How long did it take you to break in your Brooks?

[chort]

I have about 100 miles on mine and it's not broken in yet.. Although I was thining I'd have to ride about 4xs/wk at least...

I got it about two weeks ago and have been riding ever since! I LOVE it! I got the B-68 and the seat fits my sit bones just right! I've been working on my form too and my woman parts/soft tissue is better than ever!:p

[mimitabby]

they don't always need "breaking in"
i'm glad you like your Brooks; I love mine too. (all of them :eek: :D )

[chort]

Mimi - I forgot, tell me how many you have..

And Mine needs a little breaking in because my @ss hurts after 40 miles!:p

[mimitabby]

I have 4.
one on the tandem
one on my Bianchi
one on my Raleigh (the antique B66 saddle)

and one in a box ready to be put on my new bike.

and you still have to get used to riding 40 miles!

it will get better; but the farther you ride; the more it's going to hurt
I don't care WHAT saddle it is.

[bikerHen]

Another question, what about oiling. How often does it need to be oiled? Does it help at all with the breaking in? And more importantly, how long do I have to wait till it get roughed up enough to stop slipping around on the saddle? More than three rides? Oh, and what type of oil. I think the guy at Free Range said Mink Oil?

Despite all the above, I really am liking this saddle. :D bikerHen

[mimitabby]

Use the leather care product that is recommended with the saddle. use it as OFTEN as you like.
(I forget the name)
other people will post soon.

Bikerhen, a lot of the slippage goes away once the seat is properly adjusted.

[dex]

...and what type of oil.

Proofide
http://www.wallbike.com/content/proofide.html

:)

[melissam]

I have to chime in here. I love my Brooks -- all three of them!

It all started last summer with a B17S for my Trek road bike, which I enjoyed so much that I got a B17 for my mountain bike. I gave someone a Team Pro S for Christmas, but they didn't like it, so I got them another saddle and put the Team Pro S on my Bianchi road bike. All of the Brooks felt good from the getgo, but felt broken-in around the 100 mile mark.

That said, I think my longest rides have been in the 50 mile range. I may not be quite as charmed with my Brooks after a century. :rolleyes:

I should also mention that I bought all the saddles from Wallingford Bicycles (www.wallbike.com), and they were a pleasure to deal with.

Here's what I do for saddle maintenance program:

1. When I get the saddle, put Proofhide (the stuff recommended by Brooks) on the bottom and the top of the saddle. After a few hours, buff off the top of the saddle; no need to buff off the bottom of the saddle.

2. When the saddle is new, apply Proofhide to the top every week or so. Let it sit until it's not shiny, then buff it off. (It tends to loose the "shine" after an hour or so.)

3. After a few Proofhidings, it will stay shiny for several hours. At that point, I only Proofhide it every six months or so.

This maintenance program pretty much agrees with the literature that comes with the Brooks saddles.

You should also know that I live in Northern California, which as very mild temperatures -- not rainy or sun-baked.

I've also only owned my Brooks for the last year, so I can hardly vouch for the long term success of my maintenance program.

Oh, and about the slipperiness. I do recall noticing it at first, but it seemed go away after a few rides and some Proofhiding.

-- Melissa

[divingbiker]

I've probably got about 700 miles on my B68 since May, and I can't tell that it's "broken in" at all. It's comfy, but it's still hard as a rock and I don't see any indentations.

[chort]

Mimi - I think you are the Brooks queen!

Well, I just hope it gets a little more comfty even if it doesn't "break-in." :p ;)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The Brooks saddle will never get "soft"- it will just slightly form to your sitbones, that's all.
Don't use oil on it. Use Proofhide like the makers recommend. Use it every few days 4 or 5 times on a brand new saddle, then once a month a couple more times, then maybe once every 3 or 4 months to help keep it water resistant.

I rode my first Brooks for 6 months before it seemed broken in. After a year I bought a new Brooks (different model) and I could ride it right off the bat without getting sore. Seems my REAR was sufficiently broken in already! :p

[KnottedYet]

I just bought my 2nd B67. It felt lovely from the start (just like my 1st B67 which I bought last year) but I could definitely tell the difference between the new and the older "broken in".

