I wonder if anyone else experienced this ... I'm breaking in a Brook's Flyer, and have put in about 150 miles so far. I rubbed in some of the Brook's gunk before the first ride, and gave it a bot of a polish (before my rump did even more polishing).

My problem is that the saddle is so darned slippery! At first I had it dead flat, but soon found I was having to use a lot of force on the handlebars to stop myself sliding forwards - esp when I braked or went downhill. My hands were knackered after the first ride, and I didn't want to face that again. I tilted the saddle upwards a little at the front, as it was the only way to stop myself sliding forwards. This makes the ride less distressing, but I worry my bum, and sit bones, might be breaking in a slightly different part of the saddle than I'll be sitting on once the saddle is level again.

Sorry to have rambled on ..... I was wondering if this slippery saddle syndrome is common when breaking in a Brooks.

Not having the benefit of ownership of a Brooks saddle, I think you did well in tilting the saddle up just abit. I've always used inferior saddles and solved problems of hand pressure and sore wrists by tilting the seat back just a click or two and that usually solved the problem. I hear those Brooks are really smooth, maybe I'll own one someday.
Ernest

No I think tilting it up a bit at the front keeps your sitbones where they're supposed to be, back on that wide part in front of the rivets. Yeah I don't know when the slipperiness fades. Somewhere early on (~500 miles) it is mostly gone, but my current one, ~7k miles along, is slick to some cotton cargo pants I've been wearing lately.

You will find that as time goes by, you will have to keep changing the tilt as the "cradle" takes shape and changes. It's a total, complete, idiotic modern myth that a saddle should be level. Saddle surfaces aren't level themselves, and so usually, for the part you sit on to be level so you don't slide forward, you will have to have the saddle such that the front is a bit higher, kind of like a horse saddle.

Just set the level whatever way that allows you to ride on it without sliding forward, while at the same time avoiding extremes of tilt or setback that would cause the front of the saddle to put too much pressure on your privates. It doesn't look particularly "racy" to have a slight backward tilt, but that's how the oldtimers rode, and that's how I've always ridden.

I've got thousands of mile on my Brooks, and, thankfully, it iis still slippery.

Just get it adjusted to where you stay planted, and you will be good to go.

Once you get used to the sliding around, it is really nice to be able to do it when you want.

Having a Brooks tilted up is common, and almost universal on the wider saddles.

To answer your question: Yes The solution is exactly as you stumbled upon. I have a Flyer on my '07 Sirrus and after 800 miles it's doubtful I'll ever ride it nose level or down, but it feels great as it is.

Many thanks everyone - my sit bones and hands are grateful to you.

:-)

It will get less slippery as the saddle breaks in. Getting the saddle a little bit wet helps. Once the weather warms up and you start sweating more, that should do it.