Brooks saddle failure.

[Johnsco]

Can you beat a Brooks saddle ?
Well - It's looks like you can.
This Brooks B5N was fitted to my Carlton road bike in the early 1970s (possibly the 1960s).
I soon got used to it and used it for years, until the bike got laid up in the garage about 35 years ago.
A friend of mine had borrowed it and abused it.
It came back in a bad state and wasn't even usable.
During the lockdown months, I refurbished, refitted and repainted the bike and got it back on the road.
At first, the old saddle took a bit of getting used to again .... You know how it is !!
It was looking a bit tired, so I gave it a good clean and a couple of applications of dubbin.
All was going well.
Three days ago, worrying cracks began to appear.

There is worse to come ....

 

[Fab Foodie]

Yeah, one of mine's beginning to fail... I've only had it since 1984...hopeless!

 

[Johnsco]

The day after, on an 8 mile ride .... DISASTER !!!!
See photos ...

That bolt sticking up is rather painful ... Especially when you're some 4 miles from home.
By carefully wrapping a jacket round it, I made it home.
I've replaced it with a modern saddle of poorer heritage.
Onwards and upwards !

 

[fossyant]

Ouch

 

[fossyant]

I would have stopped riding that 3 days ago.

 

[Paulus]

Definitely worth a complaint to Brooks customer service department. Only 50 odd years old before it gives up, outrageous.

 

[Globalti]

It's even more impressive when you consider that the saddle was beaten together by a blacksmith in a medieval chastity belt factory hundreds of years ago.

 

[rogerzilla]

It's dead, Jim.

 

[Paulus]

The day after, on an 8 mile ride .... DISASTER !!!!
See photos ...
View attachment 539773

View attachment 539774

That bolt sticking up is rather painful ... Especially when you're some 4 miles from home.
By carefully wrapping a jacket round it, I made it home.
I've replaced it with a modern saddle of poorer heritage.
Onwards and upwards !

Wrap some ducktape around the end. At least 20 more years out of it.

 

[raleighnut]

That's how the B5n on my Carlton failed, I just laced it through the holes and duct taped the end.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I'd try and fix it...

Hammer, Heat and Hammer, then it goes in the bin...

 

[CanucksTraveller]

All the ones I've seen give out have done so in that very same spot, I suppose that's inevitable when there are double (triple?) the rivets at the other end and such an acute angle on the nose, and I suppose there always has to be a weaker spot somewhere.
I say weaker, but that's quite a relative term when it comes to a Brooks.

 

[Drago]

Everything is so cheap and shoddy these days.

 

[kynikos]

Looks like something's been leaking onto it

 

[Johnsco]

Ouch indeed !!
Thanks for your thoughts guys.
I can't complain too much.
I had many miles of good service from the saddle.
It suffered from 35 years of neglect - Much of it in a damp garage.
The photos of the corrosion rivets show the problem.
Not to mention the under-carriage.
I'm not going to do anything with it.
If it's any good to anyone - It's complete - No bits missing --- Let me know.
Otherwise - It's in the bin.