mitt?

robow

Just ride it and if so interested, do a search on the subject and you could still be reading until next week.

blorg1

In my experience the B-17 doesn't need any particular break-in and was more comfortable than the saddle it replaced (Specialized BodyGeometry) from Day 1. I smeared over with Proofide and rode the thing as much as possible, swapping between bikes to ensure maximum break-in.

It has def visibly moulded to my shape since and prob was more comfortable after the first 2-300k or so. But it was fine from out of the box.

Other Brooks saddles are meant to be a bit harsher.

Oh, do use padded shorts.

Great saddle, likely it will outlive you ;-)

jharte

One thing I have found out (many people have mentioned it in the Forums as well) is that the Brooks saddles are really geared for a more upright riding position. One of my bikes is set up for a more stretched out riding position. The Brooks didn't work very well on that bike. My old Raleigh is a more upright riding position and the B-72 I just put on feels great. Just my .02

Jerry H

bhchdh 

Three sugestions:
1. Ride the brooks.
2. Ride the brooks.
3. Ride the brooks.

My apologies to Fausto Copi.

Rowan

Ride and be patient (something many people aren't good at being).

becnal

Buy a jar of Brooks proofhide. Use it. Wear only black cycling shorts after applying some proofhide, no khaki trousers or shorts in case some coloring wears off.

I just bought my 7th Brooks saddle. I'm a fan, ya might say.

blorg1

I would disagree with this, at least with regard to the B-17. I have it on my drop-bar tourer on which I am quite stretched out and it is fine. I also used it on my road bike while breaking it in. The thing is pretty hard after all and for me it works better with my weight somewhat distributed between saddle, pedals and handlebars. The B-72 on the other hand is different, semi-sprung design and it would make sense that it would suit upright riding better.

Rowan

If you are stretched out, and use the drops a lot or have bars lower than the seat, the Brook Pro is a better choice... usually.

And becnal.... grrrrrrrrr... I am jealous. I've only got three and have acquired four in my cycling lifetime!! (I don't count the total write-off I bought from ebay).

becnal

RalphP

If your first ride is, say, forty or fifty miles, the Brooks can be kind of awful for the last half. BUT: every ride after that will be significantly less painful until it becomes not painful at all and then it becomes perfectly comfortable in a tough-love sort of way. Forget soft.

bokes

I once talked to the owner of Selle Anatomica who gave me an interesting tip on breaking in a brooks. Rap the saddle in a damp towel overnight and then the next day ride it as long as you can. The dampness will give the leather a bit of stretch without hurting it. (Absolutely don't use any break-in oils, because that actually damages the leather.) After that it should be much more comfortable.

TehK

Bokes, that really scares me, yet it sounds like it would probably work. =]

ernok1923

but why stretch out the saddle if you are only trying to brake it in? a broken in brooks saddle is practically worth its weight in gold, while a stretched out brooks is a reminder of what could have been....

blorg1

I am like this all right, and my bars are lower than the saddle. I was a bit concerned that the B17 might be a bit on the wide side but haven't had any issue. I did read suggestions of the Pro (or Swift) for this circumstance but also that the Pro was a lot harsher in terms of break-in, while the B17 was basically good from the get-go. As a Brooks virgin I decided to take the safer route with the B17 (I have yet to hear of someone who regretted a B17 purchase!) Only thing I would wonder about would be if the rivets are causing holes in my tights and whether the big-rivet version might have been a better idea (only one pair is getting the holes, mind, so it may be the tights.)

Rowan

I think it might be the tights. You shouldn't be sitting that far back on the frame that the rivets would case rubbing on the fabric.

I suppose much is to the individual, and it sounds like you have struck the right compromise or micro adjustments to get comfortable. It's a while since I had a Pro, so I can't accurately recall the shaping compared with the B17, but there definitely are differences, especially with the nose profile.

Fueled by Boh

the first time i rode my b-17 was immediately after a snowstorm. it got wet from the underside and from the top. it really moulded to my shape, but when dried out it returned to its original shape (without adjusting tension) with some minor longitudinal striations where my sit bones were.

since then i've proofided (sp?) it and put some miles on it. i dont think its totally broken in yet, as its only been used on my short school commutes. however, the weight of my books and lap top may be helping to work it in. it doesn't seem like getting it wet really damages it, unless you try to up the tension when its still damp. I would actually suggest riding it wet/damp once or twice. it really seems like that helps. afterwords, just dry and proofide.
side note: the aardvark saddle cover is actually waterproof, but the outer layer also holds and absorbs water, allowing it to work through slowly. I'd call the saddle cover more weatherproof/splashproof. it would also be good for locking your bike outside when expecting rain. with a rider on it, water absorbed by the outer neoprene-esque layer is forced through.

gfarrow

1.) Ride it
2.) Do NOT use anything on it except Proofide, and then only sparingly as described in the Brooks care guide.

There are some people, include Sheldon Brown (for whom I had a great deal of respect) who will tell you to saturate the saddle with oils to "soften it up". That is absolutely the wrong thing to do and will cause your saddle to become a "sling" or "hammock" for your butt, which is NOT what you want. You want the firm saddle to slowly conform to the shape of your butt. My Brooks B17 has been more comfortable than any other saddle I have from day one, and it is getting better every ride. I only have about 200 miles on it right now but it is starting to develop some nice sit bone indentations.

Machka 

You might have heard someone mention this, but ... ride the Brooks.

However, I will add something ... ride the Brooks in all sorts of weather ... especially rain. You'll go from riding the plank many of the riders on this forum are still riding to the beautifully curvy, customized easy chair I'm riding.

NoReg

The whole reason for using proofhide is that it isn't supposed to stretch the leather amoung various options in dressings. Obviously many other dressings are the same, but that is Brooks' control against using the wrong one, only revomending theirs. So I always wonder how it is that proofhide.

You can only wear it in one proper way, that is by stretching the leather to your shape, same thing with shoes. There are alternative methods of stretching though, mallets work fine for me, but you can sit on it with a fairy weigth and put in the miles also...

Gotte

As the Fonz used to say: "Sit on it."