combatdecoy

I just got home from a 10 day, 445 mile tour of Wisconsin/Minnesota and towards the end I started feeling
some discomfort that I haven't had since before I change saddles. I'm wondering if it is time to tighten the brooks...
I've had it since 08, and its probably got 3-4 thousand miles on it.
I read that once you tighten them, you can't go back so I just thought I'd ask here and see if anyone has
experience with this.
Thanks!
Mark

Wanderer

You do not want to tighten it if it's not really needed. All you want to do is bring it back level, not tight......... A little goes a long way. Just lacing it, will oftentimes bring it back where you want it.

chewa

+1, just a quarter or half turn would do.

Rowan

What are the symptoms? It may be that if the dimples have become really defined, you may need to lift the saddle up in the seat tube by a 1/16th or 1/8th of an inch. Also, look again at the horizontal angle of the saddle.

One of the "down" sides of a Brooks is that it is a dynamic piece of equipment -- that is, it continues to change its shape ever so slowly to mould to your butt. In doing so, there are subtle changes that may be needed in adjustments.

Effectively, with the butt hollow or dimples forming, you are lowering the seat height very slowly. In addition, there may be slightly more prominence of the middle of the saddle, which means maybe levelling the saddle more to take pressure off perineum.

If your saddle has sagged a lot, tightening the bolt will only do so much before stretch around the rivets starts to initiate tearing. You'll also might register significant difference in how the saddle feels under your sit bones and you may have to actually ease it half the amount you tightened it. chewa is right, a quarter turn is about the limit for an initial adjustment.

By the way, did you give the saddle any initial treatment to help it break in?

MMACH 5

I have a B-17 Imperial. I liked the lacing so much, I cut and laced my B-17 Standard.

If lacing is an option, I'd go that route before messing with the tension bolt.

combatdecoy

Ok, I did turn it about a 3/4 full turn. I treated it with proofhide initially, and on and off every so often since I've had it.
Yes, it is the sit bone spots that are starting to sag and seemingly put pressure right in between..
Is lacing it when you cut out the middle? I've not heard the term "lacing" before so I'm not sure what that is...
If so, where is a good place to go to get that done?
Thanks so much for your tips!!
Mark

Rowan

Like I said, you may have to ease off the tension a bit when you ride it again. It's a tweaking game.

Lacing goes like this. The sides or "wings" of the saddle flare very slightly when you sit on it. That flaring gives a clue to the "suspension" that the saddle has bult into it. Sometimes, the flaring gets bit much. By drilling a series of around five holes at the bottom of each wing, and threading a shoes lace (or a leather lace if you want to keep the faith), you prevent the flaring from occurring so much, which has the effect of seeming to increase the firmness of the sit area on the saddle.

Go to this Brooks Saddles page and click on the picture of the saddle. This is a B17 Aged, which has the holes pre-drilled, and the laces in the first couple.

Really, if you want to go that route, all you need is an electric drill and bit, a ruler, a leather thong of the right length, and a steady hand.

combatdecoy

OK! I'm going to see what I can so about the lacing situation. It doesn't seem to be too complicated. Thanks so much for your tips!

pdlamb

I've never needed to lace any of my Brooks, but I've had to tighten most of them.

"Tighten" isn't really what I do. You don't really want to grab a cheater bar and start leaning on it to "tighten" a Brooks saddle. Rather, you want to take the looseness out. Put the funky spanner (it's not much of a wrench) on the nut and figure out which way is "tighter." Count the quarter turns so you can get back to where you started. From that starting place, turn it "tighter" until you feel resistance. Depending on your weight, riding style, and how wet the saddle's gotten while you're riding, it could be 1/4 turn to a full turn. When you feel resistance, stop. The nut isn't loose any more. You're done.

Wanderer

Don't drill the holes. Harbor Freight has really cheap leather punches. You get a nice, clean, hole.

BigAura

+1 to using a leather punch vs. drilling.

jazzgeek79

I'm a Clyde and when my b-17 started to sag I was afraid that the I was too heavy for the standard black leather ( I had only had the saddle a year ). I laced mine with a military surplus boot lace and now I couldn't be happier.