Brooks getting uncomfortable?

robthehungrymonkey

I've had my classic Brooks saddle for a few years now, and it was always comfy. I've now ridden probably 4-5000 miles on it (admittedly, not consistently. It's on my tourer, and the bike is often in the shed for longish periods). And now i can't seem to get comfortable on the saddle.

Has my arse changed shape (!?), or does the saddle need some fettling? I'm reluctant to fiddle too much, as it was comfortable for a long ride to Morocco, and maybe i'm just not used to it right now? Or, do I need to tighten the bolt underneath?

Anyone with any brooks specific experience, your help is needed!

farrina

It was a long time ago when I had one (B17?) but it used to come with a nut on the front of the saddle to allow you to retention it should the leather become to soft and droopy.

Just wonder if this is what has happened with yours (long shot!)

Cheers

Alan

marcusjb

Returning to any saddle that you've not ridden for a while can take a bit of getting used to again.

Takes me a couple of days getting back comfy on a B17 (I ride Swifts on most bikes, but have a B17 on the tandem for touring).

General wisdom seems to be not to touch the nose bolt unless the tension has really dropped on the saddle - and even then, treat it with caution and don't move it much.

I'd get a couple of long days on it and then see what you think. As I said, it does take me a couple of days when we tour to get comfy.

robthehungrymonkey

farrina wrote:

It was a long time ago when I had one (B17?) but it used to come with a nut on the front of the saddle to allow you to retention it should the leather become to soft and droopy.

Just wonder if this is what has happened with yours (long shot!)

Cheers

Alan

marcusjb wrote:

General wisdom seems to be not to touch the nose bolt unless the tension has really dropped on the saddle - and even then, treat it with caution and don't move it much.

Thanks for the advice, I was wondering about the bolt, but, it still seems pretty hard to me. Definitely no noticeable lack of tension when looking at it.

I think i'll leave it as it is, i'm planning on riding 70-80 miles on Saturday, so it'll either sort itself out or I won't be able to walk next week!

mercia_man

I think it's probably due to the fact you haven't been riding on the tourer lately. When I've spent a long period exclusively riding my road bike with a Selle Italia SLK and get on my tourer with a Brooks B17 it feels at first really hard. But when I take it on a multi-day camping tour, the Brooks seems to get more comfortable by the day.

I've done little adjustments to the nose bolt over the years to reduce sagging as the leather stretches but there's no point in doing that if the leather is still stiff.