raydog

A couple of months ago I purchased a Pro Ti Brooks seat (with the pretty brass rivets), installed it and have about 800 miles on it...also, I lathered it down with the Brooks product suggested. MY BUTT IS STILL KILLING ME! Will there be a magical time when I say, "I'm so satisfied with my comfortable Brooks seat"? I paid a lot of $ for comfort but it hasn't happened yet!
Do I need to pay a lot more "seat time" dues? Thanks for any input....in any case, it sure is a prettly seat! Raydog

daven1986

My butt killed me, until I rode my B17 in the rain....not saying it is a good idea, but it definitely sped up the break in time!

Retro Grouch 

After 800 miles I'd think the seat (the one on the bicycle) would be broken in pretty well. How much fiddling have you done with the seat position? Brooks saddles are quite sensitive to being positioned properly expecially the angle of the nose tilt. If your butt is still killing you, I don't see that you have anything to lose by experimenting.

If that fails, you might just not have a Brooks butt. Brooks fans commemts notwithstanding, not everybody does. I know several riders who rode Brooks saddles for years but don't anymore. I assume they were less than enamered with Brooks for some reason or they wouldn't have changed.

raydog

That's interesting, because one guy (tandem rider) told me to submerse the seat into warm water THEN apply the Brooks paste stuff.

Nightshade

It may not be the saddle that's not doing it's job. I broke my Brooks in less than 50 mi of city riding, BUT, I took very special care to set it up to fit me.

calamarichris

I'm a Brooks refugee. Rode my B17-Ti for many years (96-06), believing it was the end-all/be-all of comfort, until I decided to see what the ergonomics revolution had produced.
I went to a Specialized dealership (with a seat exchange program) and just started trying their whole line. Tried the Toupe, Avatar, Alias, Romin, and a few others in the various widths. Found some that were PERFECT, but then tried others that were even more perfect. After two months of extensive testing (and smirking from the LBS employees) I finally settled on the Avatar 155. It has a junk-chute down the middle to avoid pressing on your perineum, and two perfectly-positioned gel pads right where your sitbones are. Perfectamundo.
The old Brooks is still on my Masi wall-hanger, and I still ride it now and then. But it's not nearly as comfortable as the modern, plastic-fantastic seats available nowadays, IMO.
(No offense, Brooks fans. We all have different butts.)

ThermionicScott 

Proofide is for keeping the leather from drying out and cracking, not to make the saddle more comfortable. The key is to get the height, fore/aft position, and tilt correct for your riding style.

Can you tell us what part of your butt is hurting?

daven1986

I should also add that my wet ride took place after I had adjusted the seat properly (had to have the nose tilted up a bit more than I expected).

fietsbob

Pedal harder, it takes weight off your butt...

pdlamb

RG hit the nail on the head. If a Brooks fits you, it's a question of (fine) adjustment. Some people just aren't shaped right, apparently.

raydog

Yeah, if you sit on the seat (narrower than most Brooks) and went out 2-3" all around the fanned portion (widest part of the seat) as though you were tracing the seat shape on my hiney. That area (kind of high and wide to the rear of the buttocks) feels like the crips beat me with a bat there! The narrow snout portion isn't too bad. My typical rides lately have been 40 intense miles with not much out of seat action (100-150 miles weekly). Raydog

raydog

BTW, thanks to all of you for opinions, it's a $350 seat so it's a pretty important aftermarket issue!

Nermal

My first brooks was better than OEM right from the start, but not really comfortable. After 150 miles it felt good. After 400 miles, I didn't feel it at all, which is what you want. If you've got 800 miles on it, and it isn't right when adjusted right, it just isn't for you. If you got it from the right internet dealer, whose name escapes me, you are still under dealer warranty. Send it back for full refund less shipping costs.

raydog

No, I bought it from my LBS and the owner (good friend of mine) suggested I not buy it but I insisted!

CraigB

About 30 years ago I bought a Brooks Team Pro, with the large copper rivets. I put over 1000 miles on it and it never broke in or got comfortable. I sold it and since then I've never tried another Brooks.

I did find out relatively recently that that particular model of theirs is made with thicker leather, so I guess in retrospect it shouldn't have been surprising.

CB HI

The Brooks Pro has thick leather over other Brooks. Mine took about 1,000 miles to break in. Others said a Brooks Pro takes about that many miles to break in.

Either give the saddle to me or try riding it another 400 miles.

hueyhoolihan

brooks pros (i've got three) take a long time to break in. and all are different. thick leather from different bovines i guess. b-17s that i've had, OTH, seem to break in much faster.

raydog

OK, another thanks, I'll log another 500 before I make a decision. I'm doing a century on Jan 2nd so for that I'm using a seat I know is comfy!

Nermal

I guess I should have mentioned that my own good experience involved the B-17.

Velo Dog

This was the key for me, too. A millimeter up or down on the nose matters, at least to me. I almost gave up on my first B-17 until somebody told me that. Now I have three of them.
FWIW, I also have a Pro, and I can't get as comfortable on that as on the B-17.

Velo Dog

Man...I love Brooks saddles, but anybody who'd pay $350 for one ought to be locked up for his own protection.

raydog

Well, I didn't pay retail but I'll refer you to the Brooks retail price list. I really value my freedom so I would really resist being locked up.

The Chemist

I got a B17 Special for Christmas, and I have to say I love it. It's not broken it yet as it's only got about 120 miles on it, but it's still more comfortable than the stock Giant seat that it replaced.

Yo Spiff

I've had my team pro for about 11 years now. It's not a cozy soft kind of broken in, but it gives just enough in the right places. I did find that I was experienced a bit of an aching butt on today's ride. About 3/4 of the way through the ride, I realized I had put my cycling shorts on backwards. (I've never done that stunt before!) My man-parts were well protected!

I have a Colt that's not broken in yet. I'm figuring on putting that on my Prologue and doing some shorter rides with that bike for a while to get it broken in.

Northwestrider

I've a bit more than 1200 miles on my B17 and so far the jury is still out. I'm still tweaking, but I still begin to feel it after 30 miles or so. Its better than the other seats I've had OTOH.