brooks saddle reveals...
 

...a leg length difference? tilted pelvis? has anyone else experienced anything like this: the butt dent on the right side of my B17 is deeper and more to the front than the dent on the left side. quite substantially so. i'm wondering what this means. will the difference in the dents worsen whatever biomechanical problem i have, or is it in effect accomplishing what going to a fit specialist and having shims and various other doo-dads fitted would accomplish?

a little history: i had a bad case of iliotibial band friction syndrome on my right side (from running, not cycling) last year. However, now that i've quit running and started riding a lot more, it's my left ITB that sometimes feels sore after riding, although not too bad and it always goes away after a day or two.

can anyone offer any insight here? i don't want to contribute to future injuries or anything.

thanks in advance for any ideas,
tom in osaka

Fine tune your position, try lowering your seat a gnat's ass. Try moving it back.

Just tweak and tweak and tweak and maybe have your lbs check out your position as well.

FYI, my b-17 is not symetrical either now that i look at it. I have pain in my left knee but if i dial it out on each bike i can find a sweet spot that won't hurt my left knee. Also u could try angling one foot more down, try the one that hurts-- that side.

Good luck.

oh, and run smaller gears and spin more.

Yep ... my dents are lopsided too. I think it is normal to be lopsided. Our left and right hands aren't exactly the same size, neither are our feet. If you look at your face in the mirror you may even discover that one eye is slightly bigger than the other, or some other slight differences from one side to the other. The vast majority of people are not 100% perfectly symmetrical. I think most are fairly close, and studies show that the ones who are extremely close are considered the most beautiful by societies all over the world, but no one is exact.

And that's the great thing about a Brooks saddle ... it conforms to YOU! You now have a custom made saddle! There's probably no one else out there who would feel comfortable in your dents.


Oh, about your ITBs ... are you stretching regularly?

Well, not as regularly as I should :o I do a good long stretch routine after swimming (3 times/wk) and a little bit after riding, but from what I've read about ITB stuff it's better to stretch ALL the time, as in many times every day. i know i should stretch more--it's not that i don't have the time, it's the lack of mental RAM to handle another thing i 'have to do' <sigh>

Thanks for the feedback so far!
Tom in Osaka

I have trouble with my ITBs now and then too. I find they particularly bother me when I'm mashing up hills, and I need to spin more, or because I haven't stretched recently. I too find it difficult to remember to stretch. However, there are a couple yoga stretches I like, and sometimes if my ITBs are bothering me in the middle of a ride, I'll stop and stretch them ... not long, just 30 seconds per side or so ... and then I'll keep moving.

my saddle, and those of all of my friends, all have lopsided dents.

One guy looked at my saddle and told me exactly how many kids I've had... :D

have you ever noticed how Shannon Doherty of Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed never looks straight at the camera?... she always tilts her head to one side or the other... the reason is she is hiding some symmetry problems... take a look at them there eyeballs...

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/1999/untitled1rx.jpg

I have three B17 saddles. One has a much bigger dent on the right. The other is pretty symmetrical, and the third is too new to tell.

What does that mean? Beats the hell outta me. Still a real comfy saddle however.

While we're on the "Brooks" subject I would just like to take some time and show off my butchered B17... The guys and gals on the Road Bike forumhave already seen it but I figure I could show it off to some of you guys on here as well...

http://img500.imageshack.us/img500/7721/brooks25rg.jpg

Very nice job and a clean profile on that saddle! :D
Speaking of profile, if I were you I'd shorten that rear brake cable housing quite a bit.....not only will it give it a sleeker look, it'll also improve your brake lever action.

Interesting. Thanks for the comments, everyone. Good to know i'm not alone in this. Since I noticed the dent difference I've been paying attention to what my legs are doing and I realized that I do scoot my right leg (and hence cheek) a little forward. since it's my stronger leg, i tend to hammer down on it harder when i'm trying to accelerate quickly or going up a hill. it might be of no consequence (i agree that the brooks is by far the most comfortable saddle i've ever used), but i just like to understand things. i think i will try to even out the force i use in my right and left legs in order to avoid any injuries and also to avoid looking like a freak (my right leg is already visibly bigger than my left if i look closely) :D
cheers,
Tom in osaka

Besides our symmetry issues, ever think of the cow's arse the saddle was made from? The fact that the thing was hand made, and that the leather may be stretched more on one side, or a little thinner, probably plays a major a part in how the thing dimples...
BTW- here's my cut B-17:

What they're supposed to be lined up, symetrical? Oh, no, It rides great and I want to tour on it. But that was all before I knew it was wrong!
I agree with the Forum, I too think it depends on your strength. Does any left-footed rider have bigger dents on his/her left side of saddle?

I noticed that a while back on my B-17. Not so much in the dents but on the part that over hangs (part that people often trim off) where it is stamped with the "brooks" oval... tht part sticks out a little further from the rails on the left than on the right. I have no pain or discomfort, so I guess I just have something with my body lopsided or I lean a bit to the left. Oh well, it's comfy and I love it.

Edit: Yeah, I'm stronger on my left leg for some reason and that's the side that is "dented" more.