Will Raw Taint Improve with break-in process (Brooks B17)
 

Sorry if the title seemed graphic but I need some advice. I just got my first Brooks saddle as a gift. I had a pro bike fit done with this saddle but after the first 3 or 4 rides (all less than 30 minutes) I am having some serious issues with my taint being rubbed raw.

My bike shorts are old, but I've never had this issue with any other saddle (same bike shorts). I realize that the saddle needs to be broken in, but will this even make a difference when it comes to chafing?

I am coming back from a running related knee issue so I am basically starting from scratch in terms of mileage which is a good thing, b/c I wouldn't be able to make it more than about 30 minutes with the what is happening right now. Thanks for your time!

I don't get it. Taint? Yea, it does get better. Also, it took me like 3 months to really zero in on all the adjustments. Now mine fits like a glove. Love it. Be patient. It should pay off.

You probably don't have the Brooks in the correct position. The nose should be tilted slightly up.

On general principles it can't hurt to get newer shorts. However the padding really is meant more to wick away sweat than to add cushioning.

On a side note, IMO the whole "ooh Brooks break-in scary" is a bit exaggerated. I recently picked up a Specialized Toupe, and it's taking many miles to figure out the proper position and to get used to it.

Im sorry, but in life if something hurts in the way you are describing, stop it or make adjustments to stop it hurting. This doesnt sound right and it also doesnt go along with commonly experienced new Brooks soreness (ie, sitbones areas yes, but not the other stuff)

what saddle model? what sort of bike? bar height to seat height?

Did the pro bike fitter actually know what to do with Brooks saddles? And djb is right with his questions, because the answers may provide the big answer to the OP's question.

I keep reading people mention that the correct position for a Brooks saddle is to tilt the nose up. Never understood how that worked, tried it out on mine, and pretty much had my suspicion confirmed. The nose jabbed itself where it shouldn't. It was a very slight upturn, but it was enough to transform a very comfy saddle into a torture device. I barely went a couple of meters before bringing it back to level. Not to say that there aren't people who don't find that setup to be comfortable.. I just think that like anything else in cycling, Brooks saddle position is something that varies greatly from person to person. So, as others had mentioned, keep playing around with the saddle position.. Also, might sound a little counterintuitive, but try riding it without your cycling shorts. Many people find that the most comfortable feature of the brooks, one that sets it apart from other saddles is its rigidity, presuming that it's wide enough to support your sit bones. What bike do you have it on? What kind of riding do you do? What's the weather like in Atlanta? (I'll be arriving there in a couple of hours) Georgia on my mind..

Thanks
 

The saddle is on my surly LHT. I know the mechanic set the seat to level, but also realized he lowered the handlebars a slight bit which is maybe contributing to the problem. The fit is guaranteed, so i may just call him and chat about it.

I guess what yall are saying is that with the break in process i will have better sit bone comfort, but it may not help with chafing? I dont want to have to lather up with any type of lube before every ride . Thanks again for your time.

It is hot and humid in atlanta right now.

The B17 has a sweet spot. You prob haven't quite found it yet.

Even so, there is still a break in period.

Here is what I do. Take a tin of Proofide and a hair dryer and
warm the saddle (gently) while melting the Proofide.

Take a scrap of cloth or paper towel and rub Proofide over
the saddle. Use the hair dryer to keep it liquid, which will help it soak in.

You don't need a lot, and too much can ruin the saddle. You want to get
the two spots where your hip bones hit the saddle.

I also treat the bottom edges of the saddle, and about a half inch to an inch of the underside at the bottom.
But it doesn't seem to slow down getting wet much.

Definition
 

Hey Albert. One's taint is the seam where god sewed you up.

You learn something new every day.

Speedo

jhunt, while there are many people who enjoy their leather saddles there are a lot of other people who prefer not to enjoy the break-in period. My gf couldn't ride on any saddle in the level position and the taint relief she got was pointing the squishy saddle down, surprised me as the position looks awful but she likes it. I've been riding for 40yrs and raced in my 20's. While I got comfortable enough riding all day, as comfortable as one can get riding on a bicycle seat I wasn't able to get past the time required to break in a leather saddle. I've tried three times for 3-6mo and it just wasn't worth it given the saddles out there that work from day one to ten years down the line. You might consider getting a pre-broken in B-17 or experiment with other saddles. Putting in the miles can be enough of an effort if you're starting from scratch. Btw getting up off the saddle frequently, no matter what kind, can help.

There are B-17 with cutout taint relief and pre-aged ones.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/s...rooks-b17.html

+1

Maybe you are too far forward on the saddle, so your sit bones aren't bearing the brunt of the weight. Maybe it needs to be angled up a notch, or down a notch. Get out your allen wrench and play with it, a notch at a time. And, while Brooks is THE ANSWER for many folks (me included), for others they just don't seem to work no matter what they try. If it turns out you are one of those, hopefully you can return it.

IMO, nose high vs. level depends on height of bar relative too saddle. Ride a while, and your body is going to let you know. Roughly, higher bar = nose up a hair; bar lower than saddle = level. Much lower than saddle, then a B17 isn't likely to be the right saddle for you.

As simply another data point, even though I'm a larger guy, I like the narrower B17N.

Different horses for different courses.

I have a well treated Brooks Pro 30,years old, proofide will flow
into the underside of the leather readily , so more water resistant,

set out, upside down, on a Hot day in the sun
or warmed in the oven to 98.6f , may do fine..

