I'm not sure if this should be here, on general discussion, or Commuting & Touring, but here goes. I just received my new B-17 saddle and was expecting a bit more of a pliable leather. Man, you can drive nails into concrete with this thing! How long does it take to get this thing to start conforming to my butt? Thanks

proofide the top and bottom. let dry. wipe off excess. repeat (only on the top. they recommned proofiding the bottome only once). loosen the nut at the nose of the saddle half a turn or so. ride.

that's what i did. took a few long rides to get some sit bone dimples in the leather. i'm not sure how long it takes for the leather to become 'pliable', or if it ever does. mine is still relatively hard, but once the dimples form, it's comfy.

the_dude

I'm not sure if this should be here, on general discussion, or Commuting & Touring, but here goes. I just received my new B-17 saddle and was expecting a bit more of a pliable leather. Man, you can drive nails into concrete with this thing! How long does it take to get this thing to start conforming to my butt? Thanks

Some people find that the Brooks saddle fits them right out of the box. Others get involved in elaborate breakin rituals using Bear Grease and the family oven. In between is to treat the saddle with Brooks Proofide and ride it. How long it takes to get comfortable will depend on a number of factors including your weight, how tough your butt is, how much you sweat, etc. YMMV

The saddle will soften somewhat but part of the process is getting used riding with minimal padding. I don't like sinking into padding and feel that puts pressure on me more where I don't want it. Beware of treatments other than Proofide, which is the only one recommended by Brooks. The fragility of the leather is one of the big knocks on Brooks saddles. I have the fitted cover for mine to protect it from rain and suggest purchasing this if you don't already have it. Be careful it can slip off. Mine came off the other day as I was dismounting in my driveway. I love mine and can ride without saddle concerns.

My B17 saddles felt comfortable from the first time I rode them, but they do break in over time. The Special Edition version of the B17 has thicker leather than the regular version, so it will take longer to break in. Proofide is supposed to speed the process, but don't overdo it. The main way to break in a Brooks saddle is just ride it. The sooner you put 500-1,000 miles on the saddle, the sooner it will break in and become more comfortable. Also, adjustment is critical in the comfort of a Brooks saddle. Many riders (including me) have found that you need to elevate the nose slightly in relation to rear of the saddle, otherwise you tend to slide forward and your sit bones don't situate over the widest part of the saddle. When I first tried a Brooks saddle, I set it up perfectly level like I had done with other saddles, but I kept feeling like I was sliding forward. It wasn't comfortable until I tried raising the nose a little.

756 miles. Or get an American made leather saddle: Selle An-Atomica.

It took me a little less than 200 miles to break in my saddle. I ride the Team Pro and once it broke in, I don't think I can imagine myself on anything else. The Brooks is not only comfortable, but it's a beautiful saddle. Take care of it and it will develop the most beautiful patina as it ages.

Get out and ride it enough and you'll never want anything else.

756 miles. Or get an American made leather saddle: Selle An-Atomica.

Want to tell us about your Selle An-Atomica? I want to try a cutout saddle to reduce perineal pressure, but I don't want to give up the suppleness of leather.

I'm not sure if this should be here, on general discussion, or Commuting & Touring, but here goes. I just received my new B-17 saddle and was expecting a bit more of a pliable leather. Man, you can drive nails into concrete with this thing! How long does it take to get this thing to start conforming to my butt? Thanks


You should try the Cycling Plus forum if you want to know about Brooks Saddles (and I mean everything there is to know). Often guys from the Brooks company will enter in to the discussion.

http://www.cyclingplus.co.uk/forum/default.asp

The Brits are hilarious when it comes to "kit" as they call it. One of them will post the question "Which saddle?" and they'll argue endlessly about which of the Brooks saddles is best. I don't think they even consider any other brand. As a touring saddle the B17 is wonderful and I have one on my tourer. It broke it in by going on a 180 mile ride in two days. The Proofide does help. Follow the instructions on the tin. It's great stuff and even smells like something English.

I have Brooks saddles on 6 bikes presently.

I have never had break-in troubles with them. I have found them comfortable out of the box, in each case.

I rarely use Proofide on my saddles, though I frequently use Beeswax, and have even been known to put shoe polish on 'em.

There is also a great deal of talk about making sure they never get exposed to the weather. Leather saddles, including Brooks, were used in all weather for many years before plastic saddles came to be.

Mine are frequently exposed to rain or snow or slush ..