My 1 year old B67 is still "hard" leather, but boy is it customized to my lopsided pelvis!

And btw, I follow the same Proofhide schedule that Mimi does. That Proofhide is good stuff.

[bikerHen]

One more stupid question.

When oiling the underside, do you take the saddle off the bike? Tip the bike upside down? Or just reach under there and do the best you can? That sounds kinda perverted but enquiring minds need to know these things. :D bikerHen

[mimitabby]

I don't take the saddle off the bike.Just reach around as best you can.
If you want, you CAN turn the bike upside down or lay it down on its side.

[farrellcollie]

When oiling the underside, do you take the saddle off the bike?

Once I get a brooks set in the right position (I have 4) I try to never take it off - I find it a giant pain to get them adjusted correctly. Ijust try to smush some proofhide in there as best I can.

[IFjane]

I've probably got about 700 miles on my B68 since May, and I can't tell that it's "broken in" at all. It's comfy, but it's still hard as a rock and I don't see any indentations.

From one who has never ridden on a Brooks, maybe it's not the saddle that gets broken-in???:eek: "I'll leave now," IFjane says as she tiptoes out of the forum...

[mimitabby]

Lisa, my 30 year old Brooks is soft like a good leather jacket!
so never say "NEVER!"

[chort]

I don't necessarily care if it's soft, i just wants some marks on it from my sitbones!!

I am LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVING it thought. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

[RoadRaven]

Tiptoes in to the edge of the thread where IFJAne was...

I have never ridden a Brooks and this question comes from a completely ignorant (- as in complete lack of knowledge about -) perspective on Brooks saddles...

I hear you all say they are comfortable and that I cannot dispute (and would not consider disputing)
I just wonder why you choose a Brooks when there has been so much research gone into designing saddles for the various pelvic types?

Do Brooks even have a cut-out, or a moulded/indented groove? (My ignorance extends to the fact that I have never seen a "real-life" Brooks, just pics here on TE)

The way I chose my saddle was by looking for the words "women's specific" in a style that I had seen women roadsters (like Sarah Ulmer and Onone Wood) ride...

Tip toes out again, hoping I haven't nudged anyones "offended triggers"....

[mimitabby]

you're not going to offend me.
All this research; not sure if i agree. when you sit on a seat at home, do you need a cutout? If your posture is good, your crotch is NOT pressed into the saddle, your sit bones are. and they are more or less designed to hold the weight. The brooks saddle gives your sit bones a great spot.
If your objective is to get the lightest saddle possible; and i know a lot of folks are there; they're going to carve away that nice spot for your sit bones; so instead you are sitting on... all that delicate tissue; and yeah, then you sure do need a cutout or you can forget the joys of sex!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I hear you all say they are comfortable and that I cannot dispute (and would not consider disputing)
I just wonder why you choose a Brooks when there has been so much research gone into designing saddles for the various pelvic types?

Do Brooks even have a cut-out, or a moulded/indented groove? (My ignorance extends to the fact that I have never seen a "real-life" Brooks, just pics here on TE)

Good questions! :)
But sometimes "research" gets a little too mixed up with "marketing". Hence you find "women specific" designed saddles on the market that are huge puffy torture devices...made to LOOK comfy when in fact they are painful to ride on for any rides longer than to the corner store. Also, despite "so much research", many women find WS cutouts and grooves to be painful to ride on. Many saddles come out with different designs every year, all hyped as being the product of "advanced research"....a great marketing phrase! In reality, for all we know, the "research" may well have had to do with simply finding a model name that sounded appealing to more women...the "XP3 Cloud"...the "Deluxe Zephyr", etc.
Women in pain tend to seek cutouts and extra padding because it seems logical. Yet many of those saddles are amongst the many saddle styles they want to sell off or return because they are painful.
Some women find Brooks painful, but just as many women find gel padded or cutout saddles painful, if you read the vast saddle threads here on TE.
Similarly, women seek out heavier/thicker chamois because it seems that doing so might lessen discomfort, only to find that thicker padding increases the pressure on your soft parts, thus simply making the problem worse.

