Brooks Saddle Help
 

Ok so i just got a new brooks Saddle B17.

I do very much like it, but im having difficult getting it to the right place.

So initially i hade it pretty much flat and i was using bullhorns, but i kept feeling like i was sliding forward.

So then i popped it up one knotch so the nose was angled up and at the same time i switched to risers. I did about a 15 mile ride, and when i was done my "soft tissue" was freaking killing me- and there was definitely some blood flow being short changed as well.

Finally yesterday i popped it down to practically level again (see image below)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3221/...be1d7d.jpg?v=0

and i went for a ride and it felt much more comfortable on my "soft tissue" but then i found myself slipping again as i was going downhill.

Anyone have any suggestions or ideas?

I can't see the image, but I also have the Brooks B17 in green and basically mine is aligned such that if you were to put a level on top of it, it would be level, i.e. parallel to the ground.

It is VERY sensitive to angle. You might need a micro adjustable seatpost to get it right....

Also, make sure your seat isn't too high.

"Pop it one knotch" up and ride it. Ride, ride, and ride some more. There are a hundred variables in play when you put a new saddle on any bike and it'll take some time to adjust (your saddle and yourself).

FYI short changed blood flow doesn't mean you're harming anything.

See what your LBS has to say.

Take tools with you as you ride so that you can adjust the saddle. This will be the best way for you to find out what is best for you and the immediate cause and effects of your adjustments. It is really a lot of trial and error to get it right.

I found with my brooks riding with the nose slightly tipped up is the best, but it took me a while to find the sweet spot.

P.S. Sick ride, I love the look.

yeah i went out and bought a micro adjustable just for that purpose, but good call on bringing some tools with me.

How can i tell if my seat is "too high"

I can usually tell if my seat is too high or too low if my knee either hurts in the front or back or if you are rocking your hips too much when peddling.

Adjust the height. Ride for a few miles. If it hurt or just felt weird, then adjust it. It's one of those personal things. I would say though for me, I can tell by whether or not the seat adjustment was causing any pain.

That article just suggests what everyone else has said though.

Ride a few miles, adjust saddle. Ride a few miles, adjust saddle. Ride a few miles, adjust saddle.

Until the heavens align in perfect harmony!!!

I started with mine perfectly level, with no rocking of hips, and rode. Feeling myself slide forward on the seat told me the back was too high. Sliding backwards found the front too high. Once I got the level right, slight adjustments to height made it perfect.

Keep in mind, that adjustment fore and aft might also be required, and that any change affects the other adjustments, so you might have to start over several times.

You might also need as much as 1000 miles to break it into yourself, tot he point where it disappears, but comfort will improve drastically, once you have the position correct. Might also occur with as little as 100.

Once you are going the wrong way, it is immediately apparent.

When you get it right - it will be obvious.

About my Brooks - I am afraid it will never break in properly. When I cycle I have a tendency not to sit very hard (dunno why). So despite the fact that I have put probably ... 200-300 miles (?) on it, it looks practically new and I didn't even use any Proofide. :/

I just got a B17 and I am worrying about the breaking in process as well. but dude just get proofide if you havent already

I will have to eBay it. LBS has none. Been putting it off to save $$$ for X-mas.

You are going to have to pay your dues, and feel the pain of break in.
Once over that (a couple/few hundred miles), you'll be fine.

I think I may have to sit harder. I just don't see the leather becoming more shapely or supple at all!

It takes time to get a brooks broken in. 200-300 miles is not long enough. I didn't really start noticing it shaping to my arse until around 500 miles and I used profide.

Hm okay, thanks for the info.

It's leather, everyones' results will vary - keep riding on it and it will break in. Get proofide to properly care for it (as well as softening the leather, it's important to properly waterproof it/protect it from moisture especially in the winter climates now).

I have mine with the front pointing up a bit. It looks pretty wild, but it works for me and I don't feel any discomfort, and I don't feel as though I'm sliding off the front of it anymore.

If the position where you're sliding around is comfortable. Just deal with it for awhile.

The sliding around/squeaking will stop after you sort of rub off that shiny look off the saddle. It's hard to explain.

That's my two cents. Everyone else is correct in saying that you really have to play with the position alot to find the sweet spot. Super important with Brooks. Be patient. It'll be worth it.

I agree! I've had brooks saddles on two bikes. On both bikes, I was not completely happy with the saddles until I got micro-adjustable seatposts (Thomson) to be able to precisely set the seat angle. Seatposts with notch-type adjustments are entirely too coarse to get it right, unless you happen to get lucky and one the notches is the sweet spot.

Bob

My b17 saddle is pretty much level and I too felt like I was slipping. It went away as the saddle got broken in more.

Now that you have a picture, I'd recommend raising your handlebars (quill stem) an inch or two.
Doesn't hurt to try, eh?

really? hmmm i never thought of that...

the stem is original, so i actually have never even futzed with it. How do you raise the hight with a quill stem, is it just a matter of losing it up and raising it?

the bar height is your choice, but this will affect your angle of seating and actually change the way you sit. If you like the bars the way they are then leave them, but if you change them, your saddle isn't broken in yet so it will adjust as well.

Yeah my brooks was pointed up a little on my 'cross bike and flat/down a touch on my roadie.
Break in... comfy at 500km, really comfy at the 1000 mark after a wet 200km ride. I recently did a 420km ride and no saddle issues at all.

I ride my brooks flat, never an issue. My buddy on the other hand who is about 8" shorter had issues with it from day one. I guess leather saddles are faster at fitting to a heavier rider cause my brooks was comfy right out of the box whereas my friend hated his. Not saying they won't work with lighter people, just saying it will take longer to conform to your sit bones than someone heavier than you.

Did you get a chance to read the instructions that came with the saddle? You need to use proofide quite a bit at first.

Yes, like I said, none of my LBS had any Proofide when I got the saddle, I plan to buy some on eBay, just dont have the scratch for it right now coz of X-mas.