Eggplant Jeff

So I've been riding my Brooks B17 for several months now. The problem is, it's not comfortable. When it was brand new I liked it a lot, but it's sagged too much where the butt dimples are so it isn't comfortable any more. Either I'm back so far I'm sitting on the metal rail, or I'm forward a little and I'm getting pressure in the wrong areas.

I tried a seat post with more setback which seems to have just confirmed that it is indeed the discomfort of sitting forward that makes me sit back on the rear edge of the seat. I was wondering at first if I just needed the seat further back.

I tried lacing it up, that helped some but it still isn't what I'd call comfortable. I also tried tightening the nut in the front, didn't really help much.

I have never put anything but Proofide on it. I have ridden it when wet a couple times (it is a commuter bike, sometimes you have no choice).

I dunno... unless anyone has any more ideas, I'm gonna start looking at "modern" saddles.

noisebeam

I hear ya, but am sticking with mine. I never moved mine forward and still often sit on the back metal rail. I'm pretty used to it now, but also have never had a saddle I did't get used to. Before you give up on it, tighten it up tighter than you think its OK, once mine sags a tiny bit or has some give it gets more uncomfortable.

Al

Eggplant Jeff

Hard to believe I'm complaining my Brooks isn't firm enough.

I'm ready to order a "Real Man" saddle from Sheldon. (https://sheldonbrown.com/real-man.html)

noisebeam

I too found my out of box Brooks to be more comfortable. That is why I suggest overtightening. Sure it may ruin it sooner, but at least you get some use out of it vs. throwing it away. Unless you want to sell it used.

Al

onbike 1939

< I have ridden it when wet a couple times (it is a commuter bike, sometimes you have no choice).>

Do you mean the weather's wet or the saddle. If the saddle then there's the problem right there. If you ride a Brook's when it's wet the leather stretches and the adjusting screw won't take up enough to make a difference. It's ok to ride them when it's raining without a cover but you really do need to use a cover if you're off the bike and it's raining. Be careful as some "waterproof" covers need the seams sealed.

Eggplant Jeff

FYI, the sag is on the sides. I'm attaching a picture. The red lines are tension in the leather running from the center of the nose (where the tension nut is) to the two center rivets in the back. The sag is where my sit bones go, the green circles. So tightening the nut merely pulls the red lines tighter rather than firming up the sit bone area.

onbike 1939

Going by the drawing the indentations are exactly where you want them in order to accomodate your "sitbones". Difficult to tell from a drawing however. From your descriptions of your positions on the saddle it seems likely that it may be your overall position on the bike that is at fault, causing you to be uncomfortable on the saddle. I'll try to take a photo of a saddle with these indents and post this as it may give you an idea as to what a broken-in Brooks looks like.

Eggplant Jeff

Yeah. Found that out the hard way. Come out after work, remove my BROOKS BRAND saddle cover... hmm. Saddle is soaking wet.

Choice A) Ride home on wet leather saddle.
Choice B) Stay at work 8-10 more hours and wait for it to dry.

Which do you think I did?

Eggplant Jeff

Heh. "For sale: Uncomfortable used leather saddle." Don't see it getting me much on ebay. That's a good idea though, just torque it down, if I can get it firm enough at least it'll last a few more months.

Eggplant Jeff

The circles might not be far enough back. If you look at my saddle, you can see the impression of the metal brace long the back edge; the circles really ought to be overlapping it.

noisebeam

Or say you start out home on a clear day and a storm hits ya half way home. That is how I ended up twice riding in the rain and severely sagging my well Proofided Brooks. Oh I know I was supposed to have a little Brooks baggie in my bag, stop dig in to find it and put it over the already wet saddle.