When you say "Do Brooks even have a cut-out, or a moulded/indented groove?"- it implies that not having those things makes it somehow lacking. The sentence is better without the "even". ;)
In the end, we must accept that just as there are many different pelvic shapes and sizes amongst women, so too should there be many different designs of saddles. There is no one ideal saddle for all women. :cool:

[chort]

With all the seats I have tried in the past (cut outs and no cutouts) my soft tissue was always smooshed and hurt like h3ll. I'd be soooo sore when I got back from even a short ride - 10 mile ride... and I'm sure my dh was sick of hearing about it. I'm experiencing no pain with my Brooks - just on the sitbones still, but that is waaaaay better than the soft tissue.:D

[RoadRaven]

Hey Lisa, thanks for that great and detailed response.

The seat I use on both my bikes is a Dolce, it is marketed as "women's specific" and has a good cutout (though the packaging called it a "love channel" hahahaha).

I know alot of the seats sold to women are tooooo soft and "juicy" and "smooshy". I hate those, they feel uncomfy the second I sit on them.

I am thinking of the Brooks saddle in jeannierides new bike thread on her bicycle. It looks so different to mine, and I don't think I could be comfy on it.

My current seat is only marginally wider than my partner's and sons' saddles (wider sit bones of course) and only a tad softer. Not much in it. They have those skinny hard saddles like we just saw so often on le Tour (though my partner is refusing to cut the nose of his Italia (?) like Cancellara has on his!)

But then I read about people wanting to have indents in the leather on their Brooks from their sitbones and it really has me wondering about Brooks and about how others find comfort on a bike.

I mean, its obvious it is the right saddle for many women here, there are lots of Brooks fans. So I am not trying to say i am right or my saddle is better. Far from it. I am just intrigued, thats all...

Thanks for both answering - and Chort, I think the "sitbone" pain happens regardless as you get used to riding the distances. i don't think its so much the sitbones per se hurting, its the muscles in your butt getting used to taking all your weight on two points...

[bikerchick68]

mine never worked for me :( after 1000 miles and then finally riding it for STP where I ended up with blisters on my butt, I gave up. I desperately wanted one to work for me, but just no go. It's now been replaced with a different saddle and the Brooks is in the back of car waiting to be sold.

I got one because I personally know several people who swear by them too. I envy those of you who they work for...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Thanks for both answering - and Chort, I think the "sitbone" pain happens regardless as you get used to riding the distances. i don't think its so much the sitbones per se hurting, its the muscles in your butt getting used to taking all your weight on two points...

I agree completely with that. I see initial sitbone soreness as a GOOD sign- it means your weight is balanced on a good place rather than your weight on your sensitive front parts. Sitbone soreness usually fades away with frequent riding. Mine came back briefly in the Spring when I began riding a lot after a winter slowdown. Then as I rode more it was gone again in a few days.

:)

[KnottedYet]

There are many different styles of Brooks, so when you hear me raving about my Brooks, Lisa talking about hers, Mimi and her 30 year old Brooks, and BikerHen lovin' her new Brooks... well, each of us has a DIFFERENT Brooks! They come in different shapes, different widths, different lengths, different frames.

(B67, B68, B66, B17 for the four mentioned)

You still need to know your sit bone width, your shape preference ("T" or pear), flared cantle or flat, and what sort of nose you like to get the right Brooks for you and your riding style.

Wallingford Bicycle Parts has a great selection of Brooks. www.wallbike.com

Hey, Brooks cult: I saw a B18 on a gorgeous old Schwinn today! Pretty saddle!

[RoadRaven]

you're not going to offend me.
All this research; not sure if i agree. when you sit on a seat at home, do you need a cutout? If your posture is good, your crotch is NOT pressed into the saddle, your sit bones are. and they are more or less designed to hold the weight. The brooks saddle gives your sit bones a great spot.
If your objective is to get the lightest saddle possible; and i know a lot of folks are there; they're going to carve away that nice spot for your sit bones; so instead you are sitting on... all that delicate tissue; and yeah, then you sure do need a cutout or you can forget the joys of sex!