I rode my Brooks for 2000 miles and could not get it to stop rubbing with any amount of adjusting. It could be that my seatpost is really annoying and difficult to adjust, and that because of that I could not get it into the "sweet spot". It could just be that Brooks saddles are not for me.

Just a forewarning - not everyone has been able to make a Brooks work.

remember that early 80s song...
Tainted Love oooh ooh

I love my Brooks, but it took several thousand miles to properly break in. I've got a second with 1,400 miles on it and a third with 900 miles on it. Neither the second nor the third are anywhere near broken in. I'm nearly a clyde, so it's not because I'm light...

Also known as the perineum.

I think thats ridiculous that a saddle should take that long to break in. Its not worth it to me to put myself though major discomfort just to someday maybe only have minor discomfort (its still a bicycle seat!)

not everyones meant to ride a brooks. Im digging my new fizik.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=201743

Good move on going back to the bike fitter, especially with the guarantee.

Believe it or not, the bike shorts might just be the reason why you are experiencing issues. If you can afford to spend on a bike fit, you can also afford a new pair of shorts with a pad that fits you (ie, try on a few before you decide which one feels most comfortable -- that at least gives you a fighting chance when you get on the bike).

Just to explain this, my "taint" also gets rubbed raw on a Brooks when I wear certain shorts, usually those with too wide a pad that bunches. I've also noticed that my older best shorts (Pearl Izumis) tend to chafe as well. Hence my assertion about the shorts being a contributing factor.

I also need to mention that continued adjustment is needed with the tilt until you find the aforementioned sweet spot. You should be sitting fair and square on your sitbones, and with very little to no pressure on your perineum.

And the break-in process, while being a little uncomfortable initially on the sitbones, should not cause issues elsewhere with your butt or bits.

Rowan is right on with this, and the idea of the bike shorts being possibly issue makes sense, as especially with a new seat, as he says, "you should be sitting fair and square on your sitbones"--on a new Brooks, the "hard" contact of your butt (your sitbones) havent yet made the slight depressions that will come with more riding, so this is where when "breaking in" you will feel soreness. My first rides (roughly 7) of an hour or so were certainly like that, and I couldnt go for more than an hour as my sitbones were sore-ish. I certainly did not have any "middle area" soreness as it wasnt being pressured by the seat (only the "sticking out" bits of my sit bones, makes sense doesnt it?)

Catonec--don't take that fellows word for gospel, I weigh 140 and my new Brooks was quite comfortable only after about 100 miles (forementioned 6 or 7 rides). But I do agree, they are only bike seats, but with proper setup, a Brooks is a neat feeling and perfectly comfortable (for me).

Just one more data point...
I found the one Brooks that I owned just OK when new and progressively worse as it broke in. So yeah they are not for everyone. Also I would consider the fact that they are much heavier than most saddles so they would have to be much more comfortable to be worth the weight penalty.

I guess I am lucky in that after a few hundred miles I adjusted to all of the original saddles that came with my bikes and I would happily use any of them if I was doing another TA. I always advise putting in 300-500 miles on the saddle that came with your bike, before considering a change. I have always done that and even the saddle that I thought was awful on the first ride worked out well (I used that one on the TA). It probably helps that I ride with lower than average bars so I don't have much weight on the saddle.

I really have nothing to offer regarding the fix for your saddle, but I have to say that every time I read the thread title and get to "raw taint," I cringe. Oh man, I can't even imagine....

+1 - I generally find my Brooks saddles more comfortable without padded shorts than with. Most people seem to have their Brooks saddles pointed up a bit a the front - that seems counter intuitive in terms of comfort, but works great.

My GF found the Brooks I put on her commuter uncomfortable at first and she wanted a wide plastic saddle. I suggested she try it a bit to see if she would change her mind. She didn't think so, but agreed to ride it more. I got caught up in an away project for work for 4-5 weeks and forgot about it. I asked her what she thought when I got back and she liked it a lot better. I asked if she wanted a plastic saddle for that bike and she said no. At a group ride a week ago I overheard her chatting away with someone about how great her Brooks was. FWIW - she doesn't used padded bike shorts either.

Not everyone will end up liking a Brooks and there are many models to choose from so it's possible you might not like the one you are one, but you'd like a different model - just like any other saddle. The one change with a Brooks is spending the time riding it to figure out if the saddle is the right model and if it is does it need adjustment?

Personally I spent decades on many uncomfortable plastic saddles until I found a Brooks and was liberated from saddle pain.

well put Staehpj, especially about spending time with a seat for a while (making slight adjustments etc along the way).

I guess the thing that I most enjoy about the Brooks compared to the other bike seats I've had is the easy movement of my behind as I pedal (no matter what sort of pants, shorts, bike shorts etc I have on)

I could relate it to double layer socks, or wearing a thin pair of socks under another pair when hiking, to reduce friction on your skin as you walk. Thats what I noticed right away with the Brooks. As you pedal, your bum moves, but the leather allows a sort of "frictionless" easy motion of ones bottom, so especially after it forms to your specific sitbones, and then distributes the weight around nicely. I really noticed a reduction in "friction" on my skin. Also, as others often state, it does seem also to breathe a bit more than other seats, so it seems to be less sweaty--or in any case, even when sweaty, it comes back to the "less friction" thing compared to my other seats.

as you say though, so many factors come into play--bar height, how people pedal (sitting up more vs more forward) , how hard or steady people pedal (distributing weight between legs, bum and hands), how fit people are and how much riding experience they have--that more along the lines of being more aware of how to make seat adjustments, bike short choices, underwear choices (not having big seams right under "there")

cheers