Jah, sooo, I'm wondering how to do this exactly. I have a B17, and the little wrench that is used to adjust the nut on the front. But it seems as though when I turn the nut, in either direction, that the whole post moves, and that there is no real change in tightness on top of the saddle. Am I doing something wrong here?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

I believe the Brooks has two nuts, one on either side, you'll have to hold the other nut in place with the appropriate wrench in order to rotate the other side and achieve a tension change.

Out of curiosity, why are you trying to adjust it?

As you turn the tensioner nut at the nose of the saddle, the entire threaded post is supposed to move. By lengthening the saddle (moving the front rivet carrier forward), you're retensioning the leather. Depending on how far sagged out your saddle is, you'll have to turn that tensioning nut more.
I just retensioned my B-17 last week after its first 600 miles. It took 3/4 of a turn to bring things back to the correct tension.

Oups...didn't realise that that was all it needed... I turned only the front nut back and forth not knowing which way to go with it, though it didn't seem to do much. I guess I should have looked underneath...laziness is often a life-saver, eh?

I just felt that it might need some tension, as it has about 250 miles on it. I'm guessing not...

Brooks threads being so persistant is anyone interested in starting a leather saddle forum?

Negative

Whoa! Hold your horses there. Unless you are a major clydesdale you shouldn't need your wrench until at least 5,000 miles. In fact more people ruin their brooks saddles with the little wrench, than ever improve them. (I've got 4 Brooks saddles with lots of mileage on them. I have no idea where my wrench is, nor do i care.)

I wouldn't mess with it, it's a good way to ruin a perfectly good Brooks. Maybe when it's thirty years old. That said, some folks say they've had a need to adjust them when they're practically new. I've got three, I've not seen the need to adjust at all. Hard as a rock brand new, pretty much hard as a rock after break in, but "custom fitted."

To answer the question posed in the O.P., to adjust the tension on a B.17 you turn the nut clockwise (when facing the saddle 'front-on') to tighten.
The head of the tension bolt simply has a small 'pip', intended to engage inside the nosepiece, to prevent the bolt from rotating with the nut, but sometimes this 'pip' fails to engage - which is probably what has happened in this instance. To overcome this problem, you have to 'wedge' the tail of the tension bolt to stop it rotating while you turn the nut; I find it easiest to slip a 10mm.ring spanner over the tail and 'crank' it sufficiently to hold the bolt secure.
This should always be successful with 'frozen' bolts on a new saddle, but penetrating oil may be required to assist with one on an old one.

As I'm approaching 10,000 miles over three years I've noticed increasing discomfort with my Brooks Finesse. I stumbled actoss Wallingford's page on how to adjust tension. Maybe this'll be helpful

https://www.wallbike.com/accessories/tensionspanner.html

My B17 sagged considerably after several hundred miles, me at 185lbs, only one light application of Proofide and never a drop of water on or under the saddle. I adjusted the nut and it (temporarily) brought the tension back to a comfortable level.

Al

Iv'e got 3000+ miles on my brooks. Sadly even butt dents haven't formed yet. I'm 148lbs btw...

I have a B17S that I've put about 500 miles on, and one of the sides of the saddle frame has begun really digging into my right sitz bone. I'm wondering if this means it needs tightening, and if it does, how the hell do I make that happen? I've tried tightening it a bit, but no matter what I try, I can't even begin to engage the bolt. What am I doing wrong? I'm about to give up on this saddle, because it's really hurting my ass.

I ruined a B67 by using the adjuster. I've learned never to do that again. What does work though is punching holes along bottom edge and lacing. Works fantastic on my Flyer Special.

I had to adjust the tension on my latest leather saddle, a '70's Ideale. Even that just took a single turn.

+1 this. Don't fix it if it's not broken.

I've adjusted mine - the trick is very little and not often.

I have also laced mine and that helps a bunch too.

I'm trying to adjust it because the leather has sagged below the line of the metal frame, causing the metal to dig into my sitz bones, or my gooch to sag into the leather, rather than my bones sitting high and dry on nice, taut leather. I'm thinking it's time to adjust them, but nothing I do to the bolt will engage it with the nut. It's driving ME nuts!

You don't touch the bolt. The bolt stays still. You turn the nut with the special Brooks Spanner Wrench. as the nut rotates it pulls the bolt through the nut and pushes the nut forward towards the nose of the saddle.
I think you turn the nut clock wise while you look ad the saddle from the nose.
I adjust mine only 1/4 of a turn around the bolt at a time. like from 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock.
You really need the special wrench or you can mess up the nut very quick.


check it:
https://www.wallbike.com/accessories/tensionspanner.html

Bump.

Trying to decide whether to mess with my saddle tension b/c the saddle seems to be sagging and not as supportive. Some background info: B17N, probably between 3,500-4,000 miles on saddle, ride year round in pretty much all weather, so the saddle has gotten soaked a few times (though as soon as I get home I dry off with a towel as much as possible). I have probably applied proofide 5-6X in 2 years. I weigh about 180lbs.

So what's the verdict on tensioning here? Some above say do it. Others don't.

What say ye?

I ahve found that as they age and sag a little the nose needs to be raised a bit. That's why some old B-17's look like heck with the nose in the air, but they are still comfortable.
I mount mine on Nitto seat posts with two bolts that make adjusting the angle very precise and easy.

The spanner will pull out any sag. You may need to adjust the angle. The back of the saddle should only be about 1/4" or less higher than the middle. Ignore where the nose ends up.

Start with the tension bolt. Go a little at a time. If the sides are starting to wing out then drill holes in the leather and pull them together. This also tightens the saddle.
I have found that as they wear in I need to raise the nose to keep the right fit. See above.
I have over 150,000 miles on different Brooks saddles. 4 B-17's and 1 Swallow Ti..

My new Flyer seems to be cocked to the left a bit - the bar at the back angles down to the right. It is so beautiful I almost want to put it on the mantlepiece so before I start tweeking it with a sledge, I thought I'd ask if anyone else has this problem an/or knows how to fix it correctly. Thanks - this is my first post to the forum.
Skip