Sorry Mimi, when I was in here this morning I somehow completely missed your response!

I think there is a fundemental difference between sitting on a seat at home, and sitting on a bike. On a bike you don't have a back rest, arm rests or the ability to change where your butt rests. Therefore all weight bearing is centralised onto one area and the only way to alleviate at that is to stand as you cycle or to get off the bike.

I'm trying to think of an analogy, and the best one I can is comparing your slippers, or your favourite old casual shoes... very comfortable for moving round the house or with your mates at a mooching pace... but if you go hiking (in NZ we say tramping) you want firm, tight fitting boots. If you wear your favourite sloppy shoes, you'll be blistered and chaffed before you reach the first hut.

So it is with saddles - you need a bike seat on a bike - not a sofa - you want something that will be comfortable but not allow so much movement you move and get chaffed/blistered.

Now, before anyone gets annoyed with me for saying Brooks are sofas, that is NOT at all what I am saying - I'm just trying to clarify what Mimi was wondering (ie, why we don't need a cutout in our sofas!).

So saddles develop to afford the best comfort for the type of riding and it dawned on me today that perhaps the Brooks saddles go best on bikes where the riders are more upright... would this be a correct assumption?

Perhaps Brooks are best suited to those of who are upright in there position, as opposed to riders like me whose bars are lower than the saddles and who place our weight forward and low...?

Oh, and Mimi, for me its not about weight in the saddle, its comfort.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

So saddles develop to afford the best comfort for the type of riding and it dawned on me today that perhaps the Brooks saddles go best on bikes where the riders are more upright... would this be a correct assumption?

Perhaps Brooks are best suited to those of who are upright in there position, as opposed to riders like me whose bars are lower than the saddles and who place our weight forward and low...?



I think that there is a certain amount of truth in this. However, as in most generalizations, there are MANY exceptions.
I think it is generally more difficult to find ANY saddle that is comfortable for long distance riding in a low down racing posture. We can see ample proof of that from reading TE forums.
The simple fact is that the low-bars racing position is not designed for long distance comfort at all- it's designed for racing, not for doing centuries or for touring.

People want to be fast on their bikes during club rides. They want to commute on their bikes comfortably. They want to do all day centuries on their bikes. They want to do their grocery shopping on their bikes. They want to do fast triathlons or TT's on their bikes.

I believe you really can't have it all on one bike-
Want to avoid back, neck and girly bits pain on a 5 day tour?- use a lower/longer geometry bike that's not a stiff frame, where you are a bit more upright and have wider gear ranges and plusher tires.
Want to keep up with fast club rides?- use a lightweight lively-geometry racing bike where you are aerodynamically hunkered down, with hard skinny tires and lose the granny gear.
Want to ride a century briskly but are not racing against time and don't want to be in terrible pain at the end?- then put together a bike that falls somewhere in between the two.

All the more reason for us to get more than one bike! ;)
Just my own humble opinion.

Lisa "still only one bike" S.H. :rolleyes:

[RoadRaven]

Yeah, I agree Lisa
You need the right equipment for the job at hand and that is why we all have so many different bikes, saddles, bars etc etc. You really can't "have it all" in just one bike.

I don't tour (although I want to in the future)
I commute on my race bike, as that is part of my training
So I continue to be interested with no practical knowledge in Brooks saddles. Because there is certainly a BIG fan base here.

Thanks :)

[Tonya]

I remember long ago (70s) we used mink oil and worked the oil into the saddle by stepping on it (for hours) to soften up the saddle before putting it on. Does anyone know if the Knickerbikers are still around (San Diego)?

[ibcycling]

Boy am I kicking myself.

Last week I swung by Goodwill to pick up a light wind/rain jacket and there was this pretty green Western Flyer bike out front. It called to me but I didn't listen. I did look at it and it had a very cool saddle (that I now realize was a Brooks!) and was in good shape. I didn't buy it but thought about it all day. When I went back it was, of course, gone. :( Now that I've read this thread I realize the very cool leather saddle was a Brooks and the cool green bike with fenders would have been a steal at Goodwill prices. Darn it! :mad: I hope it got a good home!

