lungimsam

Anyone done this before?

My bottom and sit bones are actually super comfy on the saddle, but I can feel every road vibration getting transmitted to the small of my lower back. Like the saddle is so hard that instead of dispersing the shock, it is beating me up with it.

From day one, I felt like I was sitting on a backboard.
I proofhided it, put miles on it, adjusted the angle. Still hurting my back. My old Brooks was fine. Same bike.

So I figured I would back off the nut a smidge and see if that helps. I will post back with an update. If the thing still hurts my back, I think I will have to get rid of it. It is just making riding miserable.

Facing the saddle nose, I turned the nut 1/8 turn counter-clockwise (or should I say "anti-clockwise"). From looking at the mechanism, this looks like it will loosen the leather up a smidge.

I don't want to start another breaking in thread, just wanted to see if anyone has had this saddle back problem and if loosening the saddle up worked for them.

fietsbob

Over time it will hammock , but if the nut is backed all the way to the front end,
there is no more loosening..

maybe your toosh will be more comfortable on a leather covered foam padded saddle,
rather than a thick leather one suspended from rivets.

there are abundant choices in that category.

or maybe you will have to go into recumbent-cy.

Machka 

Don't do it.

Tilt the nose of the saddle up a tiny bit, and keep riding. The saddle is supposed to be hard, and will never been anything but hard (unless something goes terribly wrong with it).

How much have you ridden it so far?

rumrunn6

yeah don't adjust it. sounds like an adjustment to your fit or your posture is required.

rdtompki

If your bottom and sit bones are "comfy", don't change your saddle. From your description it would appear you might be very upright; otherwise, at the more or less average 45 degree +- back angle flexing in your spine would be doing the absorbing. A very stiff frame, let's say inexpensive Aluminum, might be contributing.

lungimsam

I do sit up high. About 45 or 50 degrees on a steel frame.
I had ridden the bike for a couple months with no problems.
It started when I got the new saddle.
My butt likes it, but my back doesn't.
I actually had another new Brooks saddle on it before, that was fine, except the saddle leaned to the left so I exchanged it for the new one which seems fine, other than killing my back.
I did tip the nose up, thinking that would deflect the shocks differently, and it is a little better, but still a problem.

This has been a wierd summer of biking pains for me. First my shoulders hurt in the spring, then after I raised the bars and put on a 1cm shorter stem, they are fine. Then my knees hurt, then I moved the saddle back and they love it there. After my knees and shoulders gave me the approval of those adjustments, now my back is hurting since I got the new saddle.

Machka 

Can you post a picture of you on the bicycle?

bghill1

I was sure that when I got my Brooks, the documentation said to never turn the nut counter-clockwise. I could never understand why but also never tried it. Did it loosen up the leather?

lungimsam

I will try.

lungimsam

Haven't ridden it yet because I am feeling under the weather at the moment. Hope to commute Saturday and will report back.

Thanks for the help everybody.

Bent Bill

Crimeny its a bike saddle its made of leather and steel
If you want to loosen the bolt some go ahead and see if it helps
Its not a nuclear warhead
It wont blow up and the sun will still come up in the east tomorow
I dont know where some people get the idea you have to treat brooks saddles like its a newborn baby
or a piece of Ming Dynasty china
The bolts on my 2 saddles have over an inch of adjustment
I have both loosened and tightened my saddles alot to see what difference it makes and they are both fine after my experiments
My 2 saddles may not last 40 years like some people on here brag about theres
but thats fine because Im not gonna last that long either
If a person loosens the nut a half or a whole turn and the saddle sags to much big deal
just tighten it 3/4 to 1'1/2 turns and it will be back to where it was
and it will still have at least another 39 1/2 years worth of adjustment left

Nomex suit on as I wait for the flames from the Brooks purists

iheartbacon

lungimsam

Not noticeably. 1/8th turn. I re-proofhided it last night. But the saddle still felt the same on the ride into work today.

Machka 

Of course it felt the same (for now) ... turning the bolt and adding proofide are not the solutions.

You've got to ride the saddle ... lots. Have you done 500 km on the saddle yet?

lungimsam

Pretty sure by now I have.
I will try to post a pic soon.
Thanks for the help.
Loosening the nut definitely didn't make a difference.

lungimsam

OK, here are the pics...any advice would be helpful. Thanks!
Hoods:

Tops:

Drops:

NCbiker

Seems that you are in a very upright position. How far above the saddle are your bars? You might want to try dropping the stem some and see if that helps.

lungimsam

Bartops are about 2 inches higher than the saddle.

Machka 

I like an upright position too, but you might want to try dropping your handlebars 0.5 inches ... maybe 1 inch ... and see how you feel. You'll still be quite upright, but it might be enough to put you in a slightly different, possibly more comfortable position.

fietsbob

The issue is road vibration felt while riding an upright Rivendale?

You may need to add more mattresses over that Pea, princess.

Machka 

You might also want to lower your saddle a bit ... looks like you're reaching for the bottom of your pedal stroke. Maybe try lowering your saddle 0.5 inch and handlebar 1 inch and see how you feel.

lungimsam

No, to reiterate:
My crotch, bottom and sit bones are actually super comfy on the saddle, but I can feel every road vibration getting transmitted to the small of my lower back. Like the saddle is so hard that instead of dispersing the shock, it is beating me up with it.

lungimsam

Right now at the bottom of the stroke, the heel can touch the pedal, but just barely. Should I have it so that the heel can touch it more firmly when at the bottom of the stroke (not feel like reaching with the heel)?
Thanks for the help, Machka.

Machka 

Absolutely. You should have just a hint of a bend in your knee when your heel is firmly planted on the pedal at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

You may be all right with it as you have it if you only do short rides on flat ground, but if you start doing long rides, and especially if your rides include a lot of climbing, you're asking for Achilles Tendon injuries with your saddle that high.

NCbiker

When your setting in that totally upright position, all the road shock and vibration is transmitted directly up your spine. By lowering your bars, you'll be in a more aggressive position that will allow your arms to act like shock absorbers making the ride easier on your back.

I like an upright position as well, but have to find a balance between being so upright that I suffer back pain versus being so bent over that I suffer pain in my shoulders or neck. I've found that just a little adjustment can make a big difference in comfort. I also suffer knee pain if my seat is at the wrong height or hand numbness is my seat fore and aft position is not right. It's a balancing act of trial and error to get your bike fit to your body, or you can have a professional fitting done, but even then, you may still have to make minor tweaks on your own to get it just right.

Also, if your backside is comfy, there is no need to adjust your Brooks tension screw.