If they get wet, let them dry naturally and they will be fine. That said, if one of my bikes is on the car rack I cover the saddle with a plastic bag, no sense being flat out silly about it.

Want to tell us about your Selle An-Atomica? I want to try a cutout saddle to reduce perineal pressure, but I don't want to give up the suppleness of leather.

I can tell you about Selle An-Atomica or you can go to our website and read in your own time and email us from the site. I don't have time to log in to the Forums often enough.
http://mcmwin.com

Tom

I can tell you about Selle An-Atomica or you can go to our website and read in your own time and email us from the site. I don't have time to log in to the Forums often enough.
http://mcmwin.com

Tom

Tom, I obviously don't log in too often, either. I've read the Selle AnAtomica websites, and I'm more interested in how well they ride, how firm, et cetera. I like the firmness of a Brooks Pro/Team Pro or an Ideale 90/92 and how that is combined with a supple resilience, but I don't know if the AnAtomicas will deliver that, or if they have a totally different feel.

Ken

I think that is enough stereotyping us Brits and our kit. I have a Brookes team pro on my very British Dawes Galaxy touring iron but wouldn't really think about putting one on my Colnago or Litespeed Tuscany which is in the process of being built up as week speak.
I have a Flite titanium on other bikes but would really like some alternative suggestions for the Lite of my life. Thanks.

I think that is enough stereotyping us Brits and our kit. I have a Brookes team pro on my very British Dawes Galaxy touring iron but wouldn't really think about putting one on my Colnago or Litespeed Tuscany which is in the process of being built up as week speak.
I have a Flite titanium on other bikes but would really like some alternative suggestions for the Lite of my life. Thanks.

We don't need to stereotype you Brits. You do that for us. I've had English friends since I was a small child and they have all exhibited preferences for English products and ways. I wish we Americans could be a little more loyal to our own brands. If you study why a Brooks saddle is comfortable you should be able to find a light saddle with the same properties that fits your arse. Fizik seems to do a good job with their high end models but, like the Brooks, they are not soft and compliant. My personal preference is for a hard leather-covered saddle that fits the width of the ishial tuberosities (sit bones). If you can afford a Colnago AND a Tuscany you should be able to afford the Fizik Aliente. A current English friend with a narrow butt has a Selle Italia SLR on his Van Dessel frame. He seems to like it. Mind you, this is a bloke who digs fence post holes with a spade.

I have B-17s on three bikes and a Team Pro on another, and the B's were comfortable for me right out of the box (the Pro did take a few weeks to feel right).
One thing that seems to make a big difference, though, is the way the saddle is set up. Just a couple of millimeters of tilt changes the feel quite a bit. One of my saddles must have at least 10,000 miles on it, and last time I took it off the post to do a thorough job with Proofhide (only once or twice a year with that stuff, BTW, don't goop it up too much), it took me two or three rides to get it back on the bike just right. Usually I mark the post and measure the distance from the saddle nose to the top tube, but I thought I could eyeball it after all these years. Wrong.
On the plus side, I can spend three or four hours in the saddle with no discomfort. It's worth the trouble.

I think that is enough stereotyping us Brits and our kit. I have a Brookes team pro on my very British Dawes Galaxy touring iron but wouldn't really think about putting one on my Colnago or Litespeed Tuscany which is in the process of being built up as week speak.
I have a Flite titanium on other bikes but would really like some alternative suggestions for the Lite of my life. Thanks.

Apart from the Brooks - the only other saddle I will use is the San Marco Regal. The "old" Italian number with a leather cover and the Brass rivets - it is now offered in a titanium rail version and is ridiculously light. It is also surprisingly comfortable for a piece of plastic.

I have Brooks saddles on 6 bikes presently.

I have never had break-in troubles with them. I have found them comfortable out of the box, in each case.

I rarely use Proofide on my saddles, though I frequently use Beeswax, and have even been known to put shoe polish on 'em.

There is also a great deal of talk about making sure they never get exposed to the weather. Leather saddles, including Brooks, were used in all weather for many years before plastic saddles came to be.

Mine are frequently exposed to rain or snow or slush ..

If they get wet, let them dry naturally and they will be fine. That said, if one of my bikes is on the car rack I cover the saddle with a plastic bag, no sense being flat out silly about it.

I have a couple cakes of pure beeswax which I use for waxing twine to whip rope. Is this what you use on your Brooks? I have Proofide and use it occasionally, but am interested in the beeswax since I have it on hand.