Lora

[KnottedYet]

The moral of this story, and one we should all take to heart:

Always listen when a bike calls out to you.

:D

[ibcycling]

I know. I'm so sad. It was shiny and green with fenders and a very cool brown saddle. I may swing back by today just in case it got returned. *sigh*

Lora

[Triskeliongirl]

How long to break in a brooks? For me, I found my brooks saddle to be more comfortable out of the box than my previous terry butterfly. They did get better over time, but some of that I think was learning to adjust them. I like the noses level. I also learned that since one doesn't sink into a brooks like a cushy saddle, sometimes the saddle height has to be a tad lower than on a gel saddle. That too was key for me. It wasn't until I got the saddle height right, that sit bone marks started to form. I have two brooks finesse saddle on two bikes. On my racing bike, the bars are lower than the saddle and my position is more aero, while on my touring bike the bars are level with the saddle and my position is a bit longer. What I noticed, is that once I got to used to a brooks I could never go back. Anytime I tried a lighter saddle, I couldn't believe how much it hurt. There is nothing like leather custom molded to your body, but you do need to find the right saddle for your anatomy first, and then get it adjusted correctly. I think in time even the nose softens where your pubic bone makes contact, similar to how your sitbones form indentations in the back. I don't think cut outs are necessary, or even desirable, if your weight is being supported by your sit bones as it should be, rather than by your soft tissues. The cut-out on my terry buttefly rubbed me raw, and caused me to bleed, I think now because the saddle wasn't wide enough to support my sit bones so all my weight was being supported by my soft tissues resting on the cut out.

[wannaduacentury]

Tiptoes in to the edge of the thread where IFJAne was...

I have never ridden a Brooks and this question comes from a completely ignorant (- as in complete lack of knowledge about -) perspective on Brooks saddles...

I hear you all say they are comfortable and that I cannot dispute (and would not consider disputing)
I just wonder why you choose a Brooks when there has been so much research gone into designing saddles for the various pelvic types?

Do Brooks even have a cut-out, or a moulded/indented groove? (My ignorance extends to the fact that I have never seen a "real-life" Brooks, just pics here on TE)

The way I chose my saddle was by looking for the words "women's specific" in a style that I had seen women roadsters (like Sarah Ulmer and Onone Wood) ride...

Tip toes out again, hoping I haven't nudged anyones "offended triggers"....

"Jennifer inserting large toe"- I saw a brooks on some kids college bike appx one month ago. It was a honey color- don't know which model and on an older bike(early 80's) and it was locked to a post. Nice saddle and it was sturdy and hard. I was just surprised that someone would leave it on their bike in the open. Don't they know people like those saddles? I would never take it of course, but I did go over and touch it. "Ok-- retrieving large toe and leaving now" :rolleyes: Jenn

[elk]

The proofide is not runny...it's a waxy preservative, so you can just dip your fingers in it and rub it on under the saddle. No need to take it off.

There is another one that the guys at Rivendell recommend and sell...
http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/saddles_and_seat_posts#product=31-344

called obenauf's.

I cheated and rubbed Lexol on top before the proofide...Lexol is a preservative that softens leather. It may have made a tiny difference....but the leather itself isn't hard....I think....but the forming of it stiffens it. if that makes any sense....

it's hard on the bum...but I love that it's NOT hard where it really counts...I'd way rather have a sore booty than a sore pooty....:D
and actually, I rode my Specialized while waiting for my new Brooks...it has a cut out and some padding (it's a saddle I like) and it hurt my butt even more than the B67...go figure!

[elk]

I know. I'm so sad. It was shiny and green with fenders and a very cool brown saddle. I may swing back by today just in case it got returned. *sigh*

Lora

just to add to Knot's lesson...I say that if it really was your bike; you would already have it... We don't often let the important ones get away......and if it IS your bike...it will be there today.