Al

onbike 1939

You seem to be sitting too far back if that's the case. That would indicate that the top/tube length from bars to saddle is too short but if you have already tried a lay-back post the that should have helped somewhat. I would really have to see a photo of you on the bike before being dogmatic about it. What type of bike is it? Is the saddle the same height as the bars or higher or lower? Are you balanced 60/40 between the saddle and the bars? Is the saddle more or less level? All of this affects the comfort of the rider.

onbike 1939

It's a fallacy that Proofide waterproofs in any way. It merely helps to maintain the top surface but does not penetrate below this in order to waterproof. To get this you have to use a leather-conditioner but this too needs careful application in order not to overdo it and make your saddle too soft.

noisebeam

Well I heavily Proofided the bottom of the saddle too. Anyway rain is a 4x a year type problem for me.
Al

Eggplant Jeff

It's a Giant Cypress. Hybrid, front suspension, flat handlebar, 21" frame. I believe the frame is too small for me. I have a 3" stem extender, and a 130mm length stem. The seat post is at maximum extension (and it's about right, I really don't think I need it further out). This results in bars that are slightly below the seat (not much, maybe an inch).

Once I added the setback seat post it now feels like it is too far from the seat to the handlebars.

I have no idea about the 40/60 thing. It currently feels like I have too much weight on my wrists, but that kinda feels like a result of moving the seat further back, I have to lean too far forward to reach the handlebars, my torso doesn't feel balanced right.

The saddle is nearly level. I have had problems feeling like I'm sliding forward, so I've tried angling it back, but then it digs into my . So nose-up is definitely not a good angle for me.

jfmckenna

I was very dissapointed in finding out after I bought my B17 that if you ride it wet it ruins it. You gotta be kidding me I thought, what the hell good is that? I get cought in the rain all the time where I live. So how did they manage that in the old days with out little gortex covers or what ever they are?

Anyway so you tried a Brooks and it didn't work out. I am not surprised I had to try about 8 saddles before I found one I liked so I say get rid of it and move on. Do you need my address to send it to

CastIron

Brooks isn't a one stop solution for everyone. Great product, but not a please everyone, all the time miracle.

Proofhide on the underside of the saddle (or many other products) and a little on top are plenty fine waterproofing, particularly if you have a seat wedge taking the roostertail of spray. At the end of the day it's a big 'ole hunk of shoe leather and getting it wet isn't a big deal. Heck, I wear combat boots that've been through worse than any Brooks ever has.

randya

If you overtighten the adjusting nut, you risk pulling the rivets out of the leather. Adjust with caution in small increments only!

jur

I'm in the middle of beaking in my 2nd B17. I have had good experience. I always carry one of those plastic elastic food covers with me, works great to keep the saddle bone dry even in the wettest.

halfspeed

The leather also seems to vary among B17s. I have one that broke in nicely and has remained firm over many miles. I have another that broke in way too much way too fast. I've had to tighten the bolt way up to get the sag out. I prefer the team pro's thicker leather and narrower width now anyway.

onbike 1939

Hearing of all your bad experiences with Brooks' saddles in the wet makes me wonder how we've managed using them in the UK and particularly in Scotland for all those years given our climate. It's not so hard....fit mudguards and carry a saddle-cover for protection when off the bike. I would have thought this was a no-brainer for a commuter bike or when riding on the West Coast.

onbike 1939

My bold.


This has been my experience for the past 35 years also. It was a lucky bag as to the thickness of the leather and each saddle had different characteristics. Now, as far as my experience goes with the new company and with the B17 Specials (bought around 8 in the last 18 months) there is no variation in thickness that I can see, quality control would appear to have been tightened up.

v1nce

@ On Bike, i just send you an e-mail, i hope you got it. Never send mail over BF before. Thanks.

lrzipris

Tuck a plastic baggie from the supermarket under your Brooks saddle, for those rainy days when you need a saddle cover. Only adds about ½ gram to the weight of your bike. Ha!

noisebeam

I wondered this too. Perhaps it is for two reasons. One is that it rains about 7" a year here and most of it comes in short storms. This means it is pointless to put fenders on ones bike (in the past two years of near daily riding I've ridden in rain less than 10 times) and that one may head out in the morning, it will be clear and sunny and on the return home one gets caught in a massive downpour. The other perhaps minor reason is that it is very hot (105-120F, 10% RH) in the summer. This may dry out the saddle (not just the water, but the saddle conditioners as well)

Al