Tips on breaking in a new Brooks

[CanucksTraveller]

What are your tips or techniques for softening a new Brooks?

I've got a new B17 in honey for Christmas and have heard a few contradictory things. Any advice much appreciated.

If it helps I tend to be fairly low mileage this time of year, couple of miles each way commute, plus a slightly longer ride of about 12 miles on weekends. This will increase through the spring by some way, but it seems I'm not going to do much breaking in with my bum before about March.

I've heard something about a wierd technique where you put quite a bit of proofide on and then spend an evening standing on the thing... wow.

Cheers.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Just 1 liberal coat of proofhide top and bottom, leave in a warm place overnight, buff off the topside, attach to bike ride.
Repeat procedure next year.
Oh....
Never touch the adjustment bolt.
Never touch the adjustment bolt.
Never touch the adjustment bolt.
Never touch the adjustment bolt.
Never touch the adjustment bolt.
Never touch the adjustment bolt.
Never touch the adjustment bolt.
Never touch the adjustment bolt.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Saddle cover or not? I have to wear a uniform to work, and with such a short commute I don't bother with shorts / tights. I can just picture a brownish smear appearing on my ass crack as the week goes on.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Saddle cover or not? I have to wear a uniform to work, and with such a short commute I don't bother with shorts / tights. I can just picture a brownish smear appearing on my ass crack as the week goes on.

If you polish-off the excess a cover might be advisable for a few days, but after that, no worries.

 

[e-rider]

avoid getting the leather wet all the time and just ride ride ride

and as already stated; don't touch the adjustment bolt for at least 5 years; probably more like 10!

 

[TheDoctor]

I seem to recall Chuffy once advising that you need to :-
1. Get the spanner they give you for the adjusting bolt
2. Throw it as far as possible.

I personally found that when I had a go on Plax's Galaxy, the Brooks saddle was as comfy as anything.
So, lend your bike to Plax for a few months?

 

[asterix]

Just ride it. Pain is all you will suffer and it wear off. (I cheat and put new saddles on my Brompton. I only do short rides on it and of course it has suspension).

 

[yello]

Never touch the adjustment bolt.

unless advised to by Brooks! The bolt on mine was loose; Brooks told me that it is possible that some saddles can leave the factory without it being done up.

Re breaking in, I simply followed the instructions given. I didn't do any of the more extreme suggestions for speeding up the process.

 

[jazzkat]

I too got a honey B17 for Christmas. I've only ridden it twice and its comfy as it is, although neither were big milages (quick nip to the shops and a 15 mile trundle)
I kept sliding forward on mine until I moved the nose up a bit. Looks a bit strange but it is comfy

 

[numbnuts]

DO NOT USE neetsfoot oil on it to soften the leather

 

[yello]

I kept sliding forward on mine until I moved the nose up a bit.

This is an oft reported problem... and solution! I did the same with mine for the same reason.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

You do not want the saddle to soften. If it did, it would sag in the middle so much you wouldn't be able to take up the slack with the adjusting bolt. As others have said, do not alter that bolt.

I don't think there is a satisfactory way of speeding up the break in. Just use Proofhide and ride it. Eventually you will see two indentations forming at the rear of the saddle (assuming you have an Acme Posterior Co. Mark II standard bum) which will correspond with your sit bones. Then my son, you will find nirvana.

 

[yello]

You do not want the saddle to soften. If it did, it would sag in the middle so much you wouldn't be able to take up the slack with the adjusting bolt.

I think this might depend on the particular saddle. My B17N Imperial (the narrow one with a cut out bit) has a slight sag. Brooks told me this was to be expected with this model.

...but, in truth, I think some of this might be subject to much conjecture. I reckon the bottom line (geddit? bottom line.... I know, don't give up me day job...) is whether the saddle is comfortable or not.

 

[tyred]

Why are you not supposed to touch the bolt?

The Wrights leather saddle on my Carlton had become very "saggy" and uncomfortable even though someone had laced it together underneath in the past. I was apprehensive about tightening the famous bolt as everything I had read online about leather saddles said not to do it under any circumstances. I thought about, considered the saddle was uncomfortable and unusable as it was, even if tightening the bolt did FUBAR, I had nothing to lose. So I did it, and 1,200 miles later, it's fine. I have also tightened the bolt on the Brooks B72 on one of my old three-speeds and it's fine also.

I think you need to apply a little common sense while doing it, it's supposed to have some give, you don't want it tight like a violin string. Oh, and buy the proper spanner as it's a bugger to do without it.

 

[yello]

Why are you not supposed to touch the bolt?

It's common advice on many forums but it doesn't make a great deal of sense to me, to be perfectly honest. I mean, why provide a tension bolt if you're not supposed to use it!

I think you're about right tyred when you suggest using a bit of nous when it comes to tensioning. I'm not afraid of giving the bolt a 1/4 turn if there appears to be a little too much sag.