My Brooks B5N has large steel rivets that protrude above the leather enough than I can feel them when I ride the bike, and it's really uncomfortable! Is there anything I can do about that? I was thinking of filing them down, anyone tried that, or got any better ideas?

Thanks in advance

Why don't you contact Brooks and discuss it with them?

+1

I'm wondering if you are sitting too far back. I have a bunch of Brooks saddles and don't sit far enough back on any of them to be in contact with the rivets. So, have you tried moving the saddle back a little on the post in order to move forward on the saddle a bit?

Otherwise, I don't believe you should mess with the rivets. You might damage the surrounding leather also. It is possible, I suppose to have them all removed and replaced with flatter ones. Or just sell that saddle to somebody else and buy a model with the copper, flatter rivets.

But I really think it is a fit issue. You shouldn't be sitting on the frame, which is what you are doing if you can feel the rivets. Just my $.02.

If you can feel the rivets you are definitely too far back in the saddle riding on the frame, rather than on the suspended section in the middle. Rivets or no you're going to get an uncomfortable ride.

That said, it used to be fashionable to file down the large copper rivets on the Brooks Pro saddle. Nothing stops you from filing yours down a bit, but be aware that those that aren't visibly copper are plated steel and filing will expose them to rust. It's OK if you keep them waxed or painted with clear nail polish, but you'll need to be attentive to that extra chore.

.. Or if copper, they can be hammered (planished) down a bit more

Ah, I see, I'll move the saddle back a bit more and see if I still sit on them.