new brooks saddle - 2 questions :)

[jann71]

I've recently bought a new brooks b17s saddle.

How often should I use proofhide on it to break it in?

And I'm also having trouble with saddle tilt no matter how tight I tighten the bolt the saddle tips nose up. Wasn't an issue with previous saddle. Its sitting pretty much in middle of the rails. Any ideas?

 

[TrevorM]

You should have got instruction sheet with the saddle? In summary it says:
Apply to the underside and leave it to soak in (don't rub off or polish).
Do that several times during the breaking in period (that's a bit vague but if you assume 500 miles to break in then maybe every 200 miles?).
Then do it every few months.

You can also use it on the 'shiny' side but use very little, let it dry and polish it off to avoid staining clothes.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Only proofhide once in a blue moon. Never tension the bolt.
They last for years, really years with very minimal attention, though as the leather stretches you do need to reposition occasionaly. But leave the proofhide for now and the tension bolt alone.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

i have a brooks flyer (b17 with springs) and a professional. the flyer seemed to break in, approx, 1500 miles, then i started to find it painful after about 50 miles. i changed back to the stock brompton saddle, but this gives me saddle sores (itchy crotch, a few ingrowing hairs and a few boils) and i shower at both ends of my commute.

does anybody find that the brooks is comfy then not? or is it due to my set up?

do most people have it slightly nose up or down and where are the sit bones supposed to go? in the middle like a hammock or at the back near the rivets?

cheers

 

[ASC1951]

does anybody find that the brooks is comfy then not? or is it due to my set up?

I've never had that and I've always ridden Brooks, many of which have 10,000+ miles on them.

do most people have it slightly nose up or down and where are the sit bones supposed to go? in the middle like a hammock or at the back near the rivets?

Dead flat, for me. My sit bones are on a line between the two widest points on the saddle.

I don't see how they could be "in the middle like a hammock" unless the set-up was way way out.

 

[PpPete]

If it's hammock shaped the bolt needs tightening.
Mine (a Comp on the fixed, a B17 on the tandem, a Swift on the Galaxy) are tensioned so they are at most 1/4" lower in middle than at fore & aft.

Proofhide....once a week for first month
once a month for first year
once a year for life
or so I've read

 

[ricksavery]

Jann71 - I had a similar problem adjusting the position of my B17. I found the best way was to loosen the bolt at the end you want to raise, tighten the other one (but not too much) to move the saddle in the direction you want, then tighten the original bolt. A bit of trial and error as to the amounts to tighten the second bolt, but worked OK. You might have to 'wiggle' the saddle a tiny bit to loosen it in it's mounts. Sorry if that sounds a bit vague

 

[jann71]

I only have one bolt I tighten it, yes really tight. Get half way along the road, saddle back to pointing in air!

 

[Scoosh]

You might find that you need to slacken the clamp well off, then gently and carefully, lift the saddle up, so that it is free to be angled right up or right down. Point it slightly more down than you want, then tighten it up again and try that.

I had something similar and couldn't make the required adjustment because I was not slackening the clamp enough.


* not a brilliant explanation but the best at the mo' - I'll have a look around t'interbob and see if I can find a better one


Have a look at this, from 0.40 - 1.05 shows the clamp but doesn't really show how loose it needs to be.

HTH

 

[Gerry Attrick]

I've had problems with the type of seatpost you depict. It was always slipping no matter how much I tightened the saddle clamp bolt. Junk it and get a two bolt design.

E.g. http://www.parker-in...mpaign=pid10054

or

http://www.dotbike.com/ProductsP9339.aspx?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=5&utm_campaign=DDI

 

[ricksavery]

Sorry about that. I have a two-bolt seat post and didn't think about the one-bolt setup so my explanation was useless to you! Scoosh and Gerry Attrick explain it much better than me.